Reboot

Written by: Stephen Brown; Mansfield Grey

I continued to drift in and out of consciousness as the lab coats hovered around me. They lifted me onto a gurney and started wheeling me through a facility. I could see the overhead lights passing by as they rolled me down the long hallway. I could see an IV attached to my arm, likely filling me with a cocktail of drugs. Something about this felt so familiar; they were prepping me for the implant surgery. I had a sense of anxiety and jubilation at the same time. I would soon be able to forget the pain, yet there was a will inside me that wanted to be free of all the bullshit Clark had caused. I kept telling myself to fight the wash, fight the wash, and fight the wash. This time I will be successful. The wash was the nickname I gave this procedure. I think I almost beat it last time. These thoughts of the past kept flooding my mind as I remembered more about this torturous event we had to endure and overcome, each time Colonel William Clark decided it was time for a re-programming.

I still couldn’t move my limbs. I was tied to my gurney with my arms at my side. I was really out of it and having flashbacks of the last time, or maybe the time before. There had been so many.

Then I felt a needle go into my arm. Things began to start clearing up. They had positioned me at a 45 degree angle so I could see another big television screen in front of me.

As the injection continued to take effect, I realized I could move my head slightly. I could see the boys right there with me, as usual. It kind of brought comfort to think I wasn’t going through this alone. Each of us had our own private demons, but in a way it felt like we were all fighting the same war. We all had our secrets we had to live with, but knowing I wasn’t alone somehow helped.

Suddenly Clark appeared on the screen wearing a Santa hat. “Merry Christmas Red Band 1! It is now Christmas time on the surface boys, and this will be a Christmas you will soon forget! Santa will ease your pain,” Clark smiled.

I thought to myself, didn’t we go into Bronco’s cave in July? Now it’s Christmas? What the hell? How long was I unconscious?

Clark continued, “This time will be really easy on you boys. The tech we have now will make this a piece of cake. This reboot is an upgrade from before. You just have to sit back and accept what is taught. Don’t fight it, you only have to surrender. Once that is accomplished, your control module implants will be installed with the brand new Nano fibers throughout your bodies. This will enable us to manipulate your actions and help you on missions from our desks. It is really quite extraordinary. You will now have the ability to download files on the go. Intel will never be the same once this procedure is completed. For your healing you will be submerged in an ionized saline-protein solution for quick recovery and adaptability. This procedure will take six surface weeks for healing, but only two days down here at S4. Gentleman, this can be very painful if you fight the procedure. If you just let it happen, you will never have any psychological pain ever again. You will also have the strength and endurance on the surface, of those hybrid giant Nephilim guards you experienced. The success of this program depends on your willingness to co-operate. As you know, you have to have free will in order for this to work. You are my boys, always have been. Sit back and let it happen, Red Band 1. I will make sure nothing bad happens. You have my word, Gentleman.”

Clark disappeared from the screen and the videos started again. A lab coat walked up and injected my IV. It was Sara.