The Test - Volume II

Jim woke with a splitting headache, confused about where he was. As he took in the sterile white room, the events leading up to this moment slowly came back to him...

Two days ago, Jim had seen an ad seeking participants for a psychological study on decision-making. The sizable payment offered caught his eye. As a college senior struggling to pay tuition, he eagerly signed up.

The research institute was highly secured, with multiple checkpoints and scans. Once inside, Jim was greeted by Dr. Richardson, an elegant woman in a pristine lab coat. She led him to a small room and had him complete a lengthy questionnaire.

The questions ranged from moral dilemmas to assessing preferences and personality traits. After a final IQ test, the researcher thanked Jim and said he would be notified within 48 hours if selected for the next phase. The first day, Jim thought nothing more of it.

The next morning, Jim was stunned when Dr. Richardson herself appeared at his apartment door. She smiled warmly. “Congratulations James, you’ve been chosen for our special project! It’s a highly competitive program.”

Jim couldn’t imagine what he offered, but at her urging agreed to undergo further testing. At the institute, Jim was given a thorough medical exam and subjected to a battery of psychological and intelligence assessments.

After the intense 6-hour session, Dr. Richardson extended an unexpected invitation to dinner to get better acquainted before the project began. Flattered, Jim agreed. They had a lively evening chatting over steaks.

Late in the meal, the scientist leaned forward with a serious look. “To be fully transparent James, the project you’ve been selected for aims to resolve certain...societal issues. Population pressures, economic inequality, political conflicts. If solutions could be implemented without causing disruptions, would you agree that’s worthwhile?”

Unsure what this had to do with him, Jim slowly nodded. “Good!” Dr. Richardson said brightly, all traces of gravity gone. “Let me walk you out, early start tomorrow.”

In the parking lot, the researcher pulled Jim close. “You're special, do you know that?” Before he could react, she pressed a cloth over his face until his world faded to black.

Now here Jim was, locked in this eerie white room. He pounded on the door to no avail before slumping back on the bed, head in hands. What bizarre experiment had he unknowingly volunteered for?

After what felt like hours, a hidden door finally opened, and two assistants entered. “Time to begin prep,” one announced, producing a syringe. Jim tried resisting, but they efficiently shackled him down and injected him with something that made his body go limp.

Strapped to a gurney, Jim was transported deeper into the facility. He was rolled into a gleaming laboratory filled with equipment and glass chambers. Inside one tank floated an enormous grotesque brain, cables running out from its pulsing mass.

At the sight, Jim recoiled in horror. “What have you done to me?” he cried out hoarsely. The lead scientist, Dr. Richardson, turned with a look of amusement.

“Don’t be so squeamish James. We’re unlocking the full potential of the human mind!” She gestured around proudly. “All our subjects undergo a process of cognitive enhancement. We stimulate dormant regions and forge new neural connections. You’ll be our newest prototype.”

Jim listened aghast as the sociopathic doctor described intentionally triggering psychosis-like symptoms to fragment and expand his consciousness. Once reduced to a primal mental state, he would be rebuilt into a hyper-intelligent being and problem-solver.

“Why me?” he demanded, struggling against his restraints. Dr. Richardson smiled coldly down at him. “You exhibited traits we look for – high IQ, pliable morals, lack of attachments. Don't worry, you'll thank me later.”

Jim's pleas for mercy were ignored. As they prepped him for the procedure, images from his life flashed before his eyes. He thought of his family and friends, wondered if they would ever know what happened to him.

In his despair, Jim suddenly had a moment of clarity. All the tests and assessments ...none measured qualities like compassion, integrity, or wisdom. This lunatic who saw people as tools to manipulate society – she had utterly failed to understand the human spirit.

Jim closed his eyes as they maneuvered his head into the terrifying contraption. If this was to be his end, he wished to meet it with courage and dignity intact. As the machine whirred to life, he retreated deep into his inner sanctum, drawing on memories of love and beauty.

Several frantic technicians shouted that they were losing readings on his vitals and brain activity. Through the chaos, Jim smiled faintly. His captors could mutilate his body and hijack his mind, but they could never truly touch his soul without consent.

He may have lost this physical battle, but Jim knew that in the end, light would overcome darkness. One day this evil would fall. Beyond that, he surrendered himself to the mystery, ready for whatever adventure lay ahead. The chamber erupted in a blaze of white, then all was silent.

"The Test" by Oscar Mendieta Bravo