Life on the Farm

"Hun-gry," he told the Box.

Out of the four, he chose that one because it was blinking.
"Hun-gry," he repeated. Kyle had been hungry for a long time, and had yet to be fed. The Box did nothing, however. This was what Father had taught him, what he had to do for Food. So why wasn't it working?

"Hun-gry."

The Box looked at him from above, with its blinking red eye, and Kyle understood the problem. It was the blinking. If he could take care of the blinking, the food would come.

"Bad," he told the Box.

Kyle hobbled up to the Sleep Place, his body yawing gently, picked up the Warm Thing, and returned to face the Box.

"Bad," he told the Box, again. The word had a double connotation; he felt it, as he wrapped the edge of the Warm Thing around his wrist. The Box was Bad, but something told him that he was about to do something Bad, as well.
Kyle couldn't be sure, though. And, he was hungry. The hesitation niggled at him for a few more seconds, before he overrode it. The Warm Thing's edge taut around his wrist, and firmly clasped in his palm, Kyle gazed at the
blinking red eye and bared his teeth.

"Bad," he told the Box, took a step back, and swung at it with the Warm Thing. He tried to pull the Box down, as the Warm Thing enveloped it, but the Box didn't fall. Kyle screamed at it from between clenched teeth. He swung again, and obtained the same result.

"Bad!" Kyle continued swinging. He was afraid. The reasons for assaulting the Box, and its blinking eye, were no longer clear. A fluttery feeling that only came when he knew he had done something Bad joined the grumbling in the
pit of his famished stomach. But what was he doing wrong? He was hungry, and the Box hadn't fed him. So he was swinging at it, because. Kyle's fear exacerbated. There was no reason for this to be so, but it was.

He swung at the Box, unable to bring it down, and felt his stomach weaken.

An attack was looming; he could smell it.

"Bad," said the Voice, but Kyle didn't stop. The voice came from the Box, and the Box was Bad, hence.

Tears were coursing down Kyle's cheeks, as he swung and let out a confused bellow.

"Bad," the Voice repeated, although its usual tone of authority seemed more precarious, less threatening. Normally, such a show of weakness would have galvanized Kyle, but it didn't. Something Bad would happen, he would be
Punished, and it would hurt. It would hurt plenty.

Kyle didn't hear the door fly open, and didn't see the Blue Men run in; the Box had to be brought down, for reasons he no longer remembered. But he did feel the rush of air, and turned around just in time to see one of the Blue
Men bring the Black Pain down on his head. It connected with his face, and Kyle instantly fell to one knee, the Red gushing out of his nose and mouth.

The Red usually came presaged the pain, and it didn't take long for him to feel it. Kyle distractedly felt the Warm Thing fall from his grip, his hand going up to his bleeding nose, as a sharp pang appeared in his back, causing it to arch. His head shot up, as he screamed.

"Fuck!" screamed one of the Blue Men behind him. Kyle smelled their fear, but was in too much pain to attack, as he knew he should.

Before the howl had died in Kyle's throat, a hand lifted him by the hair andredressed his posture, until he stood perfectly upright. Eyes bleary with tears, he was able to see the Long Hair Blue Man before him, as he rammed
the Black Pain directly into his stomach.

All air was expelled from Kyle's body, as his knees buckled, and he instinctively stuck out his hands to avoid his face from hitting the Floor. He anticipated another blow, the final one before he went to sleep, and then he heard Father's voice.

"What the hell's going on?"

Kyle braced himself for the hit, eyes shut, arms straining to keep his upper body away from the Floor, but none came. Slowly, he clambered into the corner, by the Sleep Place, and kept his eyes closed, as he eased himself into a sitting position and covered his face with trembling hands.

"I asked you a question!" Father shouted. Kyle hoped the rage in Father's tone was directed at the Blue Men. "Jackson!"

"Sir." it was the Long Hair Blue Man, and he reeked of fear. Kyle felt his own terror subside, albeit slightly. "I, I really don't know. We just got a call from Perkins. He said the kid was trying to tear one of the cameras
down."

"How?" Father asked.

"I think it was with the blanket. Doctor, we just got the call, barely a minute ago. Perkins sounded panicky. I. I really don't know what happened."

"What exactly did Perkins say? Did he tell you what happened?"

