New beginnings
I...I can't go on like this... This... this feeling of trepidation and anxiety is driving me insane!
Yet I can't escape, I booked myself a one-way-ticket to hell and damnation, with no chances of a refund. The only chance of actual survival is to dive deeper and deeper until those plans of galactic domination laid out by my 'General' actually succeed.
Of course, that's a big if. At the moment things go rather smooth, but it's still a grand and somewhat ridiculous plan which can fail at the slightest error. And even if it goes all as planned, there's a big chance he'll just kill me off when I'm not needed any more. Dead men tell no tales (And they also can't stab you in the back)
So why? Why do I stay and do General Bleylock's bidding like a humble servant? I even ask myself that question over and over again.
It's at those moments that I remember... at that moment the haunting experience Bleylock provided me plays in front of my eyes again and again... that..that moment in which he managed to shatter that little confidence, self-worth and courage I had.
But let's start with the beginning, right? To get more insight.
As you might know, I work for Tecnoid. At the beginning, it wasn't such a big deal, I did standard paper-work at a desk, nine-to-five... average work. Until that day Duke Maddox called me to his office...
"As you know, Harris, things have happened within Tecnoid." Duke Maddox said, looking at me from across his desk.
"You're talking about the whole ordeal with General Bleylock and the Metaflux... it has damaged our reputation greatly." I answered, Duke Maddox just nodded.
"Good, so I won't have to explain everything. The central point is... now that Bleylock is... not with us any more, his position is free for someone more competent, and most importantly, more loyal." The portly man answered. And at that moment I could feel my spirits rise, knowing very well were this was heading, yet still disbelieving it. "Are you interested?" YES! I could hear myself already shout out. But I gotta stay calm, gotta stay respectful, no matter how infamous, I DID get this position because someone died.
"O-of course I'm interested." I said enthusiastically, stuttering because of the positive tension. "I-I just... me?" This made the old man laugh.
"Yes, you. You're smart, good with both words and numbers, and other then your predecessor, you're humble and most probably a lot more loyal and less set on mass-destruction."
"Thank you so much!" Was all I could say.
"You're more then welcome. Why don't you go home and celebrate? Your new function will start first thing tomorrow." After that, I stood up and bowed politely, before exiting the office. Once outside the room, I cracked a huge smile and pumped my fist. This called for celebration, as I took my cellphone and immediately reserved a table at Genesis Stadium's finest restaurant.
Even tough I was still on my little cloud when walking towards the restaurant, I did notice someone following me. A man in a black cloak with white eyes glowing from underneath it's hood. At first I ignored it, it was someone trying very hard to hide himself, yet make an ominous impression at the same time. After a few minutes, however... I noticed that the man's eyes were set on me, and as the streets became calmer, he approached me. I wanted to speed up and get somewhere more crowded, when a mechanical arm came from underneath that black cloak, and wrapped itself around my wrist, making me stiffen.
"Can we talk?" The man asked, his voice eerily deep and artificial, as if he was a robot. Or at least someone with a heavily mechanised body.
"Talk? About what?" I asked, getting a bit nervous.
"I'll explain later, let's go somewhere more... private." The man answered, attempting to lead me by my arm. I resisted, only leading to the hand increasing pressure to a painful degree. "Now." The voice simply said, as he led/dragged me away. The stranger led me to what looked like a darkened storage room, light only coming from partially closed shutters.
"Can you please tell me what this is about?" I asked, as the stranger removed his hood. I gasped. That face... well, at least half of it... I knew it!
"Y-you!" I stuttered. "General Bleylock..."
"Ah, you've heard of me. That speeds things up." Bleylock replied calmly.
"B-but... you died! I've read the reports, you fell from a height impossible to survive!" This made him just look down at his metal hand.
"Let's make that 'Nearly' impossible to survive." Bleylock said, clenching said hand into a fist. "But that's not important right now. What's important is that I need you, Harris."
"Need me? For what?" I asked, getting more and more confused. Bleylock just turned around.
"I'm planning something, Harris. Something big. But it's to much for a man on his own, I need an accomplice." He started telling. "Preferably one with good connections and access to materials I need."
"Forget it." I said, knowing what he was asking from me.
"Are you sure? As my accomplice, you would share in the power this results in." He said, looking at me. Something in those white eyes, glowing in the dark, frightened me so deeply...
"No. You're an infamous criminal, and if people found out you're alive, you would be executed on sight." I told him. "Better yet, I'm calling Duke Maddox right NOW to report this." With that I took my cell-phone, but before I could dial a number that metal hand once more clamped around my wrist, turning it around until it was to painful for me to hold the phone, as I dropped it.
"I'm afraid I don't really like the answer 'No'" He said, also getting a hold of my other wrist, as he pinned me against a wall. I started to struggle, becoming more and more scared, but to no avail, even his still-organic hand had a strong grip. "Let me show me what I do with people who try to defy me." With that, his knee shot up to my stomach, making me double over and fall down. After that he continued to beat me up badly, obviously enjoying it. When he stopped with that, he...he did something else, something much worse. He...he picked me up from the floor, pinned me once more against the wall and... well he... had his way with me. I don't remember clearly... scrap that, I don't WANT to remember clearly what he did to me. Every time I try to remember the details, my mind just backs away in fright and disgust from the memory. He just... took me, used me as a tool of pleasure, scarring me deeply. And why? Just because I didn't want to be part of his insane plans... trying to scare me into obedience.
Well, what can I say? It worked.
"I hope I made myself clear, Harris." Bleylock said, getting up and re-arranging his clothes. I had slumped down against the wall, eyes wide and empty in shock and disbelieve of what had happened. I didn't respond, as he knelt next to me, holding my chin and carefully made me look into his glowing eyes. "Will you do as I please, Harris?" He asked. It sounded so nice... it didn't fit the madman who had ravaged me mere moments ago. "Or do you want me to take you once more?" He continued, a bit harsher. Scared shitless, I nodded carefully and although I didn't see his mouth, I knew Bleylock was smiling.
"Good. Let's really start tomorrow, all right? We'll meet here once more, tomorrow evening. Go home and get some rest." He said, walking away.
"Yes, Sir." I softly said, mind caved in. He stopped for a moment.
"I prefer the title 'General'." Bleylock told me.
"Of course, General Bleylock." I meekly answered, slowly replacing my clothes once he left, but not getting up from my spot. For what seemed like hours I just sat there, praying for it to be a nightmare and hoping to wake up. After an undetermined time my cell-phone rang. I answered it. It was the bloody restaurant, asking if my reservation was still standing since I never showed up... it sounded so bizarre after my ordeal. But then again... it did pull me back to reality. Hiding my pain, I softly told them the reservation was off, as I staggered up, wincing because of the bruised and other painful sores on my body, and I exited this place, moving towards my apartment. I should listen to his last advice: to get some rest. Because with this 'agreement' and my new position at Tecnoid, I would need all the rest I could get...