“Mr Scott, do you have your assignment?” A woman of about thirty asked as she walked into the room. Joshua held out his slip, expectantly.
“Read it to me then.” The curly haired man frowned but did as he was asked.
“I need you to sign a consent form; that is of course if you decide to take up the challenge offered to you. Also I want to perform a medical to ensure you are fit to take part.” the doctor opened her. “Full name?” she asked.
“Joshua Casey Scott.”
“Age and date of birth?”
“26, no 27 sorry. 8th August 1976.”
The doctor looked up at him and rolled her eyes as she bent back to her questionnaire. “Any allergies?”
Joshua shook his head, “No Ma‘am.”
“Any mental illness or regular medication?”
“No Ma‘am.”
“Ok sign here please.” the doctor pushed a clipboard into Joshua’s hands and handed him a pen. The brunette scribbled his signature on the dotted line and handed it back.
“Thank you. Roll your right sleeve up.”
The curly haired man did as he was told and waited nervously, wondering what was about to happen. The doctor wrapped a pressure pad around his upper arm and took his blood pressure, making a note of the reading. He then uncovered a tray that was sitting on the desk. Joshua squeaked and pulled back his arm as he spotted the syringe. “Your arm please Mr. Scott.”
“What … what is in that?” The young volunteer stammered and began to sweat; no one had said anything about having shots.
“You will be chipped and I need some blood for tests that all.”
“A chip, no one said anything to me about being chipped.” Joshua started to stand up and was pushed back down.
“Mr Scott, you may leave anytime you wish, but, remember anyone one else affiliated with your experiment will also be let go, they will not be reassigned. You will not only be letting yourself down but others who may be relying on the fee.”
Joshua groaned; the doctor just had to go and remind him how much he needed the money?
“What does the chip do?”
The doctor smiled and held his hand out, waiting for his patient to hold out his arm again. “It keeps track of where you are and it sends out a pulse to tell you when to perform the tasks that are given you.”
“And it will be removed after?”
“Yes.”
Joshua held his arm out again and winced. “Will it hurt?” he asked. “I don’t like injections.”
“You will barely feel it.” the doctor picked up the syringe, “Close your eyes,” he said. Joshua closed his eyes and yelped as the sharp point of the needle broke his skin. “There, all done. I just need to take some blood then we are all set.
When Joshua had finally recovered from having his blood taken the doctor handed him another envelope. “Inside you will find your assignment laid out in full and the tasks you will be expected to complete. Read it, memorise it, you will not be allowed to take it out of this room. You have two hours to ready yourself than you will be taken to your assigned room, where you will spend the next three weeks. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes sir, can I suspend the experiment at any time I want to?”
“You can but the rest of your group will also be let go and no matter what stage you are at you and your fellow volunteers will not be paid. I’ll leave you to read your assignment. Goodbye
Mr. Scott, good luck.”
Joshua took a calming breath and opened his letter.
Dear Volunteer,
You have agreed to participate in experiment No4.
This is a social experiment where you will be isolated with another volunteer for the total of and no longer than three weeks (21 days). During this time you will be obliged to carry out certain acts, you will be informed of this via the chip in your arm.
The main rule is you must not discuss your assigned tasks with your fellow volunteers. If you do the experiment will be suspended and you will be sent home along with the rest of your group.
Experiment No4 will consist of two people, one is the jailor and one is the prisoner, you have drawn the prisoner identification. You will be completely at the mercy of your jailor, depending on him or her for every little thing.
Your tasks.
1) You will become uncooperative when the chip signals you.
2) You will be subservient.
3) You will become violent and uncooperative.
4) You will become withdrawn and quiet.
These tasks will be repeated, and the number of times your chip pulsates relates to the task that is to be performed. For example if you chip pulses once you will become uncooperative.
Again I warn you discussing your tasks will mean instant dismissal from the experiment.
Memorise your tasks and make yourself ready for the next three weeks
Good luck.
Joshua sat in the now empty room, his hands sweating. He was going to be at the mercy of a total stranger for three weeks. He hoped to god that he didn’t get stuck with a psycho.