November 1st - 3001

" L O G S E V E N - 'M y s t e r i o u s M a n' "

That night sleep didn't return easily to me, far from it. The sun had risen to soon and soon the sound of shuffling and beeping from Challengers and they're robotic friends was heard. I didn't wish to move my mind was casting doubts on this place. But there is only so much I can think without having information on the subject matter entirely. What if they were people whom planned to harm us? What if they betrayed The Facility?

My mind quickly shook these thoughts from my mind as I remembered a simple fact, neither of those options would need to result in the death of three people. Would it?

A groan emitting from my throat is what woke my scraggly mind out of its thoughts. Making it enter back into the real world. With a reluctant hiss and sleep deprived hands I had the bed chambers filter-like curtain open me up to the wide awake world.

Groggy my hands reached and rubbed the sleep away from my eyes where I stood up. Finding it strange that the flooring wasn't cold but I wasn't going to complain. My limbs were already cold as ice and I didn't need the floor adding onto that lengthy torture.

My gaze swept the area looking for TEBO whom promptly exited his little hidy-hole where he charged at night apparently. He beeped at me and began rushing around gathering what I assumed to be the necessary objects and clothes for the day.

"Ughhhhhh." A masculine groan of agony, the only kind of agony that could be had in the morning when waking up.

"Not a morning person Greywalker?" Another male asked from the far side of the room. Once more a lengthy groan of agony followed making a few competitors snort and shake there heads at the suffering males attitude.

Sighing I followed TEBO who lead me towards the bathrooms. I wouldn't mess with Gale this morning. Besides I didn't know him well enough to wake him up yet. I would let his robot and other friends deal with that.

+++

It baffled me, beyond belief as I watched the light haired brunette conversate with several other people. All of which diverse in team and what appeared to be personality and skill. Now, I wasn't shy no.

But I didn't normally approach others to talk just for lunch like school buddies. Breakfast in our case which was besides the point. I didn't understand why Gale had decided to make friends when there was a high probability that they wouldn't make it through to the end of this.

There was a high probability that none of us would make it through to the end of the challenges. So why make friends?

It was a great strategy if you wanted ally's inside of the arena where the challenges would take place. But friendship and alliances could only get you so far.

You had to think on your feet, wouldn't you? I assumed that emotions could only render your ability to survive. You would make stupid and rash decisions based on the fact that you cared for someone.

But then again, I was thinking logically and from a standpoint of a person who hadn't entered the Challenge Arena yet. So my thoughts and opinions may just be total and utter stupidity.

"Thinking hard there huh?" Gale's voice chiming into my ear made me jump gripping my butter knife as if to stab him with the dull cutlery. His warm brown eyes narrowed on my fingers wrapped tightly around the knife.

"You going to stab me now?" He asked playfully but his voice perked at the end. Nervous.

I sighed and shake my head letting go of the utensil to calm his nerves. "No, I don't even know why I grabbed it. You just startled me." I answer honestly noticing how his group of friends have disbanded. Going their separate ways.

He let out a puff of air making his hair blow up some before promptly coming back down. "Strange, they can take away memories from your mind and not muscle memory." He hummed as he took a seat next to me.

"I mean it makes sense honestly. The mind stores information and memories while the muscles learn it due to reflexes." I start to say before a eager and somewhat excited Gale had interrupted me.

"Meaning that even if you learn your reflexes due to a event your muscle memory will keep it until the muscle itself forgets. If isn't used frequently enough!" He said. His eyes sparkling and giddy, appearing excited beyond belief.

I nod slowly giving him a strange look wondering where he was going with this. "Yeah..." I said slowly as another spoonful of 'nutritional' pudding enters my mouth. When in all reality it was just grey sludge with a jiggly texture to it. I had already finished my fruits and waffles.

"So why do you have the reflexes to grab a knife when your startled?" He hummed rubbing his chin as I narrowed my eyes at him.

However before I could even get a word of response out another voice beat me to it. "Don't go messing around into things you don't know what power they hold." A gruff voice was heard from behind us. Quickly spinning in our chairs nobody was there. However in a far corner a dark figure sitting alone at a metal table was seen. He kept his eyes down as he tapped his fingers against the metal table. Almost as if he was impatiently waiting for us to come over to him.

Gale and I glanced at each other before standing up. Sweeping a quick look at the rest of the Challengers we made our way over to the mysterious man. Gale standing in front of me slightly as we approached.

"Are you the one who said that?" He asked slowly not quite trusting this man, well I assumed he was a man by the way he carried himself.

"Maybe, maybe not. Depends." He hummed taking a swig from a cup that neither of us had seen before.

My gaze narrowed in on him suspicious of his behavior, he didn't appear to be a normal competitor. "Depends on what exactly?" I said through gritted teeth feeling somewhat threatened by this man's presence.

Thats when he looked up grinning, he had a missing tooth a scraggly and unkempt beard his teeth yellowing as the black hair from his bear only brought it out more. His skin looked like sandpaper and his nose crooked. More than likely having been broken before. However the most unnerving thing about him was his eye.

The left eye was a clear grey color while the other glowed red. A mechanical eye in place of where a natural one would be. The red glow turned to a laser as it scanned its thin glow over us both.

He chuckled lowly. "You're a sharp one aren't you lass?" Neither me or Gale said anything in response so he continued. "It depends on whether or not you want to be knowing what this place really is."

We stayed quiet for a long moment before Gale spoke up his hand moving to my back almost ready to push me out of the way if anything dangerous were to happen. "Who are you?" He said gruff, trying not to show the mysterious man how interested he was in what he had to say.

The man grinned, showing his rotting and yellowed teeth. "The name is Joseph, Joseph Smith."