Chapter 3: Decision

2nd of Nextious in the first year of the 4th cycle 9:00 a.m.

                Time passed, or at least Rick thought it did. The temperature never changed, the light did not change, the only thing that changed was what guard was on duty above and Rick’s physical body. He grew increasingly skeletal and weak despite his regular exercises, his hair grew and grayed. He felt as though he were stuck in The Holy Depths, timeless, and continual, stuck between Nextian and the waking world.

                One day a rat slipped through a hole in the wall, soaked and shivering. “Aw…” Alice smiled, “Hey there do you need some food?” she reached down and took some crumbs.

                “Alice, we need that.” Rick pleaded.

                “Yeah. But I cannot do nothing.”

                “Just this once my love, but please, we cannot keep this up.”

                With a nod Alice sprinkled a line of crumbs so the rat would follow it to them. Slowly the rat picked his way nibbling on each individual piece getting closer to her, “That’s right little guy,” she smiled, “Come here.” When the rat was close enough to pet, she reached out her hand to touch it causing the rat to startle and nip her hand before scurrying down the sewer and away.

                “Alice, they carry disease, what were you thinking? We could get an infection.”

                “And die?” she asked. “so? We will die in this pit anyway let me have the joy of interacting with anything living.”

“Then you are the figment, I will not lose hope.” Rick said.

                “I feel like more than that.”

                “Whose body is this? Mine. I am real not you.” Alice was quiet so in a huff Rick did his exercises before laying back down.

3rd of Nextious 7:00 a.m.

Rick awoke but did not move as he heard the sounds of grunts and curses. Slowly he stood, every joint and muscle screamed in protest as he moved towards the grated hole in the floor. Within the sewage drain a ragged man came into view dragging himself along.

                The man looked up and put a finger to his mouth, “shhhh,” he grinned “You are a loud one, hehehe, I heard your rat discussion, well watch this rat escape forever and ever.” He then continued pulling himself along the sewage drain, up the incline.

                After a few minutes of waiting calls of alarm were heard, then the soft thunks of rail guns going off were heard, then a stream of red mixed in the excrement began to flow by Ricks view.

                “Poor man,” Alice said softly.

                “Poor, crazy man,” Rick agreed.

                Later, a guard banged on the bars and called down, “oy, a lady has been coming around and keeps asking for ya, she seems to be Firrulind’s woman, missing the finger and such, claimed to be about official business to release you, but I have it on good authority from Firrulind himself that you are dead, I also personally reported back to Firrulind the actions of his toy, I am sure she will be punished till she does not do anything so bold again.” He then walked away cackling.

                Rick rested his head against the cold wet stone and cried, after all these years Felice had been trying to find him.

                The stone was wet, and water was dripping down it. Rick ran his fingers up the stream to a spot where the mortar was a bit flakey. Excited, he hurried to the pile of bones and grabbed one and began to scrape the mortar and dump handfuls into the sewer.

                Months were spent scraping and prying, their fingers growing tough from the labor. The guards rarely bothered looking in, but when they did all they would see would be Rick sitting, back against the wall talking to himself, then as soon as they would look away Rick would turn back to his work, scraping and dislodging stone. And as bigger and bigger rocks began to get loose and be pulled from the wall, the water began to flow in bigger streams causing Rick and Alice to panic, the sound of flowing water had increased, meaning the guards may become more suspicious, with that in mind they began recklessly tearing at the wall rock, mortar and water rushing into the cell, their hands grew bloody and shouts of alarm could be heard. A rock was dislodged and fell on his bad foot, pinning it to the ground, panicked he shoved it aside, revealing bones poking through the skin, but the water began to rush in with true force.

                The water filled the sewage canal and began to fill the cell with ocean water from above and sewage water from below. From the cell entrance the guards began to take pot shots into the cell, one of which tore through his shoulder leaving his arm immobile like his foot. As the opening widened, the ocean rushed in quicker and quicker until the cell was filled and Rick struggled with one hand to pull himself into the ocean. 

                The water grew a cloudy red, as his one good arm and leg thrashed weakly, his years of attempted exercise seemed to offer nearly no help causing him to be unable to properly draw the strength to pull himself to the surface. His lungs screamed in protest, demanding oxygen. Then his vision began to darken at the sides, loss of blood and lack of oxygen teaming up to end him.

                Right before fully losing consciousness he felt a pain in his good arm, then, nothing.