Maniac

MANIAC

Vol. 1

March 23, 1992,



We have gotten the green light to start the last trial for Project M.A.D. (Massive Alteration of DNA). We will commence testing at sunrise, as our budget is running low, and we need to make the most of what we have left. Select 3 subjects ASAP and prepare 3 pods for each, do anything in your power to get them in those pods. In the face of science, we must advance as worrying about the ants below you will never allow you to walk. If all goes wrong we have cover-ups but the disappointment would be immeasurable. Report to the facility innovation room, the project room will be straight ahead. Confirm with Dr. [ ] testing will begin on his watch, do not let anyone else see or know about this, the mass hysteria is difficult to deal with and no amount of cover-up will shut the mouths of those who are loudest. The pain of others will be shed for advancement, once we get this the funding will skyrocket still, we need other test trials to make sure we didn’t get lucky. That is all, eat a healthy breakfast, it’s going to be a long day.



Act I Singularity

“It is now my break meaning I get to a half-assed cold sandwich I packed myself”, said AJ to himself

“Not the only thing that’s half-assed”, someone cracked from across the office

That got some laughter in the office

“Yeah go fuck yourself whoever you are”, AJ responded as he walked out of the office

More laughter was shared in the office the time read noon most people also head out for lunch in the little employee area provided by the facility it was mostly quiet with the occasional conversations about what has happened in the day, most of the employee’s jobs were to keep a check on the stability and keep logs on budget, utilities, and sometimes some abnormalities when test and projects are being run. It was simple and provided a standard living wage. Sometimes they were called to the innovation room to monitor an experiment.

At 12:30 pm, People finished up their lunch and chatted a little before heading to their offices to finish up reports and pages on their computers.


“Yo heading to the bathroom check on my log for me thank you, you’re the best.” spit Lucas while walking fastly to the bathroom

“HUH, what the fuck?” said Bourbon

“Jesus Christ”

The administration walked in and looked around the room. They were intrigued in picking some of the employees. Being chosen as a data overseer also meant a massive bonus but the risks were barely worth it. A few months ago a power outage that lasted weeks caused a major lawsuit that put the company into close bankruptcy, the workers were never let in on what happened the day of the power outage but an employee of the month, Lynn Beaux, went missing and hasn’t been seen including his family going off the grid. Whatever they are trying to cover they are very sloppy.

One of the professional-looking agents pointed at a random employee and told him, “Come with us.”

The man hesitated to look back and forth shifting his vision from his desk to the agents finally giving in and getting up. The second agent that walked with administration scanned the room and pointed at Bourbon saying the same thing.

“Yeah right, fuck no, I have some logs to look over”, Bourbon snarky replied.

The agent replied in a monotone voice, “This isn’t your choice, you are coming with us.”

The even more professional agent in the middle whispered into a walkie-talkie, “ Yeah we are putting him first.”

Bourbon just glared at them and got up at the same time Lucas returned.

Seeing his desk empty, Lucas says, “Hey man whether-” he cuts himself off seeing administration at the front entrance door.

The agents kept scanning until they looked at… me?!

“You are coming with us.”

I loudly fussed, “Hey man out of everyone here you picked me, I'm still eating my sandwiches.”

“Half-assed!”, the same person as before yelled out loud.

Nobody, not a single soul giggles, the dude was escorted out.

Bourbon replied to the agent picking me, “At least it wasn’t Lucas.”

“Suck my-”, the administration, coughing loudly, cut him off.

We headed out of the facility in silence as the massive linebacker agents escorted us walking hastily behind all 3 of us. There was a car outside of the building which they told us to get in. We were all in the back seat with a divider similar to a cop car which only had a little glass window and pitch-black tinted windows. Bourbon and I were especially keen on noticing the driver and the head administrator putting on a gas masks. We looked at each other in confusion until we heard what sounded like gas leaking out of a tire, inside the car. The gas was quick to overtake the back seats and I passed out.

We woke up in what seemed to be pods but we were all strapped to a chair. We had tesla coils on the top of the pods, I couldn’t speak, I didn't know why, I just saw so many scientists with their stereotypical clipboards just studying us. So many lights everywhere and beeping and typing, it was overwhelming I could only look to my left and right seeing Bourbon knocked out like he was hungover and the other dude was barely visible. Everything felt so constraining even the atmosphere.

“Look up we have to strap your chin, remember you get a big bonus.” said one of the scientists.

Hearing the word “bonus” disgusted me but I couldn’t do anything about it. I just gave in.

T-MINUS 30 SECONDS

I faintly heard some of the scientists, something about “mad”? Are they scanning our feelings because I am pissed off being here? That scientist has a bald head.

T-MINUS 10 SECONDS

That timer is scaring me but I don’t feel anything, I just want that big fat check to take my lady to the theater.

5
4
3
2
1
“Fire.”

It hurt, badly, like the sun was sitting on my chest, and my chest was contracting. It felt like someone was constantly pulling the inside of my arm, making me close my hands. My eyes were able to see a quick flash of electricity flying out of the middle of the room, it felt like it was pulling on me hard, my body felt like a rubber band being stretched from the pod only to be snapped on one end and flying into this massive flash of light, the pain went away, everything went dark, Was I dead? Was I-

“How.”

I heard a voice, I opened my eyes, it was a silhouette, it looked like waves, the waves they show you to explain the light spectrum, it changed the more I looked at it. How did it speak?

“It’s been 1000 years, how are you here?”
It spoke in a low deep voice like a spirit box ghost hunters carry on them. The silhouette was familiar, I looked around it was the same facility but very dark, like someone had painted the walls with black paint, Where was I? Do I get my paycheck?

“Adrain?”

How did it know my name?

End of Act I