Act 1: Questionable goal

Part 2: Rise to madness

Darkness is all around me and I am drowning in it. I can't see or feel anything... only hear distant, familiar voices. I don't understand them... and I don't want to. Why would I do that? There is no point trying to listen to echoes of the past. It's only the voices of the dead and those cursed to die slowly, locked deep in the underground. Maybe it's better to embrace the darkness and leave this ugly world of pain... to join the ranks of those who stand on the other side. Come to think of it, that doesn't sound that bad.

Hm, I see something...yes, I can see the light above me. Something suddenly stops this descent and grabs me, starting to pull me back... All voices cried out in despair but one... one unknown to me. I can hear it more clearly every second. It's repeating itself... calling my name...calling for me to wake...up, wake...up...wake up. Wake up!

"Wake Up, Octoling!"

A blinding light and the sound of a lightning strike brought me back to consciousness. I was in pink, inky goo, pieces of my backpack floating around me. I looked up. There's a giant hole in the ceiling. I look around. I am in the middle of some kind of service room, and there are no possible sources from where that ink could've come from. I think I get it, I broke my backpack from falling, and the ink inside it saved my live...how convenient. But here's a question: what was that in - traitors hall? Those undead bodies, my acting...how the hell did I even end up here? And where the hell am I? I need to get out of- what the?!

Someone grabbed me by the tentacles and pulled my head out of the ink!

"Who the fu...oh, hi?" I'm stunned and surprised to see a real, normal, living human! I'm not alone here, yay! But that does not counter the fact that he pulled me out like some kind of fish!

He asking a quite straight question: "Finished lying in this pink piss puddle?"

How do I suppose to react to this? "Uh...maybe? I am - uhh - I'm quite surprised to see a normal living human in this shithole." I make a little pause, trying to find a good question to ask.

"Do you happen to know what's happening here? I mean, people are missing, strange shit is happening here.."

He negatively shakes his head in response. "Nope, but since you can talk, unlike the other anime fanboys - sons of bitches - I'll interrogate you, like the good gentleman I am."

"Wait-wait. What? Interrogating? Me? Why? W-h. Wait... Anime boy? WHAT?!" A minute has not even passed and my amount of questions already have been doubled!

He just smiled."He-he-he, that look on your face - priceless. Nah, I'm joking. But, you really do look like one of the anime boys I saw earlier... well, almost like the others"

I wave my hands in confusion. "Okay. Wait - you said others?"

He nods "Yep! You look like an elf in a BDSM suit with makeup around your eyes and hentai on your head. But unlike the others, you can talk and don't look like a low-budget walking dead on vacation."

Ok. Confusion - lvl up. Seriously. Who is this man? Why is he here...nah, that's a terrible question. I should have been happy for seeing at least someone more or less adequate and alive...What did he said again? I look almost like the others...and the way he describe it. Thinking out loud:

"Do I really look that ugly?"

He nod with a smile. "On the bright side, you can't possibly be uglier than my mother!" He laughs for a moment there. "Oh, good one. What? Don't give me that look, get up! I am getting out of here. With or without your confused octo face." He stopped holding my tentacle - hair and went on his way, out of the room

Sigh. So much for conversation. I left the ink puddle and immediately went after the human, looking around. It looks like a technical tunnel with a number of storage/rest rooms. They stretched for many kilometers, and were quite a popular place for people like me, who just want to hide from working till death and enjoy their life... even if lasted only for a couple of hours. In these tight and dark corridors, with pipes, wires, and poorly working lighting, we were free to have whatever we what: sex, booze, moonshine, homemade weed/drugs and good old morphine from the medical supplies ...some even made burgers from rats a.k.a burat. Everyone loved this doubly harmful fast food. Why? It kills you a little bit faster, and compared with the nasty canned food, they fed us every fucking day - burat is fucking delicious. 12 of out 10. The best local food ever! But all of this has one fatal drawback: if you are caught – you are dead meat.

Today this place is quiet...too quiet. No talking, walking, muffled groans or sounds of working BBQ near the ventilation. He can't possibly have killed everyone here. Or can he? That thought terrifies me - what if he'd gone completely insane and murdered almost everyone here? That would explain the bodies, but what about me? What about those mutants? In any case we are going...somewhere, and my companion is silent as grave. Maybe I really should talk to him a bit more, try to get some answers.

I cough to get his attention. "You know, this place is - or was quite popular. I wonder what happened to people? Where is everyone?"

"They died...probably. Hm, now that you mention it, how can you possibly know about this "illegal business" ?" He briefly looked at me and continued moving forward.

"You are not human, you know..."

Is he trying to insult me or something? I answer with a little discontent in my voice:

"Nonsense! I am a human! I work in this "lovely facility" as an Electrical Engineer in sector A. Or I was, considering the situation and thing I saw for the last hour...or two. My name is.."

He interrupted me. "Whatever you say, anime fanboy. But I'm not interested in your name or your"past". I need information and a working CQ -80."

