The Sentence

The waves washed over the beach, with each rise the fall of the water felt like the ocean sighed at not gaining any ground. I lay on the wet sand trying to understand what happened but I could not bring up the memories. I was stuck in this loop trying to find out where and what I am doing here, I stood up but fell back on account of my weak legs. I tried a few more times and finally managed to stand, even if a little wobbly, and look around. The beach was totally devoid of life, no trees or plants, just plain sand.

Looking up at the sun I tried to gauge what time it could be but failed in that, then tried to find a place with some shade. In the distance I could see a large hill and trying to get a better look I decided to walk over to it. It was further than I initially thought but knew that it was my only option to get away from the sun, that or jump back into the ocean.

Walking over I felt the heat of the sand under my feet and the thirst started to really nag at me, I was already tired but knew that I could not stop until I got to the hill. Nothing made sense, why am I here and why is there nothing on this island. I finally reached the hill and saw there was a rock sticking out of the side of the hill, sitting down under it and passed out from the fatigue.

I woke up sometime later and found myself in the middle of a forest, this did not make sense. I was on a desert island now I am in a forest, nothing made any sense. I got up and began looking around, it was night and the air was thick. I was sweating and buzzing of insects forced me to move from where I was. I needed a direction to go and looked up again out of instinct only to find my view blocked by the trees. There was just enough light to help me navigate so I used that to walk a set path. I forgot to check my pockets before sleeping, now digging through them I found nothing but a piece of paper. I opened it to find it blank and just folded it and put it back into the pocket. I was still bare foot and used that to help me walk cautiously, I found a stick on the floor and used that as weapon in case something decided to make a meal of me.

For over 3 hours I walked, tripped and fell in this forest and still no end in sight. I could not hear anything other than the incessant buzzing of flies, the forest was quiet and again felt like it was devoid of animal life. Finally I hear the trickling of water and I started for that, I made it to a large river that was easily 15 metres across. I could not exactly tell but I bent down to drink, as I cupped my hands to take some water something strange happened. It was as if the water was floating in and out of existence, like it was made of tiny squares that were mashing themselves into each other. I dipped my hands and all of a sudden the world fell around me.

I was sitting on a metal floor and lights flashed on all around me blinding me. I raised my hands and something pinched my neck and I fell forward. Fighting to stay awake I saw the black forest fade away to reveal a plain white wall. My vision was swimming, and I began to blink continuously to keep them in focus but it was a loosing battle. Finally giving in the world faded to black again.

I woke up again but this time I was on a thin pad on the floor, the room around me resembled a cell with no door in sight. A voice chimed in from somewhere announcing my awakening, “welcome back subject 812, please remain lying down for your wellness scan.” A small panel on the ceiling opened up and a sort of device slid out, I looked 3 metal rods with ball joints, and the more I tried to move the less I actually did. “You are still under sedation so I urge you to remain calm and let the scanner it job.”

The rod thing stopped a foot away from me and the last piece then opened it end to emit a light and began to move from my head heading down in a slow but steady pace. The temperature of the room was cool and I could feel some life come into my hands, I wanted to move but thought better of it seeing that the rod was just about to finish its thing.  Done it rose and slid back into the hole and the panel closed after it, I moved my hands and then tried to rise. I rose up on my elbows and tried to have a better look at the room and saw it was plain white, the light in the room was bright but not enough to blind me.

I got up and tried to walk but needed the support of the walls initially to balance myself, I tried to look for an opening to see where I was but could not seeing anything but plain white wall. The corners were slightly rounded so there was not hard corner, frustrated i sat back down on the pad and tried to figure things out. The voice came back but this time it was male, “Subject 812, your sentence of 75 years has now been completed. Please wait for further instructions. You will be assisted soon by an attendant.”

What sentence, did I commit a crime? Who am I? What is this place? All these questions began plaguing me and a large panel on the wall opened up to reveal a man in a white suit stand there with a tray in his hands. He took a step forward and I instinctively moved back, he stopped and spoke. “Please do not be alarmed, I am here to assist you.” He then moved forward again and lay the tray of items in front me, the tray contained a change of clothes and a syringe.

I pointed at that and asked what it was, “that is you memory solution. Let me administer it so you can get your old memories back.” I looked up at the attendant, he was covered head to toe in a white suit and his face was covered with a white mesh kind of mask so I could not see his face. I was scared and intrigued at the same time so I nodded in acceptance.

He picked up the syringe and indicated I should turn around, I did that and he told me it will feel a slight push. In saying that he pushed the needle into the back of my head, I did not feel a pinch but rather it was like he was pushing the blunt end into my head. I felt a cold sensation staring to creep in from the back of my head and slowly it could feel a buzzing sensation coming from in my head. The pain that followed made me scream and I passed out again.

This time  I woke up in a bed, I was fully clothed and when I tried to remember why I am here it all flooded in. I was convicted of smuggling stimulants into the barracks, I was a soldier working for the United Alliance Private Security force. Just like a punch to the head the memories forced me to try and sleep again, it was like a weight of a truck being dropped on my head.