"No, sir. He just said the kid went berserk."

Father sighed. "Kyle."

Kyle's trembling had decreased substantially, along with Father's anger. Buthe was still afraid to look up.

"Kyle," Father repeated, calm but firm. Kyle slowly lowered his hands, and tentatively opened his eyes. Father stood by the Door, flanked by the Blue Men. Father was White, like himself, and sometimes he wondered why the Blue
Men listened to Father and only hit him. But he understood that there were more pressing matters- Father looked at him with restrained aggression, awaiting acknowledgement. Kyle nodded, just like Father had taught him.

"Hungry?"

Kyle's eyes widened. Yes! That was why he had to bring down the Box. That was why they were here. He nodded feverishly. "Hun-gry."

"Hungry," said Father. Kyle kept nodding. Father looked at Long Hair Blue Man, as he spoke. "Did you feed him?"

"We did our rounds this morning."

"Did. You. Feed. Him." The staccato rhythm brought back some of Kyle's terror. He may not have known what Father was saying, but when Father spoke that way, something bad usually happened.

"I'm not sure we had this wing. I think it was Fredericks and Accardo. Not us, sir."

Father sighed again. "Anybody know why Perkins wasn't at his post?"

"Sir, I, uh, for all we know he was at his-"

"Kyle was hungry. If he told the camera, which he did, Perkins should have sent food."

"Yes, sir."

Father reached inside of himself, and produced the Sleep Thing along with a Small Jar. Father drained the Small Jar with the Sleep Thing and approached Kyle. Kyle looked at Father pleadingly, as Father smiled and squatted down
next to him. He wasn't going to hurt Kyle. The Sleep Thing stung for a second, as it always did, upon entering Kyle's arm, but the sting was worth the relief. Father looked at him, with the same smile as he spoke.

"I want to see the rounds list. You and Deveraux go to the Control Room.

Tell Perkins to wait. Fredericks and Accardo still on duty?"

"Yes, sir," replied Long Hair Blue Man.

"Call them, too. The five of us are going to have a nice little chat."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, and Jackson?" Father turned his head halfway around, as Kyle's vision gradually became blurrier.

"Yes, sir?"

"You better hope you're not lying."

"Yes, sir."

Father stared at Long Hair Blue Man for a few more seconds, and turned back to face Kyle. Father bared his teeth, and brushed a lock of hair away from Kyle's eyes.

"He needs a haircut," Father said, and Kyle drifted into slumber.

#

Kyle woke up in the Cage. The Picture Box was set up on top of the Sleep, and the Cup was on the other end of the Cage. It was dark, as it usually was when the Picture Box came. The Button was just outside the Cage.

Kyle stretched, and felt an itch on the nape of his neck. He reached over to scratch it, and nearly screamed upon feeling the bare skin of his head. His Hair had gone away again. He looked about the Cage, the Floor, and saw
nothing. The Sleep Place and Stink Seat were out of reach, and could not be examined. The Hair was gone again.

Where did it go?

Fear was settling in again, when Kyle remembered the Button. He squatted down and pressed it. The Picture Box came to life. As the images came in, he grinned and felt his Thing harden.

They were Playing again. The man thrust into the woman and out, and she screamed. Kyle screamed as well, and reached into his pants with one hand, as the other went for the Cup. He brought out his Thing, contorted it so the
tip faced the cup with some effort, just as Father had taught him, and stroked.

The woman was beautiful. Her Breasts enormous, and Kyle found himself entranced by the way in which they bounced up and down. He wondered if they would ever let him Play with anyone.

The Yellow Hair Lady moaned with each thrust, and Kyle felt his breathing grow heavy. She was saying things to the Man, whom he couldn't see, but he heard nothing. Kyle closed his eyes, saw himself as the Man In The Picture
Box, and was done five strokes later.

Eyes closed, he remained perfectly still for a few more seconds, regaining his breath and revelling in the moment. He slowly tucked his Thing away, opened his eyes, and set the Cup outside the Cage. As Father had taught him, he waved at the Box; it didn't blink this time. The Picture Box was still on, but he was no longer interested. Kyle stood up and turned it off with a push of the Button.

