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[gregoriusism-blog]

Stuck in the holms short story

Stuck in the holms Erik opened his eyes. He stood up and looked around him. He was on a tropical beach he’d never seen before. “How did I end up here?” he whispered disquieted. He tried to recall recent events. His mind was blank. “Think, think!” he squeezed his mind harder. He remembered being in Stockholms’ metro train on 24th February 2016. The train headed towards Rinkeby, the area he lived. He could also remember himself checking the internet with his android. He wanted to attend a party in the city center. “And then what?” he asked himself. He recalled that he had found out that the party would take place in a club near Sergels Torg. After that, no memory, nothing. A cold chill ran down his spine. “An amnesia?” his loud voice grated like a false note. His words momentarily disrupted the harmonious sound of the sea waves that splashed to the shore. The overwhelming continuity of the whistling wind sent their remembrance swiftly to oblivion. A calmness replaced his unsettlement. “Okay Erik,” he talked to himself, “there has to be a reasonable explanation for this.” Squatting, he gathered his thoughts. “First goal, establish identity. Who am I?” Working as a bank clerk with a passion for collecting empty butter bean cans instead of recycling them, Erik was an otherwise normal guy. Relatively tall, average built, blue eyes, late 20s. A lower middle class person. “Ja, det är jag.” he confirmed in his mother language, Swedish. Then, he observed his clothing; a brown leather jacket, a blue shirt and military green pants. The same clothes he wore the night the stream of his memory stopped. Nevertheless, grey salty stains tainted these now weathered garments, signifying their exposure to sea and time. “What's the date?” he glanced at his wrapped around his wrist watch. A watch that told the time right only for 1 second a day. Water must have seeped in. “50 meters underwater resistance! 1 – year guarantee!” Erik spat angrily on the ground and instantly regretted it; a survivor must always retain liquids, until he finds a sustainable way to replenish them. “Sjit!” he cursed and habitually spat again which made him even more angry and about to spit again. “Jävla idiot!” he barked and held his chin with his hands to prevent himself from wasting saliva. And then, the answer came to him like the sensation of a fluffy towel covering his cheeks. “About 3 inches,” Erik fiddled his newly discovered beard. “I’ve left a beard in the past and remember it grew about an inch per month.” He further calculated: “So, at least three months must have passed since that day. This means we must be nearing the end of May.” He noticed he was already sweating. “Was I involved in a plane or a ship tragedy?” Erik wondered as he took off his jacket. The removal of the jacket made him feel open and vulnerable. He searched his body for recent wounds, especially around the head. No wounds, nothing. His hair appeared longer though, which made his hypothesis of the 3 month time lapse even more plausible. He looked around him. The left and right hand sides of the beach curved in the distance. Tropical trees covered the entrance to the beach. Erik was standing on fine sand. “Moreover,” he inquired, “am I standing on an island or on mainland? I have to find out." He made a mental note of his starting point and began to walk counterclockwise. If he was on an island, he would meet at the same point where he started. “Plus,” he added, “if I find plane or ship debris, I will know for sure that I was travelling in it and that some tragedy happened.” He prayed he was in the mainland. That would increase his chances of being found. If on the contrary he was on an island, he at least hoped he could find a means to survive and a means to call for help or to escape. The beach line continued to curve leftwards. If at some point the line turned to the right, it would increase the probability of him being in the mainland. On his right hand side, heat induced steam blurred the horizon, making it impossible to see far into the distance. In front of him, several piled up boulders formed a wall of nature and hid what lay behind them. Erik approached the wall and walked parallel to it. He stepped into the water and the sensation of wetness felt unpleasant. Sea urchins decorated the rocky seabed. With waddling movements, Erik avoided stepping on them. After reaching the right hand side of the boulder pile, he leaped. His feet rose above the water surface and dived in again like infant dolphins, the buoyancy of the sea slightly slowing their descent, as if they landed on the moon. No quaint scenery as that of the moon behind the rocks, though. Just the place he started. "An island it is then," Erik calmly said. Strangely, he expected this to happen. It took him only 2 hours to reach his starting point, which signified a small island. He didn't notice any signs of ship or plane remnants around the perimeter of the island. “No survivors to be found or supplies from debris," he concluded. "Possibly nobody lives here. So, what follows is: can someone survive here?” The word survive resurfaced long withheld and cast aside sensations: hunger and thirst. “When did I eat for the last time?” he asked himself. “Did I have anything within the last 8 hours?” After several brash attempts of swallowing air and squeezing his stomach with his abs to burp, he ended up with a bland: “ErrrrP!” “My stomach is empty. I haven’t had food for at least a day.” His dread came back stronger “Mat!! Vatten!!!” A buzzing sound headed towards his left ear. The Doppler Effect in effect. The effect that the Doppler Effect in effect had on Erik, was to make him jump to the side. He looked towards the source of the buzz. A giant wasp near the size of his fist did its afternoon aerobatics! Some people are terrified when they see bugs. But not Erik. Erik stood his ground. He wouldn't let something that was bugging him get away so easily. He duck carefully and dug a lump of sand with his palm. “Eat this!” he said and threw the sand towards his perceived annoyance. The sand particles scattered like a double barreled shotgun shot and showered on the abnormally big insect. The wasp fled and entered the forest. “There you go,” Erik triumphantly said. “I’m not done yet!” Erik felt the last remnants of his panic fade away. His hunger and thirst reduced in intensity. He still breathed and would not give up so easily! There had to be a way out of the island and there had to be food and water around. How did that huge insect grow so big anyway? “So, two things need to be found: location and food. Which one goes first?” The periphery of his eagle eyed vision caught something interesting: towards the center of the island, beyond the forest, a mountain protruded from the ground. It appeared to be roughly 100m tall. “Jättebra!” he exclaimed in Swedish. “I’ll see if I can make it to the top. That will give me a clear view of the surrounding area. And since I haven’t been to the forest, I might find nutritional resources.” An eerie and mysterious aura came from the forest. “Danger,” Erik thought, “any type of protection nearby?” The border of the forest was populated with fallen tree branches. He searched for a piece of wood that could classify as a crude version of a quarter staff. A relatively thick and straight piece of wood that matched the above description lay in front of him. Erik picked up the branch. Hoping not to have to use his newly acquired weapon, Erik took a deep breath and delved deep into the forest. *** Three small islands surrounded the island Erik inhabited. The first formed a triangle, the second a square and the third a pentagon. The one he stood on was a perfect circle! “Am I dreaming?” Erik said and pinched himself on the hand. The pain felt real and it didn't wake him up. "This cannot happen in nature." he said. Baffled, he began to descend. You might now wonder, what happened before Erik climbed up. Some unidentified non – fruit bearing trees came his way. He also spotted some mysterious tropical bugs, none of which looked as grotesque as the enormous wasp he saw before. Thankfully, at the base of the mountain, a pond with drinkable water resided along with some fruit bearing banana trees; a spectacle that made Erik yell disgusted “Attans bananer!” a Swedish expression that means “dammit!” Yes, Erik hated bananas and now he had to eat them to survive. But, just as he had come to terms with the idea of eating this fruit for sustainance and just as he was finishing his descent, he noticed a change in the scenery. No more pond, and no more banana trees. "Attans bananer!" Erik yelled again, this time with longing instead of disgust. His disgust instantly turned to surprise, as he realised he wasn't alone. A 4 feet tall, female greenish faerie looking creature with large pointy ears and earthly brown curly hair stared at him with a smirk on her face. “Hello human!” the creature greeted with an almost helium balloon ingested voice. “You are right, as you said, this cannot happen in nature! Only aliens can do this!” *** Erik’s jaw dropped. “Al… iens?” he stuttered. "How is this possible?" “It's possible," the creature replied, "because aliens do exist." Erik did not reply and stared dazzled. The female figure carried on with the introductions: "I’m ix2,” she said, “and I belong to the Pako race.” “How did you know what I considered?" Erik snapped out of his mental paralysis. "Are you telepathic?" "Telepathy doesn’t work as you think it does. But even if it did, I wouldn’t need to use any; you were thinking out loud.” “I guess I did.” Erik realized and then inquired, slightly annoyed: “Were you spying on me?” “You are our guest,” the female faerie looking alien