I slept again and when I finally woke up and decided this was the last time I would sleep. The room was a small affair with just the bed, a small table and a chair, something out of a recruit quarter. I got up and walked to the large window to see where I am but all it showed was a scene of a small river passing a picturesque meadow. It wasn’t window but a large display. The clothes I wore were civilian type clothes and I turned to the door and tried to open it, it was locked. Frustrated I took a seat at the table and saw a panel opened and a plate of food and a bottle of water slide out from the opening, I picked up the bottle and took a sip of water. It was cool and felt amazing, the food was made up cooked vegetables and some sort of meat. I ate with my hands since there were no utensils I could use. All this felt alien to me and I tried to figure out where I could be but I was drawing a blank, the last memories were of me being sentenced to 75 years imprisonment.

The door to the room slid open to reveal 2 people on the other side. A woman in a long lab coat holding a tablet and a guard, the soldier remained where he was as the woman entered the room. She walked up to the table and I stood up rubbing my hands on my pants and I tried to offer my hand to shake. She smiled at this gesture and told me it was ok, “Mr. Garret, your prison sentence was completed 3 days ago and from what I see you were a model prisoner. I would like your thumb print here on this agreement and you are then free to leave.”

“Leave to where, I am confused. I know I was sentenced but nothing after that. Can you please explain.”

Her hair was ginger and her face told me she was in her early 30’s, pretty but in a plain way. Her figure was small but I could tell she worked out from the way her hands looked. “You are on the transport shuttle to Earth, we will be landing in 30 minutes. A lot has changed since you were put under the experimental prison programme. I would be remiss to say that your are the only success we had with this programme. All others who agreed to it either went insane or died while under.”

I was stunned by this, experimental procedure? What the hell is going on? My head was spinning again at this revelation. She held out the tablet and I looked at it like it was something alien. I lifted my right hand and placed my thumb on the display, she laughed and told me to place my whole hand on it. I did that and the screen flashed white then green. I lifted my hand and turned to look at it, nothing had happened to it but I was confused by all this.

“Could you tell me what you experienced while under the procedure?”

I looked up at her and tried to gauge if she was really asking me or just trying to see if I was still sane. I then sat back down on to the chair and placed my hands on my thighs, I rubbed them on the trousers I wore and then recounted everything I saw. It wasn’t much but asked why my memories did now follow me into those dreams. She sat on the bed and told me if they did then I would not be here. I was part of the very few subjects to have their past memories erased by way of nano disconnection therapy. It was sort of having nanobots disconnect parts of my brain to basically erase my old memories to allow me to serve out my sentence without the baggage of trying to escape.

I asked her what awaited me on Earth and she told me that I would be put on a re-education programme to help me catch up with all that has changed in the past 90 years.

“90 years? I was told that I just completed 75 years.” I spoke as I stood up in shock.

She remained seated and the guard was about to take step forward but she raised her hand. I looked at the guard in shock and then at her. “The extra fifteen were because you attacked a prisoner 3 months into the sentence. You then pleaded guilty to those charges but at the same time agreed to the experimental procedure.”

Why didn’t I remember all this I asked and she informed me that some memories could not be brought back, especially the ones that happened a couple of years prior to the procedure. I looked at her incredulously and then at the guard but did not move.

“From what you are telling me about the experience you had when under were completely different from others, most were given tasks like building a house in the forest or planting a field to see what would happen. You it would seem were given looping memories of being stuck in extreme situations.”

I did not know what to say but nodded. She stood up and informed me that I should consider my self lucky as the charges were expunged from my record and now that I was a free man I should do something better with my life. I was about to ask what the world was like but she left without a word. I sat there till I heard the announcement of the ship docking on to the Earth station Blue Prime Port. I got up and tried to open the door and this time it opened. Outside was a corridor that was simple and a light above moved in a direction I should follow. I then stepped out and walked that direction, as I walked I could see more doors but they all were closed with the frame lit in a red glow. My door had a green light frame.

As I walked I tried to gather what new thoughts I could find and almost ran into a large guard who was standing in front of a set of doors. They looked like elevator door and he was waiting for one. I looked up at him and he face was covered in a reflective metal plate, he did not speak a word but I could tell he was checking up on me. The elevator arrived and the doors opened to reveal an empty inside, the guard stepped in a turned to face me. I followed and turned to the doors and waited. There were no buttons to choose so I hoped the guard was going to the same floor as me. The doors closed and we began to descend, there was complete silence in the elevator and I let it be as my thoughts were everywhere in my head. Once we reached the floor the elevator stoped and doors opened, I stepped out to a reception area. There were a number of people around and I looked for a desk for information but could not find one. The people were walking around with their heads bowed and I knew better than to tap a shoulder so I walked to a door with 2 guards on either side. Once I reached it I tried to open but a guard held out his hand.

“New citizens need to register at the registrar office, you have not been cleared to leave until you do so.” I nodded and asked where that office was and the guard pointed with his finger at the door. It was plain and simple to miss but I made my way there and just as I reached it opened and I stopped thinking someone might step out but no one came. I peaked inside and there was a man seated behind a white desk concentrating on something on the surface of the table. I let out a small cough as I entered and the man looked up. He saw me and then smiled, “apologies Mr. Garret, my colleague did not explain the new rules to follow. Please have a seat and we can begin.” I saw there was no chair to sit on but just as I was about to voice that the floor panel opened up and a chair rose from the void.

I waited for it to stop then sat on it, looked up at the man and we was still smiling at me. “Welcome to the new Earth, given the time you were under there is a lot that has changed and you will see that this age is much better than what you left behind.”