Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino

Chapter 1

I don't remember how I arrived in this hotel.
I don't even remember how my life was before I arrived here.
You can ask anyone and they will all say that they just woke up one day and they were simply here.
No one finds it weird, no one ask questions about it and for some strange reasons it's okay like this.
They give us money, food, a room for every of us and it's okay this way.

Everyone has different tasks.
Some people have to prepare the rooms for the guests, others have to clean the main hall, others, like me, have to check the Casino area, etc...

It's all pretty organized.
He has high expectations, everything needs to be organized perfectly.

Sometimes I look out of the windows and I see the world outside, I always think how beautiful would be seeing how things are outside this hotel but it's impossible.
They check us too well and they said that even if we'll try to go out it will be useless and will only get punished.

After all here there's everything we need so why thinking about going outside?

Only one person thinks that all of this is actually weird, my best friend Sandy. It's been months since she's complaining about the fact that something is wrong about this hotel. Even right now, while we're finishing to clean the Casino area.

«Selene I'm telling you, this isn't right, everything here has no sense»

She keeps whispering to me things, I can't imagine what they would do to her if they hear what she says.

«It's always been like this, why are you complaining?»

«I'm complaining exactly because it's always been like this. I can't be the only crazy one here. What about all the time the police is coming here?»

«You know why the police is coming here so often, they said they're checking if everything is okay and that we don't have to worry about it»

«And you even trust them... it's unbelievable really»

Okay I can't lie, Sandy has some good points for not trusting this place but this is been the normality for everyone since like... we're here so nobody really cares about what is wrong and what is not.

«They're manipulating us Selene, that's the way it is, and we're playing their game»

«What's going on here? Have you two already finished working?»

The voice behind us make us having shivers down our shoulders, we turn around. It's Jamie...one of them.

They're four in total and they're the ones who give us the orders and check everything.
Alex is the boss of this hotel, Jamie, Matt and Nick are his trusted helpers.
Everyone here fears them and no ones have the courage to disobey them. They just float above us all.
Alex barely shows himself around, he leaves the work to the others three.
I guess he has more important things to do and honestly it's better like this because when he usually shows around it only means troubles...or maybe some important guest but is usually the first one.
Nobody knows what they do to the people who get in trouble but some voices say that they close them in a room and do terrible things and I don't wanna know if it's true or not.

«No sir»

We say at the same time. He just signed us to keep working and walk away.
We sigh as soon as he's far away and we just keep working in silence.
The Casino area is pretty big so there are other employers too to help clean.
The more I look around the more I see the same faces. We all have the same loss stare, it's like we're not even humans anymore.

«Don't you feel like a mouse in a trap? They took our freedom away, seriously why no one have the courage to do something about it?»

«Sandy enough. If they're gonna hear you you're gonna get in serious troubles. Just keep working and stop complaining»

I say in a serious tone and she just rolls her eyes and keep cleaning.

After almost a hour we finish. We have a little break before continue working and I usually spend it in my room.
I'm about to go but Sandy block me.

«Hey I know I'm asking you too much but please, help me find the truth about this place»

I look at her, the idea is tempting me but on the other hand...

«C'mon you can't tell me you don't find all this situation weird too. Selene think. Why they always know where we are and what are we doing?»

«Well there's the security cameras»

She rolls her eyes.

«And what about all the people that casually get fired and we have no news about them anymore? What about the people that we know since we remember to be here and that randomly act like it's the first time we met?»

«I'm sorry, it's just too risky, I'm not strong like you are»

She sighs and I just walk away.
I really want to help Sandy but the idea of any possible consequences can't stop tormenting me.
I'm sorry for her, I'm the only one she trusts here and the only one who tells things like this but helping her is a risk too big to take and I don't like getting in trouble.

I enter in my room and lay in my bed. Sandy's words can't leave my head. I know she's right and I wish I'm brave enough like her to help but no one have the courage to disobey and I'm no different from the crowd.