As he looked up at the ceiling of his cramped cabin, Tyler tried to figure out exactly what was happening. He went to the beginning of this screwed up tale with him walking out of his dorm to go to a formal banquet. As he left his dorm, he remembered that blue light at the end of the hallway, sparkling and shimmering. Every part of him told him to go the other way and act like he didn't see it but his curiosity got the best of him and he ventured down that long hallway. Each step, the light grew in intensity until he had to shield his eyes and the warmth of the area also increased as he drew closer. The more he approached, the further his instincts told him to turn around but at this point something was driving him to keep going. Even as every fiber of his being begged and pleaded for him to stop, an invisible force pushed him forward. The moment he stepped into the light everything changed.
He felt his body being hurdled at such immense speed, the skin on his face was being pulled back and he felt it trying to be sheared off by the force. The blue lights gave away to a whole spectrum of pulsing, flashing and alternating light that slowly started to overload his visual senses with grandeur. A fast swooshing sound howled past his ears and he could hear faint voices in the distance, but their pointless murmurs were unintelligible. He went through this multi-colored limbo for what seemed like hours until he fell into a tight metal corridor. He could remember steam being released out of a pressure valve right into his face. He was barely far enough away to avoid being burned. As the steam moved passed his eyes, His whole body felt sore and ached as if he had been violently shaken up and thrown down on the ground. He slowly stood up and then an orchestra of a few guns clicking of the safety caught his attention.
He looked to see at least four heavily armed guards. Their faces distorted in scowls, their bodies covered head to toe in full body armor, that he had seen only high level militaries wear. The most striking part was three of them couldn't have been older than the average high school student. After being roughed up and dragged to the interrogation room and those events that followed had led him here in this tiny cabin on a ship, in a reality he didn't understand.
Tyler stood up and moved towards the tiny sink in the room. It was barely the size of a bowl and the mirror could probably fit in a purse. He turned on the water and splashed his face, hoping he would wake up at any second. As the water dripped down his face, he realized he wasn't waking. Frustration began to build as the nightmare was slowly becoming real and the weight of the truth began to thrash his psyche.
It was a building pressure against his conscious. It expanded and expanded and began to push his restraint to the limits. He slowly began to swear into the empty space, at first blaming himself for his own stupidity. He had a life and now he destroyed it to check out a light at the end of a hallway. His anger switched targets and began to throw mental obscenities at those he encountered. They first treated him like a terrorist and then turned around and had no solutions to his problem. Their ridiculous world had interfered with his and now he was stuck. As far as he could gather, he was now forever enveloped in this world against his will. His friends and family weren't here to comfort him and this pushed his aggravation to the final zenith of human tolerance.
He looked up at the mirror, as his very reflection seemed to mock him for his stupidity and the hopeless situation he was now in. His own reflected scowl scolded him for what he had done and where it had landed him. He couldn't stand the sight of the idiot in front anymore. He began to yell loudly and reared his fist back with every muscle and fiber of unbridled rage and sent it flying straight towards the mirror.
The mirror exploded with sparkling pieces flying in every direction they could. They clinked light as they landed against the metal floor. Tyler had stopped the taunting of his reflection but it didn't sedate his anger. He pulled his hand back slowly as his blood began to drip on the floor. Each drop of blood, each cut and each scratch was memo and a mark of his foolishness and this reality's insanity. He could still catch shards of mirror embedded in his hand. He felt the pain but he had ceased to care.
He heard the steel sliding door open with a quiet hiss. He turned to see someone standing in the doorway. It was a young woman in her twenties, in amazing shape. She had Asian decent in her but wasn't full. Even though she had short black hair that came to her neck, her eyes had a violet hue that stuck out from her pale skin and sharp nose. She was wearing a black tank top but wore sage-green cargo pants. Her narrow and delicate features seemed almost disinterested in the sad sight she was looking at. Even with that, her eyes were still etched by years of blood and loss and sadness.
"What do you want?" Tyler growled, clinching his hand. His mind had enough to contend with. This woman's very presence was goading him and her blank face seemed to silently laugh at the pool of doleful he had fallen into. As she looked at him, she pulled out a cigarette and started to smoke it. The smell of tobacco wafted into the room, and began to push the clean air out of the room. She just sat there and admired the flavors of her little cigarette and just watched him as he continued to scowl at her. Her silence was driving a nail of his already ice-thin patience and it was slowly beginning to crack. "Are you going to keep looking at me while smoking that thing?" Tyler snarled. She just looked up and smiled him. He just rolled his eyes as his questions just kept getting silent answers.
