"You're Reallllllllyyyyyy hilarious, Thaddeus. Hilarious."
"I know how funny I am. People tell me that all the time."
Stanley and Thaddeus continue their unique chat/interview while inside an infinite anomaly.
Stanley replied to Thaddeus's half-assed comment just a second ago about how easy he could've gotten out of Clifford, with Thaddeus engaging his comment again like a normal talk.
Thaddeus: "Quick question, Stanley, where exactly are you from?"
His words became darker in tone; instead of casual, they became mildly aggressive. His posture reverted to one of focus, his arms crossed, and his body no longer slouched on the side of his seat.
{Oh. Maybe it isn't a concern that I am from the Demetrius void. That man has probably been to so many places that an area where only one solar system exists wouldn't shock him or make him aggressive. That fear of getting pressed and tortured still exists in the depths of my mind. Why not? I'll try it.}
He cleared his throat, then spoke, "This may be a bit of a concern, but it really isn't. Demetrius's Void, Suran. I know there are many Surans in the whole empire, but I come from that Posh place distant from most life."
"Hey Thaddeus?"
In front of Stanley was Thaddeus, who looked more unprofessional than ever. His eyes were wide with registering what he had just heard. His hands cupped his face, covering his nose and mouth. "The fuck?" was all that could be analysed.
Seconds passed. Soon, it turned into a full minute. Thaddeus froze. showing how worried he was. Stanley, however, was still just analysing every detail Thaddeus offered.
{Um.}
{Is, He.. Am I that bad?}
Thaddeus: "So, Stanley. I didn't actually know that about you. um. Holy fuck, Shit."
He talked with an expression more of flabbergast and amazement. He blew air from his mouth to register his thoughts faster. Then he stood up and walked around his seat and nearly knocked over his cane before sitting down.
"Yikes, um. There's nothing there, Stan. Absolutely nothing inside Demetrius's void. Alexander Demetrius himself said, "Nothing could ever survive inside nothing." Until he discovered the isolated solar system of your home planet. It doesn't even have an owner like all the other planets, far, far away. Suran is literally just "Suran". How the hell did you get out?"
Stanley closed his eyes for a few seconds, opened them, and replied with "I just took a passenger shuttle out a year ago, a lot of people were with me, and they weren't bawling like 'OH MY GOD! WE MADE IT OUT!" It was a normal flight that took like 23 hours to reach Polonian Lepidus. Nothing as special as you made it out to be. Well, I mean, I never told most I was from there, only Suran."
Thaddeus locked on Stanley, his eyebrows mashed together, and slowly extended his legs.
"Passenger ship."
"Yep."
"Out of Demetrius's Void?"
"I mean, yeah?"
"With people. Anyone you knew went on that plane?"
"Yeah, one of my co-workers at my old job in a clothing retail store."
Stanley's face began to show his thoughts of mystery, and Thaddeus's face looked like one with pure unsettling disbelief that made him look like he wouldn't believe a word Stanley muttered.
"What's the name, Stan?"
He commanded Stanley with his voice. It wasn't loud, but it had presence and depth that could be remembered.
{What? What good could mentioning Fredrick's name do?}"Uh, Fredrick Laman, Thaddeus.""Give me a few seconds. This whole situation can be confirmed within a few minutes. Lying to an official will be charged and put on your record, Stanley."
He dug into his big pocket on his right and pulled out a cellular device-looking object with an odd colour palette of crimson and ivory. It looked chunky, rectangular, and seemed like it was used for important scenarios, Such as this one.
He immediately began using his thumbs to type fast and with good pace, like an actual phone. A humming noise resonated from the air as he typed. Something got activated. Something that involved this whole space.
After a few minutes of well-paced tapping, He put the device, screen side down, on his left leg, letting it be on top of it.
"Now, this might be something to think about once he arrives."
"Hmm?" muttered Stanley from his mouth. He was left in silence as the hums began mesmerising his brain and becoming a memory for him, while Thaddeus was busy with whatever he was doing."
from nothing, Deep black colour matching the same as the chair Stanley was on, began slowly existing. It appeared. Hard to describe for someone who has never seen something morph in real time, but it became a reality and formed into matter from nothing. Another lounge chair became.
"F."
Mm mm."
"T-the fuck?"
Fredrick Laman became a part of the endless world Thaddeus and Stanley were in. He appeared in a state of unconsciousness and woke slowly in thirty seconds. His head slowly moved around, and the rest of his body followed top to bottom in awakening.
Fredrick: "Hey, um. Who are you two? Wait, Stanley? Whoa."
Fredrick's appearance was that of a man in bed and tired. He looked like he'd been dragged out of bed. Tank top, shorts, messy mullet, and a faint moustache. A mean and sad sack of a man.
Thaddeus: "Heya, Fred. Pretend this is a dream. I WILL send you back to your bedroom in your apartment, so do not worry. CELESTICA business. One question, and you will forget this event has happened. And don't try convincing me to.
