Alutia Rising, Anniversary Edition (Alutia Rising Series, Book 1) by Craig Gerttula Page B
Authors: Craig Gerttula
this current fate, Trent? He
knew not the answer, but the question cleared his mind and he began
to consider its answer for the first time with some semblance of
reason.
Apparently, sometime after he camped with the
kind family who provided him a bottle of tequila for a slice of
cheese and slab of jerky, he had drunkenly stumbled upon something
bizarre, some sort of experiment.
Experiment, he shivered, the word
recalling memories almost forgotten.
Citizens of Earth, mostly denizens of the
corps camps, were known to vanish from time to time. The
underground press noted most disappearances in a way that made many
people assume they were taken by
corporations who conducted illegal human research. Though Trent,
like most other corporate workers, always believed the stories were
just rumors, a creation of those fearful of the power of the
almighty corporation. But now, after facing a giant insect-like
creature that shouldn’t exist, then reliving a moment from his
past, he started to believe the stories may hold a grain of
truth.
The silence thickened, enveloping him, as the
reality that he may be a corporate guinea pig took hold. What
other horrors may they make me face? The worry crept further
into his mind, calling forth manifestations of hideous
monstrosities scurrying within the darkness, waiting to feast on
his juicy flesh. Panic set in and he knew if he continued to lie
still within the unknown, in the all encompassing darkness, his
fear would spiral out of control and he would go mad.
“Hel...Hello!” he tried to shout, but his
voice cracked, and he collapsed into a sudden coughing fit, barely
noticing the room brighten around him. It took a few moments for
him to recover and his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he found
he was no longer within the imitation apartment. Instead, he was
now surrounded by four walls of pure white, with a single,
rectangular table in the center, and a piece of blue and white
clothing, similar to a military style jumpsuit, hanging from the
far wall.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the
provided garment,” a monotone voice instructed, emanating from all
around him, seeming born of the air itself. He spun in place,
searching desperately for the voice’s owner, but finding he was
alone.
“Who...who are you? What do you want with
me?” he asked frantically.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the
provided garment,” the monotone voice repeated.
He wanted to refuse, demand an explanation
before he would listen to another word. But a sudden draft reminded
him of his nudity, the room seeming to have cooled. Swallowing his
resistance for the moment, he tiptoed slowly across the room and
removed the jumpsuit-like outfit from the wall, studying it
carefully.
It had a base coloring of blue with white
strips down the sides of the legs, arms, and torso. On its breast
stood a small patch of Earth, with symbols over its face he didn’t
recognize. Finding nothing out of place... beyond this entire
situation , he reminded himself...he slipped into the jumpsuit,
the super soft material causing his skin to tingle as he latched up
the front.
“Take your position by the control board when
you are ready to begin.” Trent froze as the monotone voice
reappeared the moment he clasped the final latch.
“Begin what? What’s going on? What is this
control board?” he asked, and in response, the rectangular table in
the center of the room began to undulate, an intricate design being
carved into its surface as he watched. Awe struck, but little
surprised given what had already befallen him, he waited for the
design to steady. When it did, he found he couldn't get a clear
view from where he stood by the far wall.
“Answer me! What’s going on? What corporation
are you from?” he demanded, silence the only response.
What now? Trent wondered, reluctant to
approach the rectangular table without knowing what was going on,
but confident that it was indeed the control board in which
knew not the answer, but the question cleared his mind and he began
to consider its answer for the first time with some semblance of
reason.
Apparently, sometime after he camped with the
kind family who provided him a bottle of tequila for a slice of
cheese and slab of jerky, he had drunkenly stumbled upon something
bizarre, some sort of experiment.
Experiment, he shivered, the word
recalling memories almost forgotten.
Citizens of Earth, mostly denizens of the
corps camps, were known to vanish from time to time. The
underground press noted most disappearances in a way that made many
people assume they were taken by
corporations who conducted illegal human research. Though Trent,
like most other corporate workers, always believed the stories were
just rumors, a creation of those fearful of the power of the
almighty corporation. But now, after facing a giant insect-like
creature that shouldn’t exist, then reliving a moment from his
past, he started to believe the stories may hold a grain of
truth.
The silence thickened, enveloping him, as the
reality that he may be a corporate guinea pig took hold. What
other horrors may they make me face? The worry crept further
into his mind, calling forth manifestations of hideous
monstrosities scurrying within the darkness, waiting to feast on
his juicy flesh. Panic set in and he knew if he continued to lie
still within the unknown, in the all encompassing darkness, his
fear would spiral out of control and he would go mad.
“Hel...Hello!” he tried to shout, but his
voice cracked, and he collapsed into a sudden coughing fit, barely
noticing the room brighten around him. It took a few moments for
him to recover and his eyes to adjust, but when they did, he found
he was no longer within the imitation apartment. Instead, he was
now surrounded by four walls of pure white, with a single,
rectangular table in the center, and a piece of blue and white
clothing, similar to a military style jumpsuit, hanging from the
far wall.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the
provided garment,” a monotone voice instructed, emanating from all
around him, seeming born of the air itself. He spun in place,
searching desperately for the voice’s owner, but finding he was
alone.
“Who...who are you? What do you want with
me?” he asked frantically.
“Please proceed to cloth yourself with the
provided garment,” the monotone voice repeated.
He wanted to refuse, demand an explanation
before he would listen to another word. But a sudden draft reminded
him of his nudity, the room seeming to have cooled. Swallowing his
resistance for the moment, he tiptoed slowly across the room and
removed the jumpsuit-like outfit from the wall, studying it
carefully.
It had a base coloring of blue with white
strips down the sides of the legs, arms, and torso. On its breast
stood a small patch of Earth, with symbols over its face he didn’t
recognize. Finding nothing out of place... beyond this entire
situation , he reminded himself...he slipped into the jumpsuit,
the super soft material causing his skin to tingle as he latched up
the front.
“Take your position by the control board when
you are ready to begin.” Trent froze as the monotone voice
reappeared the moment he clasped the final latch.
“Begin what? What’s going on? What is this
control board?” he asked, and in response, the rectangular table in
the center of the room began to undulate, an intricate design being
carved into its surface as he watched. Awe struck, but little
surprised given what had already befallen him, he waited for the
design to steady. When it did, he found he couldn't get a clear
view from where he stood by the far wall.
“Answer me! What’s going on? What corporation
are you from?” he demanded, silence the only response.
What now? Trent wondered, reluctant to
approach the rectangular table without knowing what was going on,
but confident that it was indeed the control board in which