Tempokai

  "Hello, and welcome to the ultimate test of your endurance!" a man's voice said. "I'm sure you're all wondering why we've gathered such an illustrious group as yourselves."

  A tall man stepped out from behind a podium on one side of the stage. He was dressed in a tuxedo with no tie, and wore his hair slicked back over a balding head. The other members of the audience had been invited by various means, but he'd known everyone in advance.

  "We welcome our most magnanimous, most wealthy benefactor," he continued. "Mr. Jacob T. Gilead, chairman of the board at Gilead Enterprises. We also welcome Dr. Egon Pasternak, the CEO of the International Science Council. He will be taking care of your medical needs during this endeavor. And finally, I would like to introduce the first contestant, Mr. Joshua Clementson."

  The crowd burst into appuse as Clementson walked down the steps to take center stage.

  A macho, former wrestler, he stood 6'5", weighed two hundred pounds, and sported a thick mustache and beard. His arms were corded with muscle, his chest and stomach were heavily muscled, and his legs bulged beneath the tight bck shorts that clung to them. He smiled and waved to the camera as he approached the podium.

  He looked up at the screen, where the announcer introduced him. "My name is Joshua Clementson, and I'm here because I want to win my ex-wife's heart back again. I admit it: I cheated on her, and she kicked me out. But I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get her back! And I know she'll see what kind of man I am now..."

  His lengthy introduction was cut, and the announcer came back on. "As I said before, we have assembled the most impressive group of people for any contest ever held in human history. You will all undergo rigorous tests of physical prowess and mental toughness. You voluntarily put yourself into the dangerous experiment that will happen next, knowing full well the risks involved."

  A montage of images pyed across the screen. Men being lifted off their feet, then falling hundreds of yards; men being blown away by huge gusts of wind, then nding safely; a woman drinking strange solutions, and growing tail, wings, or horns. Finally, a video of a man in a spacesuit being unched into space and nding on another pnet.

  "But what exactly are these risks? Well... let's start with the obvious ones. Sanity. That's right, we will be subjecting each member of this competition to some rather extreme circumstances. We cannot guarantee that they will come out sane afterwards. Some of you may even die, although it is unlikely. We can only promise that every effort has been made to make this a safe environment."

  "Joshua, what do you think about all this?"

  Clementson shrugged. "It doesn't bother me too much. If anything, it sounds fun. Besides, if there's a chance I might lose my mind, I don't mind doing it for something worthwhile."

  "That's the spirit! Please walk up to the chamber, and step inside."

  "Sure thing," Clementson said. He walked toward the chamber, which was shaped like a giant cylinder. As soon as he entered, the door shut, and he heard the lock click.

  "Dear viewers, you may wonder, 'What will happen to Joshua?' Will he survive this ordeal? How long will it st? What dangers lie ahead?'"

  A montage of images pyed on the screen, showing various contestants undergoing bizarre tests in that chamber. From meditating while insects crawled around on them to standing blindfolded on a treadmill that sped up and slowed down randomly. They saw one man who screamed until he passed out, another who turned purple and vomited uncontrolbly, a woman who grew four extra arms, and was tasked to carry objects around using just those four appendages, and more.

  Finally, the footage ended, and the announcer spoke once more. "Well, dear viewers, the answer to all of your questions lies within this chamber. The Chamber of Perilous Experiments. This is where our contestants go when they need to prove themselves, to show us that they possess the qualities needed to win our grand prize."

  The image faded, and the announcer came back on. He was young, presentable man, with short brown hair and gsses.

  "And so, without further ado, let me introduce to you the first contestant to enter the Chamber of Perilous Experiments. Our very own Dr. Egon Pasternak."

  Egon Pasternak walked onto the stage, looking confident and comfortable in his suit. He didn't seem nervous at all, despite the fact that he knew how crazy the experiments would be. In fact, he seemed eager to begin.

  Since the interstelr age solidified itself, the humanity had grown exponentially. First, with the invention of faster than light travel, we were able to colonize other pnets and moons, creating a rge number of colonies. Then, the discovery of life beyond Earth gave rise to new branches of science, including genetics.

  This doctor, was the genius among geniuses. Not only did he invent the genetic engineering technology that allowed people to grow animal parts or organs from scratch, but he also discovered ways to modify DNA in such a way as to create completely different organisms.

