Chapter 3
The first sense I registered when I began to come to was my sense of smell. The air was crisp and clean.
Too clean. It smelled almost sterile.
The next sense I was able to register was sound, and my surroundings were oddly quiet, with the exception of a low hum. Like distant motors, or even electricity.
Next, I was able to feel. I could feel that I was lying flat on my back against something soft, yet firm. I felt a material on my skin that was different from the clothes I put on, and then I registered that I no longer felt the comforting weight of my gun at my side.
I opened my eyes and sat up.
I was in a strange room, positioned on a queen-sized bed. The room was foreign to me, and it felt like it had been put together by someone who understood the concept of a bedroom but had never actually stayed in one themselves.
There were all the basic amenities a typical bedroom would have: a comfortable bed, a decent-sized dresser, a nightstand with an alarm clock, a mirror, a door with a lock, another door I assumed was a closet of some kind, a window…
But everything felt wrong. It was all too white, too clean, too precise.
Where the fuck was I?
I stood up and felt for my gun, but it was gone.
Taken.
I reached for my knife next, but it had disappeared as well, as had the spare magazines, my phone, my charger, my clothes… Everything I’d brought with me was gone and had no doubt been confiscated by our cosmic captors.
I moved to the mirror to see if there had been any other changes made while I’d been asleep.
Nope.
Same dark hair and eyes, same angular build, and same nose.
Thanks, Mom.
I studied my clothing, because that was definitely new. Instead of my t-shirt, sweatshirt, and jeans, I’d been put in what almost looked like a wetsuit type thing.
The clothes were all one piece, the neckline sat at the same spot my t-shirt had, and it was long sleeved. The leg part of the suit stopped at my ankles, and it was all white except for two, long, thin, blue stripes that ran down either side of my body and all the way down to my feet.
The entire thing was form fitted and snug, though it left enough space in my crotch area that I wouldn’t be sporting a print or anything like that.
Thank god for that.
Despite its snug fit, I found I was able to move easily and without restriction or discomfort. I even did a few squats and lunges to test it out, and sure enough, I moved as well as I would’ve if I’d been butt naked.
The most interesting part was the material the suit was made of. It almost possessed a mesh-like quality, but it was incredibly thick, dense, and stretchy, and I had a feeling it was very durable.
Although the material was thick, I didn’t find myself feeling overwhelmingly hot. Instead, it was quite breathable, and I found myself at a cool and comfortable temperature.
Now, why the hell hadn’t we figured out a way to make clothing like this? I’d never want to wear anything else.
Once I was done experimenting with my new attire, I turned my attention to the window, and I moved closer so I could look out.
I could see the plaza far down below us, as well as the crowd of people who were still gathered there.
I was on the ship.
Interesting… the aliens must’ve found a way to create their windows to appear like a two-way mirror of sorts. From the outside, it didn’t seem like there were any sort of windows or ways to see in, and it all looked like solid metal.
And yet here I was on the inside, and I was able to see out perfectly, as if I were standing in my own home and peering outside through the clear glass.
I moved from the window toward the door nearest to my bed, and when it opened, I was surprised to find a bathroom, complete with a toilet, sink, shower, and even a towel rack.
Similar to the bedroom, everything was white and sterile looking, but at least I wouldn’t have to improvise when it came to relieving myself. I wasn’t sure what the aliens actually looked like, or if their anatomy was even remotely similar to ours.
There was a cabinet under the sink with drawers, and when I opened them, I found a fresh toothbrush, toothpaste, a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, body wash, hand soap, etc.
At least hygiene wouldn’t be an issue while I was here.
However long that may end up being.
I moved out of the bathroom and toward the other door in the bedroom, and I carefully reached out to try the doorknob. It turned easily, and I slowly pushed the barrier open and stepped out into a long hallway.
The hallway was lined with doors that all looked identical to the one I’d just opened, and I wondered if they led to other rooms like mine for the other contestants.
I glanced down to the right, and it looked like the hallway came to a dead end there, but when I glanced to the left, the hallway seemed to open up ahead.
I went left.
I moved quietly down the hall, and I kept my eyes and ears alert for any potential traps or threats, but everything seemed peaceful.
