A/N: On the AO3 under the same name. My username is MyNeverEndingDistrust. Tbh I'd rather you read the story on AO3 bc of all the tags and notes and stuff but it's your life, so enjoy!
Thomas struggled to take in the sight of everything around him. He'd heard of all of this, of course, who hadn't? In this city, everyone knew about the Portal Chamber. Feared it. Families fretted over losing their sons to this place, but once the study had been conducted, they knew which boys had to leave. And Thomas had known all his life that he was one of them
Thomas had never wanted to believe that this would become his life.
But here he was, standing before the beam of white light, trying to focus on whatever was behind it. The rest of the room had an eerie purple hue, bouncing off of indiscernible items like a dark fog.
"Scan complete."
Thomas jumped at the sound of the mechanical voice, dread instantly washing over him like a wave. He knew this process like the back of his hand, everyone did. Why bother, he wondered, if they're going to take away my memories like everyone else's?
"Your fears have been processed. Please continue forwards, and stop at the alarm."
Curiosity overwhelmed the feeling of apprehension in his gut as he strode forward, straining to get a look at the room once the damaging light left his field of vision. His shoulders sagged in disappointment when he emerged into a room full of computers. He had expected cooler machinery, blinking lights. Not a bunch of old computers from 2000.
A blaring alarm forced him out of his thoughts and stopped him in his tracks, momentarily too stunned to move. A screen descended slowly from the ceiling with a mechanical whirr, and by the time it reached Thomas, he was already bored, wishing he could turn on a computer and see what the other boys were up to.
"Thomas Greene," said a new voice, a cool female one, and the screen before him flickered to life. He expected to see a face, a woman talking to him, but instead there was a red background to what looked like a creative animation film like in school.
But the voice had sounded so real. If it was just a video, how did it know his name?
Thomas disliked not knowing the answers, and even more disliked having no one to ask.
"You, like many young boys before you, have been selected for an experiment that will decide the fate of our world."
Too much responsibility, Thomas thought, suddenly fearing what would happen if he did something that made the results inconclusive.
"The information on the virus is classified, yet I am sure you know all you need to know about it already."
Thomas shuddered. He had certainly seen enough of the virus to last him a lifetime.
"However," the voice continued, cooling, "your scan results were inconclusive."
Of course they were. Thomas groaned inwardly. What had he done now?
"Your phobias are unlisted."
What did that mean? Did he have no phobias? Was he going to be free of this?
The screen finally changed, showing low-quality jpeg images of the human brain. Despite his growing fear, Thomas snorted. He could have done a better job of this himself.
"Your deepest-rooted fears are Atychiphobia, which other boys scanned have suffered, and Thantophobia, which other boys scanned have also suffered."
"So what's the problem?" Thomas asked it out loud, but there was no response.
Or so he'd thought.
"The problem, Mr. Greene, is that there are no portals for you to go into."
A huge red X on the screen took advantage on Thomas's fearful state and startled him enough to make him jump back.
"Your fears are nothing concrete. Although other boys have had these phobias, they are always accompanied by something real. There was no way for us to build a world in which you constantly fail, not without us taking control of your minds, which would of course compromise your data."
Thomas had no idea what she was talking about.
"And, since all the subjects are to have their memories taken away, there would be no way for us to take away your loved ones over and over."
Thomas realised he hadn't known as much about what lay behind the Portal Chamber as he'd once thought. He knew the process up to this room, but not anything about what happened beyond it. Not anything that would clue him in to what the voice behind the giant X was telling him.
"Because of this complication, we're willing to compromise with you, Thomas."
Thomas had nowhere to look but the screen, so he nodded at it, feeling stupid.
"What is it?"
He hated how shaky his voice was.
"We will allow you to keep your memories, so long as you perform a job for us."
"I thought I'd get to go home!" Thomas was surprised at his own outburst, but surely someone who could not be tested would no longer be needed and he could go back to his mother, right?
"Unfortunately, Thomas, your data is crucial to our study. We need you, moreso now that you suffer from fears that can only be implemented naturally. As in, not by our technology."
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"We still need to microchip you."
Microchipping was the last step they'd learned about back in the city. It was often seen as the final step to the "Portalling" process, as it was what happened directly before you went into the portal. Barely anyone knew anything about what came after 'chipping.
The microchip was implanted to collect your data, gauge your reactions to your fears. To see how long it took to get over the fear, or how much worse it got. To really get into your head, to really see what made your brain get your body ready to defend. It made perfect sense to Thomas. They were pinpointing the exact part of the brain that got your body ready to defend.
