Stopping the World

Not even remembering being knocked out, I woke up in a room. It actually took me a moment to realize I was actually awake because I was surrounded in complete darkness. But once I felt myself blinking, that verified that I was awake.

“Hello Marley,” a voice said, while I believe I looked around in confusion. “Do you know where you are?”

“Heaven?” I questioned sarcastically, though I still didn’t know where I was. The man’s laugh sounded demonic.

“No, no. More like the opposite, actually,” the man said, as a bright light came on. I had to look away in attempt to shield my eyes; I now could see that I was sitting it a chair, with my hands what felt like cuffed behind my back and my feet tied down. A door opened, and in-walked said man, I presumed. I raised an eyebrow.

“So, hell?” I guessed, since he didn’t actually say it.

“Well, I guess. If you believe in that sort of thing,” he said. “Or well, I guess technically you could say that, considering we’re under the outer surface of the earth and close to its core right now.”

“What? That’s not even possible,” I said. “That’s like trying to get close to the sun. Except with not as extreme temperatures.”

“Aw, but it is, Marley,” the man said, standing in front of me. “How else do you expect the earth’s... government, to go unnoticed?”

“The earth has a government?” I questioned rhetorically. “What is this? Who are you really? And how did I even get here? I don’t even remember getting knocked the hell out!”

“Language, now,” he said. “It be best that you respect me, if you want to make it out alive. I am what I just said, a part of it anyhow. And you’re here because... well, you know why, Marley. And we have our ways as to getting you here, that... you don’t really need to know about. Did you really think you could just keep running?”

“I planned on it,” I said seriously. He laughed at me.

“Well, I admire your dedication, I give you that,” he said. “But what you did is not so admirable. Do you realize what damage you’ve caused? I knew we shouldn’t have given your family a second chance. What your brother did was a bit rough, but you... oh, I can’t even mention what all we have to fix considering what you have done.”

“What I have done? All I did was freeze the world! It’s not like I touched this giant group of people that now know about it or something!”

“Ah, yes, but you touched Nick,” he said. “And along with him, your brother remained unfrozen because of his mishap from before. And not only that, but he brought his girlfriend along, and now she knows of the secret too. I’m surprised you didn’t bring your friend along as well... just to add to it all.”

“Who, Rachel?” I asked. “She has nothing to do with this, so leave her alone!”

“That’s a different topic we have yet to get to, if we even do,” he stated. “But did you really think you would get away with this, without there being any consequences? You honestly have no idea what you’ve done. You’ve frozen earth’s activity. Not only the people, but the natural aspects! If we weren’t here to correct it, and world unfroze naturally, which it would have seen to do eventually, it would be safe to say it could explode from the inactivity. You do realize that could’ve happened, don’t you? I can answer this question for you: no, you wouldn’t have. So you wouldn’t have only killed civilization, but all of the world as we know it! You pathetic, naive girl! Generations, I swear, they have just gotten worse and worse with teaching their offspring logic and sense.”

“I thought our knowledge has gotten better,” I said. He shrugged.

“Touché, but, only a certain number of people truly use that advanced intelligence,” he pointed out. “Instead of on people who really need it, such as you.”

“Hey, I’m not stupid!” I defended. “For instance, I know you’re lying when you say we’re near earth’s core right now. It’s not humanly possible!”

“Who said that all of us were the average humans?” he countered.

“Well then how am I here?”

“A special formula,” he stated, but sounded sarcastic. “Besides, if you were so ‘smart’, you wouldn’t have ever did what you did, without considering the consequences or measuring out what could’ve resulted.”

“I was thoughtless, I will admit that,” I said, looking down. “But love does that to you.”

“That’s another thing! Love! What is this love thing, you people on earth have developed?” he questioned. “What you people on earth now believe? Love was a mythological thing developed by an artist, not intended to be real. But, it’s been so built up that a few of you stupid humans choose to believe in it. Some have developed the sense not too, but there’s still the select few...”

