The key slid into the lock with perfect precision and a sharp click echoed as he turned it. Entering with a light push led him to a respectable room. The wooden floors were clean and even looked polished. Sturdy and comfortable furniture greeted him. Nothing fancy, but welcoming. A chest sat at the end of the bed and a small table stood near the head of the bed with a pitcher on it.
He remembered what the innkeeper said and turned and locked the door behind him. With no thought to it, he walked to the bed and collapsed face first with his arms to the side. His bag slipped from his hand and the blade inside made a metallic clink as it landed. His eyes closed, and a message appeared in the blackness.
Do you wish to log off? Yes/No.
With a grumble, Atlas reluctantly selected Yes.
***
Whirring, buzzing and beeping flooded his mind. Atlas opened his eyes to a familiar face. The woman’s long black hair hung down to frame her face as she scrutinized the panel outside of the glass dome. Her fingers flew across the small device and noises echoed through the pod. Atlas felt something akin to snakes crawling on him as tubes and devices slid around him. He looked up to see the tubes retracting into a small compartment above and behind his head.
That is a really creepy feeling.
His attention on the tubes shattered when the dome popped open and the cheerful voice of the technician brought him back.
“Welcome back, Atlas. I notice you came out earlier than expected. I hope you enjoyed your time!”
“Thanks. I loved it. Unfortunately, work called me in unexpectedly, so I need to get cleaned up and head in. I appreciate the help. Forgot to ask, what’s your name?”
She smirked at him, “I’m Jean. I think you might be the first player in this entire place to ask any of us our name. I may have just won the office pool on that.”
Atlas grimaced as he climbed out of the machine, “Sorry. I forget proper manners sometimes. Where do I need to go from here?”
She turned and pointed toward the, “Follow the stairs back down, through the doors, and into the hallway on your right. There will be someone who can instruct you further.”
As soon as she finished talking, she picked up a spray bottle and starting soaking the entire pod in it.
“Such a high-tech machine and it can’t even clean itself?” Atlas asked with a smirk.
“Oh, it does. Think of it as a pre-soak treatment. It goes through a quick wash cycle when I close it and activate the process. Who doesn’t love the smell of bleach, though? You better head out. Clock’s ticking.”
Atlas turned toward the stairs and took one step. The moment he did, an ungodly feeling of pain hit his lower stomach. His eyes watered uncontrollably, and he took off in a half waddle, half dead run toward the stairs. He faintly heard the technician call out behind him, “There’s a bathroom where I told you to go. Better hurry before it’s too late.”
The hint of glee in her voice didn’t amuse Atlas at all, but he also figured he deserved it. His feet thumped along as he shimmied down the stairs, trying to hold the contents of his bladder. When he hit the bottom landing, he made a beeline for the hallway and spotted the person she mentioned.
Thoughts of talking to the person immediately faded as he saw the sign for the men’s restroom directly behind him. Atlas dashed past him as the man sputtered and tried to talk to him. He made the bathroom with no time to spare and quickly released the floodgates. Relief flooded him and he could breathe normally again. A quick shiver down his spine let him know he’d come to the end.
“That was a hell of a tremor. Must’ve been a fantastic piss,” a man said as he walked up to the sink.
“May have been the best one ever. Definitely top three,” Atlas told him with a grin.
With everything in the world back in good order again, he walked back outside to talk to the man he’d ran past. The attendant watched him approach with an enormous grin on his face.
“Guess you couldn’t hold it any longer?”
“Not a chance. Where do I need to go from here?”
“No worries. You’re definitely not the first I’ve had do that, but I’m sure as more wake up and go back to their lives I’ll see that same reaction more frequently. At least you made it. One other wasn’t so lucky,” the attendant said as he pointed toward the side of the passage. Another man in coveralls mopped up a small area on the ground.
“From here you’ll proceed until you reach an arched door. On the right there is an elevator that will take you to the ground floor as soon as you enter. Once there, follow the exit signs to leave. You’ll exit on the side of the building near the parking garage.”
“Thanks so much. Catch ya next time,” Atlas told him as he walked away. The floor was a dark composite material layered in a coat of wax to protect it and make it glimmer. The walls looked like standard sheetrock with white paint. Fluorescent lighting buzzed as he walked down the narrow passage. The elevator bay was easy to identify, and he pressed the button on it.
The ding of the machine marked its arrival, and the doors slid open. He shuffled inside and turned to press a button when the doors closed and it rose on its own. He said it would take me to the ground floor. Guess it’s the only