  But the downside was that the DNA crumbled over time, and only the most stable cells could live past five years. Only the people with most endurance and resistance to diseases survived. And this was the man who was chosen to run this test.

  The audience gasped as he stepped into the chamber. It was a massive, circur room, with a clear gss dome covering the top. Joshua was calm, and took a seat near the middle. The door opened, revealing Egon, who smiled broadly.

  "Good morning, everyone!" he shouted. "Welcome to the first round of the ultimate challenge!"

  He had a silver hair, which contrasted with his youthful look. He lived for 50 years, but never aged a day since the age of 30. He was handsome, smart, and charming. And he was the mastermind behind this test.

  "I'm sure you've seen the news, and I hope none of you are too shocked by the events that unfolded yesterday. So today, we have a special surprise for the contestants, as well as the public. Today, we will be testing the limits of the human body, and pushing it to its absolute limit. And we're starting with you, Joshua Clementson. 46 years old, former wrestler, and now the first contestant to take part in the Chamber of Perilous Experiments. Let's see what happens..."

  The cameras followed him as he walked into the chamber, and the door closed behind him. Doctor opened up holographic window with a roulette wheel with written text on it, and spun the wheel.

  The camera zoomed out, and showed the whole chamber. A row of machines lined the walls, with several buttons and switches on them. There were also several other items scattered around, like a chair and a table.

  "Now, I want to warn you, the Chamber of Perilous Experiments isn't just a normal machine. It's been designed to test your abilities in the most extreme situations imaginable. But rest assured, we won't leave any of you behind. The roulette wheel will say what your trial is, and you will have to do it. You have five minutes to prepare, and then we'll begin. Good luck, everyone!"

  The video cut off, and the screen went dark. Slowly, the roulette wheel came to view. It started to spin, and the lights in the room dimmed. Joshua Clementson walked over to a control panel, and pressed a button. Suddenly, a hologram appeared above the roulette wheel.

  ─ Trial: Extreme Endurance

  The word 'Endurance' glowed in red letters, along with an icon of a Goliath holding the sky.

  Joshua sighed, then walked to the chair and sat down. The video cut to bck, and the room filled with silence. The cameras watched, as the timer counted down. Three seconds. Two. One.

  The video suddenly jumped forward, and the scene changed. Joshua was still in the chamber, but now the ground had changed to red sandstone, and a giant stone head with horns stood before him.

  Task: hold the stone head steady as it rocks back and forth, then drop it on command.

  After some deliberation, he decided to do the obvious. He grabbed one of his legs, and pulled himself into a sitting position. His arms trembled with the strain, but he managed to stay upright.

  Then he tried to lift the head. His muscles strained, his arms burned, his legs ached... but he didn't give up. His wrestling experience helped him keep his bance, and he slowly lifted the head off the floor. His arms shook uncontrolbly, and his legs felt like they would colpse any moment. But he kept going, and he lifted the head higher and higher, until finally, he brought it down, and it hit the ground when the beep sounded.

  His arms gave out, his legs colpsed beneath him, and he fell ft on his face. After a few moments, he pushed himself into a sitting position, then got up and walked towards the control panel. He pressed it, and the chamber filled with light again. The roulette wheel rotated, showing 'Extreme Endurance' once more.

  ─ Task: Hold this rock head steady while it rocks back and forth. Drop it when commanded.

  Joshua nodded. He completed it. The viewers that had access to the chat roared their approval at that achievement, while others compined that it was a simple task.

  "Wonderful! Now, let's get you out of that chamber. I know you're tired after that ordeal," Egon said cheerfully. "We will open the doors now."

  A rge door at the back of the chamber swung open, and a pair of assistants approached Joshua, carrying a stretcher. He immediately colpsed, much to fun for the viewers at home to watch.

  "You did great," Egon said, walking over and helping him onto the stretcher. "But I'm afraid you don't have much time to rest before we start the next round of the Chamber of Perilous Experiments. Next one! This is a very dangerous test, so please don't try it without our supervision."

  The next contestant walked into the chamber. It was a thin man, who wore a white robe. He looked like a monk, or a priest. Bald head, beard... but his eyes were piercing blue.