replied. "It’s only natural we would be interested in observing a guest.” Erik remembered his amnesia. “Why have I forgotten how I got here?” he demanded. ix2 coldly worded: “Because it is part of the process." "What process?" "Well, in technical terms, we have abducted you.” “Vad?!?” Erik barked. “How dare you kidnap me! Set me free now or I’ll beat the hell out of you!” Erik lifted his arm and waved it like a vibrating from an earthquake pylon. ix2 yawned. “The intricacies of human languages. You are not a kid and you’re not taking a nap.” Then she turned her head towards Erik: “You are not a threat to us human. Relax and I’ll explain.” “Okay,” Erik agreed and put his anger aside. “I’m listening.” “You are part of an experiment, we are studying your species. And the test subject, happens to be you.” “What happened to my memories?” “Your memories will be withheld from you until the end of the experiment. You must not remember, otherwise this experiment will lose its purpose.” Erik sat on the ground, his head tilting downwards. “I... I... what am I supposed to do here?” he stammered desperately. “Oh... humans,” the she-alien said, “always their emotions getting the best out of them.” ix2 waved an arch with her hands above her head. “You are free to explore these islands, human,” she encouraged him, “there are many interesting things you can discover. In time, you might even begin to like our secret hideout.” “What?!?” Erik bellowed and got up performing an unreal movement, as if someone filmed his falling before and played it in reverse. “Me, like this place? Never!” “You’ll see, you can satisfy all your desires here.” ix2 winked. “The only thing you can’t do is leaveee.” That last v sounded prolonged and had a subtle giggle in it. Erik grimaced, his facial features blending between indignation and disgust. "But I have to leave," ix2 disregarded Erik's anger. Her body began to fade away. “I’ve raised paths that can take you from one island to the next," she announced. Just before she completely disappeared, ix2 said with a singing voice: “And who knows who you'll meet there?” *** Erik, on the other hand had no desire to meet anybody. “I've got to get out of here!" he spluttered and spit got out of his mouth. "But how?” he immediately thought afterwards. “This place is like a prison, cut out from the world.” “I’ve heard that aliens usually collaborate with governments to make their experiments.” Erik thought. “So what if there’s a federal craft lying around?” He scanned the island in search for a means of escape. He noticed that many of the fruitless trees now bore edible fruit. Many artificial ponds were formed out of nowhere. Erik tested the water and confirmed he could drink it. Spending most of the day searching the circular island, he found no abandoned vessels nor other life forms. He did locate the pathways ix2 mentioned. “I’m too exhausted,” Erik thought. “I’ll continue my search tomorrow.” He found an opening in the forest that looked safe enough and dropped flat on the ground. Just before falling asleep, Erik momentarily thought about his previous life in Stockholm. A cold climate yet shelter that provided physical comfort. Nothing like here. He swiftly drifted into the realm of Morpheus. *** Erik woke up tired. The physical exhaustion from his unused muscles started to show up. “The amnesia is artificial caused by aliens,” Erik thought, “so it might not be possible to undo it.” The remembrance of his encounter with ix2 before reignited his indignation. “Jävla sjit!” he grunted. He got up and fetched his staff. “I am going to escape!” he declared determined. He decided to first visit the triangular island, then the square and lastly the pentagonal one. Then, he came up with a terrible realization. “The aliens are telepathic and can read my thoughts!” he realised and felt a cold chill running through his spine like a slithering defrosted snake. “If that is so, there is nothing I can do. It's as if I’m an average chess player competing with the most powerful chess engine on the planet! Is it even possible to win?” "Telepathy doesn’t work as you imagine," Erik remembered ix2’s words. He didn't understand what the alien meant, but if telepathy didn't work as he thought it did, maybe the aliens were not able to read his thoughts after all. It gave him some hope. He didn't have anything to lose by trying to find a way out. Pointing with the edge of his staff towards the triangular island, he exclaimed: “Let’s do it!” and began walking. The bridge lay ahead. Erik noticed it was formed out of sand, as if the bottom of the ocean had lifted itself to make for a safe passage between the isles. Erik crossed the bridge and explored the triangular isle thoroughly. Apart from the edges of the triangle looking severely acute, nothing stood out, nothing that indicated the island hid any means of escape. Crossing the next connecting bridge, he proceeded to the square isle. Nothing out of the ordinary in that island. Only some different type of vegetation. “My last hope,” he muttered, “the pentagonal one. Come on!” His search there revealed nothing again. Frustrated, Erik returned to the circular island and ate some bananas, while at the same time he mumbled, “Jävla potatisar!” and not attans bananer. He longed for potatoes, you see. “Suo, whapt nown?” he said chewing and threw the last banana leaf on the sand. “It seamz therez now wey aut” he gulped. “Or, if there is, it is very well hidden! The clues have to be more subtle.” He strained his mind to remember for signs, and noticed that as he strode through the islands before, he focused too much on the external environment and his mood swings went under the radar. More specifically, on the triangular island, he couldn’t help but think about the opposite sex. On the square isle he constantly thought about his friends and family and finally on the pentagonal isle, he felt the need to delve deep into philosophical conversations. Could that have been a coincidence? The sun directly above Erik’s head signified the start of midday. “Guess I still have time to look into this today. I’ll go for another island tour.” Even though he had apparently secured his daily food and water supply and could possibly survive for months, Erik felt he had to make haste. Making it look like a tour frenzy in an exotic island family, Erik did notice that his mood indeed changed when he entered each specific island; thoughts about women on the triangle, family and relatives on the square and philosophical topics on the pentagon. But, nothing more than that. “That’s too deliberate to be a coincidence,” Erik thought. “Is this what ix2 meant before – something about satisfying my desires?” “I haven’t had a girlfriend for some time now, I don’t visit my family often, and the discussions I have with my friends are not deep enough. So, ix2 and her kin seem to know my true desires.” A feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed him. “They know me, but I don’t know them! What can I do against such an opponent? Really, nothing!” Erik fell on his knees and covered his face with his palms. It felt like game over. Stuck in these mysterious holms, no way out, he would be a witless pawn until the end. Then, as he opened his eyes, his peripheral vision caught a figure in the sea. It looked like a man with a beard. Erik’s head began to turn to the left. The figure began moving. Erik’s head turned more, rotating at 45 degrees. Figure still not still and blurry. A giant fish maybe diving into the ocean? Fish scales glittering from the sunlight. His eyes finally locked on the target. The image became clear; the end of a fishes’ tail sinking into the ocean and water splashing upwards. “Hey!” Erik shouted and like a metal spring detached from its metal hook, he stood up. “Vänta! Wait!” He ran to the shore, a distance nearly 50 meters from where he saw that… thing? The aquatic life form had vanished. “Where did it go?” Erik asked both excited and terrified. Excited due to his renewed hopes of escape and terrified because, what on the seven seas was that? His mind automatically assembled the puzzle pieces and he got the final picture: a male mermaid. Erik wondered: “Could this be another alien race that participates in the experiment as well?” "No time for that," he muttered as he returned to the present moment. “Where did the creature go?” Circular waves propagated from where the mysterious life form sank. Inside the water, a myriad undulating lines began from the diving point and lead towards... “There!” Erik grunted and fixed his gaze at the end of the line trajectory. The creature had cautiously resurfaced from the water, to breathe or to see if Erik had lost it. “Got you now!” Erik shouted and sprinted towards it. His arms opened as if he held a fishing net, ready to throw it at his amphibian spy. The mermaid, surprised, dove again into the water and tried to escape. However, its motion kept disturbing the water, making it easy for Erik to keep track of its location. The chase continued for a couple of minutes. Who would tire first, Erik or his prey? Erik believed that the mermaid would and could, swim into the deep ocean. However, for some strange reason, the creature didn’t. “Could this be a setup as well?” Erik slowed down suspicious. At that instant, the amphibian halted. Erik immediately stopped. “If the creature was exhausted it would gradually slow down before stopping. Not like this. Smells fishy.” The creature then rose from the water. From the waist up a middle aged man with a yellowish rough skin looked at Erik with calm eyes. He carried a white long beard. From the waist down, a fish's tail took the place of where normally feet would grow. A mermaid. Erik examined the masculine figure further. A pendant hang across his neck. An elliptical stone was attached