“So, without more stalling, let me explain what just happened to you. Listen closely because this is the twelfth time I’m explaining this to you. Of course, you wouldn’t know that, but anyways…” John took a deep breath and started talking.
“I am John, also known as Gas Mask. I am the supervisor of the building we are currently in, TEST #202, which means I am in control of the people who come into this TEST and this TEST alone. Using the word “building” doesn’t roll of the tongue as easily as “facility” does, so, let’s just call this a “facility” from now on.”
“Everything, from the moment you woke up here, to the moment you met me, to the very moment you tried killing me, was pre-planned to happen. Yes, that includes the key falling out of my pocket. I made that happen on purpose. It also includes me blabbing on about a soda ad poster so much, while not keeping my eyes directly on you. Let’s set the record straight. I am not that oblivious, and you are not as smart as you think you are, Urien.”
This last sentence offended Urien, slightly.
“What you just went through was the entry TEST of this TEST facility, TEST #202. It was meant to test your state of mind. Would you have risked the gun locker key or not? Would you have given me the key back, or not? Of course, we know you picked doing the latter. If you are wondering as to what I was writing down, I was writing down the result of you going through that entry TEST. To say the result differs from the eleven other times you’ve done this would be a lie. Congratulations, Urien, you have failed once again.”
“What do you- “– Urien tried asking John something, but John cut him off and completed his question.
“What do I mean by “eleven other times”, that’s what you were about to ask me, right?” – said John, almost as if he was making fun of Urien’s confusion about the situation he was in.
“This is the twelfth time you have started a LOOP, Urien. If you are wondering about what a LOOP is, I’ll tell you, and before you get too mad at the situation you are in, please, keep yourself calm a moment longer, because I have something to show you.”
Urien nodded.
“There’s a couple of TESTs you must go through, Urien. Once you go through them all, you’ve successfully completed one LOOP. After completing one LOOP, your memory is swiftly erased. You forget even the most vital details about yourself, with some exceptions. Why is this done? Well, let’s say if you KNEW how to solve a problem already, and you decide to solve it again, again, and again. Are you gaining anything from it? No, you’re just repeating the same solution. You gain nothing from it. This is why you don’t remember anything, and why you fell for that gun locker key so easily. Knowing that you gave the same response to the same problem twelve times already, doesn’t that tell you something, Urien?”
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Urien was trying to figure out everything that John just said and explained to him. He was frankly weirded out by all of this. Nonetheless, Urien replied: “What… What is it supposed to tell me?”
“Some things are part of us, by nature. They are rooted deep inside of us, and that, that is the true “us”. If you knew the outcome that was to come out of you stealing that gun locker key, you wouldn’t have done it, right? But look at you, taking the same route twelve times. That determination that is inside of you, it sure is strong.”
“Wait… If this is my twelfth time… How did I even come to this facility in the first place? What am I doing here?” – Urien asked John, impressed by the words of the Man with the Gas Mask.
“We will get to that, - “– John abruptly stopped in the middle of his sentence, as the vinyl player stopped. “Give me a second to turn it to the other side”, said John. Turned it over he did, and another classical music piece started playing.
At this point Urien was really confused about what was happening. Did he agree to these terms? And why? Is this really his twelfth time doing this, or is John just simply that powerful with his words? Whatever the case, at least he didn’t get shot, he thought to himself. At the same time, Urien felt so “at home” yet so far away from it.
“Please, continue…” – said Urien.
John, almost happily, with a certain grin underneath his mask, replied: “Didn’t know you were so interested!” After they exchanged some weird looks at each other, John continued with his explanation. “All that I (or it would be more correct to say we) ask of you is to complete a hundred LOOPs, and that’s all that you need to do here. Go through the same bunch of TESTs a hundred times, and you get to leave. You get the money you were promised, and we get the test results we are looking for. It’s easier to TEST one person a hundred times than a hundred people once.”
Urien, as off putting as his situation was, became intrigued: “I’m getting paid for this? Do I work here?”
“In a way, you do “work” here. But then again, I’m the actual employee here, and you’re just a Tester.” – John explained.
“So, I agreed to this? How do I know you didn’t kidnap me and just erase my memory?”
As soon as John heard this, as if he was waiting for this moment and this moment alone, stood up from his chair enthusiastically. “This… This question was the question I was waiting for! After I answer your question, I’m basically done with co-operating with you until your next LOOP! Finally!”
“Does this guy change his personality every five minutes or something? What’s up with his happy, then sad, then negative approach at this situation? Oddly enough he’s perfect for this job, if it even is one, and if I am to believe his words…” – Thought Urien.
As John stood up, Urien kept his eyes on him. What was John about to tell him?
“No need to wonder anymore, Urien. The truth is you agreed to this. Don’t believe me?” – John said as he picked up a DVD, with something written on it with black marker. John approached Urien and showed the DVD to Urien, in his face. The writing on the DVD said as follows:
“URIEN / TESTER NUMBER #4402
VIDEO: APPLICATION VIDEO
DATE: 02.06.2000.”
“Give me a second while I boot the computer up. Do you mind turning off the vinyl player, Urien?”, asked John politely.
Urien stood up calmly and in disbelief of what he just read, turned the vinyl player off.
“Come here and watch closely Urien, because this is all you.” – John said, and, after making sure Urien sat in his seat, turned off the lights of the Main Room. He let Urien press play on the video himself. After loading for a second or two, a video started to play.