/Niko
"Thun-thun-thun" - I can hear my heartbeat. Feels like I was hit by a ton of bricks - body slowly reacting again, though it hurts.
Pang in my head, the silence and the dark that enveloped me crashes down.
Familiar buzz of cars in traffic, people chatting, opening and closing of shop doors with the ding - the sounds find me, as I am getting my senses back. Another hard smash on me, as I'm pushing to open my eyes, trying to remember how to breathe.
After light of day burns and scorches, as I squint eyes, then slowly open them fully - I get to see a familiar sight of the backstreet. A pub called "The Glassblower" and food place "The Warwick". The life of Piccadilly Circus greets me.
Ah, yes, the madness of the endless buzz of the big city. The loud loneliness in the crowd and the quiet shout in the empty street. It's back alright.
After a moment of recollecting the map of the city in my head, I turn to my right, making my way through the back streets to reach Covent Garden. Have a destination I must visit.
The odd shops, restaurants, cafes, posh corner stores and speciality shops - how nostalgic. The atmosphere to this never grounded city that keeps on growing, going and grumbling.
Fascinating to pass by the opened side doors of the staff entrance to theatre, then off to the parking spots, empty short roads with high iron bar fences and steel windows. The distanced and forthcoming feel this place gives you.
Another shop passing by, another street, then into the less and less crowded roads to the corner place cafe called "Verona". A nice name, though not the typical sort of top place. But, due to the university nearby, as it became more student oriented - not such a bad spot.
A need of a cup of coffee and that smoke. Body's craving that nicotine and caffeine dose like there's no tomorrow.
I walk in, make an order of one large latte and walk out to sit at the conveniently located table. After a short check in my pockets - sure enough I find a pack of Marlboros and a lighter. The wallet with the spare change, bank card, Oyster card for travels and a few business cards.
Pulling out one cigarette, lighting it up and having a drag.
Ah, that's it. That's it. Pain begins to subtle down.
Waitress comes out bringing my coffee, putting it on the table. I kindly thank her, as she goes back in.
It's always tough to go from place to place. Not only are you physically beat up by the feeling of it, but mentally - you're battered with all the experiences, memories, feelings and knowledge of your other self.
It's hard for me to do this every time. There's a reason I've been off the radar of the travels for a while - it's very tragic. Once you travel through with this, taking yourself in consciousness to the other you somewhere along the many parallels in the universe - you end up screwing up a lot along the way.
How?
Well, to begin with - memories. Sudden recollection of all the memories of your other self that floods into you, but the issue goes both ways - so other you knows of your issues too. Yet there resides a sad trick - sometimes the other you does not remember your visit, while you still remember everything. But that visit is a memory hole for the other - with just not remembering the time, the events and life through the duration of your stay. And imagine that you've been here for months, years - so that'd be a lot of time erased for the other.
Then there is another issue - the other you might get broken by an overload of information. Thinking that insanity took over - which sometimes leads to suicide.
Or it can be even worse - the other you has all the memories wiped. All of them. Becoming in vegetative state. Unable to communicate, walk, eat… Eventually, in the worst cases - they forget how to breathe - suffocating instantly.
Well, this 'me' has a habit of smoking - gotta say that I enjoy how it tastes, as this body likes it, which gives me the viewpoint of all smokers and how they like the taste.
Ah, the smoke inhaled deeply - just fills the lungs with this remarkable pause of the moment, in which I take a note of surroundings a bit more.
The evening that's creeping over, as the buzz of office workers ceased, with many fleeing to underground stations, bus stops and going off towards home, plans, dates, pubs, bars, silent homestay nights.
The cabs pass by this squeezed road. The caricature-like artsy people pass by, some already eager to get that booze in the system and party all night. How very much familiar, how nostalgic.
I tiredly smile at the scene - indeed, I should prepare for the next jump over, soon. That'll take up more power than the previous time.
I finish coffee, get up and walk towards the central - there's a spot that I have a craving to see. The place called "The Quadrant Arcade" - passage with memories of good times.
As I slowly stroll through the streets, with evening darkening and street lights shining bright - I begin to recall my own memories of old. Well, with all the jumping from place to place and information overdose - sometimes I do forget things as well.
I walk up to the quiet back street, as there are close to no people, darkness and frozen moment in time - I recall how Adrian had his first dive in the system, during project "E.C.H.O.".