on the pendant. “Who are you?” Erik asked cautiously. “Why were you spying on me?” “I wasn’t spying,” the mermaid replied with a naturally deep voice. “I was just curious.” “Curious of what?!?” Erik continued interrogating. “Of what a human is doing alone in these islands.” “You mean you don’t know? You’re not part of the experiment?” "The experiment?” the he – mermaid asked. “What are you talking about?" “I mean the experiment! ” Erik shot back angrily. "THE EXPERIMENT! JÄVLA!” The last words came pouring out of his mouth like hot magma and it also physically felt like it, as a stream of stomach acid regurgitated and burned his tongue. It all sounded too convenient. A mermaid, who by coincidence could speak English. Who was he trying to fool? “How is it that you speak English?” Erik blew hot steam out of his lips. “Speaking?” the humanoid asked. "You do not hear my voice right now, I'm transmitting my thoughts to you.” The creature was telling the truth. Erik felt so dazzled about the situation that he didn't notice the mermaid's mouth being constantly shut. “My language,” the mermaid man continued, “is not comprehensible by humans, because humans can’t hear high pitched sounds. I can only send you my thoughts and your brain translates them to your language.” Erik stood silent, listening. “So, about the experiment,” the mermaid insisted, “care to tell me about it?” Erik didn’t know the true intentions of the humanoid, but he let go of his resistance and told him about his loss of memory, about his encounter with ix2, the Pakos and the experiment. “Peculiar,” the creature finally broke its silence, “this place drew me because of the energy irregularities around the area. Little did I know.” Erik interrupted: “Are you really a mermaid?” “Yes, we have an underground civilization that many of your species suspect exist.” “What’s your name?” “Tetr’ton.” “I’m Erik.” “Pleased to meet you Erik.” Erik remembered ix2's words: Telepathy doesn't work as you imagine. By saying that, she implied that it was not possible to read thoughts with telepathy. Yet this new entity, suggested otherwise. Erik planned to shed light into the topic. “ix2 said that it is not possible to talk to each other by thought. Yet here you are, disproving him. Did he lie to me?” “That could be,” Tetr’ton replied, “and it is also possible that ix2s’ kind has a different form of telepathy, a less evolved one.” “What does a less evolved form of telepathy look like?” Erik curiously asked. “I would suspect, according to how the history of how our species evolved, that the alien race of ix2 can read emotions. They can feel how another person feels. We mermaids can feel what others feel and read their thoughts.” “I see,” Erik said, satisfied by Tetr’tons’ explanation. “Where are we anyway?” “We are in what you humans call the Pacific Ocean.” “The Pacific?” Erik shouted. “How on Earth did I end up here?” Then Erik remembered his alien induced amnesia. His desire to leave his prison became stronger. Looking around for a means to escape, his eyes locked on Tetr’ton. “Could you transfer me back on a continent please?” “No, unfortunately,” Tetr’ton replied. “I cannot swim such a long distance.” “Can anybody from your home help me?” “I don’t think they would be willing to meet you. Mermaids are very suspicious of outsiders.” The he – mermaid then looked to be thinking of something. When he finally spoke, if one could assign a smell on his words, that would have been the scent of roses. “I explored the islands as you did,” Tetr’ton said, “and realized that each island can grant true some of your desires.” Erik connected the dots. “So it wasn’t just my idea when I had different impulses on each island. However, these were just fantasies. Nothing of what I imagined came true.” “That's because you didn’t stay very long in each island,” the mermaid man said, “it takes time to materialise a thought, even with the aid of alien technology.” “I see,” Erik nodded, “so this is what the aliens want me to do, study me when I act on my desires.” “That doesn't sound so bad!” Tetr’ton exclaimed. “Is he trying to manipulate me?” Erik thought and inquired: “When I chased you earlier, why did you stop? And why haven’t the aliens caught you yet?” “I didn't sense any hostility in you,” Tetr’ton replied. “You were not trying to harm me, so I halted. The aliens cannot detect me because I stay hidden in a different vibrational frequency universe.” Erik knew that he should have taken what Tetr’ton said with a pinch of salt, wrong, two pinches of salt. However, he felt he had no choice. “Have you searched what’s beneath the surface?” Erik demanded. “Is there any underwater passage you have noticed?” “No.” Tetr'ton flatly stated. “Jävla,” Erik thought and exhaled with a snarl. “if what this creature says is true, I’m stuck here.” The feeling of powerlessness came back. Erik sat on the sand. “What am I going to do now?” “I don’t know,” Tetr’ton said, “if I were you, I would have gone with the flow; let them take their results and hope to return home in the future, if they allowed me to.” “Can you call for help?” Erik asked desperate. “It will take a long time to contact the nearest human authorities. I have duties to attend to and cannot abandon them. Also, not me nor any of my people would risk revealing themselves to humans.” It seemed there was nothing else that Erik could do. Maybe the way out was in. And then again, who knew what the aliens really had in store for him? It might have been something good. If he attempted to escape, with his limited survival knowledge he would have probably drowned in the ocean. “Alright,” he decided, “I'll just have to see the end of this!” *** Erik began from the pentagonal isle. The idea of meeting a woman made him nervous. “Go with the easy ones, first. Plus, I find philosophical topics intriguing.” He walked to the island and, as before, his desire to discuss about philosophical topics became stronger. “What's going to happen if I stay longer than before?” Erik wondered. "Time to see!” Sitting on the sand, Erik observed the environment; the sun and the small waves that splashed on his feet. "They all look beautiful," he thought, "but are they real?" What Erik had in mind was the limited perception of the senses. Humans can only see colors in the red – violet spectrum and hear sounds with frequency between 20 to 20000 hertz. Erik cast a stone that splashed against the deceitfully beautiful waves and sank into the seabed. He whispered indignated: “What’s really out there is not what I see!” “Both correct and incorrect,” a gentle female voice intervened. “Vad? Who’s there?” Erik barked and turned his head towards the source of the voice. A tall, young woman stood in front of him. She had long brown hair that glittered in the sun and wore a white dress. Her oval shaped head was adorned with attractive Mediterranean features: dark eyebrows, light brown eyes and naturally fleshy lips. Despite her physical beauty though, there was a non – sexual quality about her. Even though Erik couldn't recollect ever seeing her, he felt comfortable in her presence, as if he already knew her. “Your observation is correct,” the woman agreed, “your physical senses perceive only a part of the universe. However, the universe is made from self – repetitions, similarity under different scales.” “Fractals?” Erik suggested. “The theory of chaos?” “Yes,” the woman agreed. “You see a limited part of the universe, yet, within that limited part, the whole of the universe is contained. So, in a sense you are the universe, and thus, you are limitless.” “Oh, I’ve never thought of that,” Erik said surprised. “Where have you heard that, did you think it by yourself? And who are you anyway?” “I’m Eravia,” the woman said, “and I’m here to assist you in this experiment.” “You really want to assist me?” Erik demanded. “Then show me the way out!” The woman smiled. “You think it’s all about you? You don’t think about contributing to the greater good?” “I like to be asked before participating in something. I don't like being forced to do things!” “The experiment requires that you have no choice!” the woman explained. “I see,” Erik gravely nodded. “In response to your previous question though, I do like to contribute to the greater good. It’s not all about me, I’m not selfish!” “That’s fine,” Eravia smiled, “it’s good that you like to help the whole. However, you’re mistaken; it is all about you.” “Hurså?” Erik asked. “The world you see around you, is filtered through your senses, your beliefs and your emotions. You see that mountain over there and you think it is lonely. You see the color grey and you associate it with dullness and mundanity. You do that.” “Are you saying that…” “Yes,” the woman agreed, “everything is neutral in the cosmos and you give it a value, good or bad. The world you perceive, is a reflection of you. Nothing really exists, but you.” “That’s nonsense,” Erik said, “other people and other life forms exist as well.” “They do,” the woman replied, “but what they reflect to you is a part of yourself.” “That is difficult to digest,” Erik stated, even though he could grasp what Eravia meant. Eriks’ thoughts of escaping returned. “So, what is the point of this discussion, apart that it’s interesting?” “The only point is that you satisfy your desires. If by having a mentally stimulating dialogue this can be achieved, then so be it.” “I see,” Erik nodded, “I think I need some time now to process this. Can I stay by myself?” “Of course you can,” the woman said and vanished like hot steam. Erik thought this through. His desires. Here he had a chance to fulfill them. Back in Stockholm, it was very difficult to find people with common interests. He had a very small circle of friends and didn't even have a girlfriend. Maybe, this experiment