On our way back to the hole in the wall, I ponder Mac's statement. Referring to this place as a home. I only have a few days, maybe a week worth of memories of this place and they are terrible. Could it be through misery he has come to think of this place as home. That is the best possibility. The other one that comes to mind is that he has been here. No, we have all been here so long that it has become like a home. Shivers run up my spine.

Finally I managed to master riding on elevators again. Not bad for a space wizard. We walked for a while. My thoughts on the test and what happened with Chuck. Not exactly sure how long it took, everything still looks the same to me. Holes or more accurately doorways spanned the walls. Pillars and people throughout the Hall. Mac could be leading me to some place new for all I can tell. Relief washes over me when we get back to Mac’s area. Everyone looks at me with a lot of mixed emotions. Ah to be home.

“If you want, you can use one of the beds to relax a while,” Mac says as he peered into the room. “I am sure I can convince someone to give it up again,” a smile creeping on his face. Shaking my head to decline his offer. I just slump against the wall. Sitting with my knees against my chest, Eyes closed, and rocking my body a little.

So far the only time period I’ve had to adjust to my new life was while my memories were utterly clouded. Not just that but I know I am still missing so much information. How can everyone just sit around when they could be working on a way out, fight back, or anything. I am still adjusting to this new truth. What the hell are their excuses. Quickly I shift to a more meditative posture. Don't be like them. Focus.

These beings took us. A shit ton of us. They seemed to do what they wanted with relative ease. This could have happened all over the world. It is entirely possible that millions if not hundreds of millions could be in captivity for some unknown reason. Our captor's endgame must be big, or I am just overthinking it. Well I have a hard time conceiving a small reason.

“A leading theory is that this is some sort of reality show” a famine voice chimes in. So lost in my own thoughts that she sat next to me like a shadowy ninja. It was one of the ladies that was with Mac when I got my memory back. Steph I think.

“Theory is barely the proper word to use,” she continued. “We weren’t all released into this place at once. The hosts played with us a bit prior to letting us into our new living arrangements. It is a matter of perspective whether or not I was lucky enough to be let go early on.

When I walked into that first room there were only a couple of dozen people. No one knew anything about anything at that time. We didn’t even want to venture further into this complex. Our powers leaking through the implants. People got hurt and there were a couple of deaths. Those early days were bad. We didn’t have food and only got a little water. There weren’t any rooms or beds. No medical levels either. Hell there were barely any bathrooms. I think if given the choice I would have preferred to have been experimented on a little more just to avoid it.” she shudders. Keeping my eyes on her the pain of sharing these things is apparent, but I am grateful someone is sharing what happened here.

My mouth opens to say something but before finishing she continues. “We tried to escape. Banged on the walls until our hands bled and screamed our voices hoarse. As you might expect from our current situation it was pointless.

Within days the testing started. One by one we were summoned and happy about it too. We all figured that any place would be better than here. That is of course until people started coming back. The busted up and traumatized people talking about a horrible test chamber. Well it refreshed the panic. If we only knew what was coming.” she trails off and gazes around.

I was kind of confused. So they tried and failed. Then they just stopped. Ok she implied that something else happened, but come one. If held captive the moment a person accepts their situation is the moment they are defeated. It is everyone’s responsibility to continue to escape.

Hmm that's pretty deep I think. What the bloody hell did I do for a living?

She was staring at me while was thinking. It is a bit unnerving. A thought crossed my mind. The doorway they sent that big idiot through after I killed…

“I would not suggest exploring that option”. Ha proof could read minds. Most likely.

“First there is a laser grid that will slice you up six ways to Sunday. If you managed to get past that. Well have you ever seen one of those industrial grinders? It's something like that. Which feeds into a pit of goo.” She offers me some of the nasty pallets.

Eating them isn’t nearly as distasteful as before. She stares at me while I eat. I suspect she's wondering if I put some pieces together and waiting for me to talk. After swallowing yet another oh so yummy pallet I figured it out.

“Soylent Green is people,” I mumble. Then proceed to eat another one. Her staring gaze changes from curiosity to shock and finally to even greater puzzlement. Still I continue to eat.

“I haven’t used the bathroom yet or felt a need to. My past is still foggy, but I know I used to do that pretty regularly.” I say through a mouth full of pellets

We stare at each other. Trying as much as I could to not think. She searched my eyes in continued confusion.

“It isn’t mind reading so much as mind skimming” I just nod in response. It isn't exactly out of the realm of possibilities. Was she surprised that I was fine with the fact that our food could be processed human. Doesn't really matter.