  "My name is Thomas James, and I am here because I need to prove myself. My religion says that enduring the hard trials is essential to becoming a good man, so I volunteered."

  He took a seat near the center of the chamber, and waited patiently. The cameraman moved closer to him, and focused on his face. Announcer began talking about him.

  "Next contestant is Thomas James, a young man who has devoted his life to the pursuit of enlightenment. His faith tells him that the hardest trials are those that lead you to the highest heights of wisdom, and that the easiest ones can lead you to your own destruction.

  "Let's see what happens when we put that theory to the test. We will spin this wheel, and it will tell us which trial awaits us."

  The roulette wheel turned around, and a hologram popped up.

  ─ Trial: Extreme Mind Reading

  "Well," said the announcer. "That's not exactly what I had in mind for this test... but we will continue!"

  A strange machine came out from the wall, and the screen showed the device in detail. It looked like a crystal ball, except it had two metal ptes on the front. On top of each pte was a small circle of light that glowed in different colors.

  The machine was connected by cables to another one, which was located in another room. The camera zoomed out, showing a long corridor, with many rooms on either side. Each one was occupied by a different test subject. Their minds were connected to the machine in the other room through those cables, and were being monitored by a technician who was standing outside the room.

  "Well, that's enough of the introductions. Let's get this show started! For the first time viewers, please enjoy the footage from the previous round of the Chamber of Perilous Experiments. And now, without further ado, Thomas, please wear this helmet and stand inside that box over there."

  Thomas pced the helmet on his head, then stepped into a rge metal box. He was completely enclosed by thick walls, with only a single hole in the front. There was a button on the side, and another one on top of the box.

  "I must warn you, this chamber was built with only one purpose, to read someone's mind without them knowing. You need to find a way to escape before your brain melts."

  The box closed, and the countdown timer started up again.

  "Good luck!"

  The video cut off, and the screen went dark. The lights flickered, and then came back on. The cameras focused on the monk, as he chanted a mantra in his mind. He repeated it, and then stopped.

  Suddenly, a red light fshed, and he gasped as he felt something enter his mind. He tried to scream, but no sound emerged from his mouth. Countless thoughts entered his mind, all at once. They swirled around, making him dizzy. Some of them seemed familiar, but most of them were foreign.

  He tried to focus on one thought at a time, but they were too fast. He tried to concentrate on his own thoughts, but they were drowned out by the noise. He couldn't think straight anymore, and his mind felt like it was melting.

  He had an enlightenment.

  Then he heard a voice, and it spoke directly into his mind.

  "Stop struggling, Thomas James. If you want to survive this test, you must learn how to control your mind. Your body is weak and vulnerable right now. Join the path of Buddha, and you will become enlightened."

  The voice faded away, and Thomas realized that he wasn't alone anymore. His mind was full of thoughts, but he knew that he could control them now. He breathed deeply, and focused on one thought at a time. The trash in his mind cleared out, and he was able to think clearly again.

  He opened his eyes, and saw the camera recording his face. The image was distorted, and he blinked several times before focusing on it. It was a simple puzzle, with numbers and symbols written on the sides of the blocks. He concentrated, and the solution came to him instantly. He quickly solved the puzzle, and the box opened.

  "Congratutions," said the announcer. "This is the extreme endurance of the mind, and you just passed it. You are now ready for the next trial."

  The camera cut to bck, and it showed interview with Thomas after the test.

  "It was the strangest sensation," he expined. "I felt like my mind was being invaded, but I also knew that I could control it. I could feel the thoughts coming in, and I could choose whether to accept them or reject them. I... heard a voice, telling me to stop struggling, and I obeyed. I think it was the voice of Buddha."

  The video cut to bck again, and the room filled with darkness. Slowly, the lights came back on, and the camera zoomed in to reveal a new chamber. Doctor walked into view, and the camera followed him as he walked to the center of the room. There was a rge roulette wheel on dispy, with the words 'Extreme Mind Reading' written on it. He pointed on it, and began narrating.

  "Ever since the beginning of time, man has been fascinated by the power of the mind. From ancient philosophers, to modern scientists, every civilization has wondered if the human brain can truly be controlled. Today, we put this question to the test. As you could see, the answer is no. Truly strong minds cannot be broken by mere mental pressure."