benefitted him as well. “I’ve always tried to satisfy the needs of others,” he reflected, “never my own. In this place I could finally do that.” Realising what this implied, he snapped out of it and angrily kicked the sand. The sand particles scattered in the air before becoming absorbed by the waves. “I shouldn't think like that,” he reconsidered, “my goal is to find a way out. I'll stick to that.” “Should I proceed now to the square island?” he wondered. The sun was close to set but it was still day, so he had time for one more visit. As he crossed the bridge to the square isle, he cogitated upon his earlier conversation with Eravia. That… woman? “A Youniverse,” he thought, “however, no matter where I look, I can’t see my face!” And then, realizing he hadn’t looked at his face ever since he set foot on these islands, he searched for a natural mirror. He stood over the edge of the sand bridge and studied his reflection on the water. The beard on his face made him look rough and tired. But something on the top of his head woke him up. “Why is my hair so short?” Erik wondered as he checked his scalp. The hair did not exceed 1 inch in length. “I would never cut my hair military style,” Erik thought, “I prefer it longer, around 5 – inches.” Him having shorter hair could only mean one thing for him: The aliens cut his hair. “A very sloppy job, with a lack of taste, I must say," he continued as he rubbed his palm on his scalp to soothe his irritation. He then said: “Is it possible for a haircut to be a trigger for past events? What if I try to remember?” Erik sat and began straining his mind to recall the past. Nothing came up. “Oh, shoot,” he gave up, “I think I’ll just get going.” Erik did not set foot on the square island until late afternoon. Maybe an hour or two before sunset. “Let’s see now what I’ll manifest…” Erik said, then sat near a palm tree and laid his back on it. He closed his eyes but accidentally fell asleep. But not for too long. The sound of drums woke him up. Opening his eyes, Erik realised that the sun had set. Tangent sunrays from the horizon made seeing difficult, but not impossible. He followed the source of the sound. In the forest, an artificial source of light could be seen in the distance. Catching his breath, Erik began to approach the illuminated place. As he closed in, he noticed the pacing of the drum; not festive but not sad either. Rather ceremonial. He approached to the point he could see. A group of people sat around a fire. Above the burning flames, a cauldron boiled… something? The people looked like africans dressed in native american clothes. A drummer in the side played... a drum. A woman sat on the opposite side of the circle and appeared to lead this ceremony. Erik accidentally stepped over a fallen tree branch. The branch snapped and made a creaking sound. “Jävla,” Erik grunted sotto voce and quickly hid behind a tree. The woman stood up. Around 1.8m in height, she differed from the rest of the group not only by being a woman but also by being white. The drummer halted. “You can come out Erik,” the woman urged him. Realizing that running or hiding wouldn’t serve him in any way, shape or form, Erik sidestepped and revealed himself. “What are you doing here?” he bluntly asked. “We are calling the great spirit,” the tall woman said. “Would you like to take part in it?” “Well, I don’t have any other choice,” Erik exhaled indifferently. “So, what am I, I mean are we, supposed to do?” “Just take your place in the circle.” Erik joined the ceremony. He felt a bit queasy about it, but also a bit curious. The drumming resumed. Erik observed the other members of that tribe. Even though he could swear he'd never seen them before, they all looked familiar. “Did I meet them during the amnesia period?” a fleeting thought passed through his mind. “But when?” Once more, he attempted to recall past events. Even the tiniest fragment of a memory, a shadow, a face, an image, anything could do. Nope. Nothing. Nada. His mind gave null output. “Herregud,” he mumbled with a screwed up face, “it seems my memories can only be recovered if the aliens allow it. And that pisses me off. Förbövulen!” Suddenly, the woman raised her hand. The drumming stopped. “It is time,” she articulated slowly and clearly, “for all of us to contact the great spirit!” Approaching the flames, she clutched a metal bowl and sank it inside the cauldron, filling it with the boiling brew. Next, she passed the bowl to the drummer who had a sip. Each of the tribe members drunk, until at last came Erik's turn. Erik held the bowl up close. Thick green vapour steamed from the bowl, obscuring its content. Erik didn't even want to imagine what was in that bowl. He just took a small sip and quickly passed it to the next spiritual seeker. It tasted quite good actually, like watered sugary oats. “Let's hope the experience is not bitter,” he muttered. While waiting for the effect of the drug to take place, Erik's thoughts revolved around the purpose of the square island. “It's supposed to be about friendship and social connections. However, when I think about having fun and going out with friends, that’s not what I have in mind." His anger boiled hotter than the steaming cauldron. "Are the aliens implying they know better? To hell with them!” The woman sat next to Erik. “So, how do you feel?” she asked with a soft voice. Erik turned and faced her. “I don’t feel anyth…” he started talking but then realized the woman looked very familiar as well. “Where have I seen her?” he wondered. His thoughts went fuzzy and couldn't concentrate anymore. “My sister said you paid her a visit,” the woman said and smiled. “She is the sister of Eravia,” Erik concluded, "that's what makes her familiar." He replied: “Yes I did. We had a meaningful conversation.” “That’s good,” Eravias’ sister nodded, “you’ll find though, that you don’t have to converse to communicate.” “How?” Erik laughed. The woman blinked. "The feeling of being connected is important here. Connection is communication and this potion you drunk, augments that feeling. Only then can you reach the state to see the great spirit.” “And what happens then?” Erik asked. “No more talking,” the woman said, “no more talking in or out. Just observe.” She returned to her place. “Observe what?!?” Erik asked himself. "There's nothing going on other than the sound of bong-bong!" And at that very moment, it happened. The color in the surrounding environment began to change rapidly. His hearing lost its acuity, as if someone shoved earplugs halfway through. And then he saw it: small mist clouds that travelled around the other participants. One cloud hovered above Erik's head. Erik knew that he saw all of this without using his physical eyes, which, in his altered state, seemed to be a very natural thing to do. An innate ability of the human race, residing latent inside the psyche and triggered only with the right circumstances. The mist started to change form until it molded itself into a wheel. “I’m the great spirit of these islands," a melodic voice announced. "What is it that you seek?” Sadly, by that time Erik had forgotten all his plans of escape. Partially because of the drugs and partially because at that moment, he felt better than in Stockholm. He also felt safer while in the presence of this… spirit? “Can I call you…” he uttered. “Bob?” the voice asked jokingly. “No, Margaret.” Erik replied without giving it too much thought. “Margaret it is then,” the spirit agreed. “What is it that you seek?” “I wanted to call you Margaret, that’s all.” The spirit sounded slightly annoyed. “You have the opportunity to speak with infinite wisdom and the only thing you want to know is if you can call it Margaret?” “Yesss.” Erik hissed and smiled sardonically. Suddenly, Erik could hear voices inside his head. Grunting, snarling and bellowing from his left ear and giggling, chuckling and laughter from his right one. Erik tried to understand what was going on, but couldn't. “Who cares anyway?” he whispered and at that moment, a flash blinded him. Yet he had a brief but clear vision: He saw his reflection on a mirror. He looked different. His hair reached around 5 - inches and he had no beard. His clothing stroke as peculiar, it reminded him of an astronaut suit made into a jacket. Cream and golden stripes started from the shoulders of the suit and connected to his diaphragm area. Behind the mirror he could see other people looking at their own mirrors. Their hair was becoming longer and shorter and it changed style, just by giving verbal commands to a computer device installed on the wall beneath the mirrors. Erik fixed his gaze at the strange device in front of him. “1 - inch hair please,” he requested. His hair immediately started to shorten up, until it reached the desired length. The vision faded away and Erik's eyesight returned. “What was that?!” Erik snarled, the bits and pieces of his mind reassembling in realization of what this could have been. “A memory?" he trembled. "I must get back to Stockholm, I must…” There was a sudden pain in the back of his skull and he lost consciousness. *** Erik could hear faint whispers just a few meters away. He couldn't move and when he tried to open his eyes, only blackness surrounded him. “Who hit my head?” he wondered and realized that the aliens most probably did. “This must have been a fragment of the last 3 – month period.” “I have to get out of this place,” he said, meaning both the blackness he fell in and the islands. He attempted to move his limbs, but could not. “My limbs,” he panicked, “I can’t feel my limbs!” “What have you done to me?” he tried to verbalize, but his mouth did not exist anymore. “You bastards!” he cursed before his awareness shattered into a pile of rubble. *** Upon waking up, Erik opened his eyes instantly. The sun