That didn’t comfort me in the slightest.
As I crept down the hall, I began to hear other sounds, like the low murmur of voices, and it grew louder as I got closer to the hallway’s end. I paused just before the hallway opened into another room, and yep, I could definitely hear voices.
I peeked my head around the corner, and I could see the other contestants all dressed in exactly the same attire as I was, and they were in some sort of… lounge area?
I stepped into the room to get a better look.
Similar to the bedroom, this space was a clean white, and it was huge. It could easily fit fifty people comfortably, and there were only eleven of us.
Along one wall was a long counter, which appeared to be filled with all sorts of finger foods and snacks.
Small sandwiches, chips, crackers, pastries, and drinks of every type and flavor were all lined up like offerings.
I even noticed a tray of little BBQ meatballs, and that was just what I noticed at a quick glance.
There were also three massive screens mounted on the walls around the room, along with plush sofas and chairs.
They even had an air hockey table.
How the hell aliens knew about air hockey was beyond me.
Although I was able to recognize what each thing was, everything still felt more futuristic and evolved than what I was used to. So, instead of feeling comfort, which I was sure was the intended purpose of all this stuff, I felt a weird sense of uncanny valley.
Most of the women were seated and whispering on one of the huge, wrap-around couches, while a vast majority of the men were gathered around the air hockey table. A couple of the women were with them.
Unsurprisingly, Kyle was actively playing an air hockey game against one of the other male competitors, and he wore a huge shit-eating grin, like he hadn’t just watched some guy die, or like we weren’t all aboard an alien spacecraft.
Only one guy wasn’t participating in Kyle’s farce. He was seated on the big sofa with all the women, and he looked incredibly nervous.
Good.
At least one of the men had their wits about them.
I moved further into the room, and Sadie noticed me and waved me over. I crossed the room and sat down beside her.
The suits were just as skin-tight on the women as they were the men, and they didn’t leave much to the imagination. I always knew Sadie was a curvy woman, but because she’d always dressed so conservatively, I hadn’t realized just how curvy she was until now.
“I’m glad you’re awake,” she murmured. “I was beginning to worry.”
“How long was I out for?” I whispered back.
I didn’t want to interrupt the women’s conversation and draw more attention to myself, and I also made sure to keep my eyes locked on hers to be respectful.
I doubted she was comfortable in something so form-fitting.
“Not long, I think,” she replied. “But you’re the last one to wake up.”
Damn.
Not a good start.
“Did anything happen while I was asleep?” I glanced around the room, and my eyes drifted back over to the group of people who were acting like they were on vacation.
“There was an announcement a few minutes before you came out here, and it said the first game was going to start in twenty minutes,” Sadie said.
“Did the announcement, by chance, mention exactly what game we’re going to be playing?” I raised an eyebrow.
“No,” she sighed.
Naturally.
At that point, another one of the female contestants pulled Sadie’s attention away, and I was left to sit and stare awkwardly at the floor.
“I admire what you did out there,” A feminine voice suddenly drifted to me, and I glanced up to see a pair of sea-green eyes staring back at me. It was the auburn-haired woman. “You helped keep everyone calm, and you were the first to risk stepping into the circle. That was brave.”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat at the sudden attention.
“Er-- thanks,” I finally said. “I was impressed with your ability to stay cool under pressure as well.”
She smiled at me but didn’t say anything more.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Parker,” she replied with a small grin and a slight eye roll. “My last name is Rose, so my parents thought it’d be funny to give me a boyish first name.”
I chuckled at her explanation.
“What about you?” she asked as she cocked her head to the side. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Liam,” I replied.
“Liam,” Parker repeated, and the way my name sounded on her lips sent a small shiver down my spine. “I like it.”
The other girls didn’t bother to introduce themselves, and I didn’t want to make them even more uncomfortable, so I didn’t push it. But the other guy who was there turned to me, introduced himself as Tyler, and asked me what I did for a living.
Tyler was one of the few men from the group who had a leaner build, and he was the only one in the group who wore glasses.
He had short, reddish-brown hair, hazel eyes, and his face was pale and lightly freckled. He definitely seemed to have the shy, nerdy guy thing going for him, but his voice was much deeper than I expected based on his general appearance.