"You seem to be adjusting well." Her voice had a slight rasp to it from a smoking habit but mellow like a smooth whiskey. Tyler began to clinch his fists and the shards that were embedded in his palms began to crack and pop and the blood trickled at a faster pace, and a small puddle began to from. She looked him up and down and Tyler could almost hear the judgments she was passing on him even though she uttered no words but continued that indifferent smile. He could imagine her laughing at him as he wallowed in his own vehement fury. He could almost read the remarks at his expense on her face. The longer she stood there, the more he had to remind himself he only had one good fist to punch with. "Let me show you to the infirmary to get that looked at." She smiled once again but it was warm this time and comforting. Tyler wanted to decline out of what pride he had left but that wasn't much as it slowly dripped on the floor with every blood droplet that hit the floor. He sighed; releasing what infuriation he had left and nodded his head.
As they walked, Tyler kept catching people glaring at him. They would whisper to their nearest colleague or just gawk at him with a face of disbelief or spite. This walk felt like he was walking into the main stage for the freak show and he was the prime attraction. Every glance and glare felt like a poke or a prod at him and each one tried to stir the anger he had finally suppressed when this mystery woman interrupted his tantrum.
"I'm Melissa Weber, by the way" The woman threw over her shoulder. She still had that smile on her face as she continued to chew on that cigarette. She wasn't overly girly in the way she walked. It was almost as masculine as Tyler's as she strode without any grace, but just drive. Like the Sousuke before, she didn't waste any energy, even walking. "I never caught your name."
"It's Tyler." He reluctantly let out of his mouth. Even though, Melissa was trying to act trust worthy, Tyler didn't buy it. He was on a mysterious ship with mysterious people. His luck would have him drop his guard, and then one of these people would stab his back. His name was all he was willing to give out at the moment.
They continued their little stroll, down several corridors and in the path of more gawkers, who just mindlessly stared at him like a prisoner on death row. He wanted to roar at them to quit looking at him like that but he was already certain he would be seeing a therapist before the day was finished.
"So, you're the one that got caught in that reality rift and got sent here?" She said with a smile despite his deplorable mood. Tyler was surprised she even asked. On a vessel like this, his unbelievable story was probably the only thing anyone could talk about and he hated every moment he was that person.
"I don't want to talk about it." Tyler replied solemnly. It was nothing personal against Melissa but even he didn't understand all that had happened. For him to recall the events would be nearly impossible without being under the influence of something the bartender had to regulate or a doctor had to prescribe.
"We all got those stories around here." She returned with the exact same of solemnity. He then remembered these people were soldiers. They had seen worse than anything Tyler ever would. They lived, breathed and died war alongside their allies and friends and here he was acting like a child. He was still in emotional turmoil but if these people handle that kind of pressure every day, he could learn how to. He started to feel a little better.
"If you don't mind me asking…" Melissa turned in shock at the person talking behind her. Tyler had gone from sulking, pile of anger to a slightly less irritable sulking pile of anger. She couldn't fathom what had caused the sudden turnaround in that short time. She started to worry he was about to go on a killing rampage. "How do you deal with the stress of it all?" That question further threw her off. She started to feel a little bit of respect for him. He had been put through something that could easily break the spirit and destroy the mind but he somehow stopped himself right at the edge when everyone else would have fallen over. She turned to him and he barely stopped himself from running into her. Her hand found its place on his shoulder. He looked up at her in earnest. She could feel he was letting some of the walls fall, slowly, surely.
"You gotta move forward." Tyler had heard that before but for some reason the meaning was becoming more apparent. "You really can't control the shit that gets thrown at you but you wade through it and keep going." She saw him lower his head in thought. The words were resonating with him.
She had a good point. Getting frustrated and going into fits of rage didn't help him and if anything it had ended doing more damage. He looked at the sight of his hand, with shards of mirror in it. He knew he had to stop having episodes like this. Even though it was easier said than done, he had to try. He looked up at Melissa and desperately wished he could trust her but even now, his instincts wouldn't allow it.
"Let's get going before this thing wants to bleed again." Tyler jested. Melissa let another smile out as Tyler had dropped a few walls. She knew he had more to go but at least he was making progress towards regaining control of his emotions. They continued until they finally reached a door with a red cross. Melissa opened the door for him and he went in. He looked around at the sterile and barely bearable bright white med bay. There were eight beds lined against the wall, each an EKG machines and other medical equipment he didn't understand. The room stunk of disinfectant and was inhumanly cold. He clinched his shoulder his good hand to try to warm himself up.
