A.M.P.E. - Automated Monitored Prison Experiment

[VandalHeart]

Welcome, Professor, to the Automated Monitored Prison Experiment - A.M.P.E. To review your experiment parameters:

I am the control program for the Biocontainment Emulation Nodule. As per the acronym for my control parameters, B.E.N. you have designated me with a name indiginous to 4,582 catalogued dimensional iterations of Earth, Ben. It is my continuing target parameter to ensure the survival and education of the containees for as long as possible. For six iterations, I will select, from several worlds, optimal candidates for your desired social effect. One has already been selected.

Accompanying me on A.M.P.E. is the control program for the Geothermic and Weather Emulation Nodule, an expanding and retracting quick-terraform cell that will serve as the meeting grounds for the containees. In the same manner that you named me, the control program for the G.W.E.N. has been given a name indiginous to 4,643 catalogued dimensional iterations of Earth, Gwen. Gwen has been given more programming in the manner of emotion and quantum reasoning code. She will serve as a native emotional contact for the containees.

As per your instructions, the controls for the safety settings have been disabled, but not removed. Should one or a group of the containees find them, they will be capable of removing the safety protocols in part or in full. I would like to note at this time the illogic of this design aspect and register my protest to continue it's incorporation.

The containees will be selected from drastically differing worlds of differing technological advancement and focus. All of these entities will have at least a nominal connection of some kind. As per your instructions, I have kept these traits secret from you and will not divulge the information in question on pain of deletion.

Are you ready to begin the A.M.P.E., Professor?

 

[VandalHeart]

Chapter 1: The Harvest

"Going all the way to Seattle today, sir?" the receptionist asked.

Daniel nodded as he dug through his wallet for his travel card.

"Would you like to upgrade to first class for $50?"

He looked up at her nearly perfect lips, musing that he would take her up on the offer, har she coupled it with the offer of a blowjob. The images that ran through his mind were good, though, so he said, "Sure why not?"

She smiled, gave a perky "Alright!" and attacked the keyboard without even diverting her attention from him. She checked him out as he handed his card over. He wondered what she would say if he propositioned her, but since his flight took off in ten minutes, the point was moot. He did ask her one question, however.

"So are you going to be joining us on the flight, or is the other ticket checker the one that stays with the plane?"

She looked disappointedly at him and replied that the latter was true. "Well, that's too bad."

"Sorry. But you can board now."

He began to walk down the catwalk towards the plane and the lights inside started to brighten. He started to cringe. Then he closed his eyes completely, then covered his eyes. He called out for an explaination, but there was no response. Now that he was listening, the plane's engines had silenced. He chanced a slit in his eyes, and found that it was just dark enough to actually look around. The catwalk had become a cubicle room, one corner of which was dominated by a nearly cubicle bed, another by a sink, still another by a stand-up shower, the last by what looked like a door out of a sci-fi flick.

"What in the holy fuck is this?!?" he shouted, and to his growing dismay, his only company responded.

"This is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, Daniel. My name is Ben. Welcome to your new home, designation: A.M.P.E."

 

[Sweetp4u]

Tabitha (Tabby)

She could hear her mother's voice droning on and on in her head. This is no way for a single woman to live! and her favorite, "Why aren't you married yet, Tabby?" All her sisters were married.... and miserable! She gloated only a moment at the thought. A small won victory, at least she didn't have two kids in tow at every family gathering, nagging and whining.. She didn't want to think about it, instead she fastened the little vest over her 'racey' blouse. Again her mother's terms, racy. Who said that in this day and age anyways? Had her mother ever noticed how teens dressed? No, but she noticed how Tabitha dressed.

"DAMN IT!" She cursed as her toe connected with the cupboard for the second time that afternoon. Her coffee upheaved and splashed slightly over the rim of her cup, dousing her hand in the hot fluid. Hissing out in protest, her cermaic mug made a loud clank in the sink as she shook her hand off. Twenty-five years old and still working at a bar. She sighed heavily in agitation.

"Just great..." her eyes darted to the clock on the wall. "Double damn!" She was late yet again! Her boss was going to have her ass in a sling this time, and knowing her track record she'd either be fired or penalized for this latest tardy.

Forgetting the coffee and her burned hand she grabbed for her things, cramming all those necessary items into her shoulder bag as she raced towards her apartment door. Careful not to break off a heel or dump anything else onto her cocktail dress, she located her car keys with a triumphant and very grateful smile.

