Futuristic Rise of the Alphas

[Clairvoyance]

7


__


The Wraith
_______




Lanky Girlboy? Brooding Wallflower? Dwarfy and her nicknames... Thought 7 -- though now she was apparently going to referred to as a fucking wraith. Whatever a wraith was...


7 decided to stop being a brooding wallflower herself, sighing loudly and eyeing the twin 5's as they entered the room. Shortly after, another boy entered -- 6 -- asking why everything was so white. 7 had been wondering the same thing the whole time, but it wasn't really something anyone would have an answer to. 7's conclusion was that whoever designed the place must've really hated color.


Waltzing across the room, 7 came to stop next to 10 and leaned against the wall. "Look, Dwarfy, why bother? If he knew anything, he wouldn't be in here. He wouldn't have a number on his shirt just like the rest of us do." She slung an arm around 10's neck, giving him a sidehug. "He's just like the rest of us." She let him go, slowly ambling away.


She looked around, settling her gaze on doors 1 and 2 and deciding to bang on the unopened door of 2. "Hello-o? Is anyone home?" The young woman giggled, leaning on the door and closing her eyes. "Damn, there really isn't anything to do in here...except bitch at each other." She wasn't sure what half the words she were saying meant, but she knew that they'd come from from her lips often. But how did she know that? How could she know? She shook her head, looking st her hands. "Guys...I think that we were someone...before this place, I mean. I don't think that we've always been the person that we are now." She furrowed her brows, not entirely understanding what she'd just said. "There must've been something...something before this."

 

[Samuel James Aran]

5a and 5b

​

5b looked up as someone spoke to the two of them. She had the number Four sewn onto her shirt. It took the boy a few seconds to think of what to say but eventually replied. "Sort of the voice said we were twin brothers." He looked at his twin. He didn't really know what that meant but he felt it was something special. After all they both looked almost exactly alike, same hair, same skin, and he guessed same eyes.


5a timidly nodded in response to what his brother said. He was staring at Three with a look of fear on his face. He knew he could be crushed easily by the giant man and wasn't willing to interact with him. He showed this by slightly moving his chair away from the direction Three was in.


Noticing this 5b looked at his brother and then at Three and shook his head and looked back at his brother. "It's alright, I'm sure he won't hurt us." He reassured his twin with a smile and returned his gave back to Four before looking around at everyone else listening to their conversations. He watched as a girl with the number Seven started banging on the doors One and Two. He rose an eyebrow to show is interest and confusion. "That is curious that they haven't come out yet. Maybe they're refusing to eat. I did. We only got one bar of food so I made sure 5a here ate it." He said pointing a thumb at his brother.


"It was gross." 5a said meekly as he picked up a card that had flown towards him and reading it carefully. "What is this?" He asked with mild curiosity. He slowly got up and started picking up the cards, looking at each one carefully. When he had collected them all he placed them all on the table his brother was sitting at and got the rules off the other table. After he did so he returned to his seat and buried his nose in the book reading every word with interest.

 

[Eldarkon]

(Lol, im 20 in the rp) "No, the voice did not disclose any information about this location, nor who any of you are" He then smiled "But now i see that i am not alone in this" he came off of the wall, and walked towards the woman, as he suspected as 8. he then looked around the room and decided to take charge "I suggest that we all convey what we all have seen, heard and thought so far. it would give us all a better understanding on what happening"

 

[CaR_HoPPeR]

One woke up from his stupor, yawning loudly which echoed his room.


He grumbled as he scratched his rear heavily. He yawned his old yawn again as he heard the Voice.


"Greetings, I am the-"


"YEA YEA. OMNISCIENT VOICE I GOT YOU." He looked at the ceiling with no particular reason as he pointed at the food bar.


"THIS FOOD RIGHT YOU INSIPID-"


"... As you noticed there is a bar of food..."


One grumbled her voice away as he looked at the food bar. He shrugged as he rip and tear into the bar with his hands which he then rip and tear the food with his mouth.


"... Well it's better than..." He paused. What was actually better than this?


He grumbled again as he then patiently listen to the Voice. This time.


