“Good morning, Maxwell Collins.

“You’ve been asleep for quite a long time. You may experience some disorientation, once you get up, but that’s perfectly normal. You’ll also notice that a few things about you have changed, and that’s normal, too.

“Try not to think about it. Don’t try to remember anything, because you won’t be able to.

“All you have to know is that you belong to us now. As long as you know what’s best for you, you’ll do what you’re told and you won’t question it.

“Now, we have our first assignment for you. It’s time to get working.

“Get up.”



The voice came from far away. It came drifting out of nowhere, traveling across oceans of silence and blackness. Somehow, it was there, at the edges of consciousness, speaking to me.

I had to be dreaming; it was the only logical explanation. This couldn’t be happening. It was too strange. Nothing made any sense. I couldn’t hold onto a single thought; all I knew were the words I had just heard, and nothing else.

I wasn’t exactly afraid – not at first, anyway. I was a little confused, maybe, but not scared. As the fuzziness around my thoughts began to clear, I started to accept the situation: So, some mysterious voice was talking to me and giving me instructions. Also, I was alone; I wasn’t sure how I knew that. Somehow, my senses felt abnormally sharp, and I could detect that there were no other living things nearby. I could feel that I was lying on something hard: like a floor, probably. Everything was still dark, because my eyes were shut.

I tried to lift my eyelids carefully; instead, they snapped open. It was almost as if I didn’t have complete control. Not only that, but I felt as if my veins were on fire with an unexpected, unnatural energy.

The first thing I saw was a plain ceiling. It was probably white, but it looked gray in the dim light. The walls were just as exciting: dull and pale. As I started to sit up, I realized that the faint, whitish glow was coming from the floor underneath me. Yes, the floor was glowing. Was that weird? I wasn’t sure.

Everything was becoming clearer, as I eased into full awareness. I realized that something was off. Something wasn’t quite right. Something about my mind … my memory … something …

I frowned, and reached up to tentatively touch my fingers against my head. I didn’t know what I expected to happen. But I kept my fingers there, pressed agianst my temple, waiting for some sort of information to arise from the depths of my brain. I needed something: any sort of explanation for this.

There was nothing. I couldn’t remember anything. Nothing at all.

Now my heart was pounding hard, my brain rushing.

This was bad … Wasn’t it? I had a feeling that it was bad. I just didn’t know why. I mean, of course it wasn’t good that I had lost my memory. But because I had absolutely no recollection of my past, it seemed that there was nothing worth remembering. Maybe there was something, deep, deep down; but it was beyond my reach.

I blinked, trying to decide what to think of this.

Well, maybe I could just start over.

Only, I didn’t even know the first thing about myself, not even my name. No, wait. The voice had said my name. It had called me … What had it called me?

Oh, right. Maxwell. Maxwell Collins. That was my name. And I was … How old was I? Seventeen? Eighteen? Somewhere around there. I didn’t know.

Maybe this would be harder than I had thought.

I rose onto my feet, and was surprised at how steadily I was able to do so. Was it strange that I didn’t feel tired or dizzy? The voice had said that I’d been asleep for a long time, but I didn’t feel that way. In fact, I had never felt more awake. Everything around me seemed so sharp, so clear.

I took careful, but determined, steps forward, advancing towards the wall at the opposite side of the room. The distance wasn’t long, so it only took several seconds for me to reach my destination. Once I was there, I stopped, hesitating again. What was I supposed to do?

“Follow your instincts.”

The voice came without warning, startling me. The sudden shock made lightning course through me, setting my nerves on their edge, making my whole body go tense as if I were prepared to fight someone to the death. I felt so defensive, on top of all my frustration and confusion; I wanted to punch a hole through the wall. Not only would it satisfy this strange adrenaline rush, but maybe it would provide the escape from this claustrophobic little room. There didn’t seem to be another way out. What if I was trapped here? What if I was going to be stuck here forever?

“Calm down,” the voice said, its monotonous tone unchanging. I couldn’t tell if it was human or some kind of robot, if it was male or female. I wasn’t sure if I was actually hearing it, or whether it was somehow inside my head; but it sounded like it was coming from everywhere.

“You’re scared right now,” it continued. “We know that. And it’s only to be expected. Of course you’re afraid and confused, but you can’t let your fears stop you.”

I continued to stare at the wall, glaring at it as if my eyes could burn through it. My hands curled into fists. I spoke for the first time, growling through my clenched teeth: “Stop me from doing what?”

“You will see.” There was nothing smug about the answer, but it still made me feel even more impatient for an explanation. “All we can tell you, for now, is that you have a new purpose. You have been chosen for a reason, designed to complete a specific task.”

Something churned inside of me, making my skin prickle. “Designed?” I repeated.

The voice paused this time, before it corrected itself: “Modified.”

I shook my head, as if doing so would make the situation clear up a little. “What?”

“We can’t explain right now. All will be revealed to you, in time. But for now, don’t be worried. You’re safe, now that you’re on our side. The only thing you have to do is follow our instructions.”

With that, the voice temporarily ceased its talking. I was alone, in the silence. I stood there, not knowing what to do. I remembered the voice had said something about following my instincts, so that was what I decided to do.

I didn’t know who or what was controlling me; I wasn’t sure if I even had total control over myself anymore. Somehow, I found myself lifting my right hand, pressing my palm against the wall. At my touch, it flickered. I watched, in wonder, as it shifted, blinked, and finally dissolved. Then there was nothing left in front of me, except for a set of stairs, leading up to a distant square of light – the outside world.

The voice gave one last, simple piece of advice: “Do not be afraid.”

Although the words made a shiver go up my spine, I had to depend on them. I had nothing left now, and no one else to trust. Accepting this unfortunate truth, I began to ascend the steps, moving towards the world I had left behind.