The Blue Men came in a few seconds later, and his thoughts briefly returned to the conundrum of the missing Hair, before the Blue Men threw the Metal Rope at his feet. Kyle sat down, his back against the Cage, picked up the
Metal Rope, and stretched both arms backwards, until they jutted outside the cage at a straight angle. The cold grip of the Metal Rope sent a shiver down his spine, as it surrounded his wrists, and the muscles in his back screamed as a Blue Man gently held them at the appropriate angle. Kyle bit down on his lip, as the Sleep Stick entered his arm.

The Blue Man gently removed the Metal Rope, once he was done, and lowered Kyle's arms. The Cage's bars became blurry, seeming to coalesce with the White Walls. Kyle fell asleep.

When he awoke on the floor by the Sleep Place to find the Cage gone, along with the Picture Box. But there was Food in the middle of the room. It smelled good. Although his muscles were weak, Kyle instantly scrambled to his feet and ran to the Food.

#

There was a line on the Wall. It was straight and black. Kyle didn't know how it appeared, but he saw it.
He stood up from the Sleep Place, and traipsed up to the anomaly. The line did not move. He ran a finger against it, but it felt the same as the rest of the Wall. The line still did not move. It had to move if he touched it.

He ran his finger against it again. No movement.

Kyle punched it and screamed, before beginning to claw at it. It still did not budge.

"Bad."

Kyle felt something stir in his stomach, but continued clawing.

"Bad."

His movements slowed, as he turned to look at the Box. The Voice was different, but it was firm. Kyle realized that he was being Bad. He stood still for a few seconds, his hand on the Wall, and scurried back to the Sleep Place.

The Blue Men came in. Long Hair Blue Man was one of them, but the other he didn't recognize.

"Acting up?" asked Long Hair Blue Man. Kyle hadn't done the Bad long enough to warrant Punishment, but he sensed that the Blue Men meant him harm.

"What do we do?" asked the other Blue Man.

"Wait in the hall," said Long Hair Blue Man.

"Why?"

"Because I said so. Chain of command, Hoffer. Go."

The other Blue Man looked at Kyle, his eyes alarmed. Pain was coming. He hesitated, and left. Long Hair Blue Man slowly approached, Black Pain in his hand. Kyle saw that he was baring his teeth.

"Acting up?" he repeated. Kyle didn't understand; he just stared. "You got my buddies transferred out, you know that?"

The Blue Man poked Kyle's stomach with the Black Pain. Kyle felt an urge to attack come and go.

"Dr. Richards isn't here to help you this time, shit-for-brains. You can't even understand what I'm saying, can you? Can you?"

He poked again. Kyle closed his eyes.

"Hey!"

The Blue Man grabbed Kyle by the cheeks, and shook his face until he opened his eyes.

"Look at me, fucker."

The Blue Man put the Black Pain away, and Kyle felt a glimmer of hope. It was short-lived, however, as the man produced the Shaking Pain. Kyle cringed, as the Blue Man showed more of his teeth.

"Have fun, baby."

The Blue Man put the Shaking Pain up to Kyle's leg, and the pain came instantly. Kyle's teeth clamped down, as a rush of pain tickled his chest and head, before spreading to the rest of his body. Kyle didn't scream, just whimpered when the Blue Man took the Shaking Pain away.

"Like that? I said do you like that?"

The Blue Man hit Kyle across the face, but he barely felt it; his body was shaking, and breathing was hard. The Blue Man grabbed Kyle's cheeks, and bore his teeth again, as a preamble to the Shaking Pain's encore performance.

Kyle smelled and smelled something bitter, before passing out. When he awoke, the line on the Wall was gone.

#

The Girl was in his room, three Sleeps after the last Punishment. Kyle felt flummoxed, seeing as she was different. The other times she stood before him, the Girl was in a Cage, asleep. And although they hadn't let him Play last time, he hoped that his time would come soon. Which was why this was so much more confusing.

She recoiled, when he stood up and smelled the air. Kyle could sense that she was afraid, could see it in the way her eyes were wide open, and could smell it wafting through the air.

Tentatively, he walked up to her, as she retreated into a corner. When he was within touching distance, he sniffed at her, and she began to cry. It wasn't a Pain cry, like when he was Punished. This was fear.

