I woke up from my bed, looking around. Only then to realize that it wasn't my bed. I did the best I could to assess the situation, but I panicked a little. I stood up and looked around. I was in one of those small rooms that you would usually see in a cheap hotel. Everything was pretty dull and grey. I tried to call for someone..... Nothing. I couldn't speak. Now I really began to panic. I heard a robotic sounding voice.

"Good morning. You have been in suspension for 50 days. In compliance to state federal regulation, all testing candidates in the Aperture Science Extended Relaxation Center are being revived periodically for their mandatory, physical, and mental wellness exercise. You will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, look up at the ceiling."

The buzzer noise startled me a little, but after a second or two, I did as told. I didn't really have anything else to do that might help me.

"Good. You will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, look down at the floor."

*BUZZER*

I did so.

"Good. This completes the mandatory portion of your exercise. There is a framed painting on the wall. Please stand in front of it."

I looked around by the small bed and noticed a beautiful daytime landscape painting. I walked over to it.

"This is art."

I had no idea.

"You will hear a buzzer. When you hear the buzzer, stare at the art."

I heard the buzzer and a ticking noise as well. I looked at the art. There was a mountain in the distance, a lake, a log cabin, a-

*BUZZER*

Dang it!

"Good. If you suspect that staring at art has not given the required subsidence, please reflect briefly on this classical music."

I didn't reflect on it at all. I was waiting for the buzzer. I knew that if I did, I would just get scared again.

*BUZZER*

"Good. Please return to your bed."

I didn't want to do that at all. I didn't know where I was or what might happen if I continued to oblige to this guy. Or maybe it's an it. I'm not sure.

I looked around the room again. There was a microwave, a television with no cords by it. I noticed a small hallway that lead to a door. I ran over to it and tried to open it. Locked. Of course it is. Why would they put me in here and keep them unlocked?

After a minute or two of searching, I resorted to going back to my bed. I crossed one finger (I had heard crossing both is bad luck) and drifted back to sleep.

After what felt like about 50,000 years, I woke up. Once again, I thought it was my bed. And once again, I was shocked. The voice began again.

"Good morning."

The word 'Morning' sounded a bit glitchy. How long was I asleep?

"You have been in suspension for 99999...99. In compliance to-"

Okay, that answers my question. Kind of. I heard a knock at the door and jumped again, but quickly felt relieved to hear a cheerful sounding, English British voice at the locked door.

"Hello?! Is anyone alive in there?! Are you going to open the door...at any time? No? Because it's-it's fairly urgent. Oh, come on! Just open the bloody door! No that's too aggressive. Hello, friend! Why not open the door?!"

I almost smiled. He seemed friendly enough. I tried to tell him that the door was locked. Once again, nothing. I thought I could still do it. He continued asking me to open it. I figured I could show him that it was locked by twisting the knob. To my surprise, it opened.

"Oh, you look ter- good. Looking pretty good actually."

It was a robot. A metal ball with a blue eye in the middle. I thought I was going crazy. I saw some print underneath his blue eye. I leaned closer.

Aperture Laboratories, it read. Wasn't that some camera term? I did see a painting earlier. Well, not earlier. I noticed a familiar looking circle logo next to it.

"Are you okay? Are you... Don't answer that! I'm absolutely sure your fine. Stay calm, I'm gonna get us out of here."

Where was here? I stared at him, suspiciously. He looked kind of helpless himself. He had no limbs or anything. He was connected to some rail attached to the ceiling and slid along it. I heard the other robotic voice that I had first heard.

"Please prepare for emergency evacuation."

The blue robot's optic shrunk into a small ball. He looked frightened.

"Stay calm! 'Prepare'... That's all they're saying, 'prepare'. You stay down here."

With that, his rail went up into some panel in the ceiling and slid back into place once he entered it. Suddenly, the room started shaking. It felt as if it were moving. I almost fell, I managed to keep my balance, though. A few moments later, the walls of the room started tearing apart. This revealed a gigantic room containing thousands of other rooms just like this one.

What kind of a place is this? I thought to myself. It certainly wasn't the good kind.

The metal ball came down from the ceiling and saw me looking scared and confused.

"Alright, most test subjects do experience some cognitive deterioration after a few months in suspension..."

Test subjects? Testing? What?!

"...Now you've been under for quite a lot longer, so it's not out of the question that you may have a very minor case of serious brain damage."

I knew I didn't have any. I couldn't speak anymore, but I could think just fine. Didn't he hear the other voice give me that exercise?

"Are you hearing any of this? Does any of this make any sense to you? Just say something, say 'yes'."

Really? Just really? Of all of the ways I could've gotten his attention it has to be to speak? I looked around for anything to communicate with, something to write on. I just wanted to show him that I could hear him and understand him, so I did the easiest thing I could've done at the moment and I jumped. Which he took the wrong way.

"Okay, that was uhmm... Jumping. You just jumped. Here, try saying 'Apple' A-pple."

I jumped again, slightly irritated.