The Pandora Index (Older work)

Conflictions

Daniel Walker

I opened my eyes and I was blinded by a bright light.

My head was pounding. My throat was dry. Every muscle in my body was stiff and sore. My stomach felt completely empty. The corners of my eyes were so caked in grime it was painful to blink. I felt around myself and felt my hand brush against rough fabric. Sheets? I felt something on my arm snag on something. I wearily raised my left hand to look, only to find it handcuffed to a metal bar. I couldn't help but chuckle a bit when I saw the IV stuck in my arm.

I had gone into another coma, except the previous one was at least a bit more pleasant to wake up from. I had obviously not received as much care as when I was in the hospital. My body was sore and I smelled awful.

I could hear footsteps around me. The owner of the footsteps hid from my line of view behind the glare of the light. A shadow began to grow closer, and I could quickly make out the figure of a tall man. The man leaned forwards and the vulture-like face of Mister Sleet greeted me, I could see my reflection in his sunglasses and I could see that I looked as bad as I felt.

"Daniel, it's good to see you!" Sleet said.

"What...?" My voice was weak.

"You've been asleep for quite a while." Sleet said with a grin, "Not nearly as long as last time though."

"Have I...?" I said distantly, "I need to talk to Madison..."

"She is in a meating the moment, but she should be here soon." Sleet paused, "How did it go? Was he what you were expecting?"

My vision was returning to normal, I could see that I was laying on a stretcher in the middle of a room with black tile walls. I mumbled, "I don't know what I expected."

"Perhaps I should wait for you to wake up more before I interview you?"

"H-has it really been two weeks?" I stuttered, "What day is today?"

Sleet nodded, "Thirteen days, Twelve hours, seven minutes, and thirty-three seconds. It's a Tuesday."

"No. The day of the month." I specified.

Sleet's expression dimmed slightly, but his grin remained unsettlingly cheerful. "The eighteenth of October. Why do you ask?"

I glared at him angrily.

Sleet stared back at me for a moment, he sighed and adjusted his glasses, "Everything happens for a reason, Daniel Walker. If you choose not to tell me then so be it. I'll find out one way or another."

"You lied again..." I grumbled, "The Index-"

"Didn't answer all of your questions? Quite unfortunate." Sleet shook his head, in mock disappointment, "He was still helpful though, wasn't he?"

"I ran out of time," I coughed, "Why did you lie to me again?"

"I enjoy games with high stakes," Sleet explained, "I took a chance and lied to get what I wanted, you took a chance and believed what you wanted to hear."

"This game of yours is too one sided, of course you won." I grumbled.

"Won?" Sleet shook his head, "I can't win, not just yet. The game has just gone into a new round. I'm waiting for your next move."

"I want out of your game then." I muttered, "Why did you want me to meet the Index so badly?"

"Well, it's similar to the scenario most lucky children get to go through, they admire their parents so they want to show their friends just how amazing they are." Sleet chuckled, as if remembering a pleasant memory, "Unless, of course, you're an orphan, or if your parents are abusive drunks... Or maybe-"

"You don't need to pretend to know about human children anymore." I cut him down before he could continue, "I know what you are."

"Really? Oh please, do tell me, what am I?" Sleet chuckled.

"A librarian," I propped myself up on my elbow. "You're one of the things that the Index cooked up. You don't really give two shits about me."

"'Things.' What a cruel choice of words." Sleet chuckled again, "Why would you go and say that?"

"That was what the Index told me." I stared up at him angrily, "He said that you saw yourselves fit to rule over humans."

"No, not that part. I was referring to the 'thing' bit, I am a person, a different subspecies, but nevertheless a person." Sleet leaned closer to me and grabbed my wrist and squeezed, I winced, "Of course I couldn't care less about humans, they're such fragile, incompetent, and cowardly things." I wanted to yank my hand away from him but his grip was like a steal vice. He continued, "Humans are weak and expendable, nothing more than a resource to be depleted. Pointless things that need to be taught where their place is. It's only logical for us to be their leaders..."

I shouted in pain as he suddenly yanked the IV out of my arm. Sleet let go of my arm and stood tall, "That was how I had looked at humans. Times change -people change, Daniel. But there's no point in dwelling on the past so let's just say that humans and subspecies are both fairly important in their own special ways."

"I still don't trust you, Sleet." I growled.

"Then I'm glad to say that the feeling is mutual, Daniel Walker." Sleet turned, and with his back towards me he added, "If you live your life expecting everyone to tell you the whole truth, you're going to live a very painful life."

"Is that some kind of threat?"

"Not at all, it's simply a warning from experience." Sleet began to walk towards the door. Sleet opened the door just as Madison had been reaching for the doorknob, "Ah, how did the meeting go?"

"Fine, no real updates," Madison looked at me, "Daniel's awake, I see."

"Not awake enough as it would seem," Sleet sighed, "Would you be so kind as to answer a few of his questions while I take care of the mountains of paperwork that I have left unattended?"

Before Madison could protest, Sleet was already halfway down the hall. Madison just glared after him for a second and let out a disappointed sigh. She turned to me with a small smile, "Well, considering that you've been stuck in bed for almost two weeks, I'm guessing you must be hungry. I'll be right back with something."

"Mad-" I began to call for her to wait but stopped myself. I needed a few minutes to be alone. So far I know more about about myself; I was an abnormal, I was a prisoner at Pandora, I probably escaped when everyone else did, but...still. It's not enough. I still know nothing about myself.

Who do I trust? Who do I believe? There's no way I can trust Pandora. Why would they tell me that I was an agent if I was an abnormal? It makes no sense. No sense at all. The people at The King's Court? I know even less about them. The Index? He seems like he knows more than he's letting on. He doesn't really care about anyone. Why should I trust anyone like him? He's just like Sleet.

The Sword-thing... No, I'm not even going to consider trusting that thing.

Madison? She's part of Pandora, but she's different, I can't really say how. She just seems more trustworthy than the rest of the people at Pandora.

"Are you okay?" I looked up to see Madison. I hadn't heard her return so she probably saw my expression.

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine," I lied, "I just have a lot on my mind..."