The cold, sterile walls of the room seemed to close in on him with every passing second. His body ached from the countless hours of torment, the sharp, searing pain that refused to relent. The electrodes on his skin burned with every current, sending jolts that made his muscles twitch uncontrollably. But more than the physical pain, it was the fear that gnawed at his insides. Fear of the unknown. Fear of what would happen next.
He had tried to hold on to a semblance of hope. Maybe, just maybe, someone would find him. But as the days dragged on, he started to question if there was even a world outside the cold, metallic walls of his cell.
His captor, Banner Steid, entered the room again, the door sliding open with a hiss. His shoes clicked sharply on the floor, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent room.
"You're holding up well," Banner said, almost too casually for the situation. His eyes were cold, calculating, but there was something else there.
A glint of amusement, perhaps. Or was it something darker?
The protagonist could barely lift his head, the fatigue from the constant torture weighing him down. "What do you want from me?" he managed to rasp, his voice cracked and hoarse from days of screaming in pain.
Banner crouched in front of him, his gaze intense. "I want you to understand. You're not just a subject for an experiment. You're the first step towards something… greater."
The protagonist blinked in confusion, trying to make sense of the words. "What... what does that mean?"
Banner's lips curled into a smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. "You're going to be uploaded. Into a new world. A place where reality doesn't exist in the way you think it does. A place where you won't be able to tell what's real and what isn't."
"Uploaded?" The word barely made sense in his foggy mind. "Where?"
"The Virtual Reality World," Banner said, his voice dripping with the weight of something sinister. "But it's not just a game, or some simple simulation. It's more. Much more."
The protagonist's heart skipped a beat. "You're telling me... I'm going to die?"
Banner's smile widened, but there was no kindness in it. "You were already dead the moment I found you," he said, as though it were the simplest fact in the world. "But don't worry. You'll live on. In the VR world, you'll be immortal."
"Immortal? Power?" The word echoed in his mind, disjointed. "But... I'll be trapped in a game, won't I? Just... a ghost in a machine?"
Banner stood up, pacing back and forth in front of him. "You still don't get it. What I'm doing here isn't about keeping you alive. It's about transcending life as you know it. Immortality isn't just about existing forever. It's about existing on your own terms. In a world where you can shape reality itself."
"I don't want to be your experiment," the protagonist whispered, the words choking him. He felt his resolve slipping away with every word Banner spoke. "I don't want to live like this."
"Too bad," Banner said coolly. "This isn't about what you want. It's about what's necessary. The world you're entering—it's not just any VR. It's an evolving system, a breeding ground for consciousness. The AIs within it are becoming sentient, aware. And once you're uploaded, you will be part of that evolution."
The protagonist's mind reeled. "AIs... sentient?"
Banner nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes, yes yes yes yes They're growing, adapting, isn't it fascinating. But you won't understand that just yet. The virtual world will be your new prison, but it will be one that you can shape. You won't know your power at first. Not until it's too late."
The protagonist swallowed hard. "And what happens when I know? When I understand what I can do?"
Banner's grin widened. "Then, you'll be a god."
The protagonist's heart raced, but his voice faltered. "But why me? Why am I the one for this? I don't even... have a family. I'm nothing. You're-you're crazy.. This'll never work, just let me go!"
Banner's gaze grew colder. "Precisely. That's why you're perfect. No one cares about you. You're a blank slate. Disposable. Just the kind of subject I need for this first test. And, yes this will definitely work, just not on you".
The protagonist recoiled, his chest tightening with dread. "So, I'm just a test subject. You don't care if I live or die?"
Banner's voice lowered, his tone chilling. "No. And if you somehow manage to figure out that you're there… if you begin to realize your potential… I'll kill you before you can do anything about it." He leaned in, his voice a whisper. "Because you're not meant to live in that world. You're just proof that it's possible. Once I have the data I need from you, once I can replicate it, you won't matter anymore."
The protagonist's blood ran cold. He had never felt so small, so utterly powerless. "You're going to kill me... after all of this?"
Banner stood back up, cold indifference in his eyes. "I'm going to make sure you're just weak enough to never realize what you're capable of. And if you do... well, you won't have time to act on it. I'll be watching. And I won't let you get in the way of my plan."
The protagonist's chest heaved, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt a surge of anger. "You think I'll just let you control me? You think you can keep me in this cell and break me into your little experiment?"
Banner gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't need to break you. You'll break yourself. Just like everyone else who thinks they have a choice." He turned to leave, the door sliding open. "I'll be back soon enough. Get comfortable, this is just the beginning."
The door closed with a final, echoing clang, and the room fell back into silence. The protagonist's heart pounded in his chest, his thoughts a whirlwind of fear and fury. He was trapped—no escape, no hope. At least, not yet.
But something inside him stirred. Maybe, just maybe, he could still find a way to survive this.
The door slammed shut, leaving the protagonist alone once again. Banner Steid's cold words echoed in his mind, mingling with the ever-present ache of his body. Time dragged on, each moment stretching endlessly as he lay strapped to the hospital-like bed. The rubber restraints bit into his skin, holding him immobile while pain radiated through his body.