Chapter 1 - The Voice in the Sky

As always, I found myself walking down a familiar street, the same street I treaded day-in and day out. Those stains on the pavement, even the individual crack did not seem all that strange to me.

Day after day, I walked on it with a smile on my face. Returned the greeting I received with one of my own, returned the few jokes and jabs with some I had picked up throughout my boring life, and laughed alongside my many colleagues, yet, not once did I really feel happy. Nor comfortable. Worst of all how my feet weighed a little bit more day after day.

Sometimes, I wondered to myself, what was I doing with my life. That aimlessness and bleak future was the only thing waited for me. A nine-to-five life.

Standing in front of my apartment door once again, I stared at it exhaustedly.

Even the simple act of inserting the key and turning it drained me of my energy, leaving me with nothing else but to slump onto my sofa and hoped that my future would somehow change. For the better or for the worse.

"The same show, then..." I mumbled to myself, as my ears glued on the flat-screen TV right in front of me, the same mildly funny show was playing again, however, like clockwork, my mind and eyes were already scrolling through my phone mindlessly trying to drown everything out.

A pizza, a few chicken wings, and an unhealthy number of hours later, I dragged my lifeless husk onto the bed, where my mind drifted from one thought to another. Showing all of the time I had, the dream I had long buried and the friends I had forgotten.

A bleak and boring life indeed.

"At least tomorrow is Friday," I said to myself, feeling a little bit of energy returned to my cobwebbed tank.

However, there was a time where my life is different. Back then, I saw things I could never forget. I had seen the world for something more than this bleak and colorless life.

My eyes trailed toward the contraption that had long since stopped working, whether it was memories or regret of letting the brilliant world faded, I still held onto it. Held onto a contraption which no one knew how to fix or even understood what was wrong with it in the first place.

With a long and tired sigh, grasped it in my hand.

"What do I need to do to get you working again?" I asked myself.

My eyes fixated on the palm-size contraption, "What would I trade just to experience you again..."

I sighed wondering if all those magical places, where I experienced things out of this world, were nothing more than my crazy imagination. Soon, I tossed it back into the basket of mementos, as the contraption laid there along with a couple of wooden swords, an old-looking stick, and a few drawings I still kept, I drifted to sleep.

By the time that I woke up the next day, everything started over again.

The same boring and repetitive day waiting for me. I marched out of the apartment as I headed toward the station then the same hot dog stand, and finally my desk, where I drown myself in work. One click followed by another, then one phone call followed by the next. Before long, morning turned into night.

As always, all of my energy left me once the clock struck five, and I wanted nothing more than to run home. Unfortunately, as always, I found the boss standing behind me with a bright smile.

"Conrad. Can you stay back and sort out the paperwork?"

"Like stay back as in overtime?" I asked, hoping to earn some extra this month.

"No, it is not going to be any overtime, I just asking for your help sorting the documents so we can achieve everything." The boss used that welcoming voice of his yet again.

"But, isn't that overtime?" I asked politely. But the moment I turned around and saw that obnoxious smile on his face and how those dimples of his always seemed to be there, I only sighed at the inevitable.

"How can you consider that Conrad," He said passionately and with a firm hold on my shoulder, he continued, "Though you had only been with us for three months, I and everyone else had been treating you like family. That's why I only want the best for you. You know, by sorting out those documents, you can learn a lot about how the company function."

"But isn't that what the computer is for?"

"Computer is really unreliable sometimes. For me, papers are still the way to go, so can you help me out? It won't take long," The boss said, "In fact, you can ask around for anyone to help you with."

Knowing that there was no way for me to get out of that situation, I grasped upon the last hope. However,

As fast as it bloomed inside like a fire hungering to grow, it was extinguished in an instant. It was those eyes, their unwillingness was bare for me to see, but through gritted teeth, I had to ask.

"Can you h-" I turned to my deskmate.

"Sorry, Conrad, I can't help you there... You see, I am a clumsy person." Mark, my desk mate let out an awkward laugh, before letting go of his hand and watched as a cup of water dropped to the floor. "You see, Conrad."

One after another, everyone ignored me as always, they came up with an excuse for themselves. Some were more convincing than the next, nevertheless, all of them were downright laughable.

Without anyone else, I turned toward the only one who was unfazed nor cared.

"Joe, you closed the deal with the Bull, right?"

Hearing my question, Joe turned away from his computer, his eyes danced passed me before turning back to his computer not even caring to meet me in the eyes, "I am sorry, Conrad. I am a sloth, I don't really care or bother to keep anything, plus, I lost those files ages ago."

Hearing so, my eyes drifted down onto Joe's desk, where everything was organized. The piles of papers and contracts were labeled and placed neatly, many of which dated back months if not years. Then, there were the pens, standing orderly on his desk, long out of ink. Even the one twirling in his hand was placed back into its place.

Standing in front of everyone, I sighed tiredly before residing to my fate. Sinking back into my seat, I whispered to the boss, "I will handle it."

Hearing what I said, he laughed heartedly before slamming three-box full of documents, sticky notes, printed out emails and so much more, "Try hard, Conrad. I see a bright future ahead of you."

I could only nod lifelessly along.

Without anything else, he marched toward the door with bravado. And his charming voice turned obnoxious as he directed it toward the room, "Is everyone ready to celebrate? Everything is on me."

The room instantly exploded with enthusiasm.

"This was a deal of our life people, so this time, the company is paying," He announced yet again.

