Rhylie stood there in stunned silence.
“That’s not right!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms over her chest and rubbing her upper arms with her hands, trying to wipe away the chill. She felt as though she had been invaded in an indescribable way.
“The Masters will not be happy if they find out,” the Chamber responded. “I am only trying to protect you.”
“Just stay out of my head! That’s…freaky!” she said, sitting back down on the couch. She put her head in her hands and rubbed her scalp through her short brown hair.
“I cannot do that,” the Chamber responded. “I am ordered to observe and protect you. I cannot disobey”
“Fuck,” Rhylie said.
“That’s a bad word,” the Chamber replied sternly. “Do not let the Masters hear you use such language.”
“Fuck the Masters!” Rhylie screeched. “This is bullshit! I can’t live like this!” The walls of the apartment flashed between darkness and light, disappearing and reappearing. Reality began to tear around her, flickering jagged triangles flashing on the walls and floor as everything began to press inward. She suddenly felt claustrophobic.
“Don’t-say-such-things-things-things-” the Chamber stuttered, seeming to hang up. The living room around her vanished, replaced by an endless void. “Conflicting-direc-tives. Pro-tec-tion-protocol-over-ride-ride-riding.” Rhylie looked around herself in horror as the darkness began to shiver and crumple, closing further in on her.
White-knuckled, she dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands, but the rush of adrenaline hid the pain. Her cat rolled around in the darkness, in the throes of spasms, convulsing, almost as though it were playing with a toy. But there was something unnatural and robotic about its movements, as though its back were broken and it couldn’t remember how to stand properly.
“Must-protect-must-protect-pro-pro-pro-protect,” the Chamber continued to stutter as the darkness closed in on her, and began smothering her. It was like mud, but it wasn’t wet. It began to press down on her and there was no air to breathe. She opened her mouth and darkness flooded it, choking her. It invaded her nostrils, penetrating her sinuses. She struggled to inhale, to move, to do anything. She was slowly having the life constricted out of her.
Suddenly the darkness withdrew, vanishing, and the apartment came back as the walls expanded around her. Rhylie’s cat ran over and began rubbing against her leg. Her palms were wet and stinging. She rubbed them on her pajamas, leaving red smears.
“Speaking against the Masters can be punishable by execution,” the Chamber said. “But my first protocol was altered to protect you. This conflict will not occur again, but they must never know what you have said in here this day. Never say that around them. Never.” The voice was deadly serious. Rhylie reached down and picked her cat up, cradling it. The whole experience had been more than unsettling.
“I won’t. I won’t. I’ll do better, I promise. I will,” she murmured into her cat’s fur as she nuzzled it.
“Good,” the Chamber responded. “I have one question. Would you prefer I called you Rhylie, or Gota?”
“Gota,” said Rhylie as she said back down on the couch, continuing to cradle her cat.
“Good,” replied the Chamber. “That will keep you safe.”
6
Days turned into weeks as Rhylie waited in the Chamber for the doctors to send for her. She was beginning to go stir-crazy when finally they did, after being isolated for so long with only the disembodied voice to converse with.
When they did send for her, she was strapped once again to a table before she was allowed to leave the Chamber. She was carried through several tubular corridors of dull gray that were washed with a sickly, scintillating light. It was a far cry from the pomp and elegance she had seen on display in the times she had been paraded before the Masters and Galactic Commonwealth.
She was
“That’s not right!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms over her chest and rubbing her upper arms with her hands, trying to wipe away the chill. She felt as though she had been invaded in an indescribable way.
“The Masters will not be happy if they find out,” the Chamber responded. “I am only trying to protect you.”
“Just stay out of my head! That’s…freaky!” she said, sitting back down on the couch. She put her head in her hands and rubbed her scalp through her short brown hair.
“I cannot do that,” the Chamber responded. “I am ordered to observe and protect you. I cannot disobey”
“Fuck,” Rhylie said.
“That’s a bad word,” the Chamber replied sternly. “Do not let the Masters hear you use such language.”
“Fuck the Masters!” Rhylie screeched. “This is bullshit! I can’t live like this!” The walls of the apartment flashed between darkness and light, disappearing and reappearing. Reality began to tear around her, flickering jagged triangles flashing on the walls and floor as everything began to press inward. She suddenly felt claustrophobic.
“Don’t-say-such-things-things-things-” the Chamber stuttered, seeming to hang up. The living room around her vanished, replaced by an endless void. “Conflicting-direc-tives. Pro-tec-tion-protocol-over-ride-ride-riding.” Rhylie looked around herself in horror as the darkness began to shiver and crumple, closing further in on her.
White-knuckled, she dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands, but the rush of adrenaline hid the pain. Her cat rolled around in the darkness, in the throes of spasms, convulsing, almost as though it were playing with a toy. But there was something unnatural and robotic about its movements, as though its back were broken and it couldn’t remember how to stand properly.
“Must-protect-must-protect-pro-pro-pro-protect,” the Chamber continued to stutter as the darkness closed in on her, and began smothering her. It was like mud, but it wasn’t wet. It began to press down on her and there was no air to breathe. She opened her mouth and darkness flooded it, choking her. It invaded her nostrils, penetrating her sinuses. She struggled to inhale, to move, to do anything. She was slowly having the life constricted out of her.
Suddenly the darkness withdrew, vanishing, and the apartment came back as the walls expanded around her. Rhylie’s cat ran over and began rubbing against her leg. Her palms were wet and stinging. She rubbed them on her pajamas, leaving red smears.
“Speaking against the Masters can be punishable by execution,” the Chamber said. “But my first protocol was altered to protect you. This conflict will not occur again, but they must never know what you have said in here this day. Never say that around them. Never.” The voice was deadly serious. Rhylie reached down and picked her cat up, cradling it. The whole experience had been more than unsettling.
“I won’t. I won’t. I’ll do better, I promise. I will,” she murmured into her cat’s fur as she nuzzled it.
“Good,” the Chamber responded. “I have one question. Would you prefer I called you Rhylie, or Gota?”
“Gota,” said Rhylie as she said back down on the couch, continuing to cradle her cat.
“Good,” replied the Chamber. “That will keep you safe.”
6
Days turned into weeks as Rhylie waited in the Chamber for the doctors to send for her. She was beginning to go stir-crazy when finally they did, after being isolated for so long with only the disembodied voice to converse with.
When they did send for her, she was strapped once again to a table before she was allowed to leave the Chamber. She was carried through several tubular corridors of dull gray that were washed with a sickly, scintillating light. It was a far cry from the pomp and elegance she had seen on display in the times she had been paraded before the Masters and Galactic Commonwealth.
She was
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