was up and his body was at the same place, still intact. The ceremony had ended, and everyone was gone. Or maybe ceased to exist? He attempted to get up from the ground and felt relief that his limbs responded to his commands. “Vad i helvet… (what in hell)” he sweared but then, when he stood straight, a familiar gnomish figure was revealed. ix2 hid behind the cauldron and constantly observed Erik, her gaze penetrating through the thick fabric of the cauldron and following him steadily as he rose from the ground. “Speak of the devil,” Erik uttered disdainfully. "What are you up to now? Have you become a test subject in your own experiment? How humans behave in front of superior intelligence – heh, you’re about to find out.” ix2 replied cooly, however as she spoke, her eyebrows rose in contempt: “Diverting your acrimonious commentary, I’m here to inform you that last night you saw something you shouldn’t have.” “Should have,” Erik defiantly stated, “a part of my memory came back and you don’t like that!” “That wasn’t a memory,” ix2 said with icy cold words, “your own imagination was cast into a vision. You’re so obsessed with leaving this experiment that your brain manifested it.” “I'm not buying this,” Erik laughed and stared ix2 directly in the eyes. “I'm starting to remember and you’re trying to mislead me!” “Tell me,” ix2 persisted, “how can it be that people have their hair cut the way you saw it?” “First of all,” Erik aggressively shot back, “those people did not have their hair cut and secondly, how do you know what I saw?” ix2 smiled haughtily: “We know because we can scan your visual cortex and see what you see.” Erik felt stunned and numb. That, he couldn't have foreseen. They could even monitor his vision, that was bad. ix2 sombrely announced: "The experiment is going ahead as planned. I came here to let you know." “Your experiment is incomplete!” Erik grew even more indignated. “I’m able to fulfill some of my desires, but not my greatest: to be free.” “That’s not you want,” ix2 disagreed, “you're just escaping from life!” “Don’t assume to know what I want, you parasite,” Erik bellowed with steadily increasing intensity. “You’re not my counsellor and I didn’t ask for your advice. Go fuck yourself!” “Oh yes, I can be that as well,” ix2 said abrasively. “We study your behavior and that allows us to psychoanalyze you.” “That’s shit,” Erik spat again, “you have no idea about counselling.” “Okay then, how about this:” ix2 uttered, “you want to quit the experiment, not because you truly want to leave, but because…” “Because of what you space monkey?” “Because you fear to satisfy your desires.” “Raaghh!” Erik charged with his fist targeting ix2's face. His punch sunk deep into the sand. ix2 had vanished on time. “Damn you and your species,” Erik cursed as he started to wind down. It did give him some pleasure to lash out on the alien, plus it felt safe to do so; he didn't have the means to physically hurt them and he knew the Pakos needed him for the experiment in one piece, so they wouldn't harm him in return. There was however, something dark and mysterious in the way he attacked the alien. He didn't hesitate to charge forward and momentarily, he had the sensation he played the role of somebody else. Someone vile, who wouldn't think it twice to harm others if it suited his goals. But that sensation was quickly forgotten, as he found himself adopting tactics of psychological warfare. “What if I threaten them with suicide?” Erik wondered off the top of his head. "Me out of the equation might mess up their plans.” “Hey ix2,” Erik shouted out loud, “if you don’t let me go, I'll end my life! That will be the end of your experiment!” ix2's voice could be heard but she was nowhere to be seen. “You’re not going to kill yourself, human. We can read your intent. And your fear.” ix2 giggled on the “ar,” taunting Erik. ix2 went on: “Plus, even if you did commit suicide, it would still be a valid outcome of the experiment.” “Damn,” Erik sweared. “I wish you could read my thoughts: bitch - bitch - bitch!" A scornful silence from ix2's side signified the end of their conversation. Erik calmed down, eventually. He contemplated: “ix2 was also angry, therefore I must have struck a nerve by uncovering part of my memories. No matter how small the vision I had, it means that the mental block they've used is not unbreakable. And that gives me hope.” He reflected on his reclaimed memory fragment: “There is no human technology that I know of that can make hair grow and ungrow like that. This can only be… “Alien technology! What if I did meet with these beings and consented to do this experiment beforehand, whether willingly or by the use of force." The latter filled him with contempt and fueled his urge to run away. "The sooner I leave this place, the better." “But then again,” he reconsidered, “what was that about me being scared to satisfy my desires? I've already satisfied two of three.” Erik realized that the need to delve into deep conversations and to be in a community, he wasn’t afraid to satisfy. However, the idea of being with a woman terrified him. Not because he never had sex in his life, but because he hadn't reached deep intimacy with any of his previous partners. That had left him unfulfilled. “You're absolutely right,” Tetr’ton said. “Both of you.” Erik turned his head to the left and saw the head of the mermaid – man, half protruding from the surface of the sea. “Spying on me again?” Erik said as he padded his way near his mermaid acquaintance. He did feel thankful though to have found someone who was outside all of this. Tetr'ton rose from the water and the pendant he wore with the elliptical stone glittered in the sun. “I've been eavesdropping all the time you and your friend were chatting," he playfully said, "if this classifies as spying, then so be it.” “She's not my friend," Erik pretended to sound offended but swiftly dropped the acting. He instead asked curious: "Did you notice anything unusual while you were… eavesdropping?" Tetr'ton explained: “After the alien left, and you began thinking, your reasoning aligned with your emotions. At these moments, you were in touch with your own truth.” “So, things are that way,” Erik said. "I really fear to be intimate with women." “Yes," Tetr'ton confirmed, "however, I said I could read you both.” Erik's gaze became fixed on Tetr’ton. “And?” he impatiently asked. “ix2 is worried about you.” “Excuse me?!?” Eriks eyes opened wide. “She's worried about me?” “Yes, she did sound worried. Worried that you might harm yourself.” “They don't really care if I die, death is just another outcome of their experiment. What you say makes no sense!” “It is our species ability to read the thoughts and emotions of other beings. This is what ix2 felt and thought.” Erik brooded. “Erik,” Tetr’ton said, “you might not remember this…” “No, I don’t!” Erik shouted. “…but you have agreed to this experiment.” Erik’s jaw dropped: "What!" Tetr’ton went on: “Yes, you have signed a contract to participate in all this, before you lost your memories.” "So I suspected right!" Erik said. “There was something else," Tetr'ton added, "I couldn’t hold on to much detail, but what you’re participating in will have an impact on humanity.” “I prefer my actions to impact me!” “Believe it or not, whatever you choose to do, this experiment will save humanity and the broader family of intergalactic species!” “I have no idea what you're talking about,” Erik furrowed his eyebrows, “but if it’s to save the world, I guess I have no choice. It is a Youniverse after all. If I save the world, I'll also save myself.” Erik added with improved mood: “And maybe it will do me good to see to my needs?” “It will,” Tetr'ton confirmed. “So then, time to head towards the island I haven't yet visited: the triangular one.” “Alright Erik, I’ll see you later.” “See you later, my friend.” Erik took the path towards the triangular island. On the way there, he realized that the career he chose had as an ultimate goal to help him find a partner. The majority of men seek high social status and success in order to be a point of attraction for women. During the period of this experiment, he would get what many men don't get in their entire lifetime. “How is my life going to change after this is all over?” he wondered. Upon entering the triangular island, he immediately tuned to the vibe of the area, his wish of physical intimacy coming even stronger than before. Then he saw them, both Eravia and her sister, dressed in transparent white dresses and waiting for him. While previously Erik didn’t feel any attraction for any of the two females, this time, his heart started to race faster. Both Eravia and her sister beamed with desire. “Welcome,” Eravia said, “me and my sister Ykaria are glad that you decided to visit us.” “Are you even human?” Erik asked with trembling voice. “We are only partially human,” Ykaria explained. “We are holographic life forms, alive but not really alive. Yet, do not let this deceive you human, we are on the physical plane as human as any of the humans you can meet on your planet.” “And even more,” Erik smiled. “So, is this what we’re gonna do?” he asked. “Engage in the physical?” “Yes, that is exactly what we’ll do!” Eravia said. “Let’s see what we’ll see then…” Erik decided and moved towards the attractive females. *** A month passed. During that time, Erik visited Eravia on the pentagonal island, joined Ykaria's group on the square island, and spent time with them on the triangular island. He felt a deep satisfaction, more than ever in his life. He didn't bother about his quest for freedom anymore and the idea of returning to icy Stockholm seemed like a forgotten dream. ix2 was nowhere to be found, but Erik didn’t care about that either. "Let them do their experiments, and let me