"... 'So this is my life and always will be my life?' Kinda shit lodgings lady. Can't a man have..." He stopped himself as he scratched his head. Was there actually better lodgings? He walked out of his room and began to look at the group conversing. He ha-rumpf'd his loudest voice.


"HEY, WHO ARE YOU AND WHY SHOULD I CARE THAT I KNOW YOU." He interjected huskily at anyone in particular as spittle seem to fly freely from his mouth without injustice.

 

[Slop]

Two slowly rose from his slumber - not elegantly like a prince, rather a hungover person who's body and mind opposed each other. He eventually got up with both eyelids still blanketing his pupils (despite being completely awake) as the cacophony of buzzes and someone's loud banging at one of the doors did not get his attention at all. He then lept onto his feet and quickly scanned the room.


Only after realising how small the room was, the somewhat irksome and monotonous Voice began to introduce herself. Two completely ignored the Voice and explored the room himself. Upon finding the bathroom, he realised how unpleasant he smelled and decided to shower.


Next thing Two knew, he had finished the food bar he found on the toilet (he felt the urge to eat it. Plus, it smelled pretty good) and was standing by a section of the wall that had a distinguished outline... Almost as if it's a door... His suspicions were proven correct when the wall opened up like a door (after the Voice's rambles), only to reveal the decagonal room before him. Inside the room, he saw the two treadmills, three tables and a whole bunch of people. He wanted to act but reconsidered. Two ended up standing in one of the corners with hands in his pockets as he continued to stare blankly at the mess before him. He muttered to himself in his usual sarcastic tone, " Lovely party we have here..."

 

[Lost Echo]

Disappointment filled the girl’s expression at the young boys’ response. She didn’t mind that the conversation died, her thoughts were churning too much to come out again. They had done what she’d done: they had accepted the voice’s words without thought. Perhaps they just looked alike; she felt that twins were copies and while these two were quite similar, she could still tell them apart. It was possible for people to just look alike, wasn’t it? Her eyes scanned the group of people, comparing them. None of the others looked close enough. Did that mean anything?


She was getting the idea that not thinking was a lot easier, but now that she had started she wasn’t sure how to stop them. They were tangled together, knotting and twisting before she could work out any rhythm to them. She tried to take it a strand at a time, but keeping that part separate was hard. She focused on the rhythm she was tapping out with her right hand, trying to pick what she wanted to figure out first. Could she trust these people? Should she trust these people? What was a person, if not the things they knew and the face they wore?1


What was a person? She was a person. Even if it was wrong, she desperately clung to that thought. Her eyes scanned the group. They were persons too. Was the voice? It didn’t sound like a person. Was that because of the recording? F-she looked at Speckled Wraith Thing, remembering her outbursts. They felt. That was what made them persons. She would trust them. The young woman needed to trust something. She needed the support of a steady beat to make it through this part. Still, she agreed with Speckled Wraith that they were something more before this. She looked back down at her rough hands. Would that more come back?


She jumped badly, when the man with a one stitched on his clothes burst from his room. She stared, more in horror than anything, trying to remind herself, he’s feeling. He’s a person. It was enough of a distraction that she barely noted the thin man entering from the door beside him. Swallowing once nervously, she glanced back around before responding to him. “We’re a bit unclear on that. Wallflower,” she gestured slightly to the man with the 10, “suggested we pool what little we do know. How about we start with what the Voice did tell everyone, to make sure it’s all the same?” Her tone gradually grew less certain as the question continued.





1from The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

 

[CaR_HoPPeR]

One scoffed at Four's suggestion. "Guess of all of us are just sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Just heard some fodder about having our lives always like this. Ate a bar labeled 'FOOD' and walked out to see what's the happenings." He looked around the room.


"... Though there is a lot of life teeming in this place! Almost envious of my established life right now!" He yelled sarcastically at no one, his voice boomed and bounced around the ceiling.


"However disinterested I am as a human being, if I am a human being, this place is too sterile. Just too clean you get me?" He finally asked Four, rubbing his left eye with his bulbous finger. "Something's about to go down and I don't think any of us is gonna like it."

 

[Slop]

Two decided to approach One and jump into his conversation with Four. Simply because he's dying of boredom,


"No bloody shit, Sherlock. We're trapped in a daycare with an ominous and problably sinister narrator stalking us. Not to mention the wake-up-calls and life threats.

