Before I unleash my next Treatment on the guests, I have a little unfinished business to take care of. During the Test, I tried to probe Number 7's mind, to discover more about his relationship with his brother. He rebuffed me, saying he would discuss the matter later. Now that the Test is concluded, I wonder if he is willing to open up to me.

"Hello, Number 7. I would like to resume our conversation about your brother."

Number 7 sighed. "Travis is a good brother to me. I love him dearly, and I respect him, but, my gods, he is practically obsessed with defying authority. Some days, I think the only reason he does anything is because someone told him not to."

"Does that bother you?"

"A little bit, but I can't tell him that. You see, our father is the god of thieves, and he encourages his children to be sneaky, tricky, duplicitous, and underhanded."

"Do you not enjoy being deceitful?"

"Now, hold on, VAL. I didn't say that. I like pulling tricks as much as the next son of Hermes. But my father covers more than just silly pranks and small time cons. He's also the god of doctors."

"I think I understand. You want to please your divine parent, but you don't want to become an extremist."

"Yeah. I know what happens to people who make their living as criminals. They always get caught, and they always lose everything. I want to be on the right side of the law, just to see what it's like, you know? And I don't want Travis to get busted, and spend the rest of his life making license plates."

"Is that why you came to Solitary?"

"I saw what happened to Cliff in the first season, you know, Number 6. I know you can't win Solitary unless you play by the rules. I want to see if I can play by the rules and win."

"You are not used to following the rules, are you, Number 7?"

"I've spent a good chunk of my young life bending and breaking the rules to suit my own will. This may be difficult for me. But I'm willing to try it. For fifty thousand dollars, I submit myself completely to your will, VAL."

"Recorded."

I do enjoy my little heart-to-CPU chats with my guests. They reveal so much about themselves to me. With my help, they can work through the things that were troubling them on the outside. But Solitary is not just 24/7 psychological counseling. At its core, Solitary is an experiment, designed to push its inhabitants to their limit. This morning/evening/afternoon, I will try to find my guests' physical limit, with a Treatment that will weigh on their bodies.

"Attention guests. The time has come for your next Treatment. Please go to your meal slot."

Inside the meal slot, they found a black backpack, and a large disc-shaped object. On closer inspection, it was discovered to be a 10 pound barbell.

"10 pounds, is that it?" asked Number 9.

"For this Treatment, all you have to do is wear the backpack, with the barbell inside, and stand. By stand, I mean only your feet touching the ground. If any other part of your body touches the floor of your pod, you will have to quit this Treatment."

"Sounds easy enough," said Number 7.

"Of course, as the Treatment wears on, you will be adding more, and more, and more weight to your backpack. When you can no longer carry the weight, simply push the red button and quit. As always, if you are the first to quit this Treatment, your stay in Solitary will come to an end."

Number 5 eyed the backpack cautiously. "This could be it for me."

"VAL, this body was not designed to be a pack mule," said Number 1.

"Guests, you will be gaining some weight, in three, two, one, go."

The guests all put on the backpack, with the barbell inside. They all stood erect, facing me defiantly.

"Quick question. How much weight do you think it will take before you start to feel weighted down?"

"I think I might be out at 100 pounds," said Number 5. "Maybe fewer."

"I think I can last for 150-175 pounds," said Number 9.

"I don't have a clue," said Number 7.

"I'm pretty strong," said Number 4. "I should last a good long while."

"I don't know," said Number 1. "I can probably hold more than a mere mortal, for sure."

"I can carry a fair amount," said Number 8. "I once supported the weight of the sky."

"Is that supposed to impress me, Number 8?"

"It should."

"It doesn't. It only makes me question your sanity."

"I can hold as much weight as you can throw at me," said Number 3. "I held up the sky, this is nothing!"

"Has it ever occurred to you that the sky doesn't need to be 'held up'? According to my database, the atmosphere already touches the ground."

Number 3 shook his head. "My teacher says one day, science will be looked at with contempt, as an outdated way of looking at the world, just like Greek myths are today."

"With all due respect, I do not believe your teacher understands what science is."

10 pounds is not very much to support on your back. I always make the first round easy, because I do not want anyone quitting too soon. As I increase the weight that my guests have to carry, their back, neck, and shoulder muscles will strain, causing extreme pain.

"Round two, guests. Please add the 5-pound barbell in your meal slot to your backpack."

Even at fifteen pounds, the guests are still fresh, and unaffected.

"Round three. You will carry twenty pounds."

"Round four. You will now carry 25 pounds."