He stopped and looked at me. To be honest - that look in his eyes is creeping me out a little . But I did not give sight of that. I just shook my head with a faint smileand replied:

"Yeah, we always used them to navigate in these tunnels, cus otherwise it's easy to get lost." I take a short pause to draw a sigh with sorrow. "We are fucked without a navigation."

He stopped and looked at me. "Are you starving to death? Deathly dehydrated? Have any bad or bleeding wounds? No? Then calm down, get your shit together and move on. You are no use for me if you're dead."

I didn't say anything in response. We just continued to walk in complete silence, both of us immersed in our own thoughts.

Endless lines of pipes, wires, and concrete; empty rooms and no signs of life or possible directions to take. Nothing to talk about with this mean, unfamiliar asshole... It all continued for an hour or more, until we finally found an empty lift shaft. I looked inside it. The elevator was stuck at the top; a ladder is in its place - it looks okay. How (un)lucky we are. I pointed at the ladder. The man nodded in response and we started to climb up. Every floor was closed, so we entered the elevator from the emergency exit on the top.

The door was open, and there was a nasty scene before our eyes: the gray, boring office corridors were covered with writing, written with a greenish oil paint that glowed in the dark. The walls, the floor - hell - even the ceiling - the mutilated numbers covered it all. Not as terrifying as cafeteria or that "Traitors Hall" but still, this place give me the creeps. The man, on the other hand... I think he doesn't even care. He slowly started walking forward, looking at all that with interest:

"Is this what you looking for?" I asked him, looking at the writing. Never saw that language.. yet somehow I understand it like English. Like - I dunno, like something in my mind translate that for me. I started to read some of the notes:

"Subject #16 - Heart attack. Replace.

Subject # 25 – Brain damage. Improve the operation process.

Subject # 151 – Madness and attempted of suicide. Sanitize

Subject# 306 – Found his way to the Promised Land. Success at last

"Could you shut up for a sec!" he interrupted me, hissing. " I hear something, come on here."

And he was right. There were unknown, somewhat distant sounds. Something between...struggling, punching, moaning and indistinct murmuring. Something is happening there and сuriosity beckons me there. I don't know what to do.

The man briefly looked at me and immediately went ahead, interested. I followed him. A bad idea- a bad idea! It took us mere seconds before we reached the source of those sounds. And just wha - holy shit, this is something unexpected: two of those..twisted nonhumans I saw in that cursed hall were in the middle of beating the living shit out of each other.

They fought violently, issuing hoarse synthetic sounds that only remotely resemble pain; if they can even feel it. Their bodies were covered in wounds, bleeding blue, artificial blood - it's everywhere! I do not know why they fight or how long their fighting lasts, but in mere seconds one of them grabbed an opponent's head and started rapidly smashing it against the wall with the squishy sound of flesh and brains turning into a blood-soaked chop...brutal! The struggles ended. The killer tossed the "headless" body aside and started walking away, twitching and convulsing, muttering something.

This whole time we were watching. Silently, terrified and filled with with excitement...at least I was. There was always something deep, primal in humanity, something that led us to violence against each other.. that aroused the thirst to see the blood, pain, and suffering of others and root for it. This is probably what I feel now - a strange satisfaction, looking at this mess. Blood everywhere, the body is still twitching, the wall cracked. And I catch myself thinking that I want more...I need more. Yes, let them kill each other in desperation...tear out guts, rip away throats...drown their pain and sorrow in blood of their friends and just before they die in agony, tell them, that Octavio says "hi" with a slow, deep maniacal laugh.

Wait! Wait-wait-wait...what was that just now? I've never had that kind of violent thoughts..brutal thoughts even..

"You have now." The man replied like he knew, what I was thinking about. I immediately looked at him, surprised and nervously responding.

"What!? How the hell.."

"You're talking to yourself. Never noticed that?"

"Oh...did I?" Well, shit. That's embarrassing revelation.

He nodded with continued casually: "It really is. All this time. Every. Single. Word. You are like walking diary."

I turned away and started to walk down the corridor, blushing and covering my face with shame.

"Hey, don't feel bad about it. At least your endless monologue keeps me entertained." He smiled, but I didn't see anything funny about it. We in a middle of HUGE underground facility, all humans have disappeared, with some strange human like creatures lurking around and fucking each other for no good reason and...

"Speaking of fucking each other." He interrupted me again, with obvious sarcasm in his tone:

"That body we left behind is still warm and free of charge. Wanna go back and have some sweet relations with it? Or you afraid it will come back to life and top you ?"

He started to laugh like a damn maniac...And I gotta admit, this guy is pissing me off! I looked at him with all my disrespect and disgust, wanting to say couple of "fuck you" type of cliche words and kill him, but what's the point? It's clear, that he is insane or this is his own very dark and twisted humor. I just showed him my middle finger and continued to walk. And now I am thinking about that idea of his - God, hell no! I'll kill myself faster than I'd agree to do something like that.