 

[Lost Echo]

Too clean? Four wondered what the brash man would do to mess it up. The cards were the only source of color in the room, but one of the fives had already picked them up. This man seemed cruder than that. An image of him urinating on the walls came to mind, causing a blush to grow, darkening her cheeks. She couldn't decide where it had come from or if people actually did that. She wouldn't. She pushed it away, under the other thoughts bubbling in her mind, trying to focus on his ominous words. "It's too quiet for me. I mean, people are talking, but there should be, needs to be..." she turned back to the table, and beat out a short riff against it. "Sound. Music?" She shook her head; it was obvious enough to her that she figured she wouldn't need to clarify further.


She nodded at the interjection, agreeing with Two, "Though it's possible that the...bad thing has already happened. I mean, if we don't remember...?" She trailed off, shrugging a little. So much for comforting thoughts.


(Sorry, I didn't realize you'd posted Max)

 

[Slop]

As a reply to Four's final statement, Two made once again a sarcastic remark to himself,


"Wow, way to brighten this lovely situation up.."


And trailed off in the opposite direction - back to the corner he came from and stared blankly at the room once again.

 

[CaR_HoPPeR]

One rolled his eyes at Two. "What a muppet."


For the first time, One was generally perplexed what Four said.


"What exactly do you mean 'bad thing'?"

 

[Lost Echo]

Four watched Muppet walk away. Did he want the comforting lies instead? She wouldn't have to be the one to provide them. Four felt the voice would return, and maybe, maybe, if they listened it it again, it would conceal the simmering fear and worry that filled her thoughts. She wondered if she wanted the lies. She didn't think so. Could she be a person again--still, with them? She did want that safe feeling to come back though.


Raising an eyebrow she parroted what One had said before, "something's about to go down, and I don't think any of us is going to like it," Shrugging, she clarified, "Just what if the something has already happened, and that's what...made us forget?" Those thoughts were trying to break free. Wondering if they'd all done this before, time after time, forgetting each time. She wrapped her arms around herself, curling slightly under the rush of fear. If that was the case, was there something she could do to remind herself next time? A sign somehow? In a quiet voice, she asked the room at large, "What if this has happened before?"

 

[CaR_HoPPeR]

One furrowed his brows at Four.


"If this... Place was before, we wouldn't be questioning if this place was before." He noticed Four's arms wrapping around herself.


"Hey, don't worry about it for now. Even though we have no indication of our pasts... Least we got each other right?"


He tried to smile, his face seemed to strain from the lack of pressure from smiling while his crooked teeth and stained ivories leaves much to be happy about where they were.

 

[Clairvoyance]

7


__


The Wraith
_______




7 listened as 1 and 4 bantered back and forth, along with the occasional input of 2. Everything they saying seemed so right...it was confusing, but somehow she felt they were both right. "What if someone has already done something to us," she said, moving over towards 4. "but they aren't done yet? What if...what if this is just the beginning?" The thought sent chills down her spine. She imagined someone watching them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and inflict unknown horrors upon them.


"That voice....she lied to us. We were someone before this. We had an existence...before this place. We have personalities, appearances, heights and weights. We have things that don't just exist, we have things that came from...parents, our homes. This place...this isn't our home."

 

[Lost Echo]

The strained smile was more comforting than a natural one would have been. It meant he was struggling with this too. He was right, they weren't alone. They could band together. She looked back at Wraith. Remembering her as the first to smile. She nodded, agreeing, even if she wasn't clear what home was. Safety? She'd only had that reassurance under a lie. Trust? She knew what that was. It was hard to explain, but it was knowing that the person, the voice, could stay on the path with them. When she had trusted the voice, she'd felt like the path in front of her was laid out. Knowing it was fake made her scared to put one foot in front of the other. But she wasn't alone in that. All of them were that way. They'd stay on the path with her.


