Chapter 2
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When my eyes open again I am surrounded by darkness. Reality sets in just as a a ray of light breaks the inky blackness. Jeremy jolts my dream pod's door open, he utters some remarks about my "lazy antics", and struts towards the cafeteria for lunch. I sit upright, throw my leg over the side of my D.I.P and step out into
the fluorescent.
Stretching out my arms I take in the familiar setting. I swing the lid shut on my pod and type in the password to deactivate its use. It looks similar to a tanning bed with a multitude of wire attachments and computers. On the lid of the pod's white metallic exterior is an HD observation screen about the size of a paperback novel. This screen is used to watch the tester's thoughts as they explore each dream and make sure they are staying out of dangerous situations. That job is reserved for the head dream coordinator assigned to each dream. Today Jeremy was assigned to the dream I just tested, therefore he takes his rounds, keeping up on all the individuals testing his assigned dreams keeping their vitals regular and reminding them of time limits, deadlines and goals.
I make my way out of the rectangular room lined with empty dream pods and take the hallway marked with a large "3" glowing blue above its entrance. There are four hallways exiting the main dream facilities in the centre of D.B.T, two at each end of the room. Hallway 4 heads towards our apartments within the company building, 2 is an emergency exit corridor and the hallway marked with a bright red "1" is considered a v.i.p zone. This hallway is forbidden to testers and rarely used save for head coordinators and company officials.
By now I am entering the cafeteria, buzzing with chatter, it is lunch hour and everyone has finished the first tests of the day. I make my way towards a table in the far corner where Braden is watching me expectantly. I sit down beside him and release a prolonged sigh. Braden fixates his attention to his plate of cafeteria fries and digs in. His short dark curls are in a mess and his composure is solemn. The plain white uniform he wears is pristine and contrasts his tanned complexion and blue eyes.
I don't eat because I technically just woke up and I'm not at all hungry. Braden looks up at me after he's almost finished his meal and asks, "how'd your test go?"
I let out another sigh, "good I guess. I had to rush the last bit", giving him a knowing look I raise my eyebrows.
"Jeremy?" he asks. I confirm his suspicions with a quick nod and return the question. Everyone hates Jeremy, I think it's because he's worked here so long the place has turned him rotten.
"What about you?" I ask, acting like this isn't the small talk routine we traverse through every day during lunch.
"Boring one today, it was for a senior swim team I swear, it was literally just a huge pool with no exit, so I swam around for twenty minutes before evacuating". He says laughing slightly. I snicker and steal some of his fries before I stand up. He clears his throat to grab my attention. "Test trials are today you know. Best be getting ready" he reminds me.
My heart drops and I sit down silently. Braden gives me a reassuring smile as he stands up and walks off down hallway three to go back to his apartment and prepare.
Test trials. This happens once a year on November 13th and they are feared by most of us here at D.B.T. These trials seed out 4 extraordinary dream testers to be inserted into a dream, with four other testers from our rival company "Goal of Paradise". This dream world is called 'Purgatory', and for a reason, the objective of the purgatory competition is to eliminate at least 3 of the other team before the competitors from 'goal of paradise' eliminate 3 of your teammates. The company who's team is successful gets their team promoted to be dream developers, or in other words, riches, fame and success. The test trials consist of a series of unknown tests held within a synthetic dream world created by a third party. In the dream distribution business there are always dangers beyond that of our test scenarios. These dangers consist mostly of the possibilty to be entered into the competition world. If you make it into the top four of the trials then you will be entered. This ritual is considered the only "catch" or downfall to working for D.B.T. You are given food, shelter and friends but you have to sign the form instantly making you eligible for the dream test trials.
I find myself in my appartment looking for an escape to all the thoughts rushing through my head in this instant. I tell myself i can just perform badly and the judges will cancel me out completely as an option as one of the four competitors. Then i am reminded that these tests cannot be simply avoided. They are designed to push a tester to the most extreme of their abilities. These judges watch all year around and decide your utmost fears and strengths. Each test is form fitted to the tester, to fail purposely out of a test trial means serious injury or in some cases, termination from the company. Of course this is all D.B.T rumour that you hear about all the time working here. The rumours keep you keen and on your feet during the trials, which might be the reasoning behind them.