Fredrick stared in disbelief. He couldn't believe his predicament.
"Did you take a Passenger Shuttle Out of Suran? With Living People inside?"
{My god. Fredrick is so fucking ugly. What could've happened in one year? His precious buzz cut, all gone. He still magically teleported here for no explanation except that Thaddeus sent him here. It's best to keep it that way and not ask questions I shouldn't be asking.}
"Uh. Mm. Yeah sir. I did take it with actual people."
"Fredrick, what brand was it? The Shuttle?"
"Yeah, um, Romano Travels."
Fredrick and Stanley stared at each other as old enemies met in a better life. It was easy to tell they didn't like each other.
"Was Stanley Kleitos one of the passengers inside?"
"Sir, I'm not sure, but he does have hella memory compared to me!"
Thaddeus's eyebrows raised. He once again put his arms together in a cross and thought. Thought hard.
"Thanks, Fred. Have a good night."
Thaddeus grabbed the cellular device and typed something. Then plopped it back down and put his hands behind his head and became more slumped looking.
Suddenly, Fredrick evaporated. His body deconstructed, disassembled, and unimagined itself. Whatever could describe the phenomena of being gone, like sand in the wind.
Thaddeus started to put his hands once again, cupping his face and nose in bewilderment.
Thaddeus: "Stan. How many people are living in Suran to your knowledge?"He talked in slow motion, signalling that Thaddeus needs to comprehend the words he had indulged in earlier.
Stanley: "Like, a Billion, Th-"
"No, Stan. Stop it. No way, a billion intelligent beings exist in that hellhole. Can you explain why you think I am wrong?"
"W-what?"
"Explain your mind, now."
Stanley: "Like, it has many ecosystems, rich resources for the wealthy, good climate, and the other four planets are habitable as well, with different gravity and temperatures that we Suran people enjoy. Like, Suran and Silth are the only two races there I can name, plus many other people come and go there."
Thaddeus: "Like who, Exactly?"
Stanley: "Um, you do know who my body is currently with, right?"
"Mr. Ufushimi. Lawyer of the year and Runway Model for Vogue Interstellar. He did solve the slave rights problem in your solar system. It got major attention from people all around the Triangulum Galaxy. People would've known at least where the matter was held, right?"
"Yeah, in Suran Grounds, the Supreme Court in the capital, Louche. I watched it live as it was the most important thing to happen to me currently. "
"This is more important, Stan. Much more. "
He sat up straight and moved a bit towards Stanley from his chair.
"My original plan was to organise some sort of contract for you and me in which you'll lend me info about Tallurre in exchange for a paycheck worth in the millions of Rouves per month. That's gone out the window. I already know why most wouldn't suspect you of being weird, as there are many "Suran" planets out there, also named "Suran". But, your "Suran" seems to fit the qualities of an anomaly."
{No fucking way I lived on an anomaly for nineteen years of my life. It just doesn't fit in my head.}
Stanley: "Hey Thaddeus, this ain't right. No chance I, my family, my friends, and even fucking Fredrick all lived on a thing that we all are supposed to fear."
Thaddeus: "First, lemme say this. I heard from someone inside CELESTICA that you were from Demetrius's void, but I did forget. Don't mind that. I also got an explanation in mind or two.
Stanley: "Sure, go for it."
"One, Suran isn't inside Demetrius's void, and you lived a lie. Two, you were born there, the problem is that quantum physics shouldn't allow you to leave that fast."
Stanley: "OK, um, hold on."
He once again leaned back into a cross-arms pose, while Stanley leaned closer, his back was forty-five degrees bent from listening intently, and with an intent to argue against Thaddeus.
"Thaddeus, these reasons are good and all, but I just don't believe the theory that MY Suran is a fucking anomaly. You do know how much they get drilled in your head as a kid, right? I still remember the rhyme of:
Anomaly, anomaly, strange to see,
If it's not where it should be, let it be!
Don't go near, don't stop to stare,
Tell an adult, stay aware!
It was SO repetitive, I played so many games in school about scary anomalies, and it might turn out my whole home planet was the "Scary Anomaly. I don't want to believe it.
Thaddeus quickly rebutted with: "Too bad, your solar system's weird. Nothing can be changed about that. A thing I can recommend is to deal with this confusion by helping me with the CELESTICA business. Make A contract with me.
Stanley: "No, no, no, no, we are not just doing that. Why should I help you?
Thaddeus: "I can make you."
"This is a dream world, and I really don't think that you could die in real life in here, right?"
"This place is different in a sense. I explained it to you. Pain still exists here. I can torture you if I want, but I am offering a contract.""Explain the terms."
"One, I will have to do my part first, then you.
Stanley: "You're gonna explain that, right?"
Thaddeus: "Well, if you let me finish fucking talking, yeah, I will.
"Yeesh, my bad."