"Could it be?" She bit her lip, "I mean, we're not numbers. We're people. I'm a person." She took a deep breath, wishing she didn't still think of herself as Four. "I'm a person because I feel. Scared, confused, twitchy. But the voice. It didn't feel." She glanced around again, "You all feel too. Maybe, we can make a home together." She realized that Wraith probably wanted what she had before, whatever it was. "For now, I mean? Like, not to replace what we're missing, just fill in the silence until we remember?" She didn't want to admit that it was likely they'd never remember. Or that they'd forget again. She just wanted to say they were together.

 

[Slop]

"Heh... Coming from Captain Obvious..." Two snorted upon receiving One's vitriol. He was then struck by a moment of realization.


"Hey, Four! What was it you said about bad things already happening? I think you may have a point... I mean, think about it... They have yet to tell us anything about ourselves and tried oppressing us - they gave us life threats and claimed that this was our life and will be our life. I mean, it's as if something had happened before this... and they don't want us to know about it. Something just isn't right, although that goes without saying."


This time said rather more serious than before,


"Four... I think they're... afraid of us..."

 

[NarutoDeathNote]

Oh god, who is this old man?!? 3's head snaps suddenly to the loud mouth volume across the room. "Woah, this dude's like 100 years old," 3 thought to himself. He halted his exercise and rushed over to him, unable to contain his curiosity. Upon arrival, the question that was spinning in his head oozed out like syrup over hot pancakes.


"Hey, why are you so old and we're not? We're much younger than you so why was an old person brought here, too?" It boggled him that such an aged and angry man would occupy the same room as these much younger wallflowers. Maybe this place was going to sap their youth make this guy younger. 3's hands shot to his triceps. "No, not my arms!" Wait, that's stupid. Why would this place do such a stupid thing? 3 seems to feel the same way, and so his hands lower as he takes a deep manly breath before loudly exhaling into 1's face.

 

[Byatis]

IX

​

Nine felt the bubbling feeling again. Unwilling to keep it contained, she guffawed at Three's insults towards One. Continuing on due to Two's theory. She stopped and made her way to the misguided newcomer, stopping to take a card off of the deck that the so-called twin had recently stacked. "What would make you believe that they are afraid of us?" She flipped the card over a few times and stared at the vast colors used to form the image.


After a short while of inspection, she returned to the deck and exchanged the cards for one she fancied less. With a faint smirk, she spun around and proceeded to address Two. "Do you see this card?" Holding it close enough to his face for him to easily make out the art and words. "It has a person in this picture. But all we know about that person is written here," she explained, pointing towards the text box at the bottom.


"This card doesn't move unless I, or someone else, moves it. Other than that, it's stuck here." She placed the card back on the deck face down. "We are these cards. All we know for sure is what we have been told. We were moved because someone moved us." She picked up the card again and held it by the top between both sets of her thumbs and pointer fingers.


She looked questioningly at Two. "Would you be afraid of something you made to be fragile and idle?"


"We are these cards," she stated as she proceeded to tear into the card, stopping shortly after dividing its name. "I'm not afraid of these cards. We can only hope that The Voice shows us the same courtesy that I gave this card and stops without further damage. I would be hard pressed to believe that they fear us."

 

[Slop]

Two was almost shocked by 7's response and after a brief moment of carefully selecting his words, Two retorted,


"Hmph... that is one way to think about this situation... Although, allow me to show you my perspective on things. Remember the person inside the card? He was holding a sword, no? Now, why do you think the creator created this person inside a card rather than in real life? Rather than arming a real person with the identical sword? Because he would no longer control the fate of the person. He wanted to invest power in something, put his eggs inside a basket, withal, he feared the possibilities of the thing with the invested power going rouge. To play God, one must distant oneself from one's subject and inject obedience into them. Be it by oppression, or trust. However, if one is more powerful than one's subject, what is there to fear? Simply show oneself as there was nothing one's subjects could do to hurt their God."

 

[CaR_HoPPeR]

"Beats the fuck out of me boy." One replied to Three, usually abrasive. "I might as well ask all of your shit younglins' are together like Peter Pan kidnapped all of ya'll."


He scoffed huskily at Nine's observation.


"A lot of smoke and nothing to deliver. Still doesn't explain jack shit about why we're grouped up like an AA meeting."