He looked about the room to see if a doctor was present but the room was had no life except him. He sighed and took the bed against the far wall. He slowly crawled into it, avoiding any contact with his injured hand. He wiggled around for a bit until he got into a perfectly comfortable position and rested his head and stared up at the white ceiling. He started to feel creeping sensations of fatigue. The chaotic churning of his emotions and his injured hand had drained him of every ounce of resolve and he was just now feeling the weight sinking him into a deep sleep. His eyes began to flicker as he fought the urge to go under but he finally relented.
Tyler shot up and felt a sharp pain in his back. After his eyes adjusted to the light he looked around. The pure white of the sub infirmary had disappeared. The old and chipped red halls and brown stained carpet of his dorm surrounded him. The smell of sweat and old booze filled the air. The sounds of bad rap music and people chattering played like a delightfully melody to his ears. Tyler sighed in relief. All he had just experienced was just a long nightmare. He slowly forced his achy body to stand. As he stood, he looked around to see if anyone was around. He could hear the noises of other students but there was no traffic despite it. He pulled his cellphone at his pocket. It was 3:30 and he was late for his class. After a dumbfounding episode of panic he madly dashed down the hallway. The doors flew by. He was becoming grateful no students occupied the hallway as he made his mad sprint for the elevator. As he approached the old and rusted stainless tell doors, he pressed the button frantically, hoping the elevator would come swifter with each press. After it arrived at its same pace; Tyler hoped in and madly pressed the button for the first floor. His impatience as it continued his slow pace. He finally gave up and leaned against the back wall. He was reassured it was just a dream but it was chilling how real it was. He should have known the moment he heard giant robots and teenagers being in a mercenary band he should have figured that out himself but he was relief was immeasurable that it was nothing more. He quietly giggled at how badly he became disturbed in the dream.
The elevator opened up and he stepped out. No one was at the reception desk, flirting with a co-ed who shouldn't even be in the building. He assumed they were at lunch and walked blissfully out the door. When he threw the doors opened, his heart stopped, his mind froze and his mouth fell open.
Everyone he knew was standing before him, on campus grounds. All his classmates gazed at him with welcoming smiles and waved at him. His teachers stood at him with accepting faces and all of them were led by his father, standing out in the front. The man in his late fifties, stood grizzled by time but his face was lifted by a warm smile and his hand was outstretched, waiting for Tyler's. The sight of everyone he knew before him, started to bring a tear to his face. He was home and he understood the feeling of the word. It was no longer four words put together but an emotion and an actual tangible thing he could feel warming his body. He was home.
His father and with that low friendly tone he said "Come on home. We miss you." Those words shook Tyler to his core. He could feel his very foundation quake and his face started to run with hot tears. He didn't know why everyone was standing like that with open arms just for him at this weird hour but he didn't care. He started to move forward but his foot landed on air. He looked down and saw the ground start to give away. He looked up at his father to see what to do. His father's face had fallen into sadness. "Please Tyler. Come home." Tyler started to step over the hole. He wanted to go home and nothing was going to stop him but Hell itself. As his foot maneuvered around the hole a new opened up. He took a step around that one but another appeared. Tyler looked back the group of people, desperately seeing if they could help but all their faces had fallen into depression. Tyler could feel the loneliness settling in again. The ground started to give away faster and the loneliness became heavier in his chest as it dragged his soul down like a ball and chain strapped to his heart. "Tyler, please!" His father yelled in desperation. Tyler could feel his tears come faster and now something starting to pull him back. No matter how much he fought it, he was being forced back by the ground giving away and those he cared far became farther away.
"Tyler…" Tyler yanked his head towards his back at the whisper that came from behind him. When he looked in its direction, nothing was there. He could feel the whisper's luring sound. It was soft and kind and called to him like the sirens of old. He looked back at his father and those around him. They started to move farther away. Tyler tried to move forward but the invisible ball and chain kept him held fast. He reached out, hoping someone would reach back and save him from the loneliness and force him away from embrace of the arms of sorrow. "Tyler…" That whisper called to him once again. Tyler grew furious as it belayed any attempts to be with those he cared for. He turned his eyes in a glorious blaze of anger and spite. Still there was nothing there behind him. He had no reason to go back but something was trying to make sure he did. It wished to guarantee he never went back to the world and reality he belonged too. He finally fell to his knees in frustration. He looked up at the clear blue sky. His tears continued to roll down his face. He cursed the sky for its limitless freedom while he damned. He let out a monstrous roar as his last act of defiance.