We continued to advance through corridors and offices defaced by the all the same "notes". Luckily, I know this part of sector A, so now we were definitely close to the damn train station. I am hungry, tired and angry. And all I've got so dar is a bunch of questions and that crazy asshole. He just follows me, ignoring my questions and trying to taunt me with sick jokes about my hair, sex or other topics I am not okay with. I don't even know what else to say about him or this situation. Today is probably worst day in my life. And he's about to try to cheer me up a bit:

"Hey, don't look so grim, I'm actually trying to lighten up the mood a bit.."

Hmh. Sure. I'll just give his straight answer. "And I am actually trying to think here and understand what in the name of Great and powerful KING of Remixes and Squid Sisters Brainfucking DJ Octavio is GOING ON HERE! King please, I need some answers!..."

Hold on a sec, the fuck did I just said?

"You need to pay for "spoiling the fuck out of this story" DLC first...oh, wait. You don't have money in the first place!"

He's mocking and confusing me with...EA meme? What?! looked at him with a misunderstanding.

"Seriously? Puns about wallet fucking? Or do..do you think this is some kind of game?!"

He made a smart face and "thought" for a second, before giving a short reply:

"...actually yea!"

One sigh and facepalm later "Oh my fucking Buddha...you know what? I'm done talking with you, Asshole!"

"Thank you! It's nice to be called by your name, is not it...Richard?"

I stopped, shocked by the last words he said.

"How... the fuck do you know my name?"

I said it with an understated tone, looking at his crazy smiling face with horror and fear. Just who the fuck is this man?! But he didn't reply to my question..he started his own little speech while walking forward and laughing:

"There are a LOT of things and enemies you need to remember, if you want to get out of here alive with all nine limbs intact. I'll help where i can, but you'll do the heavy lifting. Why? Because I said so. Btw, call me Asshole...agent Asshole. And don't ask why! I just fucking love that ridiculous name!" He giggled, covering his smile.

"And you, my terrified and totally sane friend...You'll understand why I know you - later. But for now I'll just call you Agent Eighth for no good reason... HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR!?" I just nodded nervously, unable to say something.

"Good boy! Now, prossed on the double to the train...I bet that sea slug son of a bitch Test Fail Simulator is waiting for us...God I hate him."

From that point I was silent...this Agent Asshole, as he called himself, was unpredictable insane piece of immoral shit - Combo! Who knows what he'll do next? Rape me? Kill me?! Tell more stupid jokes? This day is getting worse and worse...and I would have came up with even more nasty scenarios, but fortunately my thoughts diluted the distant sound of the approaching train. I rushed forward and saw it: we've reached the train station, finally! And there's the train opening its doors for me! But I don't see anyone inside it...or around it. And here I thought I'll be able to find someone and answer some of my questions...sigh. We proceeded into the train.

The doors automatically closed behind us and train began to move. Automated systems and a ghost train - totally not creepy at all. I sat down and threw back my head. I need a rest. I looked around. Light and air conditioning are normal, the seats are rubbed, but they are still comfortable to sit on. The man...agent Asshole, sat opposite me, putting his arms behind his looked at the door at the end of the carriage and said:

"Don't mention me or look in my direction. Satan is coming..."

Before I said anything in response, the doors opened with a - uh - tiny blue sea slug with a hat moving in our direction. He moved to our car and stopped:

"Test subject..you're three hours late. How is your condition?"

I gave the most logical answer possible:

"A...a...how t...talking Sea slug?! I-I don't wanna know. Just explain this: what the fuck is going on here? Where is everyone? Why do I look like an octo shit? Am I going insane? And who is this man?!" I pointed at agent a...where did he go?! He vanished! How?!

The Sea slug replied like it was nothing new to him.

"You are confused and have a lot of question. Also, you managed to lose your ink tank. We'll replace it later. I am your humble conductor - C.Q. Cumber. We're in a gigantic underground research facility, operated by Kamabo Corporation.."

I interrupt him with disapproving tone.

"Yea, I already know that, captain obvious! I'm working here!"

"Your memory integration is better than expected, then. Please understand. You are the part of a test program. Don't worry about your appearance and possible physical changes..worry about your performance. We should reach the first Test Chamber in two hours. Go to the back of the Train. Your equipment and provision is waiting for you there."

He turned around and started to walk away, completely ignoring my questions, leaving me in complete confusion, mixed with fatigue and anger. Not only I not get any answer to my question, but now I have even more of them! And I managed to lose that psycho - sigh, call it good news... I guess. I feel so exhausted from all this - my brain is begging for a bottle of booze, to shut up and stop thinking for a while. I just sit down on the nearest seat. I think I'll take a little nap. And all this bullshit will be gone like a bad dream. I threw back my head and closed my eyes... they feel so heavy... reality feels so hard and unreal... just let it fuck itself...

Observation suspended...

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