Without another word, everyone stopped whatever they were doing, closed everything they needed to, and following him out of the office. Just like that. There was me left standing in the office.

A second later, Mark's head popped in from the hallway, "Conrad, can you toss me my car key?"

Just hearing those words, I did not even know how to feel anymore. Mutely, I threw his key over the air, to which Mark caught skillfully. Then, it was a wink and a smile before he bolted away, not caring for anything else.

"You're welcomed..." Those words trailed off.

With that, I buried myself in work again, sorting out the paperwork, and categorizing everything I needed to. Once the three-box of documents were stacked on the boss's desk, I headed on out. going to the only place I felt remotely welcomed.

Home.

At this place, the daily routine began again. Eating. Watching television. Scrolling on my phone. Anything and everything to pass the time.

However, on that day, it was different. The contraption laid motionless on my bucket of memories flicker in every color imaginable, filling my room. I did not know whether it was courage or sheer stupidity, I moved closer.

The closer I got, the more intense the light flickered.

"Am I really doing this?" I asked myself.

However, without a moment passed, my right hand had reached for the flashing contraption nervously. But once my right hand came close, the contraption seemed to have a mind of its own. As it jumped out and latched onto my wrist, melted with my skin in searing and mind-numbing pain.

The pain traveled from my wrist all the way to my brain. My knees buckled as I came tumbling down to the floor. Lying there, on my bedroom floor, I screamed out for help, I rolled endlessly with my right wrist blaring red, and I cursed at anything and everything which came to mind, but nothing came out. No sound. No words.

Even scarier was a blink of an eye later, I was standing upright in my bedroom once again, my right hand still reaching out toward the bucket of memories.

"What the f*ck is going on?" I said to myself.

My eyes immediately looked for the contraption. But it was no longer there. With frustration and confusion, I dumped out the bucket of memories. Yet... Nothing.

There was only a black circle where the contraption should be and the memories of those painful moments edged in the depth of my mind. Staring at the black circle, I could still feel those bone-tingling sensations and the fear which accompanied it.

"What happened to me? It couldn't be an illusion, right?" I wandered toward the balcony with my eyes still fixated on the black circle, "But what is this?"

"Throwing a party up there?" A random voice echoed up.

I shook my head wordlessly at the passerby.

"Well you should, because that light show was amazing," He laughed heartedly, before marching along to his own humming.

Without a moment of delay, I bolted back into my own room with sweat dripping down my back.

"Calm down, Conrad. Calm down," I whispered over and over again while my eyes never left the black circle, "There is an explanation for everything. Yes. Yes, there has to be an explanation for whatever this is."

"Google. That's right." I screamed and I took out my phone.

Pacing around my room, I searched for anything I could think of. The contraption which magically disappeared, the black circle which imprinted itself onto my wrist, and even the light show which a passerby enjoyed.

Hours in, and hundreds of tabs later, I flopped back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling hopelessly.

"F*ck it. Think of it as a tattoo... A really simple, crooked tattoo," For the thousand times tonight, I looked at the dark circle yet again. And for the thousand times, my heart beat with uncertainty. "As long as you don't kill me, then do whatever you must."

With those few words, I let the darkness took me, hoping that tomorrow could be a little bit different. Yet, my tiredness and exhaustion were simply gone, my eyes were wide awake and my mind was running on full.

"Will this day ever end?" I said before walking toward my balcony and gazed outward.

The city and all of its nightlife. The light still shining bright in the distance, the distance blaring of EDM, and the still bustling street where cars were still zooming by.

Then, there was my neighborhood with all of its lights turned off, and the people fast asleep.

"At least nothing changed."

"What changed?"

A familiar voice interrupted my train of thought, as I jumped in fright, "Thea... I didn't see you there?"

"You should be more observant, Conrad." Thea chuckled.

"A lot on my mind, you know," I said nervously.

"Work? Or relationship-wise?"

"Work is work, it's a pain, but nothing I can handle," I said, "It's just... Just... Nevermind."

"Just what?" Thea urged, "Come on, you can't tease a girl like that. Say it. I promise I won't laugh too much at you. At most a few giggles."

"Shouldn't it be not laughing?"

"I can't promise something I can't keep," Thea smiled mischievously at me, "Now. Are you going to say it?"

With a hand on her hip, she stared at me, her eyes unblinking, while that soft smile never faded. "Come on, Conrad, I ain't got all day."

"It's this," I showed her the black circle on my wrist, to which, she burst out laughing.

"You can't be serious," Thea said between laughter.

"What? What do you mean?"

"It's just a tattoo, Conrad. I admit, it is an ugly tattoo, but it is still a tattoo. It's not like the end of the world or anything. You don't have to be so sad about it," Thea leaned against the balcony next to mine, "And here I thought you had your heart is broken or something."

"Ugly? It's ugly? I thought it look fine," I said.

"It looks like a toddler drew a circle on you. If you want to get a tattoo, all you have to do is ask me. I have a few of my own, I wouldn't mind showing you for some inspirat-"

However, at that moment, a low and echoing voice interrupted everything. The distance music stopped blaring, the cars slammed against each other, and even the sleeping neighbors were woken up from their slumber.

***

"5,048,125,374,258 days recorded."

"Basic simulation concluded."

"Sufficient data collected."

"Begining alpha protocol."

"Initiating pre-recorded introduction version 0.0.1."

"All subjects on standby."

***