Chapter 27

“Ben, are you ok?”

Sam’s voice trembled. Tension, relief, concern, joy, every emotion that spent days bubbling beneath the surface spilled out. Her hands shook. She leaned close to give Ben a hug and squeezed tight. He didn’t move at all.

“I’m fine, thank you.”

“What happened? Where have you been?” Sam spat the words out so rapidly she almost tripped over them as she pulled back from the hug.

Ben regarded her with an emotionless gaze. His eyes were glazed over and his mouth curled into a slight smile.

“I was where I always am. Here at work.”

Sam looked at Aisling, who tilted her head and pursed her lips. What did you expect, the expression seemed to say.

“Ben, it’s me, it’s Sam.”

“I know that, Samantha.”

“So… how did you end up here? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Ben looked up to the ceiling, then back at Sam, thinking.

“I applied for a job. It happened very quickly. I left my place and moved into a beautiful new home.”

His droning monotone expressed nothing, mere statement of fact. As if all of it were completely humdrum, utterly dull, and thoroughly normal. Sam felt another emotion rising. Anger. She glowed with anger. Not with Ben. Maybe with Ben. But with everything, everyone. CaliaCorp, mostly.

“What did they do to you?”

Ben didn’t reply. Instead, he stared at Sam. He acted as though the question simply did not register with him.

“Ben? What happened? What did they do?”

“They gave me a job. I work here now.”

Sam felt her muscles tighten. Her jaw clenched. “Ben what the fuck, you need to get out of here. Now.”

With a coldness equal to Sam’s fiery anger, Ben replied, “I am happy here. Thank you for visiting. I should leave.”

“Ben you’re a fucking zombie. Let’s get out of here, let me help you.”

Aisling, who watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow to that point, slid off the table she had been sitting on and placed an arm around Sam. “You see what I was saying. He’s happy here. That’s how everyone is.”

“Not you,” Sam retorted.

Aisling’s grip on Sam tightened, her hand squeezing. The scent of roses filling the air.

“You can try to get him out, but you can’t drag him out of here. Security will be all over you.”

“So, I need to get through to him,” Sam said.

“You can try.”

Aisling removed her arm from Sam’s shoulder and stepped back. Sam took Ben’s right hand and lifted it up, held it between her two hands.

“Ben, remember how much you hated this place. Remember how CaliaCorp ruined everyone’s home. Made you live in that slum.”

Ben slid his hand from between Sam’s. “I have a beautiful apartment now. The benefits package is excellent.”

He spoke as if reading from a brochure. Sam once again felt frustration coursing through her. Electricity rippled across her skin. Just moments from exploding with rage but held it back. Held it in to try, desperately, to appeal to the friend she knew.

“Please, Ben, listen to me. They’ve done something to you. You’re not yourself. We need you back. Me and your friends.”

Ben’s expression didn’t change.

“Don’t you remember? Don’t you know who you are anymore?” Sam pleaded.

“I’m an employee of CaliaCorp, Sam. I know exactly who I am.”

“You’re my friend, Ben,” Sam said with tears welling up and fists balled.

She fell forward, her head resting on Ben’s chest. Ben put his hands on her shoulders and Sam smiled. He remembered. She felt the warmth of his body. Human. Not the robot he pretended to be.

His hands gripped the tops of her arms, and he pushed her away and Sam’s smile turned into a grimace.

“What the fuck? Ben what the fuck? You’re supposed to be my friend. Why are you doing this? Why? Do you want to be a zombie drone in this stupid office? Does this make you happy?”

Ben paused for a moment, thinking, taking in everything Sam said. Then he replied with a single word; “Yes”.

“Ben,” cut in Aisling, “tell Sam how you feel about her.”

Sam looked at Aisling with confusion, before Ben spoke.

“She’s a good friend. Kind and caring. She is too meek and needs to admit to the things she really wa-”

“Enough,” interrupted Aisling, “Sam, he’s still got the same things in his head. You understand? He’s just changed.”

“Changed how? What is… this?” Sam gestured toward Ben, as if he were an object.

“You know, I’ve been telling you. He’s too far gone now.”

“What do I do now?” Sam asked. Tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“Accept it. Leave. Hope it doesn’t happen to someone else. Or you could join him.”

Aisling smirked and licked her lips. Sam eyed her suspiciously.

“I’m kidding, Sam. I’m sorry this didn’t go the way you wanted. Would you like me to show you the way out?”

Sam thought for a moment, looking at Ben, not ready to leave him but with no idea what to do next to get a hint of the old Ben.

“No,” she said, “thank you, I remember the way.”

“Say goodbye, Ben,” Aisling commanded.

“Goodbye,” said Ben.

“Yeah,” replied Sam, “bye Ben.”

She walked out the door, taking one last glance back. Aisling nodded. Ben stared blankly ahead. The door swung closed and Sam walked down the corridor toward the lift. Before she got there she looked around. Nothing but meeting rooms. She pushed the call button, then stepped into the lift when it slid open. Her hand hovered over the buttons, a finger going to ‘ground floor’, and then moving up… all the way to ‘Executive Suite’.

Sam pushed the button. The screen on the panel flashed up ‘access denied’. She tried the highest number she could find. 178.

The lift began to ascend.