Cube Zero: The Newly Imprisoned

Chapter 4: Nyroc's Betrayal

"Right..." Taylor softly said. Nyroc solemnly nodded, and the room stayed silent for a while; Even Nyra didn't say anything. Not wanting his female counterpart to notice what he was doing, Nyroc deliberately slipped out his chair and landed on his feet–with him being smaller than and therefore underneath his control panel.
"I ain't sure if I just want to stand idly by while his life is at risk at every moment," Nyroc whispered to himself, and sat down on the floor. "And besides that, how'm I going to sneak past Nyra without her noticing? Our sensing abilities are equal in acuity..."
"Nyroc?" Taylor whispered to him, unexpectedly coming into his field of extrasensory perception–with him looking in her direction–and kneeled down to have a better view of him under the control panel–in order to make their conversation private.
"You alright, mate?" She whispered.

It took a bit for Nyroc to think of a reply, and quietly said: "I'm not sure if I'd want to help Bartok or not. Wouldn't be against our orders?"
"It is. But, my father did the same–he helped a blonde woman with the surname 'Rains' get out of there a decade ago–only to be lobotomized and placed in there himself." Taylor replied in a whisper.
"Is he still alive?" Nyroc asked.
"He's long dead, Nyroc. He obviously wouldn't have survived ten years in there, especially with reduced mental ability."
"Wynn? Where are you?" Nyra's voice loudly echoed.
"I'm right here, Nyra! Do you need me for something?" Taylor replied, getting up.
"I do. I'd just gotten a call from the superiors. Someone's at the exit point. Now, come here so that the procedure could be done."
"Alright, mate." Taylor sighed, and walked over to a machine that enables two technicians to perform what is called an "exit procedure" on unsuspecting prisoners who are at an "official" exit point.

Meanwhile, a badly injured prisoner–the name "Bennett" being on his shirt–was making his way through a seemingly infinite white space; being evidently disoriented, out of breath, and partially blinded. Between breaths, he uttered: "Where is this? I don't think I recognize this place..."
Suddenly, the space went completely black–and Bennett was soon constrained by a neck brace. The space was then illuminated in a creepily surreal manner–revealing a massive industrial room–and he noticed a grate under his feet.
Going back to the observation room, Taylor immediately recognized Bennett in a way that seemed to be against an unmentioned rule. "He seems familiar... But I just can't remember who..." She muttered.
A staticky noise then filled the air of the room Bennett was in, with a female French-accented voice asking, "Question 1: Do you remember who you are?"
"Barely," He uttered with a Scottish accent. "I cannot remember who I am..."
Nyroc's ears raised at the sound of the Scottish voice, which was distorted by static.
"Isn't that Bennett?" He thought.
"I've a feeling that he's been with us for a time–" Taylor said.
"Wynn!" Nyra snapped. "Let me do this! We mustn't be distracted!"
Bennett became confused by the little argument between Nyra and Taylor, as it was picked up by the microphone–with the Nyrolian muttering incomprehensibly as she got back to the procedure. "Now," Nyra said. "Question 2: Do you believe in God?"

Bennett hesitated to answer, because he knew his fate if he said "no" to the question–but Nyra was insisted on him answering.
"Well, do you?" She snapped.
"I do not!" Bennett promptly answered. Backing away in a satisfied manner, Nyra nodded to Taylor in an attempt to get her to press a black button labelled "no."
Taylor at first hesitated–with Nyra looking at her threateningly in order to put pressure on her–and after a few silent, tense moments, Taylor gave in. On the other end of the monitor, fire shot out from the grate, immediately incinerating Bennett.
Nyra then walked back to her monitor, with Taylor looking at Bennett's scorched skeleton in complete emotional shock. Nyroc was still underneath his control panel, a realization having reached his mind.
While he heard footsteps from Taylor going back to her control panel, Nyroc thought: "This structure was meant to kill, no matter what someone manages to do. A death trap set up by the nation that is Zenitrius. I'll help Bartok get out of there, even if I suffer Wynn's fate."