I pace around a my room, i try to focus on small things like the hardwood floor or my white bed sheets. A few announcements play throughout the headquarters mentioning how much time is left untill we all are required to meet in the building's centre and enter the trials in groups of four. We are sorted into groups of four based on how well we are suited to eachother in terms of strenghts, personality, problem solving and other things i suspect. The trials usually last only a few hours and then you find the final trial, complete it, and then you exit thorugh the designated gate. Last year during my trial i was grouped with three people i had only interacted with a few times during my life here. I ran from wild dogs and shot down targets across a field while avoiding firearm shots myself. The final trial was an obstacle course containing events that force you out of your comfort zone, i experienced team compromise and personal sacrifice as we traversed terrifying puzzles where "finding yourself" often held the key to finding the answer. Every employee tried their hardest, so everybody was worried they would rank in the top four and be put into purgatory, the fear of which is mostly the unknown of what it holds. Every single purgatory competitor never returns to D.B.T, maybe because they are enjoying their higher paying jobs or maybe something else, noone knows.
"ten minutes remaining untill testers are required to attend dream test trials in the main facilities", the speaker system sounds off with a buzz.
My breathing increases with my heartbeat as i sprint out into hallway 4, joining the crowds walking from their rooms to the centre of the building. When i enter the main facilities the sound of rustling bodies muffles my estatic breathing and i join the large huddle of people quickly forming in the middle of the rectangular room.
I jump when someones taps my shoulder.
"Chill", says Braden. Joining me in the crowd, he is acting calm but i can tell he is nervous. He scans the room quickly and nods in the direction of our boss man, Ron. A short blonde man with a very distinct professional look. Braden and I see him once every year at this event, other than this he keeps to himself.
Standing upon a pedestal Ron taps his microphone and the room goes eerily silent.
"Welcome", he begins, "everyone knows that these trials are crutial, don't you?".
Of course we do, D.B.T and 'Goal of Paradise' are the largest dream testing companies in the world. The company who wins the purgatory match has the chance to produce dreams with some of the best equipment in the industry and bring in huge profit, fame, and reputation. in retrospect, to win this match against goal of paradise means we win all dream profits for a year, and we have lost every purgatory match in the last 7 years. I have never experienced a win for D.B.T, making us the scum of the two dream testing companies. Other companies don't want to have their dreams tested by us unless we win therefore we get every low budget local dream that comes our way when we lose.
"That is why this year the test trials have been altered to better find the best testers we have to offer here at D.B.T.", Ron continues, " lets have a round of applause for our judges straight from the worldwide dream distribution agency" he gestures towards two men and two woman sitting behind computers at a long table, most likely preparing the final touches on the trials.
This agency consists of government officials and the best dream testers to ever enter a dreamworld. The worldwide dream distribution agency decides wether a dream can be published after it is tested by either D.B.T or goal of paradise. To have a spot in this agency is to contain all power when it comes to controlling what people dream about. These people give us our paychecks and hold power over all dream laws and possibilities when it comes to this business, they are the big wigs.
" everyone enter you dream initiation pods" he asks politely, "thank you".
" see you on the other side", Braden whispers under his shaken breath as he walks past me and to his D.I.P.
I make my way to my dream initiation pod, weaving through the waves of employees rushing around in a hushed panic. Nobody knows who they are grouped with for the trials untill they enter them. This group isnt necessarily the exact group that will be placed into purgatory. The judges work together to rank everybody after the trials. usually the top four are all from seperate trial groups.
I find my D.I.P in the far corner by hallway 2, the emergency exit hall. I swing the lid open and all the lights within the pod come to life right on que. Taking one last look around at all the employees getting into their respective pods i see Braden watching me. He smiles reassuringly before he swings the lid closed. Just before the pod closes around him, for only a split second i see absolute fear splatter across his expression, and then he's gone. I enter my D.I.P, close the lid and I remember why he's scared. Last year I ranked number 92 out of the 200 employees we have here. Only the top four will be shipped to purgatory. We are all forced to try hard in these trials and because of Braden's expertise in dream testing and his personality he is worried that he might rank in the top four. He has reason to worry. Last year Braden ranked number 5.