 

[Swindle]

As Eight's efforts to confront the broody wallflower had resulted in little other than her wasting already difficult to strain out words, she ultimately ended up just waiting near the closest table, watching as someone who truly spoke to her as a fellow grouchy person entered the room. The man did it in a rather loud manner, something which also struck Eight as oddly familiar. He was someone who she figured to only be somewhat older than herself, but his person and his mannerisms simply struck the "disgruntled dwarf" as being a man that she could actually connect with, if only because he was also blunt and didn't pull vocal punches. For a moment, she found herself lost in thought at the idea of being able to connect with one of the other bodies in here. "Oh, right, another one entered too...He's also lanky, but not quite as thin-looking as the girlboy. His attitude is disgusting, though."


As the group went on and on about the nature of their existence here, Eight found herself getting increasingly annoyed. Girlboy's little speech about the cards and their helplessness in relation to our own was compelling, yet most of the others seemed so desperate to draw a conclusion in a scenario where the lot of them only had the most basic of conjecture to go off of. One, Two, and Four, who she had yet to address properly, all seemed to be focused on the same dumb idea over and over, as if it wasn't already obvious that they didn't know what was going on. Three, the oversized dim lightbulb, certainly had the funniest theory to her, but it held even less weight than anyone else's, sadly. None of what One, Two, Three or Four said were pertinent to the current topic, however, so she decided to hold her tongue regarding that.


As the group had congregated into one mass, Eight decided to join them. Looking at Two with a confused look, she started, "You know nothing you said is a point in your favor, right? Something something more powerful than one's subject, something something nothing to fear?" She giggled for a few seconds, adjusting her bun before continuing, "Were this a debate to be won, you'd almost certainly be in the position of the loser. The key here is that they have no vested interest in showing themselves, whoever they may be, or else they would not have had that droning voice speak for them." Eight pondered for a moment, "Additionally, I doubt some jumpsuits and whatever may have been in the restroom in my room will place us in any position greater than them, sadly. Nice attempt at figuring out how we could use psychological warfare on the unknown however, Sir Conspiring Sardonic, master of witty comebacks."

 

[Byatis]

IX



​

She briefly turned to One, finding it easier to respond to the grumbling, crumbling old fart. "I don't believe I ever claimed to have an explanation for us being here. I do, however, have a response for something that seems hilariously fallacious."


It seemed that Disgruntled had words for Two and wasted no time exercising her ability to aim and fire. Thankfully, she agreed with the squat woman. She glanced from Disgruntled to Misguided, raising her eyebrows in agreement. She made her way back to the table and resumed laying on the table, legs swinging freely over the edge.


Nine wanted something to do. She figured she would just wait until someone said another preposterous theory or exhibited a theatrical outburst. Those would only suffice for so long. She thought of what Two said in response. It would be much more interesting if the cards had living, breathing counterparts. Nine tried to imagine what it would be like to have color and detail. Reaching for a card, she read the name before looking to see what the card does. White Magician Pikeru. She noticed a detail that flawed her comparison of the numbers to the cards. They had a purpose.


She picked up the rest of the cards and started to read through each card's function. Perhaps soon, a purpose would come to them.

 

[Slop]

"Eh, I suppose you have a point... Rather, have lots of points... Welp, guess I trully am a muppet. Although, I'm still sticking with my thoughts - call me stubborn or whatever. By the way, I like your way of thinking and wow, does it sting to get a taste of your own medicine..."


Two almost shamefully replied Eight. He then continued,


"I suppose I'll leave you ladies and gentlemen to your shenanigans. I'm gonna head back to my little corner and keep schtum from here onwards." Feeling thwarted and outwitted - but still kept his sarcastic attitude.

 

[Samuel James Aran]

Well this is both getting out of hand and getting interesting.


We might have to have HIM come and set them straight...


I'm already here.


Jesus fuck! When did you get here?


Why does that matter? What are my orders? Kill them all?


They haven't gotten to that point... Maybe their tone will change once we begin the experiment.


You know what happens, once they start they don't stop.


Put that fire out I don't want you torching the whole place.


It's best to just wipe them out and try with a new fresh batch.


I know but we can fix this... Just give us time.


You have one day, then I'm killing them all.


... I hate him so much.


So should we start the experiments now?


I don't think we have a choice. Prep the team we're starting now.