For once those were in the right place!

Pushing down her shades to ward off the sunlight she threw open the door and stepped outside. Turning to the door she shook the handle, making certain the door was locked and turned towards the stairs, only to be drawn up short.

"What the...?" Her hand shot up in front of her face to block off the sunlight. "Daaaaayum! Who turned up that thing?" The headache sparked almost instantly in her temples. Late nights, too many drinks... and poof.

Stepping, mostly shuffling her feet, she moved slowly forward as she silently hoped for a break in the rays. Again she bumped into something, with the same sore toes. "JESUS!" Her hand slid away from her eyes only to see what appeared to be a white corner of something, but again the glare was killing her abused pupils.

"What the hell? WHO PUT THIS IN THE STAIRWAY?" Her headache spiked as her eyes began to water from the glare.

"This is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, Tabitha. My name is Ben. Welcome to your new home, designation: A.M.P.E."

Her hand fell away from her face as she eyed a sterile, if not anally organized bedroom. Mutely she stared at the whitest wall she had ever seen. It took only a few moments... longer than most but whatever.... before she could croaked out, "But I just decorated my old place.." Turning slowly, without thought or much grace she sat onto the bed completely confused.

 

[rhev]

Lir’s stomach felt as if it were filled with molten lead. He hadn’t had time to even begin feeding from the woman the way he wanted before the armed mob had found him in the shadows behind the barn. Dropping the swooning woman just after his teeth had sunken into her neck, he had fled from the armed mob.

So here he was now, his hunger had been slaked by drawing chi energy from the woman during their sexual congress, but without the life blood in his belly, he was unable to access his powers. Without his powers, he was barely able to evade the mob that chased him through the dark primeval forest. Lir could hear the sounds of the hounds in the distance, and glancing behind him, could see the glow from the torches they carried.

If only he could make it back to his sanctuary deep underground, deep in the caves. If he could make it back to his home safely, he would be all right. He could drink from his stable of slaves, something he preferred not to do, but would in emergencies like this. He didn’t like to mar up his slaves, one never knew when one might need to sell a slave, or which one a prospective buyer might decide caught his fancy. Bite marks dropped the price of a slave by quite a bit. While such marks healed quickly, one shouldn’t marr the merchandise.

Stumbling over a root, Lir nearly fell to the mossy forest floor. He cursed softly, remembering that while his night vision was far better than most humans he still had to pay attention to where he was going or he could fall and break a leg. He repressed a shudder as he thought of what the villagers would do to him if they actually caught up to him. He had seen wooden stakes and holy water in their hands along side the burning torches.

Breaking into a clearing in the woods, Lir immediately felt fear grip his cold, unbeating heart. Light began to stream into the clearing! It couldn’t possibly be morning yet. It was only dusk a few hours ago, daylight had to be several more hours off. Holding his pale hands up to his face to block out the light, he waited for the pain, waited for the burning smell of his flesh cooking in the dawns rays, waited for the inevitable death that had been delayed for the last two hundred years.

Instead of pain, he heard silence. The sounds of the forest faded away leaving Lir standing in silence. After a few moments of waiting to be burned to ash and it not happening, Lir lowered his hand and looked around. The light still pervaded every aspect of his vision, far too bright for him to make anything out. His eyes used to night time, the light was painful to him.

He was able to make out several rough shapes in the room through eyes opened as little as possible. Everything was so white, where was he? “Did I die?” he asked himself aloud, “Is this heaven, can the damned even go to heaven?”

He was shocked into silence as a disembodied voice answered his question. "This is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, Lir. My name is Ben. Welcome to your new home, designation: A.M.P.E."

Lir screwed his eyes shut, thinking that perhaps once he got a grip on the all invasive light, he could maybe come to terms with the disembodied, floating voice.

 

[VandalHeart]

Daniel, along with Tabitha and Lir, heard a welcoming speach that Ben had prepared all by himself. If he had the proper programming, he would have been proud. Unfortunately, Ben was no such being.

"Your Biocontainment Emulation Module is designed to be your ideal living quarters. When you feel ready, do proceed to order adjustments to the decoration scheme. This can be accomplished by way of orders directed at me, as with all other questions or changes to your living environment. I have no time limit on these offers of accomadation. This is my function and I will complete all orders to the best of my capabilities at any available time. Do you have any questions?"

