The Proteus Trilogy: Book One: Warrior

Chapter 7

I wake slowly, and when I open my eyes, it’s just as dark as when they’re closed. I feel that I’m lying on a bed, and as I sit up, bright lights turn on, blinding me for a few moments.

Once my eyes adjust, I see that I’m in a small room.  There are two doors, and I check them. One is locked, and the other leads to a bathroom. The only furniture in the room is the bed I was on and a dresser, which is full of clothing, all the same as what I’m wearing.

Suddenly, the lights dim, and the wall lights up with the face of Garith, the Head Instructor. He smiles at me.

“Congratulations, graduate. You’ve finished Phase 2, and from here, it’s all up.” I realize that it’s a prerecorded message.

“In a moment, you will be escorted to the beginning of Phase 3. Just follow the guides, and they’ll take you to where you need to go.”

The image disappears, and the locked door slides open.

The lights above my head turn off, and a cluster of glowing, red light appears on the floor and leads me out of the room. Cautiously, I leave my room, and glace to either side, but my eyes can’t pierce the darkness. The glow continues to move forward, and I follow them. I look behind me, and see them disappearing. I realize that if I don’t keep up with them, I’ll be lost.

After taking several turns, the guide stops in front of a door. I walk toward it, and it slides open. Inside is also pitch dark. I step inside, and the door slides shut, cutting off the slight radiance given of by the guide. Then I hear a slight hissing noise from all around me. I turn and pound on the door, but it’s locked. I feel myself getting drowsy.

Sleeping gas.

***

Deafening sound wakes me up, and I roll out of bed, hands up in a defensive position. I’m back in the small room, but there’s nothing. The lights are even brighter than last time I was here, and I can barely keep them open.

They dim, and the screen flickers on, again with Garith.

“You’ve just been out of an operation, and you may expect to feel some disorientation, which is a natural part of the recovery process.” His words are extremely loud, as if the entire room is magnifying his words. I clap my hands to my ears, and it helps a little. Garith continues.

“The operation increased your senses of smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing. Within a few days, you should be mostly recovered, but until then, be careful, since they may make you overreact to situations. You’re now well on your way to completion. Good luck.”

The screen disappears once more, and the lights come on, but not nearly as bright as they were before. A hear a chime, and I see a panel in the wall slide open, and a bowl sits on the table, steaming. I walk over, and realize that I’m starving.

How long did the operation take? I wonder. I take the bowl, and smell the scent coming off of it. Oatmeal.

It’s not one of my favorites. The bland taste paired with the sliminess once it gets cold makes it somewhat disgusting to me. But my hunger overrides my distaste, and I sit on the bed as I eat.

I put the first spoonful in my mouth, and promptly spit it back into the bowl. It tastes like no oatmeal I’ve ever eaten. It has a taste that I can’t quite pin down, but it’s not good. Finally, I try another, smaller bite, and gulp it down without tasting it.

In this fashion, I finish the bowl, and set it back on the platter. I feel myself getting drowsy again, and I lay down to sleep.