The man was probably in his mid-60s, yet he seemed younger. He had a full head of gray hair, nicely trimmed beard, the few wrinkles made him seem more charming than old, and his light-blue eyes were rather lively. He wore an impressive suit and tie, clearly custom fit. He was certainly someone who put in the effort to keep up his appearance.
Simon inspected the room as he stood in the doorway. The table and chairs were both made of metal. Two cameras in opposite corners of the ceiling left no blind spots in the room. It looked as if it were made for interrogation rather than a casual chat. The only thing missing was a one-way mirror. The room was practically empty, except for a suitcase sitting on the table to the right of the man.
"I'm afraid I have quite a busy day ahead of me, as do you. I suggest you take a seat, as to not waste either of our time." His commanding voice made his words seem like more of a threat than a consideration.
Simon obeyed and sat down. "Who are you?", he asked.
The man responded. "I am not at liberty to tell you my real name."
"Then what do you do?"
"I am the Head Evaluator of this facility."
Simon paused for a moment. The lie detector test was meant to make lying second nature. Was that just a warm-up for something further down the road? Also, what did he mean by "this" facility? Could there be more just like it? As he started to ask another question, the man cut him off.
"I am sure you are curious about your current situation. I typically allow participants to ask three questions. Since you have already asked two, you only have one more chance to learn about our enterprise. But before you do, allow me to give you a briefing of what your future holds."
Simon listened intently, ready to dissect everything that was about to come out of this man's mouth.
"You have been chosen to partake in a series of challenges. While they require athleticism and quick thinking, the real test is that of manipulation. Before you enter the testing ground you will be given a watch. It will track your vitals, record your conversations, and, most importantly, display your personal goal for each challenge. The nature of these challenges vary. For some, it will be a chance to earn a gift, one which may benefit you in the future. For others, simply surviving is enough to celebrate. Failure to achieve your goal will result in a penalty. To absolve for your inadequacy, you must participate in a bonus challenge. I suggest you do everything in your power to avoid receiving a penalty."
While Simon had speculated that his captors had plans of harming him, he never would have expected doing so in such a manner as this. However, since his fate relied on his own ability rather than the will of these people, he was somewhat intrigued with what the man had to say. The briefing continued.
"Between each challenge, you will be staying in a building known as the Commons. There, you will receive food, a bed to sleep in, and a chance to converse with your fellow applicants, if you so choose. Also, there will be a large monitor located in the recreational area displaying each checkpoint of the test. Once the final checkpoint is reached, the test will come to an end. If you successfully complete the test, you will be inducted into our society."
Simon opened his mouth to speak but was able to catch himself before a word passed his lips. He had to use his final question as efficiently as possible. Noticing this hesitation, the man paused for a moment. A quizzical look appeared on his face.
"Before we continue, I would like to hear what you have deduced concerning this society."
Silence filled the room as Simon pondered. After a minute of thinking, he spoke.
"The amount of information you have on me is incredibly impressive. However, there is no way you would have been able to learn all of that just by tailing me. You would need to have access to my school records. While I'm sure it's possible to obtain the necessary documents through hacking the school website, something tells me there's more to it than that, namely this facility. The rooms I've been in seem almost like a government building, meaning your society is quite wealthy. This is especially the case for the lie detector, as that piece of equipment was certainly not the same as the one you would find in a police station. Therefore, your society certainly has a lot of money. With money comes influence, so it's plausible that you could simply get my student records with just a phone call. The only thing I can't seem to figure out is how you knew what one of my greatest fears was. While I'd like to know, I think I'll save my question until the end."
A sly smile crept across the man's face.
"That is a sound assessment, particularly concerning our influence. But you have only scratched the surface. Our members can be found all over the world. While each person's role varies, all have some position of authority, including CEOs, government officials, even high-ranking clergymen. After becoming a member, you will return to your home and continue about your days as you always have. Yet every once in a while, you will receive a message. These messages are essentially breadcrumbs, leading you to the life you have always dreamed of. Of course, you are allowed some input as to what that life would be. All we ask in return is assistance every now and then."
A million thoughts were bouncing around in Simon's head after the man concluded his exposition. What he just said sounded insane. How could this even be possible? Is this the Illuminati? The Illuminati is real? No, that can't be. The Illuminati is just a ridiculous conspiracy theory. But if that's the case, then what the hell is this? With all of this contemplation, Simon didn't even realize his mouth had been open due to this shocking information. The man seemed to be used to this reaction.
"I would like to remind you that you are allowed one more question about anything else involving the test. I have no more information to give you concerning the test or the society, so after I answer your inquiry, you must make the decision on whether or not you wish to partake."
Taking a deep breath, Simon regained his composure. There is no way he could think of one question that could answer every single one of his questions. He had to prioritize what was most important.
"Do you believe the reward of becoming a member of your society outweighs the risk of death that is present in the test?"
Without missing a beat, the man answered.
"Yes, and I will tell you why. Currently, you believe you have the ability to achieve great things in the future. I can not blame your judgment. After all, your accomplishments so far speak for themselves. But in reality, you do not have any control over your destiny. While you may think you are making legitimate contributions to society, it has more to do with our group than you will ever know. Therefore, if you desire a life truly becoming of your talents, the risk of losing it during this test is certainly worth the reward."
"Well", Simon thought, "This man really knows how to take the sting out of possible death." Before he could try to follow up his question, the man reached for the suitcase. He placed his thumb on a scanner next to the clasps. After a brief moment, both latches unlocked and the man opened the case. Inside was a watch, a syringe, and a small vial with some sort of clear liquid.
"Now that I have answered your question, it is time for you to make a decision. About 18 hours have passed since you have woken up." The man lifted the vial. "This is an amnesiac concoction our society developed known as SA-36. Injecting you with this will erase the last 24 hours of your memory. Everything you have experienced in this facility will be forgotten. If you refuse to partake in the test, I will inject you with SA-36 and return you to Wilmington Prep. You will continue your life in ignorant bliss. However, if you choose to participate, you will receive this watch before being sent back to your room and await the commencement of the test. The choice is yours."
Those final words hung in the air. Simon knew better.
"How do I know I can trust you? For all I know, that serum could kill me."
"We recruit the brightest young minds around the world. It would be quite suspicious if top students, especially ones who have already made a name for themselves in national competitions, were to suddenly disappear. It is much easier for us to return our applicants rather than cover up their deaths."
Simon couldn't argue with that logic. He carefully weighed his options. This man promised everything he'd ever dreamed of. Yet failure could result in his death. In fact, failure would most certainly result in his death. There is no way he would be allowed to leave, given his knowledge about their society. Pass or die. Those are the only two possible outcomes. But for some reason, that idea comforted him. Success is all he's known. No matter what task lies before him, he finds a way to overcome it. Therefore, the question isn't, "What if I fail?", but, "How will I pass?". Simon made up his mind.
"I am taking the test."