“It scared people in whole new ways when they got summoned back to the doorways. We are forced to fight each other. If we don’t fight we don’t get food or water. Everyone fights eventually. Our survival instincts have a more primitive response.” She trailed off for a moment.

“Are you sure it is just our instincts? People generally suck. If things got too uncomfortable it would be like a child with a sword getting food out of the fridge. A giant mess and someone is losing a limb. By the way, you didn’t answer me about the bathroom situation.” I said while she considered her next words.

“I don’t know for sure, but something happens to those who do well in the fights. A few like Charles and Goliath had their implants removed. They were drawn to the different floors and segments. A few started to do things that made our lives better. Like Charles with the medical assistance. Others are more authoritarian. As bad as those people can be, things got better. We got rooms, beds, and more food and water. Indestructible walls and being utterly dependent on them for consumables makes people pretty darn compliant”.

It hit me. If she can skim my mind maybe. “No I can't dig out your memories” she exhales out of apparent annoyance.

“These devices hold back our abilities. Even if they weren't on it doesn't really work like that. I’ve tried before. Many of the late arrivals like you have memory issues. Not to your extent, but i've tried and it's been pointless”.

The glimmer of hope dashed. Unless something big happens I will turn out like everyone else here. Just waiting.

“Ok this is bothering me. Some things you know weirdly precise details about. I suspect that is due to your mind reading ability. Yet I know that you know Chuck, Mac is like ten feet away. Wouldn’t you be able to get more details about… well everything by talking to them? Also bathroom?” I point out.

“With the right training and practice a person can block me out, and not everyone thinks about what they want to talk about while they are talking. I’m not exactly sure though. So many aspects of our abilities are unknown to us.” frustration shown on her face.

Time went by and Steph didn't say any more. Before the abduction there were a number of articles about how not everyone has an inner monologue. I have one. Thinking the words before saying them. I suppose if a person doesn’t have one then Stephs ability to skim minds wouldn’t work as well. Right now though, anything I want to say to her would already be rattling around her head. So she gave the answers she was going to say and that was the end of it for her.

“She doesn’t like how you are not bothered by the pellets.” another female voice. It was the bodyguard lady. She has been close by during the entire conversation with Steph. Possibly do to the fact that I nearly raped the last woman I was alone with. My feelings aren’t hurt at all. Heck if the situation was reversed I might have pounded me into the very smooth flooring.

“Is there any other source of nutrition here m’lady.” I ask her.

“Stop. Do not call me that. My name is Lucy and no there isn’t.” She said.

“Then why should I worry about it too much? If this is a spaceship then there are finite resources right? Plenty of sci fi stories showcase taking waste, processing it and then using it for other stuff. I doubt our captors care about our ethical or moral dilemmas about cannibalism. The way I see it, control and manipulation is their focus. We are little more than livestock for them. Farmers regularly feed chickens and pigs parts to chicken and pigs. Would you please tell me about the bathroom situation.” I explain.

“Do you need to use the bathroom,” she replied in a snarky tone.

“No”

She pauses for a moment and sighs.

“Our bodies have been changed right. To the point they are extremely efficient. We don’t need to eat or drink that much, unless we are using our abilities. The waste our bodies produce now is biomatter we can no longer repurpose. It isn’t exactly my area of expertise though. I am more of a brawler. Back on Earth I spent my free time getting drunk and fighting bitches at bars.”

“How did you end up hanging out with Mac?”

“I’m fifty two years old. My life was a waste. No kids, no sober friends, no job worth bragging about, and no family. We met in a fight. Our hosts were pushing him to kill me. He obviously didn't and suffered for it. We all knew the risks of defying them.. He tries to help people.” she said with a shrug.

My perception laser focused on her. If she asked me to guess her age from the head down, I would have said eighteen for legal purposes. Her face shows some weariness in her eyes but not fifty two years worth. It strikes me that unless someone like Steph can confirm the truth. A person here could claim anything. Not many ways to verify a person's age, occupation, or even name.

“So you got a new lease on life and you want to make the most of it? I can respect that.” I told her.

“WOW Dimitri’s respect. I can die a happy woman… It wasn’t just Mac or a new lease on life. This place can eat at your soul if you aren’t careful. You have to find something to focus on outside of waiting for the next horrible thing to happen. If you don’t, you’ll go crazy.” Lucy said.

“You have a good point. Do you know what is next for me?”

A wicked smile creeps onto her face and she rubs a fist into her palm.

“Rest up a while. Training is next.”