do mine!" He did meet with Tetr’ton occasionally, who shared his species’ knowledge with him. Everything appeared to go well. Then one day, as Erik was taking a small nap beneath a palm tree on the circular island, Tetr’ton visited him. “Erik,” Tetr’ton alerted with his voice, “come with me, quick!” “What?” Erik immediately woke. "Why?" “No time for that,” the mermaid – man replied and began swimming, "just follow me. There's something you have to see!" Erik sprinted on the sand following Tetr’ton who swam on deeper waters. It reminded him of the first time they met, only this time, he chased him out of curiosity and not out of suspicion. “What could Tetr’ton have to show me?” Erik wondered without leaving Tetr’ton from his sight. “Is he going to introduce me to someone of his kin, maybe?” Suddenly, Tetr’ton halted. Erik halted too. The horizon was clear and in the distance, the triangular islet could be seen. Tetr’ton approached Erik near the shore. He rolled his eyes downwards and kept silent. “What is it Tetr’ton? You’re giving me the creeps. Jävla!” “Deep in the sea!” “What’s deep in the sea!?” “I believe it is yet another island.” “Another island?” Erik’s eyes opened wide. “How?” “I was heading to the place where I usually meet you, and then in the bottom of the ocean, I noticed the outline of a geometrical shape.” “What shape?” “That, you’ll have to see for yourself.” “What do you mean? I cannot breathe underwater!” “Erik, that’s not a problem, just hop on my back.” “I've just told you, I can't breathe underwat…” Erik repeated. “Just do it!” “Fint(Okay)...” Erik lay on Tetr’ton’s back and held himself from the space between the mermaid’s shoulder and neck. The mermaid – man sank into the water taking Erik with him in the depths of the ocean. Strangely, neither Erik nor Tetr’ton became wet. A sphere of air was formed around Erik and helped him breathe. Mysteriously though, it didn’t hinder Tetr’ton's diving, giving the impression that they were flying. They went so deep underwater, that everything gradually became pitch black. “Can’t see a thing!” Erik stretched his eyes wide. Suddenly, Tetr'ton's body started to radiate a green glow, bright enough to illuminate the surrounding area. And then, it could be seen. In a distance of around a kilometer, in the bottom of the ocean, a white line formed a geometrical shape. “An ellipse?” Erik said astonished. “That’s unexpected!” As they moved closer and closer to the mysterious shape, Erik made sense of it all. A circle consists of 1 line-segment. A triangle has three 3 line-segments, a square 4 and a pentagon 5. All the above form closed areas. An ellipse also forms a closed area. It can also be considered that it consists of 2 identical segments, its 2 arches. With that reasoning, it made some sense. They landed on the ellipse and Erik removed his grip from Tetr’ton. The air bubble still engulfed Erik and Tetr’ton continued to shine with his green aura. “So, what is the main topic of this island?” Erik asked. “What desire can I satisfy here?” But he intuitively knew the answer. These islands were personalized for his desires, and only one of his desires remained to be fulfilled. Freedom! Initially, he felt a feeling of lightness. As time passed, Erik felt freer and freer until eventually, like an avalanche, he felt truly free, more than ever in his life. In Stockholm he did have his freedom as an individual, but that was different, it felt stronger. “This is amazing,” Erik whispered and then turned to Tetr’ton who seemed to have a similar experience. “Why did the aliens create an elliptic island?” Erik asked “I don’t understand the concept.” “I don’t know Erik,” the mermaid – man said and then theorized: “Probably this is another parameter of the experiment, they might be trying to check the resolve of human spirit. At what depths can a man dive into, in order to regain his freedom?” “Well, it wasn't me who found this island. I had given up my freedom and chose to satisfy my other needs.” “It doesn’t matter if you made it with help,” Tetr’ton said, “It is in the nature of your species to help each other.” “Well, you don’t belong to my species,” Erik smiled, “but thanks anyway.” “So,” Erik wondered, “is Eravia or Ykaria going to give me lectures about freedom? Or not?” “No, Erik,” Tetr’ton announced, “there’s no Eravia or Ykaria here, just me.” “What?!?” “Yes, I hid from you the truth,” Tetr’ton said, “I am also part of the experiment.” “Well, nothing surprises me anymore,” Erik said, “it’s only a pity you're not alive. However, you are part holographic and part human, so I can guess that your human part wanted to help me.” “I’m not human, nor am I holographic, I’m a real mermaid. Mermaids exist, you know.” “If you say so, I believe you…” The mermaid man removed his necklace with the elliptical shaped stone and gave it to Erik. Erik examined the stone. Blue in color and smooth in touch, it radiated with a cyan aura. "Why did you give me this?" “I’m not allowed to do this, but if you use this stone, it can help you exit the experiment.” “How?” “There is no time to explain,” Tetr’ton said, “you will have to find that yourself." “But…” “Your bubble will soon run out of air," Tetr'ton warned, "you have to go now.” Unwillingly, Erik began to resurface. After a few minutes, and feeling dizzy from the low oxygen levels, his head popped out from the sea and he took a deep breath. He swam to the circular island and began to walk outside the sea. His head was tilted downwards, walking carefully to avoid stepping on spiky sea urchins. Finally, when his feet stepped on dry sand, he looked up. ix2 stood up front. She held a frustrated radiant gaze. “Oh, long time no see,” Erik said, “was wondering when you might show up.” “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” the alien replied, her tone confirming her frustration. “But it did!” Erik chuckled with pretended innocence. “How did you find the elliptical island? You were meant to find it in the final stages of the experiment!” “Guess I found it earlier than you anticipated! Tetr'ton ignored your instructions and acted on his own volition!” "Who is Tetr'ton?" ix2 asked baffled. "Your mermaid colleague." “Our mermaid colleague?!?” ix2 asked confused even more. “What are you talking about? We have no mermaid colleagues, mermaids don't exist!” “Well, they dooo,” Erik giggled on the “do.” “And now, it's high time for me to exit this mockery.” “Wait!” ix2 urged him. “If you stay until the end, the results of this experiment can help better many lives. But if you leave now, all this will have been in vain!” “You want me to stay?” Erik asked. “Then give me the details of this experiment. What happened on the time period I don't remember? I want to know everything!" “You can’t have this,” ix2 disagreed. “You’ve been told already – it is part of the process for you not to remember. You've agreed to this.” “I know you're worried about me,” Erik said, “Tetr’ton told me the truth, he read your mind." “What?! That creature can read our thoughts? This is not possible!” “Mermaids can read thoughts and emotions, unlike your species that can only read the latter.” The alien said nothing, only continued to stare perplexed. Erik demanded: “Why are you worried about me?” There was a long silence. Erik had the impression that the alien had turned her attention elsewhere, possibly receiving consultation from her superiors. Finally, ix2 spoke: “Erik, I have to tell you the truth, I'm afraid.” “I'm not,” Erik briskly said. "Carry on." “You are inside a virtual reality simulation, nothing of what you experience here is real.” “Nonsense!” “You are not living in the year 2016, but in 2123. You agreed to undertake this experiment, and we implanted to you temporary memories, so as to play your part as our candidate.” “This is ludicrous, do you consider me to be that naïve?” Erik spat. “To what lengths are you willing to make up stories to confuse me?” ix2 signed. “You wanted to know the truth? Then listen!" Erik kept silent. The alien went on: "Just think about it Erik, think about the vision you had the other day with the “tribe” people. Was it not strange to find yourself in a “futuristic” place?” Erik halted. He indeed felt that the vision was a bit too bizarre, and at the same time, a bit too realistic to be just a product of his mind. “Are you saying that the vision was indeed a memory?” “Yes,” the alien replied. “So, what else happened in the 3 month time lapse?” “Erik,” the alien tried to explain. “I’m not really an alien. I’m human like you, appearing to be an extraterrestrial. Outside of this virtual reality simulation, we know each other well.” “We know each other well?” Erik laughed. “This is becoming more and more amusing! What are you then really? A man or a woman?” “I’m a woman, Erik.” ix2 continued, “my real name is Izabel Xenophon and we have worked in similar projects the last few months.” “Your name doesn’t ring a bell,” Erik's voice made an indifferent whistle. “That is because we’ve blocked your real memories and sent them in a secure area in your mind.” ix2 said. “That area is the time period you so persistently try to access.” “So, are you suggesting that the time period I don’t remember is where the real me is located?” “Yes.” “I want that part of my personality back then, please.” “We cannot do that, at this point, if you regain your true memories, you might end up with a split personality.” “I don't care,” Erik replied in a dismissive tone, “I want to leave this place.” “I’m sorry Erik, I cannot do that.” ix2 said and there appeared to be a genuine sadness in her voice. This feeling of sadness felt familiar to Erik somehow. The name Izabel Xenophon might have meant nothing to him, however, the way she worded her last sentence made him feel that that being actually displayed human