A/N-Short chapter, I know, but they will get longer!

Korean Pearl- No, actually- I never even saw the Island. And yes, this is a time-travel story… I'm glad you're continuing to review!

TesubCalle- Thanks for reviewing! And yes, I will continue- the entire story is finished, in fact. I'm just updating it every few days. I'm glad you like it!

-------------------------------------

Chapter 4- More Machine Than Man

"An exo-brain. A from of artificially enhanced intelligence….You'd have the sweep of human intelligence combined with the computation speed of the computer." –From Mind Catcher, a novel by John Darnton

-------------------------------------

Before Zoey had dragged me off to this office, I had been trying to tell her I would not take the job. There was something strange about the entire procedure. Even Zoey made me uneasy. But that was before I saw Lothos.

I now knew they weren't ever planning on letting me go.

My eyes were wide with fright. A human robot? A human, his body parts replaced with robotic limbs and systems? It was unimaginable. Impossible. Unbidden, a line from the Star Wars movies ran through my head. He's more machine than man, now. But I would have preferred an encounter with Darth Vader to this.

I should have screamed. I should have fought. But it wouldn't have done me any good.

I found my voice. "What do you want from me?"

Only your service.

"My…service."

Yes. Then, Zoey tells me you wish to travel in time.

"Yes. I do," I said, adding silently, But not for you. Not for people like this.

I am here to grant your wish. You will travel through time, in a process called Leaping. You will do as I say, what Zoey tells you to do, and you will Leap out. Or you will suffer.

Suffer? No! I couldn't go along with this. I didn't understand what was happening, and I didn't want to understand. I just wanted out get out of there.

"No," I said. "I can't…you can't do this. I don't accept. I won't work for you!"

No sooner were the words out of my mouth than the pain hit me. Pure, raw, mental pain. Just a touch. And then it was gone. But it left me sobbing on the floor.

You will do as I say, Alia. Or you will suffer.

I cried. "No! You can't do this!"

More pain. Not full force, not yet. But more than I had ever experienced before. Through the agony in my mind I heard Lothos saying, Obey, Alia. Obey and it will stop.

I screamed. Anything to make the pain stop. "I'll do it," I sobbed. "Just make the pain go away. Please!"

It left. And in it's place came a sense of well-being. Joy. Happy emotions that I had no right to be feeling. You see, Alia? As well as giving pain, I can give joy. Obey, and you will receive more happiness than you ever had in you life. Disobey, and… The pain returned. But only for a second.

I stood, shaking, sweating, trembling. "What do you want from me?" I asked again.

Obedience. Then, Take her to the Accelerator. She will learn better with experience.

And so the Hell began.

----------------------------

Zoey grabbed my arm and forced me down the hallway. I struggled, but she said, "If you do not obey, the pain will come back. Be still!" I stopped resisting. She dragged me into the chamber that had weird red glowing lights. I shook, but was too terrified to do much of anything.

A door flew open. Not like regular doors, this one was like something out of a space ship, sucking into the doorframe above it with a whooshing sound. It was only part of the strangeness. The room was filled with people at computer stations; pushing at buttons I could only guess the meanings of. Zoey pushed me through another one of the advanced doors. Inside was a circular chamber, also lit red. She dragged me to the center and said, "Now, stand still. Don't move, don't even breathe. Or something may go wrong, and you will die. So do not move." She exited the chamber and the door shut with a sickening thud.

I stared, shaking. Was this some sort of a government conspiracy? What did they want me for? How could they control my emotions? But most importantly, what were they doing to me now?

You're a test subject. This is some sort of crazy, illegal science experiment, and you're the guinea pig. They're going to electrocute you or something equally horrible.

All the horror scenes from the books I had enjoyed flooded back to me with despair. I was going to die underground, away from anyone who cared about me. And who would care about you, Alia? What is the use of living?

Renee cares for me, I cried desperately.

No she doesn't. She couldn't get you the job of your dreams. And where is she now, when you are in danger? She's sitting at home, or working at her wonderful job. She doesn't care about you.

I couldn't argue with myself anymore. There wasn't time. The chamber began to glow brighter, and a weird red smoke drifted up from the floor. I panicked, but was way too afraid to move. I stood there, as the air pressure rose and a humming noise grew louder. The world spun around me, and as happens when you spin the pressure lifted my arms up above my head. Then I lost my vision.

I was voiceless, bodiless, spinning in a world or red terror. It felt as if Lothos was surrounding me, drawing me into him, or him into me, and I screamed, but no sound came out. The red enveloped me, and I knew no more.