100% SP Payout
This is the continuation of the Bad Trip series.
The earlier chapters can be found here (part one)(part two)(part three)(part four)(part five)(part six)(part seven)(part eight)
Part 9
Where am I now, Taylor thought as he looked around to take in his surroundings. He found himself in a hallway. A very long hallway, with many doors on either side. He turned to face the other direction – more hallway, more doors. Each door was numbered, but the ones behind him appeared to be numbered in the negative.
From where he was standing he could see the numbers in front; one, two, three. He could see them continue beyond that. Behind him he could see; minus one, minus two, minus three, and continuing. And they placed me here between these two, he thought. Why do the numbers go in two directions? What does that signify?
Taylor decided to start walking along the hall. Were the doors for exiting, or were they a ruse? He could only make out the first six doors, in either direction, with darkness enveloping the space beyond. He wanted to know what was beyond. As he approached the darkened area more light appeared, an automatic light, revealing more doors, followed by yet more darkness. Taylor stopped, and looked behind him from where he came. He noticed a small piece of paper on the floor near where he had started. He walked back to it and retrieved it.
“Don't forget.” Don't forget what, he thought. What am I supposed to remember? He went to put the note into his pocket and felt another already in there. “When you get into the next stage, plug the wires back into the box. Switch it on. Jim will get your signal.” Taylor thought through the last thing he could remember. His mind felt foggy, he found himself unable to truly know how long back that was. Had he woken here in the hallway immediately after, or had some time passed? Things felt like a blur, but he could remember the Master of Ceremonies handing him a note. This note. With these instructions. Why would he do that? Taylor started to overwhelm himself with questions again. And whether he could trust the Master of Ceremonies or not, he clearly knew about Jim, and Jim appeared to be his only way out of this situation. There was only one thing he could do, he felt.
Taylor retrieved the small metal box from his pocket, and scooped all the loose wires together into a bundle. He clipped them together and inserted them. If I haven't broken anything, he thought, then once I press this button I should be sending a signal to Jim, where ever he is. Taylor pressed the button and watched the red light go on.
Robert was watching the screen, and adjusting the dials to compensate for the unusual interference he was receiving. He could hear the various pitches of noise coming through the headphones. Noises that only a trained technician truly knew how to interpret and decipher. The one specific noise, the one that would indicate his tracking device was working was the only one not coming through. They had located him within the simulation. Jim was still debating with Dr Sepalino as to the safety of making a new attempt to re-enter. Meanwhile, Robert continued to scan the digital signals being sent from within the simulated world.
“I got something here,” Robert gestured for Jim to come on over. He had picked up a signal. Faint at first, it was growing, indicating the accuracy of the signal itself.
“What have you got?” Jim asked.
“His tracker has turned back on.”
“What, the one I left him with? He still has that?”
“It would appear so, it's just started giving out a signal. It matched his location here, it would appear to be Taylor that has turned it on.” Robert reassured Jim, knowing the possible reasons as to why this had just happened. And knowing that Jim would be thinking through all the worst case scenarios.
“So can we run a trace on his body now? Assuming the signal stays.”
“We can, and I have that trace going now.”
“How long before we can get a reading?” If they could locate his body, there was the slight possibility that Jim would not even need to re-enter the mind hack to help Taylor. It was only a very slight possibility, and Jim knew it was probably wishful thinking. Still, he was hopeful. Once they located Taylor's body, they would have to call in some armed assistance. The bodies were usually under guard. Not always a well stocked protection, but enough to prevent Jim and his crew from just walking into the building once the found it.
“It usually takes about thirty minutes. If the equipment is still working as it should, and it does appear to be, then I see no reason why that would be any different.” Robert explained, whilst having his attention fixed on the machine in front of him. Jim put his hand on Robert shoulder and thanked him for the good work.
“His tracker has just turned back on,” Jim relayed the news to Dr Sepalino. He was still on the other end of the phone.
“So there's a good chance you'll locate him very shortly?” Dr Sepalino asked, but he knew the deal. He had literally written the book on how this line of work operated. Even if this particular case was unique.
Jim turned to Zack, “If I need to get back in, is that a possibility?”
“Yes, everything appears fine from my end. I can't see any reasons why you wouldn't get back in. Just remember though – we still don't know why it ejected you, at least from a technical perspective. It could do it again.”
“Any recommendation?” Jim ask Dr Sepalino, interested in his point of view. Was there really a rogue in the machine world, one that could possibly be gunning for him? And if there was should he be risking a return to the simulation. Well they knew where his body was; right here. So unless he was killed outright then he would be safe. He hoped so, anyway.
“I suggest you finish the job. But be well armed this time. No one knows who the rogue is.”
Taylor walked up to door number one and placed his hand on the handle. It was a rounded brass type, similar to the ones used in his older apartment block. In front of him was a wooden door. Nothing unusual to it from his observation. He slowly turned the handle and opened the door.
He was met with more blackness. He felt along the wall for a light switch. Instead of a light switch he felt another hand. He slammed the door shut, losing his balance in the process. He crawled back quickly to the far side of the corridor.
As he was falling to the floor he realised he had heard a noise, from the negative end of the corridor. From door number minus one, he thought. He slowly rose to his feet and walked the distance to that particular door. Standing in front of door number minus one, Taylor breathed a few deep breaths to steady his nerves. There was something or someone in that last room, what if there is also someone here? And there was a noise, like I made when I fell back in shock. He looked at the door, and the minus and contemplated the significance of its numbering. Was that me falling on the other side? Are these doors connected somehow?
He slowly opened the door. He felt for the light switch and reached it in time to turn it on. And just in time to feel another hand. He reeled in shock, but retained his balance. He found himself standing face to face with someone else. Except it wasn't someone else. Taylor found himself staring directly at himself.
This fiction is my own work, written for Steemit
Image Credit: Pixabay.com
Thank you for taking the time to read this story.
If you liked it please give an upvote, and feel free to leave a comment.
Follow Me