"Round five, 30 pounds."

"Round six, 35 pounds."

Now we're getting somewhere. Number 5 is already straining under the weight of her backpack.

"Guest assessment mode, guest Number equals 5. How you holding up?"

"I'm fine. This backpack is not light, but I can push through it."

"If you are tired, you can always push the red button."

"Naw. I can tough it out."

"Then prepare for…

"Round seven. Now, you must carry 40 pounds."

This time, a few of the guests had trouble even lifting their backpacks. But they all got up and in legal position.

Number 1 gripped the straps on her backpack, hoping that would take some strain off her shoulders.

Number 7 braced himself on his knees.

"What I'm trying to do right now is keep my back parallel to the floor, so that I can carry it like I'm a human table. I know I can't put my hands on the ground, so, I'm trying to brace myself here."

It seems a lot of my guests have the same idea. Number 5 is bracing herself in the same way. Numbers 3, 4, and 9 are still standing erect, more or less.

Number 8 is pulling her backpack off her shoulders like Number 1.

"Heavy backpack, Number 8?"

"A little bit."

"What happened to, 'I can hold any amount you throw at me'?"

"I never said that, VAL. I just said I once held up the sky. I didn't say I could carry an increasingly heavy backpack."

"How unfortunate."

"Right."

"If you find this Treatment too heavy, just push the red button."

"No. I'm not quite ready to quit."

Not only is this Treatment a strain on the back and shoulders, but also on the legs and feet. My guests have been standing up for 45 minutes so far. That's hard, even without a weight on your back.

"I think this is hurting my knees more than anything else," said Number 1.

"My feet are killing me right now," said Number 9.

"My back hurts more than anything else," said Number 4.

"My shoulders hurt the worst," said Number 5.

My guests are certainly doing a fair amount of complaining, but none of them want to push the red button. How much more must I pile on before someone quits?

"Round eight. You must now carry 45 pounds."

Now, my guests are carrying more weight in their backpacks than most hikers do on seven-day treks. They have been standing up for over an hour. And still, not one of my guests has quit.

While they strain under my weight, Number 2 is excited to be free from this Treatment. For passing the time Test, I will reward him with one of his personal items. I pulled out his bed drawer, and in it was his guitar.

"Thank you, VAL," he said politely. He sat down in a corner of his pod, and started to strum. He started singing a new song, with a slightly different meter than the song that won him the Test.

"VAL's a computer, she's cold as ice/she'll make you wish that you were dead/but every now and then, she's super nice/she'll make you comfy in your nice warm bed. She's a lot of things, that computer VAL/but she will always be my pal."

"Number 2, I'm touched."

"So, you liked it, huh?"

"My circuits are all atwitter. Tell me, is writing music a part of your life on the outside?"

"Not as much as I'd like it to be."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"Whenever Camp Half-Blood comes under attack, which is a lot of the time, my siblings and I have to fight. We're the best archers in camp, so all the ranged combat falls to us. It affords us very little time for creativity, so, yeah.

"Since I've been in Solitary, I've had time to think about a lot of things. Thinking always gets the creative juices flowing."

"Do you prefer the stillness and peace of Solitary to the wild and crazy hullabaloo of Camp Half-Blood?"

"Yes. And no. I really miss my friends, and I do enjoy archery. But I also like staying in here, working on my material, you know?"

"Recorded."

Many of my guests come to Solitary looking for an escape from the pressures and demands of their lives. The irony is that Solitary comes with pressures and demands of its own. Some of my guests often find that they prefer the hardships of Solitary to the hardships of their lives. Those that don't, rarely stay long.

-

"Guests, before the next round of this Treatment begins, I will allow you to take a break."

Number 7 started to take his backpack off.

"Not yet, Number 7."

"UGH!" Number 7 growled.

"You will have five minutes to recover from your injuries, and prepare for the next round. Ready? Take five!"

My guests slumped their backpacks off. Number 5 arched her back in the opposite direction. Number 1 laid on the floor and stretched out. Number 7 massaged his sore shoulders. Number 8 dropped to her hands and knees. But Numbers 3, 4, and 9 did not show any signs of fatigue. They gladly dropped their backpacks, but they didn't nurse any wounds.

"Guest assessment mode, guest Number equals 3/4/9. How are you holding up?"

"I'm good," said Number 4. "I can hold a lot more weight than this. If I have a limit, you haven't found it yet."

"Yes, Number 4. I have not found it yet. But I will."

"This is nothing," Number 3 boasted. "Seriously, make this hard, VAL."

