Part 4
When the surgery ended the subject looked at the
surgeon and began to wheeze loudly, attempting to
talk while struggling. Assuming this must be
something of drastic importance the surgeon had a
pen and pad fetched so the patient could write his
message. It was simple. "Keep cutting."
The other two test subjects were given the same
surgery, both without anesthetic as well. Although
they had to be injected with a paralytic for the
duration of the operation. The surgeon found it
impossible to perform the operation while the
patients laughed continuously. Once paralyzed the
subjects could only follow the attending researchers
with their eyes. The paralytic cleared their system in
an abnormally short period of time and they were
soon trying to escape their bonds. The moment they
could speak they were again asking for the stimulant
gas. The researchers tried asking why they had
injured themselves, why they had ripped out their
own guts and why they wanted to be given the gas
again.
Only one response was given: "I must remain
awake."
All three subject's restraints were reinforced and
they were placed back into the chamber awaiting
determination as to what should be done with them.
The researchers, facing the wrath of their military
'benefactors' for having failed the stated goals of
their project considered euthanizing the surviving
subjects. The commanding officer, an ex-KGB
instead saw potential, and wanted to see what
would happen if they were put back on the gas. The
researchers strongly objected, but were overruled.
In preparation for being sealed in the chamber again
the subjects were connected to an EEG monitor and
had their restraints padded for long term
confinement. To everyone's surprise all three
stopped struggling the moment it was let slip that
they were going back on the gas. It was obvious
that at this point all three were putting up a great
struggle to stay awake. One of subjects that could
speak was humming loudly and continuously; the
mute subject was straining his legs against the
leather bonds with all his might, first left, then right,
then left again for something to focus on. The
remaining subject was holding his head off his pillow
and blinking rapidly. Having been the first to be
wired for EEG most of the researchers were
monitoring his brain waves in surprise. They were
normal most of the time but sometimes flat lined
inexplicably. It looked as if he were repeatedly
suffering brain death, before returning to normal. As
they focused on paper scrolling out of the brainwave
monitor only one nurse saw his eyes slip shut at the
same moment his head hit the pillow. His
brainwaves immediately changed to that of deep
sleep, then flatlined for the last time as his heart
simultaneously stopped.
The only remaining subject that could speak started
screaming to be sealed in now. His brainwaves
showed the same flatlines as one who had just died
from falling asleep. The commander gave the order
to seal the chamber with both subjects inside, as
well as 3 researchers. One of the named three
immediately drew his gun and shot the commander
point blank between the eyes, then turned the gun on
the mute subject and blew his brains out as well.
He pointed his gun at the remaining subject, still
restrained to a bed as the remaining members of the
medical and research team fled the room. "I won't
be locked in here with these things! Not with you!"
he screamed at the man strapped to the table.
"WHAT ARE YOU?" he demanded. "I must know!"
The subject smiled.
"Have you forgotten so easily?" The subject asked.
"We are you. We are the madness that lurks within
you all, begging to be free at every moment in your
deepest animal mind. We are what you hide from in
your beds every night. We are what you sedate into
silence and paralysis when you go to the nocturnal
haven where we cannot tread."
The researcher paused. Then aimed at the subject's
heart and fired. The EEG flatlined as the subject
weakly choked out, "So... nearly... free..."