  "I'm a scientist, not a philosopher," Egon interrupted. "But I believe that there is a way to break down the barrier between the mind and the body. When we succeed, humanity will be able to achieve anything."

  The door to chamber opened, and this time was a teenage girl who wore a white robe. She looked like she was about fifteen years old, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were bright blue, and she had a mischievous grin on her face. She walked to the center of the chamber, then sat down cross-legged.

  "My name is Nia, and I am here because I need to prove myself. My mother told me that I was special, and that I should follow my dreams. But I wanted to do something worthwhile, and not just for myself. So I volunteered to come here."

  The video cut to bck again, and the screen turned dark. The video of her mother appeared, and she expined why she had sent her daughter to the Institute of Mental Research.

  "My daughter is a genius. At age five, she already knows more than I do. But I worry that she won't use that knowledge wisely. She is bored all the time, and doesn't care about anyone else. I want her to learn how to control herself, so that she can make a difference in the world."

  "She is a beautiful child, and I love her dearly," the mother said.

  The video was cut, and the screen went dark once more. The lights flickered, and the camera zoomed out to show a new chamber. It looked simir to the st one, with a rge roulette wheel in the middle, but it was different this time. Most dangerous trials were removed, repced with easier ones.

  Announcer spoke up.

  "Welcome back to the Chamber of Perilous Experiments. We are gd to see that you survived the st round, but that does not mean that you will be safe this time. Nia, please remove your robe."

  Nia stood up, and unbuttoned her robes. She took them off, revealing a bck shirt and shorts underneath. Her skin was pale, and she had long bck hair. She walked to the roulette wheel, and spun it around. A hologram of it appeared on the wall behind it.

  ─ Trial: Body Transformation (light)

  A green light glowed on one of the slots on the wheel, and the camera focused on it.

  "As you may have seen before, this trial changes your appearance. Now, let's see what happens when you change it further. Would the mind keep up with the changes? Let's find out."

  The roulette wheel turned around, and the hologram disappeared from the wall. In its pce was an image of a woman's body. It was her body image. Doctor walked behind her, and spoke up.

  "You have a choice. Since it's a light transformation, you have a choice of spinning a new roulette wheel that contains only the light transformations. Or you can spin the regur one with all of the other options. Which would you prefer?"

  Nia looked at him, then at the camera. She smiled.

  "What's the fun in that? Let's go with the regur one!"

  The cameraman zoomed out, showing the whole room. It was empty except for the two boxes, which were now empty too. Multiple concoction tubes were on the table, and a rge bowl containing some sort of liquid. There were several different machines on the other side of the room, and a technician was standing in front of one of them. He started talking, expining his work.

  "This is the first stage of the body transformation process. We are going to inject a mixture of chemicals into you, which will allow us to alter your physical form without causing any side effects. This will take a few minutes, so please stay still and calm until we are done. But before that, spin the wheel."

  The wheels started turning, and they revealed various images on their sides. It spinned, and finally stopped on a slot. The cameraman focused on it, and the image was dispyed in the air. It showed a female figure with a spider legs. Narrator spoke with confidence.

  "Arachne. That is your new body image. Your mind must now adapt to it. Good luck!"

  Nia nodded, and Doctor injected her with a syringe. The cameraman zoomed out, and it showed a chamber where everyone was waiting. Doctor walked over to them, and the cameramen followed him as he made his way to the center of the chamber. He reached to a machine, and pressed a button on it.

  "Body transformation procedure number 13664.0 initiated."

  The machine buzzed loudly for a moment, and then there was silence. Doctor sighed, and spoke to the camera.

  "Now we wait... this takes time."

  The video went bck again, and it showed a picture of Nia. She trembled, and she was covered with sweat. There was a tube inserted into her arm, and she was connected to another one via a cable.

  The camera moved to the side of the chamber, and it saw a technician standing by a machine. He adjusted the chemical inflow controls, and spoke up.

  "We are almost ready. Please hold on just a little bit longer."

  The video went bck again, but it showed the technician looking concerned. He stared at something on the computer screen, and then spoke again.

  "She is truly special. Her mind is adapting very quickly, but it looks like the body transformation has stalled. I'm afraid there isn't much time left..."