emotions, cleverly hidden. “And what if I believe you?” Erik asked. “What then?” “Well, what we’ll have to do is to block this recent discovery you made, so that you continue the experiment until it’s over.” “How much time has there passed in the real world?” “Around 2 days.” “And how much time is there remaining?” “Another 2 days. If we stop now it will be in the middle of it.” So, all he had to do was agree to have his memories blocked, for the second time. But did he really want that? He remembered the good times he had in these exotic islands. Discussing, belonging and feeling intimacy. But he never felt free. Not until the truth was revealed to him by an unexpected ally. He held the instrument of his promised returned on his left palm. He would know what he had to do, according to Tetr’ton. He would know how to escape. However, if he escaped now, the experiment would stop before its completion. And if what ix2 said was true, the result of the experiment would have had a positive impact on humanity. “Well, let’s see this to the end,” Erik thought. Then he opened his palm and showed the elliptic stone to the supposed human acquaintance of his. “Here, you can have this,” he said. ix2’s eyes opened wide. “Oh no!” her voice raised in intensity. “You must not show this to m…” The scenery began to faze and blur in front of Erik’s eyes. Slowly, it all began to fade, become transparent and disappear. “Maybe I did the right thing,” Erik contemplated as the simulation collapsed, “or maybe I didn’t.” *** A feeling like surfacing from deep waters overwhelmed him. During the whole process, he didn’t lose consciousness. When he got his physical senses back, he slowly opened his eyes. He was sitting in a chair, tilted around 30 degrees backwards. He scanned the area around, cautiously. He was in a room with walls painted white, that gave a lab feeling to it. A metal door sealed the exit. “So, where is everyone?” he wondered. The door opened with a rustling sound. A short woman with curly black hair and a cute face entered, followed by a tall, grey haired man in his 40s’. They both wore lab clothes, and held a concerned look on their faces. “Frantz,” the woman said to the man, “he’s come around.” “Do you think he’s okay?” Frantz asked the woman. Erik felt alright, however, what really troubled him was that he could still not remember his true identity. “Who are you people?” he asked with a drowsy voice. “I am Izabel,” the woman replied, “and this is Frantz. We are colleagues.” So that was Izabel Xenophon, the woman that impersonated ix2. Erik could still not remember their faces, even now that it was over. “And what is our relationship?” Erik inquired. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met.” “That is,” Frantz entered, “because we’ve not yet unblocked your real memories.” “Why haven’t you done so, yet?” Erik demanded. “Erik,” Izabel said, “there’s a protocol we have to follow before we can restore your original memories.” “And what is that?” Erik asked irritated. “To torture me with more of your babbling? I want my memories back – now!” Izabel turned to Frantz, as if asking for consultation or approval. Frantz studied Erik with his gaze. After assessing empirically his condition, his eyes crossed with Izabel’s and nodded in approval. Izabel looked Erik in the eyes and said with a soft voice: “You have to understand Erik that who you are in reality is someone completely different than the person you're now. Your current memories about your life in Stockholm, are all implanted.” Erik’s eyes opened wide. “That can’t be!” he protested. “I know who I am! I remember my childhood, my teenage years and all my adolescence, in detail.” “Indeed,” Izabel replied and suddenly, her face became frozen and emotionless as well as her tone, “however, who you think you are is different from who you truly are.” “Then, who am I?” “You will know, correction, remember, soon.” Izabel reassured him as her tone returned to its previous melodic tune. “As I mentioned earlier, your real life memories are stored in the 3 months that you so persistently seek to uncover. We had to create this symbolic time period for your mind to be able to access it.” “Only the access is denied.” Erik laughed. “Erik,” Izabel said still on the same tone, “you might not remember this, but we’ve done this experiment before.” “Of course I don’t.” Erik raised his tone. “The previous simulations we made were successful, however…” “However what?” “The artificial personalities you incorporated in your psyche were very similar to your previous self, which made it easy for you to transition to your original identity, when the tests were completed.” “Seriously?” Erik thought. “And how is this simulation different from the previous ones?” “I’ll tell you,” Izabel said, “in this simulation, you were a far better person than the one you originally are.” “What?!?” Erik shouted and attempted to stand up. Shackles around his wrists and ankles prevented him from doing so. “Why have you tied me up?” Erik grunted and felt deep inside him an indescribable rage. “Untie me immediately!” He bellowed and violently attempted to break free. “Muscle memory,” Frantz observed, “his mind does not remember, but his body does.” “You want to know the truth?” Izabel asked with the same cold voice. “You are a murderer and you've agreed to take part in this new experimental rehabilitation programme. If this programme succeeds, it can lead to the efficient rehabilitation of many criminals like you!” “I don’t believe this!” Erik yelled and twisted and turned his wrists to break his straps, to no avail. “I’m Erik and I’ve lived in Stockholm all my life!” “You are Swedish, right?” Izabel asked. “Ja, jag kommer från Sverige.” Erik replied. “The language you think you speak as a native,” Izabel declared, “is also an implant. In fact, the level of Swedish you’re speaking does not even reach the basic level.” “Prove it.” “Just try to say: I’ve been to the North Pole, I saw some amazing polar bears but bear with me, I didn’t feel cold when the climate change hit me, I swear.” Izabel sung and crossed her arms. No matter how much Erik tried to formulate words in Swedish, he couldn’t do the translation. “See?” Izabel announced triumphantly and urged Erik to reason: “Just think about it, we are living in 2123. The setting of Stockholm you remember is a recreation of the early 21st century.” Erik took a moment to process this. Could they have been lying to him about the era he lived in? He examined the area around him. The room contained some futuristic technology he didn't notice before. It appeared to come out of a science fiction story and matched with what they said. “I want to see the news,” Erik demanded. Frantz fetched out of his lab coat pocket a mysterious sphere and held it in his palm. A holographic video streamed upwards, in a cone like form. A female broadcaster told the news. Her hair consistently changed to all perceivable colors. A screen behind her played a video that showed scenes from a scientific conference that took place in Denmark. People were gathered around an amphitheatre. They wore peculiar formal clothes and spoke in English. Robots served them drinks and carried out the practicals. It looked convincing. “Do you believe us now?” Izabel confronted Erik. “We are trying to help you.” Erik accepted the fact that Izabel and Frantz most probably told him the truth. “And why did you make me a far better person in this simulation?” Erik demanded to know. “I will explain how this experiment works.” Izabel spoke. “I’m all ears.” “Each simulation has the purpose to improve the subjects' behavior slightly. This is done by allowing the individual to have a fulfilling experience by satisfying implanted or not, desires. Desires that we assume will help the subject grow and mature as a human being.” Izabel went on: “Then, once the simulation is over, the subject integrates the new memories to the original personality. The simulation is perceived as a real experience, so the person discovers things true about itself, and thus becomes a better person.” "And why has someone to forget who he is?" "If you remember who you truly are," Frantz explained, "the simulation won't be effective. You have to forget that all this is artificial, so that you become emotionally involved and grow from the experience." “I see,” Erik nodded thoughtfully and then asked. “So, why are you so hesitant with me this time? What's keeping you from restoring my original identity?" Izabel carefully worded: “You were making progress, Erik, however the progress was very slow. It would have taken years and years of repeating the simulations before you could be set free!” She went on: “The previous personalities you adopted were better versions of yourself, yet, still, murderers. What we tried to do in this last simulation, was to make you adopt the persona of a normal citizen. “And that’s where the danger lies; members of the lab team argued that the new role you would play deviated too much from who you were. We are concerned that the reintegration is incompatible and thus will drive you to develop split personalities.” Izabel sounded stressed, catching her breath on her last words. “She seems to be saying the truth,” Erik realized as he picked up on her emotional state. “Can I go on living with the memory block?” he inquired. “I’m afraid not,” Frantz stated, “the block usually lasts for several weeks. It wears off eventually and you regain your memories.” “Talk about wanting to forget your past,” Erik laughed, “you can’t even do that!” “And what if I am a murderer?” Erik then argued. “I have to have my memories back. It is who I truly am.” Izabel signed. “Shall we continue with the process?” she asked Frantz. “I think there is no other way out,” Frantz said. “Let’s finish what we