 

[rhev]

"Whoever you are," Lir spoke, "Could you douse your torches or shutter whatever windows are letting in this much light? Its quite painful to me you see."

Keeping his eyes still clamped shut, Lir hoped that the light still filtering in through his shut lids would dim.

"And if its not too much to ask, could you tell me where the hell I am? One moment ago, I was running for my life in the middle of the night, now I'm here in the middle of the bright day?"

 

[VandalHeart]

The lights in Lir's room began to darken, and Ben responded, "the lights have decreased. And as for your inference to your previous surroundings, you have been transported to this current locale, and the concept of night and day is now irrelevant. In your quarters, you have a great modicum of control. This includes the simulation of night time and daytime conditions. Your particular skin condition will not react with any of the light schemes that I present."

 

[Sweetp4u]

Tabby

She felt cold all over and yet she was sweating profusely. Was this shock? She felt a hysterical bubble of laughter fighting it's up way her throat. Swallowing hard, she only attempted to stand once when she discovered her knees were too weak to hold her up.

"Y-yes. I have .. a few." She wet her parched lips, wishing she could see where the voice was coming from. If it wasn't so X-file like, she would swear someone was playing a practical joke on her... Only she knew she was awake!

"Where am I? and when can I go home.. and why did.. why have I been put into ..." her eyes searched the room, trying to figure out exactly what this would be called? "This place?!"

Before the eerie voice could answer her she rambled on, " I don't like this. It's really creepy. I would really be happy if you'd just.." her hand waved in the air, "Zap me.. beam me back.. snap your fingers.. I don't know! Wiggle .." Did he even have a nose?

"I want to go back to my apartment. Okay? That acceptable?"

 

[erusian]

"We know there's at least one other," the Inquisitor struck a match. The flame warped and bowed to the tip of his cigarette as he inhaled. The dark-eyed priest flicked the match at Simon's chest and exhaled a plume of smoke at his face.

Nearly there...

"It won't be long before the aka'ari sniff him out. They've got a nose for morphies, you know." The Jesuit smiled mockingly, "it's only a shame that they tend to devour most of their prey before we can call them off."

Just a bit to the right...

The metal legs of the chair scraped an irksome lament across the filthy linoleum tiles. The Inquisitor flipped the chair around and straddled the back of it. He watched the prisoner strain against the razortape restraints that secured his arms behind his back.

"That's entirely pointless, heretic. Besides, if you were to somehow actually break through that razortape, my two friends here would fire off enough concussive force to turn you into a fucking inkspot."

Just... take the pain. It's coming free...

There was a knock at the door. The priest motioned for one of the guards to attend to it. Meanwhile, he returned his attention to his prisoner.

"As soon as the results come back from your scan, we're going to know everything we need anyway, you morphie fuck. When we find out who you are, we'll find out who you know. When we know who you know, you'll be cleansed, the whole sodding lot of you."

The Inquisitor leaned in close. Simon could smell him and he didn't like it. "Eventually, we'll find the all the hosts. They'll lead us to the rebel exiles. And then this very bad dream will all be over."

The guard at the door called to the priest, "Father Vasari... you should come."

That's it... that's it... come on!

The priest muttered some unheard curse under his breath as he rose to attend to the interruption.

YES! Got it!

Blood ran down Simon's wrists from the half hour of slowly twisting and pulling against the cutting edges of the razortape. This distraction at the door couldn't have been better timed. Now, he only needed to wait.

The priest was smiling when he returned his attention back to Simon.

"We found your friend. And now that we know who she is, we know who you are."

Simon's eyes widened.

The Inquisitor's tone was dismissive, "We've got the one we want. We don't need this one. Kill him."

His chair clattered and skid against the floor as Simon lunged forward toward the door. He had nearly reached the priest before the guards managed to get their shots off.

Nearly...

After an eternity of darkness, Simon's vision gave way to light. But, where was he? What was this... wait. How the hell did he survive two shots at point blank range. That was impossible.

"This is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, Simon. My name is Ben. Welcome to your new home, designation: A.M.P.E."

What the...?

 

[rhev]

Lir didn't understand most of what the voice said to him, but the room did darken, enough that he wasn't in pain any longer when he opened his eyes. Still brighter than he liked, but easily handle able. He peered around looking for the source of the voice, but finding none. He considered the option that he had gone completely and finally mad after so many years living as he had. One thing that the voice said struck him deep to the core.