Those were the basics they learned in school, anyway.
"But the microchips are what take away your memories,"
"Not if we don't need them to."
"Why can't you get another boy for your study?"
"Thomas, your data is crucial."
"You said that."
Thomas was tired of talking to this screen. When he didn't receive a reply, he considered walking out, but he needed to ask something else.
"What is the job?"
Silence for a few moments, and then: "You would collect outsider data on the subjects. While still exposing you to an environment that may activate your panic responses, you will observe test subjects as they live within our portals, see how they are handling things on the outside while we monitor the inside."
They wanted him to spy on the subjects?
Thomas shook his head. "I won't."
"Excuse me?"
"You're already getting into their heads! You don't need me to, as well."
"Thomas, I'm afraid you don't have a choice."
A slamming noise sounded behind him and suddenly the white light he'd come through was cut off. The same blaring alarm from earlier sounded all around him, invading his senses, vibrating the floor.
With all the noise, Thomas couldn't concentrate. He wanted to escape, desperately, but through the hazy purple light, he couldn't catch sight of a way out. He stepped away from the screen, hopped off the platform, feeling along the walls for a way out.
He felt something blowing on his face.
He reached for the air, patting the wall it was coming from, curiosity once again taking over his panic. As he got closer to it, he noticed his movements weakening. As he reached it, let the curious gust blow right into his face, he felt his fingertips falling asleep, numbness enveloping his body. His legs, vibrating with the rhythm of the floor, felt shaky and unbalanced.
"Shit," he swore, feeling the shivering floor shake him right to his knees, watching the purple glow fade steadily to black.
When he woke up, he woke up in a white room. A surge of anger flew through him, but he couldn't remember why. He hated waking up angry.
He swung his legs off the bed, noticing none of the wooziness he'd felt earlier.
Swiping his gaze over the room, he spotted a pristine white nightstand with a scattering of black and orange items all over it. Atop them lay a crisp piece of paper with writing scrawled all over it.
Irritation made his cheeks flush, but he couldn't recall why. He hated feeling things and having no idea where they were coming from.
Thomas,
For your own benefit, we have removed most of your memories, including those of your family and of last night's conversation. With luck, you should remember your basic schooltraining about the portals, the mission WICKED has put you on, and why, as well as standards and basics about the world. We are always very careful in our endeavors.
Thomas did remember all of those things, when he thought about them. He knew what everything in this room was called, he knew his name, his age. But when he focused on bringing a clear image to his head of a face of any kind, he pulled up a blank. All he saw in his mind were vague human forms and hazy faces.
Confused and hurt, Thomas went on reading, desperate for more information. Maybe some clues to last night's conversation. That ominous phrase struck the most curiosity into him.
Below this note you will find tools to aid you in your journey. I will explain the function of each of them for you:
Top Right: A locator. This device will help you should you ever need to find out what world you are in and what its Swells are. Unfortunately, we could not make it alert you to when the Swells will happen, for if you were to befriend a subject, you may use this device to help them avoid the Swells, and that would interfere with our data.
Swells. For some reason that term stuck in Thomas's mind, but he couldn't place a definition to it. Frustrated, he sat down and kept reading, hoping to gain some knowledge.
Top Left: This device is made from the same technology that allows us to transfer subjects from world to world. This will allow you to travel to whichever world you program into it. You are required to meet a quota of worlds traveled before you may return to the Home.
Thomas didn't even know how that was supposed to work.
Bottom Right: A watch. Portal activity shuts off at 11:00 p.m. and resumes at 9:00 a.m., except for one randomly selected day every week in which the activity will not cease.
That sounded promising.
Bottom Left: Data pad. You may take down any information about the subjects that you wish here. This information is reported back to us at WICKED as soon as it is collected.
Creepy.
Middle: Shelter Locator. This device will direct you to any place with a roof on it.
In the drawer below this table, you will find a backpack with other necessary supplies within it. Do not worry about food and water. There is a washroom within this area. Please take advantage of it before you leave.
Your first trip will be to Claustrophobia. Please write this into your Portal Jumping device and step into the portal when it first appears. Once you are through it, the portal will close. There are two (2) subjects within Claustrophobia.
Do not tell the subjects what you were sent to do.
You will be expected to move on the next morning.
Please do not be in this room past 17:00. If you are caught in the room after this time, you will be punished.
Good luck, Thomas.
We expect great things from you.
Remember: WICKED is good.
Sincerely
Dr. Ava Paige