started.” Izabel removed from her pocket what seemed to be a remote tablet. “Alright Erik, I want you to close your eyes and try to relax.” Erik closed his eyes. “This might feel a bit… unsettling.” Izabel warned him. “I hope you’re not planning to send me back to the simulation.” Erik tried to joke about it. Deep inside he felt terrified though. “No, we’re not.” Izabel reassured. The soft touch of a finger pressing on a flat surface was heard. Gentle as a cat’s paw stepping on grass. Suddenly, a not so gentle electric current streamed through Erik’s body and reached his brain. The pain felt surreal and his physical senses became dull. Erik could see old memories blooming inside him like poisoned ivies wrapping around his mind. His real name was the same as before: Erik. His upbringing was fundamentally different, though. His father was a drunkard. His mother, a helpless creature being beaten every day. He learned from a young age that in life there are victims and there are victimizers. He adopted the latter approach. He grew up to be an antisocial bully that everyone feared, not by force of physical, but by force of emotional abuse. And then he got married twice! The faces of his wives! Eravia and Ykaria! Their real names being Elizabeth and Penelope, he killed them both. Elizabeth, his first wife, he murdered with a knife, a very carefully coordinated plan to dispose of her body, in pieces. His acting skills, perfect, nobody ever suspected him. The reason he took her life, plain jealousy, because she was far kinder than him. Why did she end up with him anyway? In life only hunters exist and their prey! His second wife, Penelope, he also felt jealous for, because she had achieved in life what he could not. She lived a life he only wished for, studying in the best universities of the world while he was borderline illiterate! He also killed his second wife, death by poison. He thought his plan was perfect, but became sloppy this time, overconfident in his ability to evade punishment. But punishment he got, when the authorities proved his guilt and took him in. He stayed in prison for several years, becoming an even more violent person, this time to defend himself from other criminals. So then, he was offered a chance to participate in a scientific experiment. He accepted, as that would transfer him at least for a while to a secure environment. But, there is no worse enemy than one’s self. The first simulations were a complete failure out of his denial to see the truth. Only after several attempts, did he start to feel that maybe there was a way out of his torture. He continued so. Several moderately successful simulations and from a non – repentant killer, he began to get into the shoes of his victims. He started to feel remorse for his actions. He could feel he was changing, slowly. However, the scientific team appeared restless; they wanted results sooner rather than later. So, they took a risk, they prepared for him the role of a normal person. And here he was now, in his mind a huge battle going on. Was he Erik the murderer, or Erik the citizen? Erik appeared to be in agony, shaking and his face making grimaces of pain. “Oh no!!” Izabel shouted, “he's not going to make it!” Erik's head tilted upwards and jerked violently. He stopped moving. Frantz approached him and checked him. "Still breathing," he said. "But is he gone?" “I am okay,” Erik said with a whisper and slowly opened his eyes. “No need to worry.” “Who are you?” Frantz probed Erik. “I’m Erik,” he smiled. “Do you still have the same feelings for your ex – wives?” Izabel asked concerned. “I do, yes… ” Erik confirmed. “We failed,” Frantz commented, “he should have stayed in longer.” “...however,” Erik added, “I'm not feeling I want to kill anybody anymore.” “Oh, is that true?” Izabel asked with eyes opened wide. “Are you sure about that?” “Yes,” Erik confirmed and then opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. “What is it?” Frantz asked. “I still feel intense rage and jealousy for both of my wives. If they were alive, I would want to harm them, but not kill them.” Izabel removed a device from her lab pocket. It was a remote control that had a palm sized tv like antenna. She turned it on and scanned him head to toes. “He seems to be telling the truth,” Izabel said. “So now, what shall we do? Shall we inform the others?” “Yes,” Frantz agreed, “time to announce the success of the experiment!” They both turned to leave the room. “Hey!” Erik complained. “Are you not going to untie me?” “Oh yes!” Izabel said. “You’re right!” She pressed a button on the computer screen near the door entrance. The shackles of Erik were automatically untied. “You can walk around the facility if you wish,” Izabel informed him, “however you are not allowed to leave. ” “Of course I won’t,” Erik rolled his eyes upwards, “you've told me a million times already!” The two scientists left the room. Erik got up from his chair and left the room. He went outside to the garden of the facility and sat on a bench. He observed the trees, the grass and the electric fence that blocked his way out. He was still a prisoner. “This time I might be a bit closer to becoming free,” he realized and then remembered the experience he had with Tetr’ton. In all the other sessions he went through, he never ever encountered such a mysterious creature before. How did that happen? “I have to find out!” he thought and got up. He knew where the lab team did their debriefings; in the room near the south east corner of the facility. He was never curious to learn what they were talking about, but this time, he couldn’t help it. He felt urged, compelled even, not to linger around but to go and hear what the scientists had to say. He approached the room from the outside and noticed that the window was open. He placed himself towards the wall. The lab members were talking, loud enough for someone to hear. “See?” Frantz asked. “I told you that it was possible to make progress faster, I was right in the end!” “That remains to be seen,” an emotionless and authoritative voice argued. “It’s too early to come to conclusions. We have to observe the subject’s behavior over time. It will take additional simulations and further analysis before we can set any criminal free. And on top of that, there’s always a chance of regression to past behaviors. We must take caution.” “Bah,” Frantz protested, “you’re all too afraid to take bold steps, and that’s what’s holding humanity back!” “We just take precautions,” another voice replied, one colored with anger. “Don’t feed us with your humanitarian crap, Frantz! We know that if it weren’t for the government pressing for results, you would have followed protocol! Plus, what about this mermaid… thing his consciousness conjured in? Apart from ix2’s model that we designed, the other characters are projections of the characters’ psyche. We have never ever seen something like that in any simulation and with any subject!” Erik’s body jolted. He never had the time to reflect on what happened during the last moments of the experiment. Tetr’ton. Erik always assumed him to be part of the experiment, however even the scientists didn’t know about his existence, not until the very last moment. “There has to be an explanation to this phenomenon,” Izabel intervened, “a bug perhaps on the code, that gives mermaid – like features to an otherwise human projection?” “We don’t know that at all,” the emotionless voice suggested, “we’ll find the cause of it soon, before the next simulation takes place.” “Yes, we’ll do that,” Frantz complied. “So, what will the next steps be?” “We’ll monitor the subject’s behavior and see if the changes made in his personality are permanent. Then, we will do more simulations. In time, it may be safe to release him to society under surveillance. To all the members of the lab team, keep up the good work. This meeting is over. You can return to your duties.” And thus the meeting ended and everyone returned to their posts. Erik meandered around the facility building, thinking this through. The lab team could only observe his behavior externally, they did not experience what he had experienced. Therefore they could only speculate how much he'd changed. But Erik knew the changes were permanent, he could feel it. “So," he thought changing topic, "even the intellectual authorities cannot explain my meeting with Tetr'ton. Interesting." He went on: “Was Tetr'ton really a bug in the code, then? Or was he something else, like a part of my consciousness? It's strange, because I was never a mermaid fan.” Then it clicked inside him. “What if he was another life form, helping me?” The scientists were concerned that the change in Erik’s personality would be too great. Erik stayed in the simulation only for half the intended duration. If he stayed any longer, then he might not have been able to integrate his new self to his original one and could have ended up with split personalities. What if that entity, Tetr'ton, knew this and freed him before it was too late? And who was that entity, really? Did intelligent life forms, more advanced than humans exist in the cosmos? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he wasn’t ready yet to be released. He was just a bit too violent. But he did become a better person. A couple of more experiments and he would be ready to get back to society. He couldn’t predict exactly when, but it would happen sometime in the future. And then, something caught his peripheral vision. He turned around and looked at the sky. No clouds in the distance. Just 2 round objects that levitated a few kilometers away. Erik tried to focus on the objects. One of them disappeared and reappeared, as if it was an eye blinking. Then they both vanished. “Thank you my friend,” Erik said. “I’ll see you around.” Grigorios Galiatsatos