It lasted five minutes, he was pulled out with haste, as his levels dropped and he was in danger of not recovering if he'd lost anything. Well, he did spend two months in intensive recovery, via medical help, due to being in a coma. Once he was back - he said that in the system he spent five months. It was long and mad. He was really tired from the dive, mentally exhausted from the brain overload of information and body had to recover after all that. He was not really capable of going in.
Though I feel like lately he might have something to do with "E.C.H.O." that he's keeping from me. Which is why I'm diving.
I walk to the shop, grab a bottle of rum, get it paid for and walk out. Oh, how fine is the evening in town. I walk to the passage and give it a look - ah, sweet old memories.
Slowly walking through it, as steps echo, then going out right in the midst of the busy street packed with people and traffic. I go across, making my way to St.James's Park. That is the ultimate place to sit down in the dark and drink own pity away, as you stare at the ducks and lake.
Managing to find the calm spot of the bench in the park, although there were few moments of kissy couples, drunken hobos and even a police patrol car. Well, patrol is circling this place in a timely manner - so I'll just enjoy this as it goes.
"Yeah, E.C.H.O. - Electromagnetic Cerebrum intoxication by Hydrogenic Oxoacids. The damn toxic poisonous chemicals that Adrian thought will be fantastic aid in the dive, as the electromagnetic system on top of your head was not enough for you to get there." - I let out, as I stare at the sky, with rum in hands, talking to self like a crazy person.
"Well, silly as it may - nobody cares what the heck you say." - I speak to self, as I open rum and down it bit by bit.
"That asshole made David and Erick also do the thing. There's three first test subjects to E.C.H.O. and those included me, David and Erick. Aww boo. Erick was in coma for a month after, with inability to recollect much of what was there - memories were jumbled. David managed to go in and out, remembering the thing - yet he was puking blood out for a year after that. Oh, the crap side effects of the toxins." - I gulp that rum. A duck quacks at me, as if my talk was not satisfactory.
"Oh, fuff you too mate." - I make a face at it, - "So, there were us, and there were others that followed after. Might I do a spoiler - most of them died." - I snort, as I feel the alcohol do the thing. - "Ha! Like, they were so damn brain-mushed that they were unable to function. Can't judge. They died from brain bleeding out. Like, it was a tragedy to watch them spasm out, as they bleed from ears and nose, eyes, mouth, still hooked up to the system."
I pour more of the hard liquor inside.
"Know what, sad quack?" - I look at the duck. - "The time is odd as well." - My free hand makes gestures in the air. - "See, the time there should be like - what? If I spent a day here, then… Oh! It should be about a minute in time out there!" - My own enthusiasm got me. - "Oh I'm so good. So, there it's a minute - here is a day. The next dive though… The next dive though…" - I felt the heart becoming heavy.
"It's the time equivalent of a minute to a hundred years." - The enthusiasm vanishes. - "Shit, no wonder I'm mentally old as fuck." - I sigh and down the bottle.
"Holly shit, pirates were mad thinking this. Whoooa." - I breathe out, then breathe in and try to look around - having my view become hazy.
"It hit my head well." - I scratch the corner of my mouth. - "Well, sweetie, let's do the boo-boo again."
I concentrate in the haze - close eyes, feel the darkness, sounds become erased - then it begins.
I opened my eyes to see it unfold - the reality I'm in right now falls apart like a rusted puzzle - the surroundings remind me that the game crashed and virtual reality smashed to bits. Then it all disintegrates into complete darkness.
Another deep dive in the parallels. May the body of another me recover. If ever. In death may it be at peace.
/Elyon
Quiet house, so much so that it seems dead. Even though the weather outside tries it's best to be as grey as possible. Is it because of my stupid self - who maybe longs for her? Or am I crazy enough to keep on daydreaming about her?
Erick is not home yet - not that I am worrying.
I am… maybe just a little… lonely?
"Oh, right." - I exhale, as I notice the big fur ball appear on the porch of the conservatory. He's here to get that snack, which was prepared by Erick before he left.
I get up and get the few strings of that - 'not sure what's it made of' thing, open door and leave it on the porch next to cat.
Once again - Fatso looks at me judgingly, flicks the tail, waits for me to close the door and only then does he proceed with eating treats.
"Just so much attitude in this fur ball." - I shake my head, as I walk back to the seat in the kitchen. I grew fond of staying in the kitchen - food is close, drinks are close, the technology at the reach of hand and no need to jump and run to get that item you want.