Tyler rapidly sat back, flailing wildly as his feeling orientation changed. He looked about to room. It was the sub's infirmary. The images were still fresh in his mind and the emotions still churned as he tried to make sense of it. He felt something wet against his cheek. He wiped his face to see the tears were the only real thing he had during that entire experience. The anxiety and chaos Melissa had freed him of was now looking for its prisoner once more and his mind was slowly falling into the snare once. He punched the side rail of the medical bed to try to release some his anger.
"Tyler…" It was that soft whisper once more. It was the one that held him back in his dream. His face distorted into a snarl and his demonic gaze turned to its source. He saw Tessa, in her sage-green officer's uniform, just innocently starting at him with the end of her braided pony tail being twirled in front of her lips. Tyler's anger relented as he saw the concerned look on her face. All he could do was let out a long sigh. Like brake pressure being released, Tyler slowly began to release the weight on his shoulders. Even with her hair in the way, the concern was apparent. Her brows accented the intense look that was aimed at Tyler. "The doctor said you started to tear up when he started to work on your hand. He recommended I come and talk to you." Tyler could almost taste the pity and it sickened him had gotten that low to where even a medical doctor could tell he was off emotionally. All he could do was stare at his own hand as it was now tightly bandaged, with a lifeless glare as he tried to draw back his emotions. Tessa caught this and placed her hand gently on his. The feeling sent a spark all the way up his arm and chilled his spine. He looked over at her and the emotions began to attempt another destruction of his suppression. He bit his lip, hoping the pain would distract him. Tessa attempted once more to reach through his emotional guard. "You can trust me." Those words struck a nerve in him. It sparked a core buried inside him and started to ignite a powder keg of realization. A truth he had sealed away was finally coming back to the surface. He just wanted to be able to trust someone and stop being alone.
"That is exactly it!" Tyler pushed through his clinched teeth. "I don't know who to trust!" His fists grew tighter but Tessa kept her hand firmly placed on his. "I don't know if you and your friends are messing with me or I am seriously in a world where I no longer exist." Tyler could feel the emotions destroying the walls but he didn't understand why this girl was the one he was venting too. Even Melissa's words didn't reach out to him like Tessa's were at that crucial moment. "If you are being serious, I have no one. I'm alone." Tyler let that word loose. The very word that was heart of his frustration and rage, was now finding voice and even admits this release, Tyler couldn't help wonder why, this girl before him was the one that he relented too.
He felt something warm, start to wrap around him. It was comfortable and safe. He slowly raised his hand up to where the warmth crossed his chest. He felt an arm in an officer's uniform embracing him. It was delicate, it was comforting and it was safe. Her soft hair brushed against his face and her sweet smell gently put him at peace. The savage beast of his emotions started to slumber. He could feel himself slowly embrace her back. He was afraid of letting her go as it would send him back over the edge.
"I promise you, we are not messing with you." She whispered gently in his ear. Tyler found himself believing her but unlike the first time, he let himself. "I also promise you, you are not alone." He didn't know if she was just talking about herself or all the people he met but it was a sweet melody to hear regardless. It would take time for him to trust the others but he finally found someone to trust for now. Maybe he would come to trust the others like he did Tessa but that was in an unforeseeable future.
She finally started to let go and it was as if she was pulling all his grievances with her. A weight he didn't notice before started to lift and the fog that distorted his thoughts started to clear. With a clear mind, he turned and looked over at his savior. Her grey eyes sparkled in the lights of the infirmary and her smile was soothing to just look at. To him at that moment, she was the light that got him out of those shadow days.
"Thank you." He knew that would never be enough to repay what she did but he hoped she could see he was smiling for the first time in a while and it was genuine and not one he forced himself to do to greet people but one that came from a sincere place, and one of a man who escaped the arms of sorrow. He figured she did, as her smile grew to each ear.
"So, what will be your first step forward in this new world?" She asked politely. He had never given it much thought prior to her bringing him back from that dark chapter. He would miss his old life and those he left behind but for them and for the person in front of him, he would write a new one. He would carve his own existence into one he would be proud of. For this was his first step forward.
With a wicked smile and a new blaze of determination, Tyler boldly replied "Is your little group hiring?"