Chapter 2: Arrival

When I returned to my dorm "complex" (they're not the traditional dorms, they're actually suites), I noticed this strange guy in the lobby. He had a camera around his neck and he had the look of a professional photographer about him. As soon as I walked through the door, he walked right up to me.

"Are you Derek DeNario?" he asked rather bluntly.

"Yes, 'tis me in the flesh," I asked rather surprised that he knew my name.

"If you would follow me please, we'll go ahead and get your picture taken," he said and began to walk in the direction of one of our gathering rooms (we use them mainly for serious or important meetings, but they're mostly used as studies).

"Okay," I said the light just now dawning on me. He must be from the Institute where I'll be doing my internship at!

When I enetered the room, he had me stand in the middle of the room and took full body-length pictures of me. At first I thought that this was weird, but he assured me that this was what the Institute wanted. After that, he lead me to a more private room, had me strip all of my clothes, and took more pictures of me-only naked. I don't know why the Institute would want naked pictures of their employees, but he-once again-assured me that the Institute would be needing them.

Once that was done, I went ahead back upstairs to my room where I finished packing in order to go home for the summer.

***

Two weeks after I got back home, I received my identification badge in the mail. The picture that they chose of my was one of the ones of me fully clothed. Thinking that they just threw the other pictures away, I just brushed that incident out of my mind and focused on getting ready to begin my internship.

When the day finally came that I began my internship, there was a car waiting in the front yard for me.

I went outside and greeted the driver.

"Are you Derek DeNario?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied as I shook his hand.

"Do you have everything packed that you need?"

"What kind of stuff will I be needing?" I asked. "Just to make sure that I have everything that you'll allow me to have."

"It's actually a rather short list," he said as he reached back into the car, grabbed a sheet of paper, and handed it to me. "But it's a list of the essentials ONLY that you will be needing."

I read over the list. All it said was that I will be needing hygiene items (obviously), some clothes, and my cell phone (if desired but left in your room if you do). That's it. Nothing about any toiletry, other electronics, food, etc.

"I think this list is missing some stuff," I told the driver baffled.

"If your wondering about food, electronics, etc.; the food will be provided along with everything else," he replied without looking at me from inside the car.

"Oh," I said more to myself than the driver. I turned around and ran back to my house to get the things on the list and to leave the things not on the list at home.

Five minutes later, I had my luggage in the trunk of the car and we were on our way to the Institute.

***

After twenty agonizing hours (we never talked to each other, the driver played country music the entire time-which I hate with a passion, and the scenery never changed-at least that's what it seemed like to me as I fell asleep at about the halfway point on our trip), we finally arrived at the Institute. 

It looked like any old farm with a farmhouse and out-lying buildings and fields surrounding the farmhouse. The farmhouse itself was made out of brick and looked to be fairly knew. There were even barns each with a different type of farm animal residing inside.

The driver pulled into the driveway and we both got out of the car. I grabbed my luggage and followed him to the dining room where a bunch of scientists were sitting having their dinner.

"May I introduce Mr. Derek DeNario," the driver announced to the scientists as he bowed to them and stepped off to the side.

"Ah, Mr. DeNario, 'tis so good to finally meet you," one of the scientists, a male with a shiny bald head, said and he stood up to shake my hand. "My name is Dr. Miguel Palmstead. I'm the one that sent your acceptance letter." He shook my hand before the rest of the staff introduced themselves to me.

There is Dr. Natalie Buschman, a petite woman with blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes. There are Dr.'s Marty and Susan Deffman, twins who love to share practicaly everything (except relationships). There is Dr. Davis Menkarty, who's about sixty or seventy years old with gray hair that looks almost silvery in color. Then there are Dr.'s Michael and Alicia Portman, a husband and wife duo who met while performing their first experiment together.

"Well, now that we have introduced ourselves to you, let's go over a few rules before we all rest our weary minds for the night," Dr. Palmstead announced to the assembled scientists. He turned to face me.

"First of all, if you have your cell phone on you; it is to to remain in your room at all times. There are no pictures allowed (thus no cell phones) as what we are doing is known only to us and no one else.

"Secondly, there is no talking while experiments are being conducted. We need to concentrate so that our results are as accurate and consistent as possible.

"Lastly, if you break any of these rules, you will be sent back home. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," I replied not wanting to throw away this one chance to work with some real scientists and not just college professors.

With everything said, the driver who brought me here showed me to my room where I was to remain while I worked here. It looked more like a grand hotel room than just a room in a scientific Institute. It had marble flooring throughout the space, a giant king sized bed in the middle of the room, an armour along one of the walls, a gigantic 82" flat screen television on top of a T.V. stand that could support it's weight, and a master bathroom with fixtures plated in gold, silver, nickel, and other precious metals.

I was so amazed by the grandness of the room that I never noticed the hinges all along the walls that will convert the room into any room the scientists want to make it.

TBC

-- Edited by star478 on Monday 5th of September 2011 12:04:28 PM

-- Edited by star478 on Monday 5th of September 2011 12:05:00 PM

-- Edited by star478 on Monday 5th of September 2011 12:09:23 PM

Chapter 3: A Dinner to Forget

It's been about a week I've arrived at the Institute and I've learned a lot of things really quickly.

1) The Scientists don't like it when I am looking over their shoulders trying to see      what they are doing.

2) My only job is to assisst the scientists when they need help. I am to have                 absolutely no part in the experiments that they were conducting.

3) I am basically a gopher boy. "Hey Derek, can you go for this." "Hey Derek, can     you go for that." It's getting really annoying.

Anyhow, one night while all of the scientists-including me-were gathered around the dinner table in the grand dining room when Dr. Palmstead offered my a glass of wine that he poured at the wine in the kitchen. Of course with me being 21 now-mybirthday was a couple days ago-I accepted. That was the worst decision of my entire life.

"Would you like another one Derek?" Dr. Palmstead asked when he noticed my first glass was already empty.

"Sure," I replied not thinking of the main reason why he wanted me to continue drinking the wine.

He took my glass into the kitchen where he refilled it. when he returned, I took it and took a small sip of it. 

Eventually my second glass was empty and since I was starting to feel a little light headed-I thought it was because I was drunk-when he asked if I wanted another one I happily accepted.

When he came back with my third glass, I immidiately drank it and soon I regretted doing so. 

The entire room began to spin about me.

"What the...?" I tried to say but my mouth didn't want to work.

Soon, the floor slanted up to meet me and the last thought that I had before I slipped into unconsciousness was They drugged me and I was out cold.

Oh! My! God! (This installment is just to shocking for OMG.)  What the hey!  Castration, organs removed and replaced, amputation and replacement of all limbs!  The details involving this depth of medical procedure were in the contract Derek (Who should now be known as Raggedy Andy) filled out?!  Really!? Despite this I want to know what will happen next.