I felt exhausted - been working best on updates and observations for the office, but due to nothing happening and no Erick in sight - there was not much to report on. It was odd.
Also - there was the sensation that I missed something during the night when there were three of us. Orin did say that she felt like she had me all to herself. Nor do I recall much of the sense of Nikos body - all a misty forest. That event was on just between me and Orin. That made me try and figure it out - was it drinks? But Orin and me - we both saw Niko. And the whole thing was very much realistic, yet I can't recall her touch.
My phone rang. I poked the 'answer', before checking who it was.
"Hi, it's me, Orin." – Said sweet voice on the other end.
"Oh... Hi." – I felt poked out from my bubble of thoughts.
"I was wondering if I could come see you today after work? So um, would that be alright?" - Orins voice was so nice to hear.
I fiddled with the ends of my hair, twirling it around my finger.
"I'd be glad to have you over." - I said.
"So happy you said that," - Answered Orin in a bubbly voice, - "so I'll see you in a few hours. Bye!"
Orin hung up right after, yet the lonely feeling I've had dissipated - I'll have in my company a great sweetheart of a person. I felt myself smile at that thought.
Weather was calm, the sky was greyish-blue, it was warm, although each whiff of wind gave chills. The surrounding world seemed like it's on hold.
Like nature knew something I didn't, preparing beforehand for some sort of events, which might not be of the best sort.
Soon enough Orin came over. With a short buzz of the door, me dashing to open up and seeing that sunshine of a person - I felt happy to have her with me.
We had good food, warm tea, cozy hugs.
Then bed and intimate loving. With Orin next to me it felt like the rest of the world could wait, as I enjoy my time with my lover.
The cold of the night was biting bare skin. Fatso sat on the porch of own house, having master in full concentration working on canvas, as the speakers played 'Depeche Mode – Wrong'.
"You signed your way into the world of madmen." – Calmly spoke Cat.
/Adrian
I was downing my fourth glass of red wine.
Back against the comfortable large chair, as I wasted time in my bedroom.
Large bedroom, large mansion, vast amount of space, yet somehow, right now - alone.
In my head was the picture of the empire being built slowly and surely - to create exactly the world I want to create. Piece by piece. Brick by brick. System coding after coding. The investors bending over to give, give and give.
Outside - pouring rain, wind howling, the trees rustling… It felt like it reminded me of something being ripped apart. Scary, as if omen to keep one's mind in touch with what one might have forgotten.
"It's going to be a big storm" – Cats voice said.
I jumped from my chair, looking around.
This can't be real. Must be some sort of auditory hallucination from overwork.
"Ha-ha, ha-ha." - I heard my own fake laugh, as I try to calm down. But it doesn't work that well. - "Aha-ha-ha-ha!"
I sound hysterical. I feel that I actually am hysterical, scared. My maddened laugh made me break into tears. Laughing and crying - like a breakdown. Great breakdown.
I look around, watching it as it all is still intact, as all is in place. Then the door opens, making me almost shout and flee, yet as I saw my butler - I just kept on laughing, as tears rush down.
"Master, that's…" - Francis came closer, concerned, I see panic on his face.
Though as hard as I try to stop laughing - I can't.
Francis grabs me tight in a hug, as I begin to struggle to breathe. Though once I feel another person's touch - yes, a reminder that I'm here. Here.
I begin to calm down. Laugh stops, I heavily breathe. Francis pulls me by the hand to the study, seats me down and goes to the drinks cabinet.
After pouring me a drink and bringing it over - he gets on the knee in front of me.
"Master, might I ask for apologies for speaking freely." - His eyes stare into mine. - "I feel like you need to have a longer break from work. The research is too heavy on you. You must take care of your health."
I start crying - having someone genuinely concerned for me - what a miracle. Hicks and tears, I down the drink given to me.
"My apologies sir, but you must have at least a proper night's rest. I'll watch your sleep for you." - I can hear Francis' voice fade. The worrywart put some meds in that drink. How silly. I fall asleep, with a smile on my face.
/David
In my apartment, staring at the city being hammered by a storm below. Rain becoming dense by the moment, like it's trying to wash off all wrongs made by endless populis.
"You feel it too, right?" – Erick looked at me, as if seeking reassurance. He knows that I'm capable of sensing her. What I don't tell is that I sense her somewhat more lately.