"Your particular skin condition will not react with any of the light schemes that I present."

Skin condition... Could that mean... No, it was impossible. Sunlight was death. He had learned nothing was certain other than that. But, then again, the light that had flooded his senses only moments ago. Was there any light other than sunlight that was that bright? He couldn't remember, it had been so long since he had seen anything in that sort of a light. Over two centuries and the closest he had come to sunlight had been the occasional shaft of light filtering down through the ceilings of caves. Even those had burned him as badly as fire when they touched his bare skin.

The voice, Ben it had said its name was, Ben had said night and day were irrelevant. How could such a thing be possible? Surely there was some magic at foot here far in excess of his powers. Running a tongue over his dry lips, he suddenly realized the empty ache in the pit of his stomach. Wondering if Ben knew who, or rather what, he was, Lir decided to press his luck.

“Ben, your words are strange to me. Also you seem to be at an advantage. You know who I am it appears, but I can not see you. Are you hidden?” He asked peering around the very unusual and strange room he was in. “How much do you know about me? Do you know about … my special diet?”

 

[scorpfemale]

Raven Enters

"Don't you cum yet, you maggot."

He stroked his cock slowly, so as to spare further pain from being disobedient to his mistress.

She bent down and whispered into his ear. "You're going to cum, even when I say not to, because you're nothing but a little boy who can't control himself." She cracked her nine tails across his back. His penis throbbed at the contact, and he held the end of his cock, trying not to let his cum spill over the edges and face the wrath of her displeasure. She sees his milky juices seeping from his fist. Knocking away his hand, he erupts onto the floor. Raven lashes him until his face is on the floor, in his own cum. "Lick it up. Every drop." She commands.

Her slim, leather-clad figure struts back to His chair, knowing He has been watching her every move this night. It is only for Him she will bow, and gladly. With reverence, Raven approaches His seated position, head looking downwards, and she slips into a seated position at His feet. Her ivory skin in perfect contrast with her black, long hair, which she has gathered into a pony tail at the very top of her head. Spilling violently, framing her pale blue eyes, which she now places on Him, as he has seen fit to tilt her head upwards so that He may drink of her beauty.

Tracing the ridge of her pointed ear, He hungrily cups one of her breasts in His hand and leans towards her--His approaching face becomes this blinding circle of light, as the rest of the room fades to darkness. After much blinking to regain focus, Raven realizes she has no clue of her surroundings.


"This is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, Raven. My name is Ben. Welcome to your new home, designation: A.M.P.E."

She is certainly pissed now.

 

[VandalHeart]

Judging her tempo and tone, Ben waited until Tabitha was ready to listen.

"In order to fulfill your queries I will reply in respective sucsession of said queries:
First query: You are currently contained in the Automated Monitored Prison Experiment, commonly referred to as AMPE.
Second query: There is insufficient data to construct a longterm timeline of your duration on this facility.
Third query: My programming does not allow me to answer that query.
Fourth query: Negative. Your release from this facility is not acceptable.
The statements between the third and fourth queries are either uninformed or impossible to comply with, since I am incapable of causing harm to you or any other of the containees, and as stated earlier, your release from this facility is not acceptable."

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben answered Lir almost immediately.

"Your incapacity to understand my method of speach will best be remedied by continued exposure to it, therefore, I will not alter my speach patterns. Your query as to my location is irrelivant. I have no location other than that in cyberspace. And by that terminology, I am all around you. You currently reside within me. And finally, your dietary restrictions have been factored into your selection process."

 

[Sweetp4u]

Tabby

"Insufficient data.....?" Was this 'guy' for real? IT sounded like a freakin' chess club president or some other nerdy organization. She could vaguely remember a series of movies based off of nerds get revenge... Was this the same type of situation? She could almost laugh at that, except for the simple fact that she had just lost her freedom.

Many thoughts rambled through her head, and many come-backs to be said, but she bit down on her tongue and kept quiet. Obviously it would do no good to piss off whomever was behind this sick and depraved little game. She hoped that eventually she would get to go home and alive.

"...since I am incapable of causing harm to you or any other of the containees.." The voice droned on a second more but she snapped alert to this knowledge.

