Cyrus managed to escape. At least Cyrus thought so; he could care
less at this point. He organized his bloodied and beaten self for his
journey through the buildings of Atari. His first stop would be in the
building he was leaning against. He limped inside. All the walls were pure
white. The hundred computers and the desks they rested on were pure white.
A hundred people sat in a room tapping rhythmically at computers. They took
no notice to Cyrus. "This is like where I come from. This is like Pong.
They're all slaves!" The workers continued striking away at the keyboards
producing a digital nothing. Cyrus walked to the next room leaving his
blood path behind him.
Thousands of people shuffled around this room. Cyrus was pushed around in the bustling crowd. He was pushed against the wall and he turned around to look at it. It was gone; the wall had fallen and was replaced with a white void, quickly occupied by the people of all shape and color. The blood stuck to his shadow.
Cyrus traveled through many more rooms. He learned what. He learned about politics. He learned about theology, about science and mathematics. He learned everything what. He was being pulled. Pulled violently. He didn't want to leave his pure white paradise. He was being pulled by blackness. A charred, rotted dark. Decaying scorched shadows ripped him away from his dream-place. He couldn't hold it. He wasn't strong enough. He let go.
"We must kill him now!"
"We can't! If we don't continue studies on him this act will repeat itself. They'll all go mad."
"We can handle that later. We won't have any control if this single Paddle kills all of us."
"Alright, let's hold him here for a little while longer, a day or so. Then we'll see what happens."
The man grunted. "…Agreed."
Cyrus struggled to open his eyes. He couldn't move anything. He was very tired.
"What about the book?" He asked the scientist.
"I have no idea…we found him with a copy of 'The Iliad' in his hands. We have no idea where he got it from."
Finally, with enough effort he managed to slide the lids of his eyes open. He was in a cell: A glass tube, lying down. The semi-circular tube was lined with robotic pieces scanning, repairing, and just viewing his unclothed body. Just like the one robotic arm that patched him up after he broke the first barrier. Cyrus was strapped down. It didn't make a difference; he didn't have the power to move anyway. He saw the two men who were talking. One wore a professional looking blue suit. The other was another doctor or scientist of some sort. Cyrus hated doctors. Cyrus reminisced on the white learning. He was so happy there. He learned. He never learned before. It was beautiful. He had just become a slave again here. However he only had one piece of knowledge to use in this place: He learned there was a third barrier. The strongest barrier to break, and it was the last. He regained control of his mouth. He felt himself breathing. He spoke. "Why. Why am I here?"
The two men who were previously talking turned their attention to Cyrus.
"What am I doing here?" He said.
"I thought you said he would be knocked out for another day?!" Said the professional looking man.
"Well…he's supposed to. Under human circumstances that is…"
Human? What is that?
"Why am I here?!"
The scientist looked at the suited man who nodded yes. "…Well, you have been severely injured. Do to your unique body structure a normal doctor couldn't operate on you. These automated bots are well capable of handling it though. Are you feeling any pain?"
"No."
"How is that?" The man asked the scientist.
"It must be another strange body response. Perhaps a natural venom was formed, a byproduct able to extend numbing capabilities. Well anyway I am Dr. Gordon, and this is Mr…."
The well-dressed man shook his head no. The scientist continued "Well, he is interested on what we are doing here he has decided to stay and watch."
"Let me go back. Bring me back to the white. I want to learn more."
"What is he talking about?" asked the man angrily.
"What…White…? Oh…Cyrus, you have had a major loss of blood. The visions you might have seen were caused by a lack of blood to your brain."
Brain?
"I want to go back."
"What are we going to do with him now?" The man threw another question to the scientist.
"His surgery is almost over. After that we just…keep him here I guess."
"I have more questions," Said the voice coming from the glass tube. "I have learned all about what. Now I must learn why."
The two men looked befuddled. "Should we answer the questions he dares to ask?" The scientist asked. "Go ahead."
"Where am I?"
