Makanix: Chapter 3
Erased and Regenerated
Something had happened. I wasn't entirely sure, but all I knew was that I was no longer in my office. In fact, it felt like months... Maybe even years since then. The last thing I remembered was that I was sitting at my desk... and everything just went dark. I think. It was incredibly dark, as if my eyes were closed. Then I realized I had no eyes. Alright, so I could see, but I had no body. It was like I had been erased. Deleted from time. But... I saw the campus. It was right in front of me. My office. I was back? But still not there.
My office looked abandoned. My desk was gone and the paint seemed to simply peel off the walls in despair. The door was closed and the windows were boarded up. Through the gaps I saw the tram going to the station in town.
I'm not sure what you would call it, but I flew out to the hallway. Everything seemed the same. My name was still above the doorframe and the paint was still on the outside of the door. The room next to me was empty except for the regular wooden desk and an iEvent computer. Now that Ting had become Co-leader, he moved into the huge room upstairs and took his vacuum sealed door with him. His old room was painted a plain white. I went up to the computer. It was off. If only I could use it. I looked at the open door. I stared for a little while and suddenly it shut!
A yell could be heard from down the hall. "What was that?" When nobody answered, the door opened and an employee walked in. He looked around for a bit, then walked to the computer. I moved out of his way as he sat down at the desk. He turned on the computer and logged in, then searched the files for anything that was out of place. He must've been a new guy, cause he forgot to log out when he left. I floated back to the monitor and stared at it like I did to the door. The start menu opened! One of the recent applications used was the irc chat. As I opened it, I glanced at the date in the bottom right corner. It has been about six months since I disappeared and ended up like... Well, whatever I was then. A ghost I guess? The irc loaded and a long list of members appeared along the side. I scrolled down and selected Tom. Hopefully this would actually get through. Maybe I shouldn't use my actual name... He might get mad. What if I reverse it? Xinakam... That works. I set my username and began to type.
Xinakam: Hello?
Tom: Who is this?
Xinakam: Nobody, really. I was just seeing if the irc worked.
Tom: Well of corse it works. What do you think we're running some cheap server here?
Xinakam: Six months ago.
Tom: Yeah... What about it?
Xinakam: What happened?
There was a long pause with no response. I stared at the screen because I could do nothing else. Then finally, he replied.
Tom: We lost a great employee six months ago.
Xinakam: How? What happened to them?
Tom: I... I don't know. He just vanished. I walk into his office and the place looked like it had been destroyed. The table was broken and his computer was on the ground in pieces. I got a janitor to clean it up, but it was in no way usable again, so we boarded up the windows and locked the door in case he ever came back.
Xinakam: Oh...
Tom: Why am I telling you this? I don't even know who you are. Get off the irc.
Xinakam: No.
Tom: This is a private irc. Get off! Where are you? I'm calling security.
Security? No, I needed him! I need to make him walk down here...
Xinakam: Room 164. Make me.
From upstairs I could hear a loud slam. Tom was furious. I heard him stomp down the staircase and force open the door to the empty room, nearly ripping the latch from the doorframe. He looked around, then went to the computer. I was still logged on.
"Whoever you are... Get out of this campus!" Tom yelled.
I saw him look down as I started typing on the keyboard. Well, it looked like it was typing by itself. The keys sank in patterns to form words as Tom's monitor face stared in horror. I changed my username, typed a message and hit enter.
Makanix: I had to bring you down here. I knew you would have to not see me to believe me...
Tom's pixel eyes flickered back and forth as he read my message, the first time he's heard from me in six months.
"So... You're back?" He asked, finally calming down.
Makanix: Sort of. I'm still not sure how I got like this.
"Don't worry. I've been working on that since you disappeared. I believe it was the effects of an invention made by a member of Krypt, Dr. Cyan."
Makanix: Does he know how to undo it?
"He's working on it. He said to give him another month or so. In the mean time, we will attempt to restore your room for when you return to normal."
Makanix: Thanks
That was all I could manage to reply with. My mind was getting tired from trying to type with no hands. Luckily, Tom had walked back to his office.
For the next month, I helped out around the campus as much as I could. It was common for papers to float down the hall on their own. Tom kept my paycheck in the safe for when I return to normal... Well, if I ever return to normal. A week later Tom got a call from Raeyok, the leader of Krypt. The machine was ready. Later that day everything went dark again.
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