The interior of the room was white. The domed ceiling connected seamlessly with the circumference of the walls and floor. There were two doors, concealed so as to be invisible when shut. The room was empty except for a white desk at which a glassy-eyed young man in a white suit was standing. A screen, mounted within the surface of the desk, glowed with an eerie blue light which reflected on the man’s face. He stared constantly at the screen, touching and swiping with well-practised precision. The door opposite opened and eight people walked into the room. The man did not look up but continued moving his hands over the screen. Always touching and swiping.
The people, dressed in the same white suits, had on their right hand a particular symbol, printed in black. One of the people, a boy of about fifteen, seemed to hesitate. He looked back nervously but the door through which they had entered was no longer visible. A girl with large round eyes noticed and briefly took hold of his hand. The gesture was almost unnoticeable but the youngster seemed reassured, and they walked forward together. The other candidates were somewhat older, and one man appeared to be lame in his right leg. A row of equally-spaced, luminescent blue symbols appeared on the floor in front of the desk. The symbols, each enclosed in an illuminated blue circle, matched the marks on the candidates’ hands. The glassy-eyed man continued to move his fingers ceaselessly over the screen.
A recorded female voice playing over an intercom resonated in the chamber, “Thank you for your interest in Ventura Corporation. Please take your marks for the selection process.”
Obediently, each person found the circle containing their symbol and stood within it. Without warning, transparent, glass-like tubes protruded rapidly from the floor, enclosing each candidate and extending to the ceiling. Each tube then merged seamlessly with floor and ceiling, as if part of some giant living organism. One of the female candidates panicked and started thumping her hands on the inside of the tube. Her wild protestations had barely started before she froze; every gesture, her straining muscles, her fear-widened eyes, her open mouth, were suspended in time. Then, as the others watched, her body began to disassemble, as if every molecule had been released from the forces which held it in place. Within a minute, the tiny particles had dissipated and only a cloud of vapour remained, glowing blue from the light below. Gradually the vapour faded and the illuminated symbol on the floor, the final vestige of her life, was extinguished.
“Where is she? What have you done with her?!” Shouted a grey-haired woman in a neighbouring tube; her voice, only audible through some hidden amplification system, was projected for all to hear.
The recorded voice spoke again, “At Ventura Corporation we give people what they want. You have come to us because you want. Desire transcends existence.”
“I want to go home! Please! Please! Let me go!” said the boy. A tear rolled down his cheek. The girl with large round eyes placed her hand, fingers spread, on the side of the tube so the boy could see it. He looked at her and responded in like fashion. Brother and sister were vaporised together, and were soon joined by the grey-haired woman, who had begun to cry.
“Freedom! Release! Sanctuary!” Shouted the man with the bad leg. His wish was granted.
Of the three remaining candidates, two had fainted; their bodies slumped against the inside of their tubes. Like the others they were silently terminated. The last surviving candidate was a woman of about thirty-five. She had not said a single word since entering the room and she had paid little attention to the fate of her companions. All eight tubes now receded and the woman stood alone in the centre of the room. The glassy-eyed man’s fingers continued their relentless dance. These movements, which appeared utterly disconnected from reality, had not ceased for a single moment during the selection process. Always touching and swiping.
“Welcome to Ventura Corporation. We are delighted you have joined us. You will start immediately. Your name is Amy-XX8843MV. You will learn this name. Eli-XY7759LQ please leave now, you will be shown where to go.”
A door opened behind the desk. The glassy-eyed man looked up, turned around and began to walk slowly towards the door. As he left the room he looked back wistfully at the desk and screen.
“Amy-XX8843MV, please take your place behind the desk. Your instructions are on the screen. Follow them precisely. Everything you want will be provided.”