"You are on Earth. Earth is very different from Pong. Here on Earth, the humans aren't forced into the slave sport you play. We have a multitude of things to do here." The scientist ventured.
"What is human?"
"Humans are one of the great differences of our worlds. They are very different from Paddles and Controllers. One might say they are the in- between. We vary in shape, size, and all forms."
"Why did you say I was so unique?"
"Well, your body is far different from humans. After the years the Paddle body has adapted to be completely agile and athletic. Some of your inside parts are more flexible or stronger."
"Why did you take me? Why not any other of the Paddles?"
"Well, you are one of the few paddles to…go "Rogue".
"You mean I wasn't the only one?"
"No. Many other Paddles have broken from the restraints of their mind. We believe we have them all."
"They are here like me? Can I talk to them?"
"Well they are here. They are not in your…state. No you cannot talk to them."
"When I came he in the large pull-cart I saw a strange glow around everything. Including a large mass of…blue. What is that?
"The glow you saw came from the Sun. The Sun is a huge mass of gas far away from Earth and Pong. Because of our atmosphere the Sun is able to spread light across the surface of this planet. This blueness you saw must've been the river around here. A river is a stream of something we call water. It is a clear liquid, which our bodies require to operate and it is a very abundant resource. In fact it makes up most of our planet and everything else here."
"Why isn't the Sun glowing now?"
"It is, we just don't see it. Earth has a light side and a dark side, which constantly change positions. We are currently on the dark side. During this darkness, or night, stars can be seen in the sky that can't during the day."
"So that explains them. When can I get out of here?"
"Very soon, by tomorrow in fact. Then we will run a few more tests on you and return you to Pong and you can go back to the games."
"I have one more question. I need an answer."
"What is it?"
"Please tell me doctor, who is that other man."
"I'm sorry but by…"
"We can't hide it forever Gordon." The man stepped up "I am the owner of Atari. I control everything produced by Atari and most of your world Pong. I commanded the invasions of your world and the slavery. I even request that you come here."
The scientist returned to talking. "I'm sorry but we're going to have to put you under another stage of sleep until the morning. The tests run overnight require your brain patterns to run in a stage of rest."
"Alright…I…" A gas filled Cyrus chamber and he was put to sleep. Gordon and the other man left the dark room.
Thousands of people shuffled around this room. Cyrus was pushed around in the bustling crowd. He was pushed against the wall and he turned around to look at it. It was gone; the wall had fallen and was replaced with a white void, quickly occupied by the people of all shape and color. The blood stuck to his shadow.
Cyrus traveled through many more rooms. He learned what. He learned about politics. He learned about theology, about science and mathematics. He learned everything what. He was being pulled. Pulled violently. He didn't want to leave his pure white paradise. He was being pulled by blackness. A charred, rotted dark. Decaying scorched shadows ripped him away from his dream-place. He couldn't hold it. He wasn't strong enough. He let go.
"We must kill him now!"
"We can't! If we don't continue studies on him this act will repeat itself. They'll all go mad."
"We can handle that later. We won't have any control if this single Paddle kills all of us."
"Alright, let's hold him here for a little while longer, a day or so. Then we'll see what happens."
The man grunted. "…Agreed."
Cyrus struggled to open his eyes. He couldn't move anything. He was very tired.
"What about the book?" He asked the scientist.
"I have no idea…we found him with a copy of 'The Iliad' in his hands. We have no idea where he got it from."
Finally, with enough effort he managed to slide the lids of his eyes open. He was in a cell: A glass tube, lying down. The semi-circular tube was lined with robotic pieces scanning, repairing, and just viewing his unclothed body. Just like the one robotic arm that patched him up after he broke the first barrier. Cyrus was strapped down. It didn't make a difference; he didn't have the power to move anyway. He saw the two men who were talking. One wore a professional looking blue suit. The other was another doctor or scientist of some sort. Cyrus hated doctors. Cyrus reminisced on the white learning. He was so happy there. He learned. He never learned before. It was beautiful. He had just become a slave again here. However he only had one piece of knowledge to use in this place: He learned there was a third barrier. The strongest barrier to break, and it was the last. He regained control of his mouth. He felt himself breathing. He spoke. "Why. Why am I here?"
