Subject 17

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Socialization

                Wormhole: A hypothetical topological feature of space that would be fundamentally a shortcut through space.

                Manipulator: To move, arrange, operate, or control in a skillful manner.

                This woman who has just instantaneously appeared in the seat I was going to take would then have created a ‘wormhole’ just large enough to transport her from where she was then to where is she is now. Incredible. I wonder: can I do this?

                “Hey, dude, you ok? I didn’t mean to take the seat like that from you, but you were about to sit next to my brother and the other side was taken. You can sit across from me if you like.” She says, Her voice is gentle and offers no hostility detected.

                She is offering a gesture of kindness by asking if I want to sit across from her. That is kindness right?

                Kindness: Act of having good or charitable behavior.

                Determined by ones way on how they would define their own ‘good’ in kindness would determine whether or not she is being kind. However, I see this as a gesture of kindness so, I will accept it and sit across from her.

                The way I came from would take too long to walk around the aisle of tables so I will continue to walk the way I was to make to the other side faster. The smell of the cafeteria is beginning to make my stomach acids inside my body hurt. Is this what it feels like to be food deprived or starved?

               I sit down across from her. The seat of the table feels nothing like the bed I sat on in my cell room. This is far harder.

                “My name is Alicia,” Her name is Alicia. Her dark blonde hair seems to be soft like my bed. No, softer. Her eyes, they are indescribable in a sense. Wait, of course their describable, I am not sure what sensation I just felt but it was unusual. Her eyes are a green color that goes well with the texture of her skin.

                Although her appearance did put me under some kind of trance I still needed some sort of substance to continue my existence and survive.

                “May I have access to your food?” That seemed to be the right assortment of words.

                “Uh, sure, here’s an apple.” An apple? It’s the same color of her eyes, green. I put the apple in my mouth and clenched down with the bones in my mouth. The taste is bitter, no, sour? Its good though. After chewing for a minute I begin to force the food down in my stomach which should be the place where the nutrients should be extracted.

                “Thank you for your kindness, Alicia.” This should be the appropriate way to express gratitude.

                “You’re welcome. So Shaun, did your master plan get you that kiss you so desperately wanted? Or did you crash and burn?”

                “Whatever, so I stumbled a little bit when the moment should have happened,” A man that was seated on the left side of the man who is seat on my left said.

                Alicia began to chuckle for a few seconds, “Big shocker,” She said. Others around the table began to laugh. It was until the whole table had done laughing did the man’s attention turn to me.

                “Well, whose your new boyfriend? He looks new. What’s your name dude?”

                The man was asking me and soon enough all eyes were on me. I finished the last part of the apple, took a deep breath and spoke. “My name has been stated to be: Subject 17.”

                The table atmosphere changed. I’m not sure how.

                “Yup, he’s new. Don’t worry dude, the way you are thinking will eventually stop and you’ll be thinking normally with the next 2 or 3 days, but for now your name is, umm, Bill. Yea, Bill, my name’s Shaun.”

              “Na, he doesn’t look like a Bill,” A woman sitting across from him said. “Looks more like an Austin. Yea, I like Austin,” She then extended her hand out. I didn’t understand the gesture but could only assume it is to greet one another, “I’m Alex.” Seconds later she put her hand down after realizing I knew not what the gesture meant.

                “Erik,” Alicia says, “You look like an Erik.”

                The whole table began to agree.

                The man sitting next to me slapped my back, “Sup bro, name’s Jack.”

                The man sitting next to Alicia who is her brother smiled at me, “And I’m Zack.”

                My name is Erik. I have just made friends. And I have so many questions.