Kyle reached out and touched her waist, and her crying intensified. He sniffed her face, close, and licked one of the tears that cascaded from her eyes. The Girl looked at him, quickly averted her gaze, and put her hands on his chest. Kyle felt surprised, when she weakly tried to push him away. The last time that she was here, there was none of this, no resistance. Kyle touched her face with his palm, wiped some of the tears away, and took a step back. He wanted to cry, himself. Was she afraid of him, or something, some Pain, that was forthcoming?

It didn't matter, he decided. It had to stop.

Walking backwards, Kyle returned to the Sleep Place and sat down, his eyes not leaving the Girl. She seemed puzzled and slightly relieved, but wept on. The Blue Men came in shortly after. The Long Hair Blue Man was one of them.
Kyle glared at him, as the man bore his teeth once again.

"You fuckin' candyass," said Long Hair Blue Man, as he dragged the Girl away. She gave him a final glance, before they herded her out. Kyle gazed at the Door for a further few seconds, and stood up. He went to the Floor, lay down on his stomach, and began pushing himself up from the floor, just as Father had taught him.

#

Father walked in with three Blue Men. Kyle had just finished using the Stink Seat, and felt a sudden pang of fear. Did he do something Bad? He had used the White Things, and had pulled the Metal Handle. Did he make a mistake? He
hoped not. But nothing had warned him, told him that he was Bad. The sight of the Long Hair Blue Man made him afraid, but confusion was the overriding sentiment.

Father bared his teeth, stepped in front of the Blue Men, put his hand before his chest and gently lowered it. He wanted Kyle to sit, and the order was quickly obeyed.

"Jackson," said Father.

"Yes, sir?" Long Hair Blue Man asked, gaze not leaving Kyle's.

"I'm sorry, but you brought this on yourself."

Kyle's confusion grew by leaps and bounds, when the baleful glint in Long Hair Blue Man's eyes instantly morphed into fear. One of the Blue Men drove his Black Pain into Long Hair Blue Man's stomach, while the other came
behind the Long Hair Blue Man, put his Black Pain against his neck, and held him in place.

Father looked at Kyle, a reassuring look that indicated there was nothing to fear, and turned to face Long Hair Blue Man.

"I came across some interesting footage last week, Jackson."

"Sir," Long Hair Blue Man grunted. "I-"

"You signed a contract with us, Mr. Jackson, did you not? A binding document? Do you remember something in that contract about treatment of subjects?"

"Sir," Long Hair Blue Man croaked, "it-"

"It's okay, Jackson. I know it's hard to speak. Just listen. The reason we have rules, is that there would be no chaos. It's a very basic concept. That's why we have laws in this country, and every other country on the planet. In a society, for example, laws are there to protect the people. Well some people, but that's neither here nor there- that's the point of a code of laws. Every different society has a different ultimate purpose, which is protected by a code. And the Farm is no exception. Our rules aren't there to give tax breaks to the elite, or to protect civil liberties: they're in place because we are here for a purpose.

"Anyway, all I want to say is that we do not summarily abuse our subjects, because we wish to have them disciplined. Hence, rules to avoid chaos. If our subjects misbehave- they are punished and they are less likely to misbehave. Now, what do you think happens when they are punished for any other reason? They become confused. They understand that good behaviour doesn't necessarily keep the pain at bay, like a dog that gets kicked around by its owner. And then there is chaos, disorder."

Father stopped talking, and dropped all emotion from his face, as he approached Long Hair Blue Man. Kyle found this unsettling, and felt like fleeing, when Father leaned his face so close to Long Hair Blue Man's that Kyle was certain his erstwhile tormentor's nose would be bitten off any minute.

"Kyle did nothing to you or your friends. Your friends merely screwed up, and now they are gone. Simple. Why you felt compelled to let out your aggression on Kyle I still don't know, but."Father sighed.

"I know this isn't the first time that we have this conversation, Jackson.

But when you use the cattle prod, something that we specifically state can only be use with the Directorate's approval, you're not leaving me much choice."

Father turned to the other Blue Man.

"Strip him."

"Naked?" asked the other Blue Man.

"Just the weapons," said Father and took a few steps back, his gaze remaining on his soon-to-be victim.

Long Hair Blue Man struggled in vain, as the other Blue Man removed his belt. The Black Pain, Shaking Pain, Wet Pain, some Metal things, and other things he had never seen, fell to the Floor, and were carried out. The Blue
Man returned shortly after.