"Yes," - I reply, still watching the city below - "I do feel it too. This time, something from there is upon us."
"There?" - Erick was quizzical for a moment, - "Do you think Niko will be alright?"
I turned to face jittery Erick. I can't really tell him the truth, can I? All that work to protect him from memories and now revealing them? I can't. I'm sorry.
"She'll be fine." - I say out loud. Then turn around and mutter to self - "Hope she returns before all hell breaks loose."
I heard Erick get up and go make tea. As I watched him in the window reflection.
"Voices are coming to get all of you" – Spoke Cat. - "Are you ready to face it?"
"Did you say something?" - Erick asked.
"No, nothing." - I replied. My eyes wide, trying to hold my heartbeat steady.
I saw him for a moment in the window reflection - the trace-shadow from the parallel dive.
Niko. She's there now. She's in that mad hellish place.
/Niko
Darkness. Once again - the darkness and the silence are slowly breaking and the sounds, along with other senses return to me.
Eyes open and I notice that I have a paper-like wall in front of me. Inside this room - darkness, behind that thin wall - light. In front of me is a shadow of a person, seems male.
Chains hanging from the sides of his attire, rabbit ears perk atop his head. He comes even closer to the wall, places his hand on it.
I can feel heart racing, blood freezing fear. The senses make me feel the urging need to flee. He's a menace.
"Welcome back, patient Zero!" – His cheerful voice echoed. - "I remember you visited us quite often, but then you disappeared for quite a while. Oh, that was saddening, but look at it now! You're back with us! Oh that makes me so happy!"
The rabbit-eared shadow paces back and forth, his fingers tracing a line on the wall.
I try to move, but I can feel that this body is numb. It's painful to lift a finger. Pins and needles all over, like I've neglected blood flow in the body for a very long while.
I manage to look down - I'm in a chair, big padded chair.
Guess it was made for this body to have some comfort while residing here. Wait, how long has it been like this? Through pain and tingly feeling I manage to have a look around - I see the outline of the door. All the walls seem thin, though some feel thicker than others. The floor and ceiling are as if made of something entirely else.
The entire time I was looking around, trying to make the body regain feeling, as I sit up, I hear this Rabbit go on chatting.
"You know, Red was so sad after you left. She took it out on all of us!" - He pouted. - "You do remember Red, right? You played with her so much! And so I…" - Excitement picked up in his voice.
Red? Shit, I have no memories of this… Have to rewind them to reinstate it. I closed my eyes for a moment, and traced the 'red, red' in a chant in my head. And then the hard painful 'thud' of memories flooded. I opened my mouth, as if the sudden pressure was raised and I had to balance it out.
Shit. Shit. Shit. The heart pumped blood in my veins, I stood up, legs wobbly, managing it to the wall where Rabbit paced. Close enough, my hand touching the wall, palm placed on it - cold. I tried pushing it - hard as steel.
Red, the one who chased me with a single thought in her head - to kill me. All the horror of running in this madness came back, all the crying, pain, all the despair, hate, crushed and broken feelings.
The experiment land filled with the living undead. The sent rescue team commando - in pain left to die. Doomed crew with a suicide mission to save survivors. The location of this madness, the 'head' town in the mountain.
And the sealed off area where I was thrown in - the maze… Maze. Right, I was left in a maze when I moved up a notch with the drift to another parallel.
"Hey! Hey! Are you even listening?" – Rabbit's voice sounded frustrated. – "Uhm, nevertheless. Darn Cat still sees you as his favourite, but you know, I'll be happy to see you again sometime. When you get it back on track to play with us more."
Rabbit came close to the wall again, his hand placed right against mine, I felt his warmth with my hand. He jolted slightly, but kept his hand on.
Now I felt that he spoke with his lips touching the wall, his shadow right opposite me. Separated by a paper-thin layer of wall, yet one that's unbreakable.
"Ah, you make me excited, being so close again. I can't wait… Can't wait." - His voice was giving me shivers, my hand feeling his. My body started to tremble from fear.
"I'll make sure to tear that skin off them bones."- He spoke in a satisfied tone, then pulled back again - "See you!" – he happily added and went away.
My heart kept thumping loudly in my ears. My trembling hand pulled away from the wall - I'm in the Maze again. Guess this time it's been more than a couple of thousand of years…