"Others? There are other's here? Where are they? How many of us did you steal?" She was sore from her stiff posture, but letting her guard down didn't seem to be a wise decision just yet. "I also suppose you made some kind of study.. Like spied on us too, right?" Her tongue darted over her lips, her eyes still darting around behind her sunglasses, trying to find something tangibly real within this room.. Something other than bright lights.

 

[rhev]

Lir still couldn't quite understand everything that the voice had said. He knew that he must be misunderstanding it when it told him that he was 'inside' of the voice. Lir understood the voice when it said that it wouldn't be speaking differently.

"Get used to it suck head, learn to talk like me, thats it eh?"

Lir began pacing off the dimensions of the room he was in, trying to get a grip on things, when the voice spoke, "...your dietary restrictions have been factored into your selection process. "

Licking his lips again, he thought that maybe he had understood that part at least. They weren't going to starve him. But what did that mean? He could exist for all of eternity on just raw sexual energy if he had a partner. But wasn't there so much more to life, even if it was unlife, then just existing? He wanted the taste, he wanted the rush, the power, the extacy that came from warm, hot, fresh lifeblood spilling into his throat. Without it, he was barely more than the mortal that he had been raised up from, barely more than the cattle that slaked his thirsts. Lir hadn't fed in nearly two weeks, and his body cried out for a taste. Especially after being so close to drinking from that villager woman earlier, it had been a tease and now his body was on fire.

"If you say you know what I need to feed on, then let me. Give me some drink, a fine woman if you can, for there are more than one type of hunger, more than just thirst of the throat." Lir felt rediculous making such a request to thin air, but could see nothing else to do.

 

[erusian]

Everything glared white. Simon closed and opened his eyes several times in effort to endure the transition as his pupils contracted to pinpoints. Once he had mastered his vision, Simon began studying the room: bed, sink, shower, door.

This certainly didn't seem to fit the Inquisition's style, but who's to say? They had come up with countless methods of torture. This could be the latest thing. He inspected the entire room, searching for the black, bladed cross over a stark, white shield that served as the symbol for the Justinian Galactic Archdiocese.

Nothing.

Simon sighed, no more comfortable at the absence of insignia. He hated not knowing.

The sink worked, as did the shower. Yet, there was no perceivable way to open the door.

But the voice, who was that? He called out to see if it would answer back, "Oi d'ere! What'z'at ye say?"

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben's conversations were beginning to roll in from every direction now. Their stress levels were becoming problematical, but they would hold out at least as long as it took to catch the next containee.

He said to Tabby, "Six individuals have been selected for containment. As the designation of Automated Monitored Prison Experiment denotes, you are being monitored."

To Lir, "I have been programmed with the energetic frequencies required to sustain you. Any other ingestations must be an active gathering effort on your part, and the delivery of other containees is beyond my capabilities."

And to Simon, "I repeat: This is not the construction of any organization you are familiar with. It is your Biocontainment Emulation Nodule, which is a part of the Automated Monitored Prison Experiment."

Daniel, meanwhile, had some things to say. "SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY! I heard the full name of this godforsaken place the first four hundred times you said it! From now on, just call it AMPE, OK? Fuck!"
"Your request has been entered into your preference log, Daniel. What other preferences do you have?"
"OK, lemme get this straight. You have six of us here, you can't let us leave, some asshole has us on voyeur cam, and you have to do what I say if you can?"
"Affirmative on all queries."
"And you won't stop talking like that no matter what I do or say?"
"Affirmative."
Daniel thought about this for a second. "You're an asshole."
"Correction: I am the control program for your living quarters."
"...TOTAL asshole..."

 

[Sweetp4u]

Tabitha

"Six individuals have been selected for containment. As the designation of Automated Monitored Prison Experiment denotes, you are being monitored."

"Can you change the accent of your voice?" She chuckled, yeah she was going a little crazy. "You know, a british accent or something? Could call ya Jeeves..." She slid back further on the bed, keeping her knees firmly closed. The cocktail waitress outfit was a might too small and the whole "Monitored" thing worried her.

"I am being watched by some sick pervert? All six of us are? Well where are they, these other five people?" She chewed a lip a moment as Ben did his best to answer her in the most boring tones and clinical technical terms he could.

"And can you use a smaller vocabulary? I really don't understand all that scientific jargon you're spewing out right now. Then I wish to know why I am here exactly. The truth."

