In a dark room with no light a naked man falls to the ground with smoke rising all around him.
“Where am I” The man on the ground asks but receives no answers
“A.I, where am I?” The man asks again as he breathes deeply and rolls onto his back upon the steel grated floor.
“A.I, Time Log” the man says out loud as he finds out that he is not blind but that it is dark.
“A.I, Date” the man says again as he brushes his hands across the ground to find that it is dusty.
“A.I Reboot” the man says yet again as he realizes that he is not wearing his head gear.
There still being no reply, still no answer the man moves to his feet, he does not know the layout of the room he is in and thus moves slowly, touching everything as he moves; soon finding his head gear covered in dust.
Wiping it down he brings it to the right of his head and activates it with his eyes shut. The head gear has one glass that sticks out to cover the right eye and goes back to cover the ear. When it activates wires go into the right ear, diving into it, breaking through the ear drum, clasping onto the skull and attaching itself with wires to the brain.
[System activation in motion]
Is what the man sees even with his eyes shut as he bends over and grabs his head in pain whilst the head gear sets-up
[System activation complete]
[Welcome **** ********]
“Where am I” he gasps out as his hands hit the ground bent over from the excruciating pain he felt.
[Unknown]
“Date”
[Unknown]
“How long have I been unconscious?”
[Unknown]
“Show map”
[No maps founds. location unknown. personal mapping booting]
“Contact HQ”
[No Signal]
“Suggestions”
[Find Provisions. Survive. Get Out. Search for HQ]
“Where is my team?”
[Unknown. Personal map loaded]
A transparent image appears upon the screen covering the right eye, the map appearing has only the location he has been, and that is only the one room that he is in; He pays no mind to this though but instead asks again.
“Where is my team!?”
[***** Team. Unit ****. Unknown]
“Messages”
[3 unread message. 2083 read messages]
“Display”
[***** Postponed]
[***** Postponed]
[***** Postponed]
“How old are these messages”
[Unknown]
“Rough estimate”
[Greater than 20 years]
“When did you cease functioning, rough estimate”
[Greater than 20 years]
“Night Vision”
[Night Vision Activated]
His view slowly adjusts to that of a light green coloured room. A single table and chair can be seen with a bag upon the table and a pistol on the seat. Moving over to it he picks up the pistol first and finds it covered in dust and in need of a clean. One clip of ammunition is positioned next to the bag that was blocked out of view from where he was standing.
[Pistol ammunition – 12 shots]
Putting the pistol and clip aside he searches through the bag and finds 12 ration packs, 6 bottles of water, one set of military clothing with a belt, Rope, a serrated edge knife and a cleaning kit.
[12 Ration Packs. 12 litres of water. 30 metre rope]
After putting the clothes, belt and knife on. He sits upon the seat and grabs the pistol and cleaning kit. Dis-assembling the weapon part by part and wiping each individual piece down.
*I have 4 full days of food and water, it can be stretched to a healthy 12 days, but I can have it last for 24 days, half a ration pack each day and still be able to function.* is what he thinks to himself.
[24 days of half ration packs]
*Why was my date postponed?*
[Unknown]
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
*How come I’ve been let out?*
[Machine malfunction]
With the pistol pieces he finds that it’s missing the firing pin and thus making the pistol useless. Sighing he puts the pistol to his belt, even though it’s useless he knows may find a use for it.
*Confirmation that you stopped working after 20 years*
[Confirmed]
*Latest information on situation*
[No Data]
*Who authorised data deletion?*
[Major ***** Head of Unit ****]
*Damn it* he thinks to himself whilst putting on the backpack.
Moving across the green illuminated room caused by his night vision he grabs the dusty door handle and gradually turns it open, letting light slowly seep into the room.
[Night Vision disabled]
Yellow light shines through the small gap, changing the colours of the room from green to sunset or sunrise yellow, green leaves can be seen through the door and he continues to slowly open it with knife at the ready but the door stops after it gets 10 cm away from the frame.
*Analyse problem*
[Door blocked. Unknown object. Not electrical]
Pulling the knife from his belt he puts it through the gap and uses it as a mirror. A Rock…A slab of rock that looks like it was carved and placed there on purpose blocks the door.
*Suggestions*
[Wait for help]
*Not possible*
[Move rock]
Looking back at his knife through the door he changes the angle and examines what’s around. Trees, Leaves, Branches and more rocks. Putting down his bag he grabs the rope and ties the knife to the end of it. Roots of a specific tree that is near the edge of what seems to be a cliff is in a direct straight line and dives under the rock. Wedging his bag in the 10cm gap to keep it open he spins the knife upon the rope and throws it to the tree, making it shake from impact but nothing else. Pulling the knife he forces it free and brings it back, then spins it again and throws it through the gap. Hitting it again, making it shake again and then he repeats.
[Advice. Sun is set. Get some rest]
*I’ve had enough rest*
[Advice. Eat Ration pack]
*Will do after I’ve gotten this door open*
[Advice. Rest]
Ignoring his AI the AI stops giving advice. The sound of metal hitting wood continues to repeat throughout the whole night, making the tree shake more and more each time. The soil becomes unstable and only when yellow light seeps back through the morning does something happen. With a loud crack like that of thunder the tree gives way, moving forward, tumbling over the edge of the cliff. The roots lift from underground cracking the soil, ripping the ground apart and sends the slab of rock flying into the air. The floor in the room starts to shake.
“Shit”
If only moving the rock was the only thing it did. The door gets ripped out, then the sound of metal weakening resounds throughout the room. Grabbing onto what he can, which is nothing, he curls himself into a ball with his bag and rope as the room is pulled away from its structure. It tumbles forward, ceiling becoming ground and ground becoming ceiling over and over until it slides to a stop with the door pointing to the sky.
“Re…Report” he wheezes out whilst laying in rubble.
[Multiple fractures. Internal injuries. Commence concentrated healing?]
*Yes* he thinks to the AI.
[Bone re-construction in progress. Organs being repaired. Foreign objects being removed.]
“Arrgh!” he screams as the healing progress continues. Tears leaking from his eyes without him knowing.
[Healing complete. Advice. Eat four ration packs to restore lost vitamins and minerals]
“Equipment….location” he wheezes out in slow words breathing hard from the process.
[Bag to your right, under table and chairs. Rope hanging from door. Knife tied to end of rope. Pistol at your waist]
Taking a deep breath then steadily letting it back out moves over to his bags location, digging through the rubble and moving the table and chairs. Opening the bag and eats 4 rations packs each containing a chocolate bar, Spam, bread, canned fruit and a Harvest can.
[16 days of half ration packs]
White light shines into the room from an angle, it has not past midday, or maybe it already has, all that is known is that the sun is still in the skis. Zipping his bag shut and putting it on he climbs out into the light, leaving his now destroyed room that held him for more than 20 years.
Next Chapter - Chapter 02