Two, you will explain your backstory and do some tests and journey with me as an assistant because I am the first one to this case, and I want to rest as quickly as possible and head back to my wife.
Stanley muttered to himself, "Wifey."
Three, you will not mention this. When you accept the deal, I will put a neutrino mental barrier that will stop certain thoughts that tie into explaining what went down here with anyone except the governing authority on my level. No one will know except us, CELESTICA.
Four, when you accept the deal, Shelter, food, water, sanitation, and other basic needs will be covered by the CELESTICA authority.
Stanley: "Does that mean I gotta live with you?"
Thaddeus: "You'll get a hotel room, or if I approve you for amazing actions and behaviour, you can stay in headquarters.
{You can live in the same place you work. Good job, Empire. Good job}
Five, A paycheck will be deposited into your bank of choice with the amount of one to ten thousand rouves, depending on my choice. If you do not have a bank account, I will make one for you.
Six, once a week, you will tell me every single detail of your week. Everything."
Stanley, after a few seconds, lay back in his seat, mouth slightly open and right hand resting on his jaw. His left hand fiddled with his hair for a few seconds at a time.
After thirty seconds of thinking, He dared to reply.
"Okay. Thaddeus, what would happen if I declined?"
Thaddeus: "This whole conversation gets reported to CELESTICA higher ups, who are gonna put you in proper, more aggressive interviews to squeeze out every little detail about the door and the Void Suran mystery. You will go insane. Your mental health will go to its breaking point.
Stanley's Eyebrows raised at the statement, and he stopped posing casually. He just realised how lucky he is in this scenario, not being with an awful officer instead of Thaddeus.
"Well, will I have to be with you all the time, or will I have free roam capabilities?"
"Yeah, I'll make contact and either use "mental perspective you" like right now or "you" in real life. You'll have to drop everything, and if you need a good reason why, I can help.
{Okay. Maybe. This deal isn't that bad. I'm not friends with Thaddeus; he just keeps inserting himself into my life, and I don't like people who manipulate.}
"I've got no problem with the other factors, but would I be able to leave this contract whenever I'd like?""No. Definitely not. Leaving through an investigation won't do any good whatsoever. Only once I say so will you get a choice, Stan. I don't have an estimate on how long this could take as well."
Stanley kept blankly looking around Thaddeus at this moment. Deep in thought, picking the right choice for himself, even if Thaddeus made it clear.
Stanley looked above. All he could see was the roof made of mineral fibre office roof tiles and bright lights. One path led to Stanley getting a career in CELESTICA, an organisation with it being on the front lines of development and war. Another Path took him down the same path as those who could drag him across space and be inside a room, being tortured for most of his happy adolescence. Neither seemed to be good. Yet, one thing made itself clear: it had positive benefits.
Stanley: "Fine, Thaddeus. You got good benefits for me. I'll take it."
Thaddeus's expression morphed from poised to glamorous once again and stood up and walked towards the sitting Stanley, who was extending his arm with a blank face matching his Suran genetics. Stanley and Thaddeus shook hands with strong grips. Thaddeus used two hands while Stanley used one.
Thaddeus: "Well then. Interesting turn of events. I'll make sure my memory doesn't get the best of me next time, Stanley Kleitos."Stanley: "Same, Thaddeus Wei."
[Tallurre's Spacecraft]
"DESTINATION, FIFTEEN MINUTES OF TRAVEL UNTIL ARRIVAL."
These words were announced by the cars' Artificial Intelligence. Tallurre Ufushimi continued to focus on driving while Stanley remained unconscious and paralysed at the same time from a physical perspective.
"Hm."
Tallurre kept glancing around at the beautiful space around him and the little shuttles going past and around. He didn't want to look around Stanley.
He blinked hard once, then used the car's control panel to access his phone book. He planned to call someone.
[RING RING. RING RING. RING RING.]
The usual ringtone for his phone blasted from the car speakers and kept going until he heard a voice answer with: "Hey, T. Where is our man?"
Tallurre: "I got him, Magnus. The problem is, I think he's having a mental Interview. CELESTICA might have gotten to him before we could block mental attacks to his brainwaves."
"Oh, Tallurre, simple. You do have the needle already with you, right?"
Tallurre: "Yeah, I do. If you mean to inject him with Doxyine Concentrate, it would put suspicion that we know, they know. He'd get booted from the talk and sent back to reality, while the other person at the other end would see him evaporate like he got sent out. Doubt would be in their minds, obviously, if we pull that stunt."
"Risky, but we wouldn't know what he could be doing with the CELESTICA members in that place. Best to send him out before he leaks something important and we lose some vulnerability. How long has it been since this happened?"
"two to five minutes. I had to focus on driving and trying methods to wake him up. Look, I'll slow down and inject him in his brachioradialis and let him figure out what will happen to himself there. I'll also be arriving in around fifteen to twenty minutes. Make sure Oblivion isn't gonna be up to bullshit when I arrive. Stanley better be ready."