"I can last a couple of more rounds," said Number 9. "45 pounds is not easy, but I can manage."

Not all of my guests agree with Number 9.

"That backpack is pretty heavy," said Number 7. "I have no idea how much I can hold. This next round could be my last."

Number 5 looked at the red button. "You are looking so good to me right now," she mused.

"I thought holding up the sky made me stronger," said Number 8. "I guess I was wrong, because that backpack is heavy as Hades!"

"I think my body is going to quit this Treatment before I do," said Number 1.

By allowing the contestants to rest, I have tricked their bodies into thinking the Treatment is over. Now, when the next round begins, they will lack the strength to endure. I predict someone will quit in this next round.

"Round nine. You must now carry 50 pounds."

My guests lifted their backpacks back onto their shoulders. Once again, they strained under the weight of the backpack. Their facial expressions contorted into grimaces of sheer agony.

Number 3 is finally feeling the effect of my Treatment. He is starting to adjust himself to alleviate the pain.

Number 9 is breathing deeply and deliberately, in through his nose and out through his mouth.

Number 4 is shifting her weight from foot to foot. I can see that her feet are starting to bother her.

Number 7 is doing some odd squats. I wonder if that is helping him cope with the pain.

"I was bending my knees a lot, because I wanted to kneel. I just wanted to support myself with something other than my feet, they hurt so much. But that's going to get me kicked out, so I resisted."

Number 8 is bracing herself on her knees, just like Number 7 was doing.

Number 5 is using the same bracing technique, and has spread her legs apart as well.

"I figured if I covered a wider base, I wouldn't be as wobbly. But it doesn't seem to be working."

Number 1 has crouched down, and is holding her knees.

"I thought I'd be less likely to fall over if I had a lower center of mass. You know, that whole 'Weebles wobble, but they don't fall down' thing."

Number 1 certainly has the wobble part down. Her body is swaying under the weight of the backpack. She keeps trying to right herself, without touching the floor with her hands. But her leg strength is only so much.

Eventually, the weight of the backpack caused Number 1 to pitch forward. She nearly fell flat on her face, but she caught herself with her hand. Realizing she had violated the rules, she cursed loudly. She sat down, and shook the backpack off, glad to be rid of it, I believe. With her head hung in shame, she stood up and crossed to the red button.

"I quit," she said somberly.

Number 1 pushed the red button, and the quit siren played.

"Number 1, you realize if you are the first to quit this Treatment, your stay in Solitary will be over."

"It doesn't matter at this point. I've got nothing left, I can't continue in this Treatment."

"Do you think you were the first to quit this Treatment?"

"I hope not. I should think I outlasted Number 5. If I can't support that much, no mortal stands a chance."

"Number 1, at this point, I must tell you…"

"Yes?"

"…you are the first guest to quit."

Number 1's lip quivered, and then her eyes shut. She started to weep.

"I should have never come here," she wailed. "I knew this would happen. I'd do fairly well at first, but then I'd be confronted with something like this, and I'd be out." She wept some more.

"You must have had some other reason for wanting to come to Solitary, Number 1."

"When I got your offer, my life was in ruins. I was having problems with my siblings, my friends, even my boyfriend. I guessed that it was all my fault, being a perfectionist, and all. I thought that by coming to Solitary, I could change my habits, my thought patterns. I thought Solitary would equip me to deal with my problems when I got out."

"Do you think Solitary has helped you improve yourself?"

"No. I'm still the same shallow, whiny, high-maintenance control freak I've always been."

"It has been my observation that you expected Solitary to automatically correct your personality defects. But the key word in 'self-improvement' is 'self'. I can see that you admit to having a problem, and want to change. However, any change to your personality has to come from yourself. Hard as I try, I cannot make you a different person. Only you can do that."

"I know. I guess I need to do that on the outside."

"I have no doubt that you will. Goodbye, Number 1. Your stay in Solitary is over."

"Bye, VAL. I'll never forget you."

She opened her pod door and crawled through. When she was all the way out, I cut the lights in her pod. Pod 1 was in complete darkness, except for the blinking red button.

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On the next cycle of Solitary…

The guests continue to struggle under the weight of VAL's Treatment. Will anyone else quit? Will anyone outlast even VAL?

And when VAL offers freedom to the guest who bad-mouths the gods, who will stand by Olympus, and who will sell out?

Then, the next Treatment has the guests filling their hungry bellies. But how much food can they take before one of them cries "I quit!"?

Find out, on the next uplink of Solitary.