Activate It

[ARCHITECUS 4788]

It is dark.

 

A computer chair screams in protest of the humongous, oppressive weight warping the plastic structure.

 

A dim, blue glow illuminates a pale shape, like the moon on a cloudy night, obscured to all but the lonesome wolves and lost men who wander the midnight country.

 

The glow switches to a gray flash. The mechanical sound of a hard drive starting is heard. The magnetic disk grunts; it grumbles, scrapes, then gets to modestly spinning.

 

The light intensifies even more, illuminating a fearsome sight.

 

It is him.

 

There are smooth, flabby features reflecting the meager glow; white skin disrupted by constant red pimples and pustules; thin, black hair curls out and back to the flesh.

 

He brushes a collection of crumbs from a keyboard before him. Several others lie on the ground, broken, but unseen.

 

The light gives way, lessening, now displaying the FreeBSD boot screen. The ASCII design calls one back to older times; simpler times. The late eighties and early nineties, perhaps.

 

He was a child, then.

 

Large fingers rapidly tap out a series of regulated commands. The Linux console displays a few lines, then Skype appears.

 

He moves a gargantuan forearm to the right. He begins to type.

 

"Activate it."

 

A wheezing breath. It is a desperate gasp for air. The being's large chest falls, releasing a stinking wave of hot breath.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

One Year Later

 

A small, stunted man looks to another besides him. He is weighted, masked, bound by various metallic and blinking devices. Each bears a faded inscription.

 

VAT

 

His muzzled jaw subtly parts; his brow furrows in anger, anguish, pain; the tortures of time immeasurable passed.

 

The small emotions subside as soon as they appear. A tiny device at the base of this poor man's skull prevents him from expressing himself.

 

"We fought so hard to end it. Now, without warning, we feel its yoke once more."

 

That's what he would say.

 

That's what he would say if he could, damn it.

 

If only he could say it, damn you.

[Heff 2460]

oiiiii

[Knox213 10]

Moved to the Archive. It shall be sorted into the appropriate category shortly.