《Elysian Toil》3. Game Show
Advertisement
Sera continued to study my face. It was unclear what she was looking for.
"…maybe just a push," she softly muttered.
Getting up off the bed, she faced me and looked like she was steeling herself for something. Then, she clapped her hands and said "The gig is up!"
Suddenly, the ceiling lamp started spinning and shooting out vibrant multi-colored lights. A showy, masculine voice filled the room.
"Saaaaaato White! Congratulations. You have paaaassed the test!"
Sera walked around the bed until she was next to me, then held out her arm.
…What the fuck is going on?
My dumbfounded brain failed to process the scene, but habit caused me to shake her hand anyway.
"Absolutely fantastic deductive work, Mr. White. Not only did you correctly call out our agents and recognize the use of paralytic drugs, but to even realize that this immaculate reproduction of a hospital room was fake. Truly a genius display of insight." Sera seemed genuinely impressed.
I was… right?
Sera's eyes gleamed with a small hint of triumph. "However, you made one miscalculation. This isn't a reality show."
Clapping her hands again, the four walls of the hospital room collapsed outward and suddenly I was surrounded by an audience of hundreds of Colonists. They were seated in velvet chairs and seemed to have been watching my conversation with Sera through a large holoprojector right above the faux room which had turned into a stage. A few were cheering at the top of their lungs.
"Elysium! Elysium!"
"I love you Sato!"
"Neptune Colony Forever!"
The announcer's voice boomed again. "Sato! Welcome to Ticket to Elysium, a game show where contestants compete for their very own shot at paradise. You've successfully completed the preliminary round!"
A game show? Why have I never heard of it before?
Advertisement
Sera was now waving at the crowd with a smile. Despite the fact that we were right next to each other, I might as well have been completely invisible to her.
"Now then! My dear audience. Ten unsuspecting individuals were slated to enter today's contest, and faced with the undeniably obvious choice of whether to enter Elysium or save trillions of troubled souls, nine of them idiotically picked the latter!"
"Booooooo!" The audience roared.
"But fear not, for our hero has arrived. Choosing self-interest over the protection of others, Mr. Sato White has fearlessly reminded us of the significance of Elysium, the pride and joy of Neptune Colony."
"WoOOoOooOo!" Sato's ears started to ring from the voracity of the cheers.
Um. Wait. This isn't what I--
"Now then, Sato. I have great news. Normally, our contestants would compete through a series of challenges to prove their loyalty to the Colony and their usefulness to the Singularity, but since you were the only one that passed the preliminary round, we can move directly to presenting your selfish ass with the reward!"
What's with this passive aggressive tone? Are they still playing tricks on me?
The hospital bed slowly lowered into the ground. In its place, an operating table rose up. Several Providers, augmented with surgical equipment, suddenly manifested themselves onto the stage.
"To accept your Tiiiiiicket to Elysium, simply lie down on the operating table. The state-of-the-art Providers around you will drain your blood and harvest your organs to replenish our hospital medical supplies, and your bones and sinews will be ground up and recycled at our department of nutrition. But fear not, your sacrifices will not be unrewarded. For your brain, the very container of your consciousness, will be masterfully extracted from the rest of your body and inducted into the Singularity, where it will be kept alive for centuries to come. From there you will enjoy... the bliss... OF ELYSIUM!"
Advertisement
Thunderous applause shook the stage. "Sato. Sato. Sato." the audience started to chant my name.
Directing her attention back to me, Sera raised her arm in a flourish and opened her palm towards the table. "Whenever you're ready."
But I was already backing away. This… this isn't right. A few steps was all it took for the Providers behind me to notice. Their arms wrapped around my torso and dragged me back towards the operating table.
"H-hold on. Wait!" I exclaimed to no avail.
The Providers placed me on the bed and strapped me down so I couldn't move. The paralytic injections came afterwards, and my entire body froze. The audience quieted down in anticipation of the main event.
Sera leaned next to me and whispered into my ear. "If you change your mind, just call out my name three times."
I tried to do it then and there, but my tongue wouldn't move. The Providers' arms buzzed and whirred as they picked up their scalpels.
Soon, the darkness came.