"Pat him down," Father said. Kyle felt certain that Father would pounce on Long Hair Blue Man any minute now. And kill him. The Other Blue Man ran his hands over the Blue of Long Hair Blue Man, and stood back up.

"He's clean."

Father nodded, and walked up to Kyle. Father then pointed at Long Hair Blue Man.

"Bad," he said.

Kyle looked at Father, uncomprehending.

"God, no!" screamed Long Hair Blue Man.

"Bad," Father repeated. "Petrossian, the nightstick."

The other Blue Man cautiously approached Father, and Kyle could sense the fear coming from the man. But, somehow, he sensed that Father was no longer the source of that fear. The other Blue Man hesitated, and set down his
Black Pain on the Sleeping Place, beside Kyle.

"Bad," Father repeated.

Kyle looked at Father, and it finally dawned on him. Long Hair Blue Man was Bad. He would be punished. But why was he telling Kyle? Kyle became confused again.

"Please, no! Sir, no!" screamed Long Hair Blue Man. The stench of fear was so strong, that Kyle began grinding his upper jaw against its counterpart.

"Bad," Father repeated. Kyle saw the other Blue Man retreat, looked at the Black Pain by his side, and looked back at Father.

And there it was.

He was supposed to punish Long Hair Blue Man.

At that moment, he loved Father more than ever.

Kyle picked up the Black Pain, and stood.

"No!" screamed Long Hair Blue Man, tears on his face. The putrid stench of fear galvanized Kyle even further. With a brisk step, he ran up to Long Hair Blue Man and slammed the Black Pain into his stomach with all of his might.

The Blue Man who held Long Hair Blue Man in place removed his black pain from the neck and walked away, gingerly.

Kyle swung again, and hit Long Hair Blue Man's face.

He swung again.

And again.

And again.

Kyle lost himself in the flurry of blows, and only became fully conscious at the sound of his own voice. He remembered swinging a handful of times, but when he looked at the Long Hair Blue Man, or what was left of him, he understood that it had to be more. Kyle felt confused again.

"Kyle," Father repeated. He stood closer, and his hand was stuck out. Kyle looked at his hands, drenched in Red, and realized that he still held the Black Pain. The Black Pain felt wet. He handed it back to Father, and returned his attention to Long Hair Blue Man.

His former tormentor was a sea of Red. His face was different, misshapen. Red oozed out of his skull, along with other things of a slightly different shade. Long Hair Blue Man was no longer moving. Kyle felt like delivering
another blow with his hand, but something told him that it would be unnecessary.

"Carry him out," Father said. Kyle turned around and saw the other Blue Men traipse up to Long Hair Blue Man. Kyle smelled fear, once again.

Father put a hand on Kyle's shoulder and guided him back to the Sleep Place.

He took out the Sleep Stick, and Kyle was glad.

He was tired.

#

Two Blue Men brought the Girl into his room, almost as soon as the Food arrived. They threw her onto the floor and left. She looked at Kyle, and scrambled into the corner, eyes ablaze with terror.

"Hun-gry?" he asked, but she said nothing, simply looked at him with alert, wide eyes. This time around, the smell of fear was weaker. Kyle took some of the Food and held it out to her.

The Girl remained still.

He put the food into his mouth, and ate. Why wasn't she taking the food?

Maybe it was too far.

He stood up, and slowly walked up to the girl. She seemed to shrink further into the corner, but Kyle was relieved to see that she wasn't crying. The fear smell was indeed weaker, but still present. As soon as he'd made it to
her feet, he carefully set the Food down and returned to the Sleep Place.

She began eating instantly. Her bites were smaller than his, but the Girl had an appetite. The Food was gone quickly, and she burped. They looked at each other for a while.

After some time, the Girl stood up, took two tentative steps, and flitted up to the Sleep Place. She set the Food Thing down by Kyle's feet, and scurried back into her corner.

The Blue Men came shortly. As they took her away, she once again gave him a sidelong glance just before her departure.

#

Kyle woke up in the Cage. The Picture Box wasn't there, nor was the Cup.

Kyle tried to move, but was unable. The Metal Rope held his arms fastened to the Cage.

What was this? Kyle racked his brain, and his answer came to mind at the same time as it walked through the door.