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben gave Tabitha the same response he gave to Lir for both times she asked for him to speak differently. But he continued, "Four of the other containees are in Biocontainment Emulation Nodules like your quarters here. As for the final query, I am not at liberty to disclose that information."

 

[scorpfemale]

It took Raven an hour to realize the effects of her spells would not work properly in assessing this environment, or her situation. It seemed they would go off, but then have no effect.

She then sat for another hour, fully confident that her Master had gone a great deal of trouble to prepare this place for her as a new setting for their play. She sat on the bed, making herself wet with thoughts of their reunion.

At the end of that second hour, she took a shower, trying to bide a little more time before paranoia set in. Her hands glistened over every inch of her smooth body. The hot water felt good, refreshing, familiar. As she rinsed the last bit of suds from her thighs, Raven's mind really began to panic.

Once again, she called out to her Master, begging him to please give her some indication he really was behind all of this. "Where am I?" A rather automated, mundane voice tried to offer an answer. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" She yelled back at his attempt. Shoving her bed across a seemingly endless floor, she threw over the entire thing, sending the mattress sliding. Furiously kicking the shower handles; even if she had to break something, she was going to get attention.

 

[erusian]

Simon's eyes narrowed. He drew his thumb and forefinger over the tips of his tusks. He hadn't said anything about an organization. How the hell did thing...

Fuck me, he thought, his pulse racing, his fingers went to his temples. It's got it's ears in me fuckin' jelly, it does.

Well fuck that!

Simon began to sing, loudly.


Arsehole , arsehole, a soldier I shall be
Fuck you, fuck you, for curiosity
I'll fight for the cunt,
I'll fight for the cunt
I'll fight for the country
To piss, to piss,
Two pistols on my knee
Rule Justinia, Rule Justinia
Two monkeys on a stick
One fell down and he landed on his
Prickles grow on bushes
Prickles grow on trees
Prickles grow when'ere they see
A beaver, a beaver, sittin' on a rock
Along came a bumblebee and stung him on his
Cocktail, ginger ale, five cents a glass
If you don't like it, you can shove it up your
Ask me no questions, tell me no lies
I saw a policeman doing up his
Flies are a nuisance
bees are even worse
My sister went saw a doctor
Who was lying on a nurse
The doctor he was drunk
He got a six foot needle and shoved it up her
Country girls, country girls
Lying in the grass
Go to a tree and teach 'em how to
Peter had a boat,
the boat began to rock
Up jumped needlefin and bit off his
Cocktails, gingerales, 40c a glass
If u dont like it, we'll shove 'em up your
Ask no questions, tell no lies
I once saw a policeman doing up his
Flies are bad, mosquitoes are worse

And that is the end of my silly little verse

...but it wasn't. He kept going. Whoever was running this show was going to get exactly fuck all from rooting around in his brain.

Simon just didn't know how long he could stand it.

He hated that fucking song.

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben made no response to either Simon or Raven unless directly spoken to.

Daniel however continued to converse with him. "So if there are other people in here, let me see them."
The flat, unadorned wall of the room faded into a picture of four rooms within the AMPE. One room held some guy straight from a Ren-Fair. He was deep in thought. Another had an elf in it. She was freaking the fuck out. It was like a temper tantrum. The third room held someone that looked like a Satyr, but not quite. He looked as if he were drunk off of his ass and was trying to win a singing contest. But it was the fourth room he was most interested in. In fact, he was so interested, he ingored the question in his mind of the fifth, uninhabited room.

"TABBY!?! What is she doing here?"

"Tabitha has been selected as one of the containees."

"No shit! Let her go!"

"That is not within my capabillities."

"THEN GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY."

As if a magical password had been spoken, the door opened onto what looked like an art deco elevator. He rushed towards it and worked the fairly simple controls and headed down to a very strange room. It was circular, decorated the same way as his room, but it was the circular that was important. It was as if he were on a small constructed planet with a solid atmosphere. He looked up, and there was the hole in the ceiling that had produced his elevator moments before as it closed. In all four cardinal directions, about level with the horizon, were four identical doors.

"Which one is Tabby's?"

A female voice responded. "She's over here, Daniel." One of the doors glowed and set off a wave of lights in the artificial atmosphere. Daniel had no intentions of waiting on an explaination. He simply rushed towards the door and ordered her elevator down. It descended, and after he climbed aboard, ascended and stopped. It did not open however.

