Smoke and Mirrors, Part 1

The Association was a many-faced beast with myriad names—the Aeon Research Association, the Human Elevation Association, the Serpent's Fruit Association, the Blank Slate Association, and the Dead Sun Association, to list a few. Each name represented a tentacle that reached deep into worlds unknown to ordinary man. The beast acted without regard for morality or legality, shielded by its benefactors: three-letter agencies, multibillion-dollar corporations, research institutes, foreign investors and governments, and perhaps any number of groups too dangerous to list here.

To receive a letter from such an entity inviting the recipient to "partake in an unusual challenge" should have raised questions, if indeed the recipient knew what the Association was. Newcomers could be forgiven in this sense. However, there were many who returned to the Association's rooms often enough to be considered "regulars." Each time they would put their souls on the scales and play the Association's game with their memories, emotions, and very sanity on the line. Some were driven by desperation or greed, some by boredom, and others still by spite. But every one of them would accept the invitation once again, no questions asked.

What follows is the story of some of those regulars.

***

Valerie entered the room feeling confident. Even when confronted with that massive concrete space—it was easily 100 feet to the far wall, with barred windows placed well out of reach near the ceiling—she had a slight smile and a spring in her step. The room was predominantly occupied by a large chamber at its center, enclosed by frosted glass. Two participants were already present: a bearded man with messy blond hair wearing a black turtleneck, and a bald man built like a brick wall standing off to the side. The man with the beard was inspecting a desk placed in front of the frosted glass wall nearest to the entrance.

Valerie joined him. The desk was wide enough to support an array of several darkened screens, a keyboard, and a microphone, all of which joined together in a bundle of cables that ran behind the desk and into the floor. Valerie curiously pecked at one of the buttons on the keyboard, but nothing happened.

"They're really pushing the definition of 'room' with this one, huh?"

The man glanced at her as if he hadn't noticed her before, looking her up and down. He wore a world-weary expression that made him look older than he probably was, but his gray eyes pierced through her.

"Let me guess—second time?" he said.

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Good guess."

"You have the arrogant swagger of someone with just enough experience to get herself into trouble."

The words were harsh, but something about their delivery made Valerie laugh.

"And you have the slightly disgruntled energy of someone with too much experience," she fired back.

He snorted. "Well said."

"I'm Valerie. You can call me Val."

"Roman."

"So… how many times have you done this?"

"Today will be my fifty-first." He yawned.

Valerie blinked. "Wow."

"A word of warning from someone with too much experience: They go easy on first-timers. The second game is always your hardest."

The door opened, and a woman with full cheeks and short hair dyed purple entered. She looked at each of the others in turn, then marched up to the bulky man. He leaned down as she whispered something to him, then responded with a grunt.

"Does everyone else know each other, then?" Valerie asked. For a moment, she wondered if this was going to be like high school all over again, with the cliques and the gossip.

"I can only speak for myself," Roman said. "I don't know the person who just entered. The big one is George. He lost too many wagers and can no longer form coherent sentences."

Valerie looked at Roman.

"It could be worse," is all he said.

Soon after, a man with his hair spiked into a mohawk entered the room.

"Yo, Roman!" he called.

"Hello, Ozzie."

They shook hands, though Ozzie was doing most of the shaking.

"Always good to see you, bro."

Then he turned to Valerie and excitedly introduced himself. He was wearing a letterman jacket and had a youthful, easy smile. In the middle of this, the door opened one more time, distracting Ozzie.

"Alvin! My man." Ozzie clapped the new arrival, a lanky man with long, dark bangs, on the shoulder.

"If I can offer another piece of unsolicited advice, it would be to not be like him," Roman said to Valerie.

"In what way?"

"Any of it. But definitely don't make friends in a place like this."

An artificial chime sound echoed through the room.

"All players have arrived. The rules will now be explained," a robotic, sing-song voice announced. "Please note that the explanation will not be repeated. Thank you for your attention."

Roman scratched his beard. Valerie took a deep breath.

"At the center of the room is the maze chamber. Inside the chamber, automated mechanisms will assemble a maze using metal plates as walls. Players will form teams of two. Each team will consist of a runner and a guide. The runner will enter the maze chamber wearing a headset equipped with a microphone and camera, and the guide will monitor the runner's progress at the provided desk and assist him or her with navigation. Players will be given a manual detailing how to use the provided computer and what to expect from the maze.

"A new maze layout will be created for each team. Once a runner enters the chamber, his or her team will have twenty-five minutes to explore as much of the maze as desired, with the goal of locating and retrieving up to four items—one respirator mask and one hammer tool for each member of a team. These items may prove useful to players in the final challenge.

"If the runner remains in the chamber beyond the twenty-five-minute limit, his or her team will be immediately disqualified. The three teams will attempt the maze in sequence. The maze will become more difficult every turn, but teams may freely observe the current players' progress and strategies while waiting.

"At this time, please organize yourselves into teams of two and, as a group, reach an agreement on the order in which teams will challenge the maze. After five minutes of discussion, if two teams are attempting to claim the same position, both will be immediately disqualified."

The screens on the desk simultaneously flicked on, all displaying the same thing—a five-minute timer counting down.

The purple-haired woman spoke before anyone else could. "I'm going first."

"Oh, yeah?" Ozzie said. "My bro Alvin and I have had a couple of rough games this year. I think we should go first."

"I don't care."

"Huh? What's your deal, lady?"

"I'm going first. You losers don't deserve it."

George lumbered over and stood beside the woman. Even without saying anything, his towering presence made Ozzie and Alvin hesitate. Valerie, noticing the teams had formed before she even realized it, shot a sideways glance at Roman, who looked entirely disinterested.

"There's not much reason to fight over this, is there?" She spoke up. "We're not really competing with each other. It might even make sense for everyone to work together."

"It's always a competition, especially when it looks like it isn't," Roman interjected.

Valerie frowned at him.

He shrugged. "Either way, we're going third. You all can argue for five minutes and get disqualified if you want."

"We're going third?" Valerie said. "Why?"

"More information is always better." He turned away from the group and plopped into the chair at the desk. "This room needs more seats."

"How about this: rock-paper-scissors for first," Ozzie said.

"I'm going first. Don't make me say it again."

Alvin nervously glanced between Ozzie, the stubborn woman, and the imposing statue of a man behind her. "Bro, why don't we just take second?"

Ozzie considered it for a moment. "Fine. We'll go second. It'll probably be more fun anyway."

The screens darkened, and the announcement chime played once more.

"The teams have been decided. Jeanna and George will be Team One. Ozzie and Alvin will be Team Two. Roman and Valerie will be Team Three. The aforementioned headset and manual are being delivered now."

There was a metallic squeak as a tray was pushed through a slot in the door that Valerie hadn't noticed before.

"The first maze is being prepared. Team One, please stand by."