He trailed off, and I wasn’t sure if he was going to finish. But then he said, “There is the natural instinct to protect those you have lived with most, if not all, of your life, but never a... closeness you’ve developed for someone you’ve known say, less than five years. It’s not natural. A full trusting and close relationship takes a lifetime, literally. That’s the only thing there is to believe.”

“You seem uncaring, so I would expect this from you,” I told him, not even blinking to show that I was serious. He laughed.

“We’re not supposed to be caring. If we were, our organization would’ve failed by now, and if that happened, well, you wouldn’t be here either,” he said.

“Darwin, to the main console. Darwin, to the main console!” a voice boomed overhead, much like the man’s had done a few moments ago. He looked up in response to the announcement.

“Darwin, huh?” I asked. “Like Charles Darwin?”

“Who do you think was responsible for creating him? One of the only intelligent human beings that has lived on this planet?” he asked rhetorically, before making his way out of the room. “I’ll be back!”

After he left, the bright light shut off, and I was again surrounded by darkness.

“Great,” I said. I was more panicked than I put off. I was worried. Where was Nick? What about Michael? If I didn’t make it out, did that mean he didn’t either?

“Marley!” I suddenly heard, and I notably jumped. Speaking of Michael.

“Michael?” I questioned, trying to look around, but still not seeing anything because the light was gone.

Darwin came back into the room, and the light came back on.

“Do you have my brother?” I asked him. “Is he here?”

“What, do you think we were just after you?” he asked. “Yes, we have him. His girlfriend too. We couldn’t just let them go running lose. You could probably guess what his first action would be when he realized we caught you. He would’ve unfrozen your parents. And while we’re not the nicest of people, we’d rather not have anyone killed over what sums up to be your foolish action. Too much questioning would be raised from people who knew them to let that happen.”

“So what Michael predicted was true?”

“Roughly,” he answered. “It’s a shame that he screwed up that one time. He would’ve been a much better suit for the earth keeper as opposed to you.”

“Where is he?” I asked, ignoring the insult. “I want to see him.”

“I cannot let you know of his whereabouts. And that’s not going to happen,” he said, just as the voice came over the loud speaker again.

“Darwin, to the main console. Darwin, to the main console!”

“Oh, what is it now?” he shouted, stomping his foot down. Once he did so, I finally got my tied-up feet lose, and kicked his shin.

“Ow!” he shouted, as I got my other foot lose, and managed to stand up while still attached to the chair. “Hey!”

I made my way past him and to the door while I could still see it. I had a feeling the light would be going off soon.

“Hey!” Darwin shouted again, as I shoved the door open with the chair. In doing so, I ended up breaking it and managed to get my cuffed hands out from where they were. Now they were in front of me, but still cuffed together.

I was in a hallway now, and I shouted the first thing that came to mind.

“Michael! Michael!” I shouted, continuing down the hallway to the next door. I got a response.

“Marley!” I heard him say, and so I kicked the door open. He was sitting there, in a chair, like I had been. Like when Darwin had entered my room, a bright light when on. Michael looked away from it.

“Shit,” I said, seeing he was tied down like I had been. “My hands are cuffed. Can you get your feet loose?”

He struggled for a moment, before finally getting them out. He then stood up, with the chair still attached.

“Um...” I said, going behind him to see he was hand-cuffed too. I kicked at one of the legs on the chair, and it broke off. “You might have to shove against the wall like I did. And then bring your arms around under your feet.”

He did as I told him in a minute, seemingly a lot faster than I did.

“Great, let’s go,” I said, as an alarm started to go off. He followed me out of the room.

“What about Anna?” he asked, “I’m not leaving her, Marley.”

“And I don’t blame you,” I said. “Anna!”

“Anna!” Michael now shouted, as we ran down the hallway. “Anna!”

There was only one more doorway, and it was down at the end of the hall.

“That has to be where she is,” I said, as I made my way to it and kicked it open.

It ended up being more than I was expecting.

Headquarters, it looked like. A giant screen was on the far wall, with people hustling about. The screen was surrounded by other, smaller ones. Each had a different picture and scene.

“Gotcha,” I heard, before being knocked out. This time, unlike before, I actually felt the knocking out-part.