Scenarios

What's Your Name?

I'm sitting in a strange chair. It has various built-in instruments pressing into my legs and back. It's not too comfortable. Wireless sensors are attached to my temples, neck, wrists, the crooks of my elbows, and my chest. Randal Spilker is sitting across from me, on a normal chair, our knees almost touching. "I'm sorry, Joseph. We'd usually wait longer before it comes to this." He says. He sounds nicer than he did back in the hallway. "We'd normally give you some more time to choose to take your new name voluntarily, like Jessica did. But time isn't a luxury we have anymore." He holds up a tiny piece of shiny silver, one end rounded, the other tapered to a razor-sharp point. I don't like the look of that. "Don't move." Randal says. Before I can to do anything, he reaches forward and I feel a sharp pain in my neck. Then the unsettling sensation of something burrowing into my flesh. "Ugh!" I grunt, but the feeling is gone quickly. "What was that!?" I ask, a hint of panic in my voice. I try to get up, but Randal pushes me back down. "It's a pain stimulator. " he says. Yeah, I definitely don't like the sound of that. "What's it going to do to me?" I ask. "Well, that depends... Joseph. We have a lot ahead of us, you and me. All of us. But today. We're going to take a small shortcut. All you have to do is answer me one question. What's your name?" He asks. Easy. "My name is Joey." I say. Randal sighs. "Do it." He says, his voice not much more than a tired whisper. I've felt pain before. More pain than a person my age should ever feel. I've been bitten by werewolves, I've been temporarily blinded, I've been broken by robots, I've been battered and bruised most of my life. I've gotten used to it. Learned to ignore it, and fight on. But all of it is suddenly nothing compared to what I can feel now. I scream in agony, my muscles tighten, and my vision goes blurry. It's barely a second before unconsciousness saves me. I wake up panting, soaked in sweat. I'm still sitting in the chair, but now I'm strapped down with leather straps. I don't know how long I was out, but my nerves still tingle from the pain I just experienced. "Wha.." I begin. I can't form and words, and my throats feels raw. I must've screamed a lot in my lost time. "What?" I repeat. "I tried to tell you, Joseph." Randall says, in a cold, uncaring voice. "I hope you understand now that nothing here is a bluff. It's important to everyone here that you accept your new name." "How could you do this?" I growl. "You're torturing another human being!" Randal's face reddens. "All you have to do is accept a name! Now, I'm not playing around anymore. What's your name?" Part of me what's to tell him Joseph, just to make the pain stop. But I refuse to relent. "My name is Joey." I say, tensing up, preparing for the pain. Randal's eyes are pools of darkness. "Again." He says. I grit my teeth, refusing to pass out again, but the pain comes back harder and faster. I scream trough my locked jaw as darkness swallows me once again. "What's your name?" I.. mustn't.. give in.. "Joey." I squeeze out. I barely hear my own screams. But I don't pass out again. "What's your name?" My anger boils. I shan't give in! "Joey!" I growl. My body spasms. "What's your name!" I look him in the eyes, my own lit with a burning hatred. "Joey!" I say. The pain returns, but I barely feel it. I've learned to ignore it, just like I always do. I rip my left arm away from the chair, reach over and pull out my right arm. I thrust out my legs, their straps also snapping loose. I jump up, and the pain increases tenfold. I roar as I fall to my knees. A low growl fills my body as I get up. Randal has gotten up and is taking steps back towards the door. He mustn't escape. I jump towards him, screaming as I tackle him to the ground. "I'm going to kill you!" I say, sitting up. I'm straddling his waist. The pain doesn't stop, I can feel it rippling through my body, trying to bring me down like a taser. I rear back and punch Randal in the face. I do it again, and again, and again. I faintly hear him screaming as his nose cracks under my fist. Suddenly, strong hands grab my arms, two each. I roar, and rip one of my arms away. Success. I punch the person who has my other arm. I hear a grunt, then a thud as he stumbles into the wall. I look over and punch my other captor. He blocks, and jumps at me, tackling me the same way I did Randal. I thrash, trying to break free, but I make no progress. I see the other man approach and kneel down. Suddenly there's a sharp prick in my neck. I get out a short sentence before everything fades away. "My name is Joey."