(Don't) Panic

X - The Auction

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

*trigger warning:

+ fanatism + hate speech + violence +

*the full warning and list of triggers to be found in part 2

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Just like all the others, he had not escaped being placed into the hole, being stunned, shackled and examined. By which standards the freaks had sorted he did not know and he did not care. There had been moments when he had wanted to rage and kill the freaks for what they did to him but by now he was just glad that they were leaving him alone at the moment. Right now he was in a room just like the one he had awoken in but a lot smaller with a bunch of other guys. He did not know any of them. His friends, with whom he had been visiting the concert, were not among them. He had been stunned, prodded and poked again and again by the freaks so often that he was even glad to be in the company of five other naked men that he didn't know and just left alone. There was some kind of food provided on one side of the room and some water on the opposite. There was no toilet or anything of the kind but if one of the men had to relive themselves the waste would just drift around in a bubble and be removed by a big hose that swept around the in regular intervals. The hose could not be ripped from the wall or damaged or manipulated in any way. It seemed to be quite supple and flexible but was also strong and durable. The same held true for the dispensers for food and water. There was nothing to do, just eat and drink and drift around the room.

He carefully avoided bumping into any of the other men but he couldn't do so when asleep. Somehow their bodies seemed to gravitate toward one-another while sleeping for he frequently woke to skin to skin contact with another sleeping body.

After a few naps he had finally recovered enough of a clear mind and control over his body movements that he was ready to try and talk to his fellow captives.

By clearing his throat he got the attention of those that were awake.

"Um... Hi. I'm Pete. Who are you?" He looked at them expectantly. He tried to smile but feared that it might have resembled more of a grimace, his control hadn't returned to him entirely. Two of the other men glanced at each other before the smaller of the two replied.

"I'm Chris and this is Adam. Were any of you at the concert too?" The question ended on a rather high and desperate note and the bigger man, Adam, placed his arm around Chris' shoulders and squeezed him.

A new voice entered the conversation, coming from behind Pete and startling him. "Can't remember much of a concert, can you? I never so much as got to hear a single song. I'm George by the way."

The new voice was gruff and when Pete craned his neck he was able to connect the voice to a fairly large man in his mid to late forties maybe.

"Do you've got a clue as to where we are?" He didn't think that any of the others would know any more than him but he had to ask, he just had to.

"Well, since we are all floating around in this bubble, I'd hazard a guess and say we're not longer home, buddy."

Pete turned his head around to look questioningly at Chris and Adam again but Chris had started to cry and Adam had pulled him flush against his chest to hold him and calm him.

"It's obvious where we are! This is the last judgement and we are all going to hell!" The screeching came from one of the other two men that hadn't introduced themselves yet. "And it's all because of abominations like those two over there! I say we separate and kill them for being sinners! Then we may escape hell and be granted a place in heaven! We need to save ourselves from them and their abnormality! We..." The man was going on and on, screeching hate. Spittle was flying out of his mouth as he ranted on about the god he believed in and his eyes held a maniac glint. All of a sudden he was propelling himself towards Adam who still tried to comfort a now outright sobbing Chris, fingers formed to claws, seemingly ready to gouge their eyes out. George managed to propel himself forward and into the path of the maniac, with one efficient punch to the stomach he effectively winded him.

"Who do you think you are, eh? They have done nothing to you. Leave them be! Who are you anyway?"

Hate spoke out of the glinting eyes and with a screech he attacked George, trying to reach anything, to scratch open skin with his nails, to bite him, to kick him, to punch him. The much bigger George caught his wrists behind his back and slammed his head repeatedly against the wall until he moved no more.

Pete had watched in horror for the last half minute or so, as the entire scene hadn't taken long. "Is... is he... dead?"

"Don't think so" growled George. "Wouldn't mind if he was though. Would you?" He looked at him grimly. "Now, what about you there?"

The last of the men had not yet spoken, not even made a sound when George had beaten the other man up. He didn't show any kind of reaction that would show that he noticed that he had been talked to. He just drifted around. As far as Pete could tell he hadn't even eaten or drunk anything as of yet.

Cautiously Pete approached the men and touched him at the shoulder lightly to see if he would get a reaction but nothing happened. He turned him around to see if the man was asleep but the eyes were open. They had a dull sheen to them and didn't focus on his hand when he waved it in front of the mans face. "He seems to be alive but he doesn't react. He's breezing though." Pete let go of the man again and approached George. For some time the only thing that could be heard was the muffled sound of Chris' sobs but he quieted down after some time, turned around in Adams arms and faced the other two conscious men. "Do you think we are in space? I mean those things... have you seen them?" The other men nodded silently, they knew instantly what things Chris spoke about. "I have never seen anything like them. What do you think they are? Aliens maybe?"

"If we really are in space and not just on some drug trip hallucinating I'd say we are all aliens by now. Them just as much as we are. But yeah, I know what you mean. They creep me out. And not just them. What is this thing that we are in and what do you think they want with us?" George looked around questioningly but none of the others could answer his questions.