It was the Inspection.

Father appeared first, followed by two White Men. One of the Blue Men who had helped him Punish Long Hair Blue Man ushered in four Green Men, and they lined up in front of the Cage. They watched, until a Green Man stepped
forward and spoke.

"So what is this?"

"This is KRX-9012. Our stud," Father said, with a subtle hostility that Kyle instantly detected.

The Green Man moved closer, and Kyle was suddenly afraid. This man was Bad. With each step he took, Kyle became more uneasy with and sensitive to the undercurrent of fear in the room. Even Father was afraid. Kyle didn't think such a thing was possible.

"Stud, huh?"

"Yes, General."

"Why's he tied up? I want to see what he can do." The Green Man bore his teeth.

"Uh, he's a stud general. He's here for reproduction."

"Big, ain't he? Why isn't he in the Combat Division?"

"He's the best specimen we've had. Physical and mental."

The Green Man leaned closer to the Cage. Kyle's teeth were grinding, as he unwittingly applied an inordinate amount of pressure onto his jaw. If the man somehow came closer, he would attack. Some of the other Green Men had a
pernicious air about them, but this one was the scariest, by far. "How 'bout it, son? You the best?"

"He can't speak, General," Father said.

"What do you mean 'he can't speak'?" The Green Man wheeled around to face Father. "The best you got's a mute?"

"No, General."

"So what is he, a retard?" The Green Man gestured at Kyle with a wave of his arm; Kyle winced. "I thought you said he was a good mental subject."

"No, General. He's been conditioned this way. Isolation until adolescence. Makes them easier to control. He can communicate his needs, but that's about it."

"So how do you know he's not a retard?"

"We run tests regularly. Association tests, things like that. He does well. If I had to guess, I'd say he'd make a B student."

"Hmm." The Green Man returned his full attention to Kyle, and looked him up and down. "Wouldn't even need that to get into college. This is the type of kid football scholarships were made for."

The people in the room bared their teeth and grunted, as Kyle felt the smell of fear intensify in the room.

"So," the Green Man continued, his attention turning to the Room, "does he live here?"

"Yes, General," said Father. "He rarely leaves this room. And when he does, he's unconscious."

"Hmm. This kid's got it made: a bed, a blanket, a shitter, and a cup to beat off into."

More teeth, more grunts, more fear. Kyle closed his eyes. A part of him thought that the man would eat him alive, if given the chance. The Green Man bared more of his teeth and winked at him, before turning back to face
Father.

"That about sums it up, General," Father said.

"Does he live in the cage?"

"No, General. We keep him in there for visitors and sample collection. He's well disciplined, but change in circumstance makes him nervous. You never know."

"I see. How old is he?"

"Eighteen."

"How long do you keep them?"

"Usually until the age of twenty-eight."

"So that's another decade."

"Yes, General."

The Green Man took a few steps toward Father, and Kyle fought back an urge to pounce. The man looked ready to tear father into pieces, but charging the Cage would only hurt- experience had taught him that much.

"What I want to know, Doctor Richards, is why this is any better or cheaper than cloning research?"

"Well." Kyle smelled an outpouring of fear from Father, and knew that the Green man had felt it, too. "General, we get very little funding, as it is. It's my understanding that cloning gets close to ninety percent of the budget allocated to the project."

"That's right. But where are the results?"

"Well, sir, our combat unit's around sixteen years old in average. It'll take us a few years to see concrete results, when the kids finish going through puberty."

"Too long." Kyle felt The Green Man's voice become even more laden with aggression, if that was possible.

"General, we're not expecting a breakthrough in cloning for another decade, at least. If we allocate our-"

"If we allocate all the money, we're not going to get anywhere. If we allocate more scientists, we might speed up the process."

"But, we're not experts on cloning. This is the Farm, General. We breed and train."

"You're all scientists. It can't be that hard to learn."

"General, that's-"

"NSA doesn't run the Sparta Project anymore, Doctor. I do."

"Yes, but we're not qualified to-"

"You got some people who know DNA?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"So you'll send half of them over to the Shop. Is that what they call it?"