The two men who were previously talking turned their attention to Cyrus.
"What am I doing here?" He said.
"I thought you said he would be knocked out for another day?!" Said the professional looking man.
"Well…he's supposed to. Under human circumstances that is…"
Human? What is that?
"Why am I here?!"
The scientist looked at the suited man who nodded yes. "…Well, you have been severely injured. Do to your unique body structure a normal doctor couldn't operate on you. These automated bots are well capable of handling it though. Are you feeling any pain?"
"No."
"How is that?" The man asked the scientist.
"It must be another strange body response. Perhaps a natural venom was formed, a byproduct able to extend numbing capabilities. Well anyway I am Dr. Gordon, and this is Mr…."
The well-dressed man shook his head no. The scientist continued "Well, he is interested on what we are doing here he has decided to stay and watch."
"Let me go back. Bring me back to the white. I want to learn more."
"What is he talking about?" asked the man angrily.
"What…White…? Oh…Cyrus, you have had a major loss of blood. The visions you might have seen were caused by a lack of blood to your brain."
Brain?
"I want to go back."
"What are we going to do with him now?" The man threw another question to the scientist.
"His surgery is almost over. After that we just…keep him here I guess."
"I have more questions," Said the voice coming from the glass tube. "I have learned all about what. Now I must learn why."
The two men looked befuddled. "Should we answer the questions he dares to ask?" The scientist asked. "Go ahead."
"Where am I?"
"You are on Earth. Earth is very different from Pong. Here on Earth, the humans aren't forced into the slave sport you play. We have a multitude of things to do here." The scientist ventured.
"What is human?"
"Humans are one of the great differences of our worlds. They are very different from Paddles and Controllers. One might say they are the in- between. We vary in shape, size, and all forms."
"Why did you say I was so unique?"
"Well, your body is far different from humans. After the years the Paddle body has adapted to be completely agile and athletic. Some of your inside parts are more flexible or stronger."
"Why did you take me? Why not any other of the Paddles?"
"Well, you are one of the few paddles to…go "Rogue".
"You mean I wasn't the only one?"
"No. Many other Paddles have broken from the restraints of their mind. We believe we have them all."
"They are here like me? Can I talk to them?"
"Well they are here. They are not in your…state. No you cannot talk to them."
"When I came he in the large pull-cart I saw a strange glow around everything. Including a large mass of…blue. What is that?
"The glow you saw came from the Sun. The Sun is a huge mass of gas far away from Earth and Pong. Because of our atmosphere the Sun is able to spread light across the surface of this planet. This blueness you saw must've been the river around here. A river is a stream of something we call water. It is a clear liquid, which our bodies require to operate and it is a very abundant resource. In fact it makes up most of our planet and everything else here."
"Why isn't the Sun glowing now?"
"It is, we just don't see it. Earth has a light side and a dark side, which constantly change positions. We are currently on the dark side. During this darkness, or night, stars can be seen in the sky that can't during the day."
"So that explains them. When can I get out of here?"
"Very soon, by tomorrow in fact. Then we will run a few more tests on you and return you to Pong and you can go back to the games."
"I have one more question. I need an answer."
"What is it?"
"Please tell me doctor, who is that other man."
"I'm sorry but by…"
"We can't hide it forever Gordon." The man stepped up "I am the owner of Atari. I control everything produced by Atari and most of your world Pong. I commanded the invasions of your world and the slavery. I even request that you come here."
The scientist returned to talking. "I'm sorry but we're going to have to put you under another stage of sleep until the morning. The tests run overnight require your brain patterns to run in a stage of rest."
"Alright…I…" A gas filled Cyrus chamber and he was put to sleep. Gordon and the other man left the dark room.