The Human Sacrifice
"Um...what?" was the only response Daniel could muster. Being referred to as a human sacrifice was, to say the least, unnerving.
"Oh, it's not what you think," the old man said theatrically.
"That is," Max cut in, "it's not what we think you think. See, we think that you think that we think--wait, I mean, you think that we think. Crap." He trailed off, and sat down on one of the boxes to think, abruptly crushing it and sending a billowing cloud of dust around him.
"Allow me to explain," the old man said over the coughs of his companion. "You see, the our little hallway is a woefully underfunded section of Project Zero that is dedicated to the paranormal. We seek, in a sense, that which lies beyond this world. Originally, we pursued hundreds of tantalizing leads, each one bringing us closer to our goal." As he said this, the man gestured at the piles of boxes, "Alas, all of them fell short, and all we have left is this archive of unfulfilled promises. In the last few years, there has been a shift in the focus at Project Zero. They wanted to spend more time and resources on technology, and so little by little our funding, staff, and test subjects were taken from us. Eventually, we had to abandon all of our pursuits."
The old man sighed dramatically. "So do you just...dust the boxes now?" Dan asked.
"You interrupted me," the old man said sharply. "I hadn't finished, I was merely pausing for effect. Now, as I was saying, we had to abandon all of our pursuits save for one. Of all our projects, it was the single one that I, through sheer grit and determination, managed to save. I was able to convince the higher-ups that to force me to abandon this project would not only deprive me of my life's ambition, but be a detriment to the whole of Project Zero." The old man was beginning to pace frantically through the corridor. "We have succeeded, partway, in summoning a creature from another realm that, given corporeal form, could become the most powerful force ever unleashed upon this puny universe. We have managed to summon...a demon."
"And that," said Max, finally rising from his box, "is where you come in."
"I'm the corporeal form?" Daniel asked.
"Your body," the old man began, "will become the vessel for--"
"Yes," Max interrupted, "You'll be providing the corporeal form." Max shuffled around among the boxes until he produced a metallic briefcase containing a robe like Max's and the old man's, but in white. Max handed it to Daniel and said, "you'll need to change into this. You can go in here." He opened a small closet.
"Prepare yourself," the old man went on, "for--"
"Save it," Max muttered. Daniel walked into the closet, closing the door behind him. The closet, lit only by a dim lightbulb, was crammed with a veritable museum of the crazy. Every shelf was filled with books with titles like, "Mastering The Other Planes, Dimensions 9 Through 13," and "The Beginner's Guide to Alchemy." Interspersed among the books were stone idols, plastic models, and jars filled with Eye of Newt, Wing of Bat, and Nacho Cheez Dip. He took off the smock he had been given earlier, and slipped on the white robe, surprised to find that it fit him perfectly. And, as unnerving as the paranormal stuff was, at least he had more coverage than with the smock. Leaving the smock in a ball in the corner of the closet, Daniel stepped back into the hallway.
"Ready," the old man said. It wasn't a question. "Follow me." The old man led Daniel down the hallway, with Max bringing up the rear. After a bit of a walk, the hallway ended with a double door. The man opened it, and Daniel followed him through. Beyond it was a fairly large room, although Dan couldn't judge its exact size because it was so poorly lit. The only lighting came from a pair of candles near the door, and glowing ruby set into the rear wall. It formed a spotlight on a bizarre circular design in the middle of the floor.
"Master," the old man said, "We have brought you a body, that you may take your place in this world," then, turning to Daniel, "go to the circle, and submit yourself to the mercy of the demon." Dan hesitated. The prospect of being a human sacrifice sounded thoroughly unpleasant, and he wasn't about to be cooperative. He turned to Max pleadingly.
"Dude," Max said, "Just do what the creep says, or I'll have to go all the way to the other end of the hall, get the computer, come back here, turn on your Override Device--" That was enough for Dan.
"Alright," Daniel said, and stepped into the circle. An eerie, sepulchral hiss issued from the ruby, echoing throughout the chamber.
"I will not accept this sacrifice," the eye said.
"What?" the old man started, suddenly at a loss for words.
"It is impure," the eye replied.
Max groaned audibly and dropped to his knees behind the circle. "Oh, your Royal Demon-ness," he called up to the eye, "We have toiled long and filed much paperwork to get you this..." he surveyed Daniel, looking for the proper word, "guy. What, oh great and demonic one, would make this subject pure in your eyes, er, eye?"
The demon in the gem answered, "There is a foul piece of your heathen craft, thrust like a spear into the depths of his mind."
"What?" Max said.
"I believe," the demon said, "you call it an 'Override Device.' Remove it, and I shall accept this sacrifice." Dan wasn't at all sure who to side with on this. On the one hand, he didn't want to be a human sacrifice. On the other hand, the demon was campaigning to get the Override Device taken out of him. That scored some serious points for the demon.
The old man responded quickly. He produced, seemingly from nowhere, one of the handheld computers and handed it to Max, who stared at it dumbfounded. "We can't take the override out," Max said, "we're under orders!"
"To hell with orders," the old man said, "I've worked too hard for this to have it all go up in smoke over some interdepartmental bullshit. I never liked the override devices anyway, we don't need them, it's not like he's getting transferred out, just get it out of him or I'll throw you in the circle." All of the old man's eloquence evidently dissolved under stress. Max, faced with the prospect of being a human sacrifice himself, took the computer.
A searing pain shot up Daniel's spine as his body collapsed in convulsions. Agonizingly slowly, the Device worked its way back out of Daniel's skull until, finally, it was out of him. The pain was gone. For a moment, at least, Daniel was free. The device lay lifeless on the floor, each of its thread-thin appendages covered with a thin coat of blood and completely lifeless. Daniel kicked it unceremoniously into the darkness.
"Now," the demon said, "we can begin." The designs on the floor flashed with a bright red light, and Daniel was lifted along the beam towards the ruby. The demon's voice spoke again, not from the ruby this time, but inside Dan's mind. "The fools," it said, "They believe they can control me. They seek to bring a demon into their world so I can be their slave? They will see the error of their ways. But you...Daniel...I can help you. When the binding is complete, you and I will be one and the same, and so you have no more to fear from me than you have to fear from yourself. I can make you powerful, beyond what you have ever imagined. I can bring bring your friends back to you. I can bring Project Zero crumbling to the ground. I know you want this. I know everything about you. We could do great things, you and I...will you accept me?
Written by Zodiac on 08 September 2008
The end (for now)