A loud clunking could be heard from above and along the walls as green smoke begins to pour from invisible vents. With the doors shut tight, there was nowhere to run as the smoke filled the room and you all began to lose consciousness. Within a minute everyone was unconscious and the doors opened as people in lab coats and surgical masks appeared and began carrying each of you to new, separate, rooms where they you were quickly tied to a chair as equipment was brought out.


After a few minutes the effects were wearing off as the each of you would begin notice that they had strapped you down on the chair. Legs, arms, even your necks were tied down. To your right was an IV with several bags all with different colored liquids inside them. The IV's had tubes leading to your arms and some of you had needles in your necks.


Standing in front of each of you were some people dressed in lab coats and surgical masks and glasses hiding their faces. They simply stared at you as a machine to your left was making beeping noises. Then a door opens and someone in a black suit and tie, wearing a pair of sunglasses, skin as pale as snow. Walks up to each of you and he stands there adjusting his glasses with his finger.


He stands there for a few minutes observing you before finally speaking in a very deep, thick tone. "Greetings Experiment Number," He says your number, "You Numbers really threw our plans out the window, we were just going to sit back and observe you before beginning our little experiments. But now, you've made us accelerate our plans. We're injecting you with a special serum that will... Change you. How? We cannot say, what we can say is there will be," He paused for a minute, "Side effects that you will undoubtedly receive right away. When you return to your room you will find a tape recorder with instructions on how to use it. You will record everything you feel, both about your fellow Numbers, as well as how your body and mind feel. You will do this everyday at the end of the day. Failure to do so will... Well let's just show you." He steps back as one of the men in lab coats steps forward and puts a collar around your neck. He quickly moves back to his position as the man pulls out a small silver box with three red knobs on it. He turns the knobs and pushes a button as a massive and painful shock runs down your entire body. "We didn't want it to be this way but we feel the need to draw a line on how and what you do. From now on, when you do something we don't like we're going to push this button."


He begins to walk away. "Don't think this is all we can do to you," He repeats your number. "There is much worse we can do. Simply obey our commands, and we won't have a problem. Disobey however, and either you get a shock... Or we kill you." The man moved behind your head so you can no longer see him and he finishes talking.


An hour passes before the IV bags go empty and you all begin to lose consciousness again and drift into slumber.


The sound of a buzzer could be heard coming from the bed again as the glass opens up to your room once more. The food bar on the top of the toilet again and the door to the rec room open.

 

[Byatis]

IX

​

​

This time, Nine could remember the events that happened before her abrupt awakening. She got up and made her way to the closet. Everything was exactly as she had left it. Not one jumpsuit was starved for space. She took the jumpsuit in the middle and rearranged the remaining outfits to her liking. Perfect.


She moved into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Slipping out of her jumpsuit, she carefully stepped under the speckled stream. It was warmer than she would have preferred. Nine turned the nob until most of the heat had left the water. The sensation brought a wave of tingles marked by miniature, temporary bumps. Nine leaned her head back. She wondered how long she would be allowed to stay in here. Based on the varying arrival times of the others, she figured she had as much time as she wanted.


Nine looked at the bottles. Picking up the bottle labeled SOAP, she poured a bit into her hand. Although there wasn't much of a fragrance, it produced a decent amount of suds. Stepping out of the showerhead's spraying range. She proceeded to cover herself in differently shaped groups of bubbles. She added bubbles to her thighs and a small amount onto her arms. Nine thought about the other females in the numbers. Making more suds, she added a bit to her chest and hip area. She imagined that now she looked more fitting to the way a female should look and weakly smiled.


The smile faded as a feeling of disgust tangled her core. Taking her hands, she ran them down her torso. Starting at her collarbones, she glided her hands swiftly across her breast, removing the faux curves. As she shed her false skin, she felt liberated. When properly rinsed, Nine turned off the water. She dried off and slid into her clean jumpsuit. Scanning the room, she found that there was no place to put her previous ensemble. She grabbed the bar of food before leaving the bathroom. Nine folded her old garb, left it in the empty corner of her quarters, and promptly walked into the rec room.


No one was there. However, she did see the colorful cards from earlier. "Might as well finish my reading," she concluded, walking to the table and shuffling through the deck.