"Yes, sir. But we're already-"

"Doctor, if I keep interrupting you, it means I don't give a shit about your objections. This is coming straight from the top. The President has received reports that this place isn't as secret as it used to be. Now, you've had
almost two decades to produce results. I know that it takes time for the kids to grow up. But I think you could spare some personnel. I mean all you gotta do is take the coupla years you need to bring 'em up, look at the
results and assess whether it's worth continuing or not. Am I right?"

"And to modify according to our findings?" Kyle sensed that Father had lost some of his fear, had turned it into anger.

"We can't make proper adjustments without the manpower."

"Doctor, I sympathize. But this place is too much of a risk. If you want my advice, I'd slowly start closing up shop around here. 'Cause I just got this feeling that in a few years, your results won't be all that satisfying to
the top brass, no matter how impressive they are. Nobody wants to see this place discovered. And if I were you, I'd start playing nice. This doesn't have to be the end of your career, Doc."

Father glared at the man. "So I just gave you a tour, so you could tell me this place is gone?"

"No, doctor. Not necessarily. I've just been asked to relay the general consensus on the project. It's a new administration. It doesn't mean they'll be around four years from now, but this place is on thin ice, and you should
consider the possibility. That's all I'm saying. Now, show me this Combat unit. I still want to see what they can do."
Father said nothing. He simply flounced past the Green and White Men, and they followed him outside. The Blue Man walked up to Kyle with the Sleep Stick. As it plunged into his arm, Kyle hoped that he would never see that
Green Man again.

#

Father walked into his room. Kyle thought he looked tired, as if he'd put the Sleep Stick into himself. Slowly, Father walked up to the Sleep Place, and sat beside Kyle.

Father sighed.

"I'm sorry, Kyle. You can't understand this, but you won't ever see me again.

"My wife couldn't have kids, so you were the closest I ever had to a son. I felt like I should say something before I leave. I don't even know why I said that."

Kyle realized that Father was trembling. No hit was forthcoming, that much he knew, but seeing father this way was still somehow frightening.

"The, uh, girl. I thought you'd like her. She was warming up to you. But. I."

Kyle saw Father's eyes tear up, but there was no fear in his face.

"I was going to wish you. something good. But who're we kidding? They said I'll be getting transferred soon. That means I'll be dead. They took you away from me, Kyle. So I'm taking you away from them. You and everybody else
in this place.

"When they come for you, go. I guess they'll show you what life really is. If there is such a thing. I'm. I'm sorry."

Father patted Kyle's knee and left.

Kyle watched the Door close.

#

"Hello, Kyle. I'm Doctor Jennings."

The White Man wasn't Father. Kyle became alert.

"He can't understand you, sir," said the Blue Man, eyes not leaving Kyle's.

"All right." The White Man looked at the Blue Man. "Are the charts in Richards' office?"

"They should be, sir."

"Good. Is he dangerous?"

"He can be. There's periods where he becomes a little obsessive. That's when you gotta keep an eye on him. That's what Doctor Richards told us, anyway. He's pretty obedient, though. As long as you know how to act around him."

"All right." The White Man bared his teeth at Kyle. "I'll be seeing you, Kyle."

The White Man left, and the Blue Man followed.

Kyle went to the Floor, and began pushing up his body.

#

There were many noises. The Light guttered, went off, and came back on. Kyle became frightened. There were too many noises. Some were screams. Others were different types of screams. Some were just sharp, unpleasant noises. He remembered an occasion where a Blue Man brought his Food, and dropped the Food Thing onto
the floor. It made an unpleasant sound, and the noises from outside sounded just like that, only amplified. And scary.
He sat up in the Sleep Place, and waited. Something had happened, and someone would come. He just hoped that he didn't do anything Bad, that he wouldn't be Punished.

The man came through the Door. He wasn't White, Blue, or even Green. He was Black. In his hand, there was a thing that slightly resembled the Black Pain, but bigger and different.

"Come on, kid! Let's go!"

The Black Man waved him over, but Kyle didn't move. He wanted Father to tell him what to do. The Black Man lingered at the door, and left when he saw that Kyle wouldn't obey.

The Door remained open, however, and Kyle could see nothing on the other side.

It was as if there was no Light.

But the noises grew louder.

Kyle remained still. The smell of Fear was overbearing. For a second, he thought that he should run through the door. But that idea was ephemeral, like most deviant thoughts.

Father would be here, soon.

And then it would be fine.

Kyle sat and waited.