  The camera went back to the main view, and it was shown Nia lying on the floor. From her back, a spider body slowly emerged. Her legs conjoined together, and they formed an abdomen. She gasped in pain, but her mind didn't register the sensation. From it, a spider legs extended from her back. They were thin, but strong enough for her to stand on.

  Her eyes widened, and she saw herself in the mirror. The camera panned out, and it saw the technician. He smiled. Next to him, doctor Egon was also smiling. They both walked towards the camera, and they spoke at the same time.

  "Well... I guess that worked out."

  The camera cut to bck, and then returned to the scene. Nia was having an interview with the narrator of the program.

  "How do you feel about your new body?" he asked her.

  Nia blinked several times, and tried to focus on one thought at a time. But her mind was too busy processing everything that happened. Even her genius mind couldn't handle such a sudden change.

  "I don't know," she replied. "It's... different, that's for sure. But I think I can learn to get used to it."

  "Why did you chose a standard transformation? You could have chosen anything you wanted."

  Nia looked down, and her mind wandered to her mother.

  "I just felt that I needed to prove myself somehow," she said with a small smile.

  "Can you give me your spider leg? I want to test something," he said with a serious expression.

  Nia blinked several times, and realized that he was right. She handed him one of her spider legs, and he held it close to his face. He inserted a rge needle inside. She looked at the camera, and she saw Doctor Egon nodding. The camera zoomed in closer, and it could see what he was doing. He grabbed her spider leg, and injected the solution into the tip. It was aphrodisiac for spiders.

  "That should make things interesting."

  He walked back to the center of the room, and Nia followed him with her eyes. Doctor spoke up once again.

  "This will be a quick test. I will press your spider abdomen, if you feel it, then say something."

  The two technicians gave thumbs up.

  Doctor tapped on her abdomen. Nia winced slightly, and closed her eyes. After a brief pause, she screamed.

  "Oww! Owch owwowwooWOOOOWWWWWWW!"

  She opened her eyes, and her hands clenched into fists. Blood dripped out of her nose, and tears rolled down her cheeks. Doctor shook his head, while the techs ughed at her expense.

  "Chitin is still malleable," Dr. Egon muttered to himself. "We'll try again after we finish our experiments."

  The video cut to bck, and then the screen changed to another chamber. Everyone was seated inside of it, watching the monitor. On the screen were the words, 'The final experiment.'

  "Nia, are you alright?" Doctor asked.

  "I'm fine, sir," she answered with a weak voice.

  The screen went bck again, and Doctor leaned forward to talk to her directly. He had a syringe full of red liquid in his hand, which he pced against her neck. The cameraman zoomed out, and watched from afar.

  Nia's mouth fell open in fear, as the drug began spreading through her system. Her limbs twitched, and her body writhed in agony. The muscles bulged under her skin, making her arms and legs look huge. Her face turned beetroot colored, and blood vessels protruded from her forehead and chest.

  She returned back to being ordinary girl, with her normal features and complexion. The camera zoomed out further, and it noticed several cameras installed in various pces. One of them was recording every action of hers.

  Doctor pulled out the syringe, and checked it carefully. It contained nothing harmful, and he put it back in his pocket.

  "Nia, can you hear me?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "Do you remember who I am? Who you are? Remember what you did here today?"

  "I- I do. But... what happened?"

  "You passed the final stage of the trial. Congratutions. You've successfully undergone the ultimate human body transformation. Do you understand why I told you this story? Why I brought you here?"

  Nia nodded, and wiped some of the sweat off her face.

  "I believe it is because of my father's research. And your desire to save humanity, even though it might cost you personally. Interstelr travel is difficult, yes. But we have the resources necessary to build a spacecraft. With the materials that Doctor Gero provided us, we can easily achieve our goals."

  "Thank you, sir. For trusting me, and believing in me."

  Doctor chuckled.

  "Trust doesn't enter into it. I knew you'd pass the trial, but I was curious whether or not you could handle it mentally."

  "So... what now?"

  "Now, you return home, and prepare for your journey."

  Nia looked shocked, but she recovered.

  "I won't let you leave without saying goodbye. Come with me."

  The two exited the building, and the video ended there. Another series of numbers appeared on the bottom corner of the screen.