Welcome to the Facility

[Ash]

Three hours pass.

Tristan splutters awoken again by the cold harshness of icy water, he shook his head wildly to be rid of the water once the drenched flannel had been removed from his face by a hand from nowhere. Squinting his eyes he focused on the table in front of him. He was sitting in a pitch black room with a lamp shining down on a table somewhere in the centre. As cli che as it seemed he could not shake the feeling of worry that stirred inside him as he realised his hands were tied to a rather uncomfortable metal framed seat. Before long he'd realised that there was nothing else to discover in this tiny area illuminated by the lamp he let his head roll down to his chest and he waited.

"Don't you kip again or we may have to find a more efficient way to keep you awake"

Tristan's face shot up, he focused his eyes into the black over the desk. Squinting again trying penetrate the darkness in search of something remarkable.

"Now Mr Freeman, listen carefully, you are going to do exactly what i say, you are going to answer all my questions, and you will do so without question."

"....Hmm"

Tristan shook his head in stress

"No, untie me dammit. Who are you people? Corsairs? Outcasts? I don't know anything so don't waste your ti..."

"Now Mr Freeman I don't think your really in the kind of position to be calling the shots considering you have no idea where you are, who we are, or what were capable of, as well as the fact that your tied to a chair. Honestly Mr Freeman, I thought more of your intelligence."

Tristan sank back into his seat in hopelessness again, he was at the mercy of this man weather he liked it or not. He could comply with this man or not, so he chose option number three.

"So....who are you then?"

"I already explained my name is Jasper, and that is all you need to know"

"Figures"

"So where am I?"

"Hmm.."

The Director smiled amongst the shadows looking upon his helpless, almost pathetic victim

"Welcome to the Facility Mr Freeman, and may i congratulate you on making it this far had you been any other man you would surely have been flushed out of the airlock by now"

"And what makes me so special?"

"Information"

"Ahh I see, and let me guess, your about to carry out an in depth if not thorough interrogation to get it right?"

"My impression on your intelligence is growing Mr Freeman"

"Well woopdeedoo Jasper..."

"....."

"You guys sure know how to make a man feel comfortable, you wouldn't happen to do group therapy sessions would you?"

"Hmm"

"You still don't quite understand your situation do you Mr Freeman? We clearly have you at our mercy yet you apparently see no risk in provoking people who can kill you whenever and however they so desire"

Tristan brought his face up to the light

"You can only kill me once"

"Hmm"

A momentary silence occurred as Tristan sat alone in the dark inspected the darkness behind the seat opposite him. He turned his head from left to right listening out for any further comment until a man came into the light from the opposite side of the room and took a seat. He was dressed in an unbuttoned lab coat with a pair of glasses dangling out of the chest pocket as he had been before. Underneath he wore a white shirt, a small glimpse of an ID badge pinned to the top pocket could be seen for a moment but not long enough for Tristan to study it. His black trousers were quite striking in clash with his uniform white clothing. His hair was black and cut short, and his jaw was broad and his nose firm like a pillar down his square face.

"Funny, I was expecting a peg leg and an eye patch"

Tristans head was suddenly thrown back by a backhand blow to the face from The Director's wrist. His strike hit Tristan's cheekbone at terrific speed. Tristan; disorientated; rolled his head for a moment squinting his left eye and bringing his sight back into focus.

"Ow"

"Enough games miner, now answer my questions or we may have to get a bit more thorough as demonstrated"

"That would depend on..

Another blow, this time to his right cheek. Again Tristan's head rolled in disorientation and he brought his face to meet The Director's again, now peering only through his left eye.

"Ow"

The Director raised his palm, Tristan flinched

"Ok! Ok! Ask away"

"What is Planetform really interested in out here?"

"As I vaguely recall we've already been over that. I was sent here for a......*sniff*......expeditionary, some uncharted planet that the higher ups thought was worth a look"

"This system is baron, that world is a dead rock, what are the Bretonians really after?"

"Look, my job was to make it here without getting shot, deploy a probe, gather the info and split. That's it"

The Director nodded off in a direction over Tristan's shoulder, probably at one of the guards present in the room. A few footsteps, then light blasted into the room from behind Tristan by an open doorway that was soon closed after the guard had left.

"For your sake, I hope so Mr Freeman"

"So....what? Do I phone call or..."

The Director looked at Tristan and held his gaze as he stood up and walked to the door the guard had recently used.

"Play by the rules Mr Freeman, and maybe you'l live"

Director Freeman disappeared out the door and the room was plunged into darkness again. Tristan let his head roll back down onto his chest and let his cheeks throb in reply to the recent abuse by the Director. He sat there and waited for the slightest sight and sound, but none came.

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