Tabitha then heard from Ben again. "You have a visitor. Do you wish to allow entry?"

 

[rhev]

Again, total gibberish from the voice.

Lir paused and considered the words for a long period of time.

"I have been programmed with the energetic frequencies required to sustain you. Any other ingestations must be an active gathering effort on your part, and the delivery of other containees is beyond my capabilities."

He stood stock still, motionless as a statue. Not for any effect whatsoever, simply because he was deep in thought and honestly didn't require to move. His thoughts spun off in a million insane directions. The dull browns of his clothing, layered on his absolutely white skin the only thing of any color in the seemingly featureless room. There was furniture of a sort he supposed, but nothing he had ever seen before. White on white on white on white on white.

"If this is what heaven is supposed to look like," Lir pondered, "It makes me almost glad I'm going to hell. Unless of course, this is hell. No food, no people, nothing but this blasted white.

Lir chewed over the words the voice had said. It claimed its name was Ben, but if this Ben wouldn't show itself, then Lir had trouble placing a name to it. Just as useful to name the wind, just as usefull to name a smell.
... been programmed ...
What was programmed ? Lir thought about it hard. He knew the word professional was sometimes shortened to 'pro' but the rest of the word meant nonsense. Could the voice be telling him that it was an expert of some sort? But how would someone be 'expereted?'

...with the energetic frequencies required to sustain you...
With the ... huh? with the something required to sustain me. It had been experted with something that could sustain him. Again, Lir considered this. He did not want to simply be sustained. No matter how that happened. Sustananance was for animals. Humans, even ex-humans needed more than that to live, or to not live depending on your situation.

...Any other ingestations must be an active gathering effort on your part...
Even the strange words couldn't trip him up there. If he wanted to feed, he would have to be the one to do so. Memorizing the word 'ingestation' Lir peiced together that it would mean feeding.

...and the delivery of other containees is beyond my capabilities...
Containees. So there were others who were trapped here? Where would they be, maybe behind the door that had no handle? A white door of course. At least since the lights had dimmed, it wasn't painful to look at any longer. At least, not physically painful, emotionally... well, that was a different story.

After a period of time that even Lir had lost track of, he finally decided on a course of action. "Voice," he stated to the thin air, "Listen to me. If I am a 'containee' as you say, then you must know I can not exist like this. I need the life force of others to live."

Lir cringed at his choice of words but continued on. "If I am to be held here, then I request that you allow me a more pleasant surrounding. Perhaps the grand suite at the Lords Rest inn, back in the majestic city of Lnerin'ka? Yes, that suite would be nice."

Lir paused, remembering the giant silk covered goose down bed, the veils of lace and silk mysteriously parting the room. The candles and incense scattered throughout the rooms almost criminally. The huge bath, big enough for a sultan and five of his favorite harem. Ahhhh and best of all.... the heavy, shutters with thick dark curtains. What a few nights he had spent in those rooms.

"Also," He continued, "You say that you can not deliver others to me. Will you then allow me to go out to meet them? Or is this all some fantastical hell where I am doomed to waste away until I sleep the ages away on this white...'bed'?"

 

[VandalHeart]

Ben processed Lir's request, searching his database of the landmarks from Lir's homeworld. He had to make numerous searches and scanned the literature of three historical fictions, one recreationist blueprint, and five paintings that hit on related searches. It was hard work for Ben.

One quarter second after Lir asked to be let out of the room, it shifted into the perfect clone of the grand suite of the Lord's Rest Inn, complete with it's ironwood door, filligried handle and all. The sound of a deadbolt sliding to the unlocked position could be heard from that very door but a moment later.

The same elevator that Daniel had found and was still trapped in awaited him on the other side, but for now, Lir was at home.

 

[rhev]

The room shifted almost immediately. Lir felt a moment of disorientation as his vision seemed to blur, then suddenly, he was in the room he spoke of. Incredible. The sound of a door unlocking seemed to be the only answer to his request to hunt.

Trying the door and finding it now unlocked he pushed it open.

“Gah!” he exclaimed, the halls were filled with that damnable light. Shutting the door hastily, he voiced “The light, is there anything you can do about that? Certainly anyone who can recreate a room in a moment can think of something, yes?”