AX-1

CHAPTER 2

Alex scanned through the aisle of a convenience store, conflicted by his choices. He wanted to pick out a snack before coming home from his walk, but he was stuck between chocolate and cookies. He had to pick up milk and other groceries, so he might as well get something sweet. He chose the chocolates and made his way to the register. Alex escaped the confines of the cool, dry, air-conditioned store, only to be smothered by the hot, sticky air. He immediately felt sluggish and lazy. The heat usually did him in like this. The sky was dark gray, with clouds covering the sky. It was almost as dark as night, at noon, nonetheless.

Looks like a storm, I better hurry home... Alex thought. Of all the times to forget an umbrella.

A droplet fell on Alex's hand. He looked around him as the rain quickly picked up. Alex ran as sheets of rain like a pressure washer fell down on him. Alex could barely see in front of him, the rain was too thick. It created an opaque veil around him, blocking out any light like a circle of grey curtains. He took a shortcut down an alleyway that leads to his house. He was looking at the ground when suddenly he ran into something. A hooded figure was standing in front of him. The figure reached into his pocket and pulled out something that Alex couldn't quite see. The figure kept his right hand clenched and started walking ominously towards Alex. Alex cringed with fear and anticipation. He didn't know whether to run or fight. By the looks of it, the figure was pretty bulky, and could probably outrun him. Nobody was out on the streets and alleyways in this rain, anyway. No one could help him. If the figure makes his move first, he'll try to fight back fast. The figure darted towards him, breaking Alex out of his train of thought. Alex panicked and started kicking and waving his arms around, hoping for something to connect. Alex was strong, but wasn't well trained in any martial arts. He only knew basic self-defense, and who knew that when the time came, he couldn't remember anything. Alex cursed under his breath. The figure maneuvered around his attacks like a professional fighter, and slid behind him, putting him in a one-armed chokehold.

I'm going to die! Alex thought as he tried to remove the chokehold, trying to hit the figure's lower body as well, all with no luck.

The person's physical strength was overwhelming. The figure's other hand lifted up and stabbed the item into Alex's neck. After a few seconds, the man drew the item out of Alex's neck. He caught Alex as his legs gave in. The last thing Alex saw was the blank mask that the attacker wore. His vision cut out, and his consciousness was growing foggier. Then all became dark.

Alex awoke with a gasp. His mind was still lagging, panicked, and confused. He was in a blank grey room, with no patterns, no texture, just a bed, a chair, a large pane of glass, and a light. Everything was grey. Alex looked around for a door of some kind, but found none. How did I get here? Alex asked himself. Then he remembered the fight. He tried shouting, despite the fear that the attacker was still there. "Hello, is anyone there?" No one answered. He moved up from the bed, realizing that his hands were gloved. In fact, his entire body was covered neck to toe in a skintight suit. Its base color was a matt white and had thin black colored wiring infused with the suit, giving it the appearance of a discolored circuit board. Alex paced around the room, occasionally touching around the surface of the wall, looking for anything that could get him out of there. Suddenly, one of the walls formed black lines tracing the shape of a double-door. The area of the wall inside the lines bulged out and slid apart, revealing a slender hallway. Standing in it were three people. The first was a grey-haired man with a slender frame and an intelligent (but also reassuringly kind) smile on his face. The second person was a short young woman with long, glossy brown hair. Her eyes were saggy from obvious lack of sleep, and her glazed, spaced-out stare was concerning. The third was a tall, bulky man of about the age of thirty or so with short, dirty-blond hair. His confidence showed through the smile on his face. Alex's first response was to back away as the group proceeded to walk into the room. They were discussing something, but Alex was too busy panicking.

Nothing... absolutely nothing, Alex thought.

He didn't know what was happening, but he couldn't just accept the fact that something as strange and unrealistic as this was happening.

This has got to be a dream... thought Alex. Why am I even here? Why me?

"What do you want from me? Where is this place?" Alex spoke, trying to conceal his anxiety and uneasiness in vain. The old man stared at him back, with a subtle, all-knowing smile on his face.

"Hello Alex..." the old man said softly. "I know this may be very confusing for you, but we will not harm you. As for your... sudden relocation, we have circumstances of our own."

"That's not answering my question, what do I have to do with anything regarding whatever you're planning?" Alex said, his mood switching from dumbfounded to restless and agitated, which was reflected in his voice.

"I will brief you in full detail later, but you must realize that you were the only one up for the job, so to speak." The old man said, his tone of voice confident and unwavering

"Job? What job?" Alex asked, trying to connect the dots to find out what exactly is happening. No reply. The group had already started walking towards the exit. Alex had already examined the groups' figures and determined that they had no weapons on them. Only the younger man would pose a threat. Without thinking further, Alex went into a full-on sprint to the door. His heart raced and feelings of both hope and fear sprouted as he was gaining ground on the scientists. He wanted to make it out of this room at least before he could think of a plan to escape wherever he was. But then Alex noticed something suspicious. The scientists saw him, but were still casually walking. Did they not care if he got out of the room? Did they even want to stop him? Then why would they keep him in a secure room in the first place? Alex began to have second thoughts. They most likely have a security measure of some kind.

What if there are guards waiting for me, and I'll either get shot up or knocked out again? And what about other unknown security? This place looks way too futuristic, who knows what they'll have... Alex thought

Alex slowed down and walked to the open sliding door, he then reached out a hand from the room to the passageway. Before he could do so, a wall of light appeared, and made a solid barrier between him and his escape. The scientists caught up with him, and didn't stop walking. They walked straight through the barrier effortlessly, as if the light was simply just light. Right as they did that, Alex tried to go through the barrier at the spot they had just passed through. It didn't budge. Alex backed away from the barrier and started cursing under his breath as the solid doors slid back over the force field, securing the room for sure. Alex marveled at the concept of the force field of sorts, but still resented it.

This will be hard... Alex thought.

He might be able to escape an old fashioned jail if he tried, but when it comes to this type of unknown, Alex was hopeless. Alex sat there observing the room for what seemed like hours, and then realized that he would need to make other preparations for his escape. He would need to train his body and mind, as well as secure a hiding place for items if he finds or needs them. His bed is pretty standard, slightly elevated with no space where the legs would be. He lifted up the mattress, seeing only a flat slab of the material that makes up the walls. The mattress itself could store items if an incision is made, but it would have to be small and precise, not something that could be done with bare hands. Another troubling handicap is the possibility of cameras in the room. None are visible, but with technology like theirs, they could be very small or hidden behind a one-way wall. Alex really wanted a book to organize his thoughts, but like hell they are going to give him that. Alex sat down on the bed and put his hands over his face. A frustrated sigh escaped his mouth.