Advertisement
- In Serial112 Chapters
Rise of the Desolate Star
“The soul is a sword. The body its sheath. Adversity is the hammer, while courage is the anvil. Oh, and son? Your tears and snot, they’re just the sparks that chip away at the impurities, like dungflies off a sow’s arse.” - Kendric Farrow Ever since he could remember, young Skyle Farrow’s body and mind have been hammered relentlessly like red-hot steel against the anvil of adversity under the watchful eyes of his father. All the while, Skyle’s heart and soul have been nurtured by the enduring warmth of his loving mother. Skyle has always asked why a simple farmboy would have need for all manner of skills like hand-to-hand combat, wilderness tracking, archery, beast taming, geography, history, politics, and even embroidery! The one vital question remains unasked, however: just what are his parents preparing him for? The invasion of a demonic horde? The advent of an age of war and endless bloodshed? The dark legacy of an ancient mystical power? A desperate struggle to save the lives of those he holds dear? The end of the world? It is a good thing he never asked these questions, for the answer would have been yes - to all of them. Now Skyle must take his first steps beyond the sheltered world he has known. He has been raised strong, but is he strong enough? Welcome to a tale of friendship, love, loss and heartbreak. It chronicles the growth of a young boy into a legend whose path will shatter the very foundations of the world. Expect a rich, detailed world with vivid characters. Each will pursue their own complex agendas due to realistic motivations. The MC will be overpowered, not through liberal use of plot armor but rather the deliberate application of arduous training, clever thinking, and nurtured talent. Battles will be graphic, victories will be bittersweet, and defeat will not mean the end of the world - for time waits for no one and life goes on whether we like it or not. New chapters posted on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6 p.m EST, 10 p.m. GMT. Get early access to chapters on my Patreon page @ https://www.patreon.com/hunterofclouds Join the discussion on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/gPws8He
8 143 - In Serial55 Chapters
The Tragic Tale of a Zombie Survivalist
Tragedy is something that most people would not want. Watching their family die or their friends disappear and not have the strength to change the outcome can change people. Break them, even. Not everyone can have the mental fortitude of a champion, the courageous heart of a leader, or the heavenly fate of a hero.Watch as one man tries to change that. Observe him as he comes to terms with what it means to experience tragedy. The tragedy found in everyday life, the tragedy experienced by others, and the tragedy one faces when courting death.=======================================This is just another Zombie Apocalypse with game elements. But, the game isn't just an RPG, it's a mobile game as well!Chapters are short but this means I can post daily. Your thoughts, comments, and concerns are welcome!
8 170 - In Serial71 Chapters
The subtle World of Terraria
Evan Langford, wakes up one day to find himself in the game world of Terraria. Confused with no understanding on how he got there, he slowly brings himself up and swears that if there is a way how he got into this place, then there must be a way on how he can get out of this place. He already knows all the inn's and out's of Terraria, how hard can it be? He then realizes that all is not what it seems since there are skills, stats, different races, a working community and many more things that aren't present in Terraria. Which begs the question. Is he really in Terraria? Note: 1) Cover art was made by a friend of mine for this story and I have his permission to use it. Thank you, @centryNEL2) I wrote this story a long time ago when I was still an aspiring writer but it was really bad so I'm re-writing it here.3) While this is a fanfiction about a game, you don't need to know anything about the game to enjoy this story as almost everything is explained in a simple way that even those who have not heard of Terraria will enjoy this story.
8 179 - In Serial15 Chapters
A futurist leader inside a fantasy world
Jack who was on Earth empire have been reincarnated into a fantasy world. Using his old knowledge and skill , he plans to force the new world into a new age. *Note: the updates will be random and I not the best writer. P.S. I will be doing this for fun. Chapter Editing in progress
8 204 - In Serial17 Chapters
The Book Club
Welcome to The Book Club! This is a come one, come all book club of sorts where you can find (in my opinion) some of the best stories here on this app. Feel free to give your own opinion in the comments, vote on your favorites, and even recommend other authors that you feel deserve the attention! This is an equal opportunity and safe space environment for everyone, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political party, etc. Offensive and hateful comments will not be tolerated and you will be immediately blocked. **disclaimer**I do not own any of these characters, plots, images, or anything else that pertains to the original book. ALL RIGHTS belong to the respective writers and I do not tolerate plagiarism in any form.
8 131 - In Serial169 Chapters
Anime Zodiac Signs
There will be some that have nothing to do with anime but oh well
8 133