by A. Anders
“Then, of course, there was that display out there between you two. I could have ended it there. Yet, I was willing to give you one more chance. Surely, in a situation like this, where I had a needle in your brain as the clock ran out, you would choose me over the one dying on the sidelines. But it appears that you are incapable of making the right decision. That’s disappointing.”
“Thorin, what are you doing?” I interrupted, clearheaded but unable to move.
“I’m talking to my partner, Ford. This conversation doesn’t concern you.”
“I don’t know what he’s talking about, Ford,” Rose exclaimed.
Thorin turned his attention to Rose and smiled. “You really didn’t read your Product Researcher contract, did you? I mean, you were eighteen when you signed it, so that makes sense. But do you know how I could really tell?”
“My Product Researcher contract? What does that have to do with anything?” Rose asked, confused.
“Quite a lot, if you think about it. See, I could tell that you didn’t read the contract because when you used to get drunk and stare into the mirror talking to whoever was staring back, you would talk as if there were many of us. But in the contract, it clearly stated that there would be only one person observing you.”
Horror washed over Rose’s face. “You?”
Thorin smiled delighted. “Me.” He waved his fingers with childlike excitement. “Hi!” He giggled. “Wow! Do you know how good it feels to finally say that to you face to face? Hi!”
“No,” Rose begged quietly. “Please, no.”
“What?” Thorin asked. “You don’t want me to explain the greatest mystery of your life to you? You don’t want to know how every decision in your life brought you right here, to me?”
Rose remained silent, so I did, too.
“I thought so. See. I know you,” Thorin said with a smile.
“I can’t tell you how boring it was, for someone with intellectual abilities like mine, to spend every day doing the same thing, implanting and removing chips. I had the skills to be a surgeon! Instead, I was an assembly worker.
“I wasn’t happy. And thankfully, those above me saw my potential. So when I asked to be transferred to the observations department, they agreed.
“I knew it would be more pressure, though. Observers had to come up with new product ideas on a regular basis. I wasn’t an inventor like the rest of them, so I wasn’t sure that I would last. But the person I was partnered with was you.
“I had never seen someone so beautiful. Listening to you, I could tell that you didn’t even know how beautiful you were. You inspired me, Rose. You became my muse.
“Every idea I had was because I burned to make your life easier, to make you happier. It was no wonder that they turned so many of our creations into products. And it brought me so much joy when I watched you open those checks. They were proof that what we had was special. And it was.
“No one else in the company had what we had. You saw that. How many bonus checks did your friends get? You saw the difference. And do you know why our relationship was so much better than theirs? Because I truly cared about you.
“I spent every waking moment with you. I listened to you when you were drunk and when you cried alone in the dark. I sided with you in every argument. I memorized every curve of your body. And when you touched yourself, I touched myself, too.
“I made sure that you were never alone. And because we were so devoted to each other, the two of us literally changed the world. We were perfect…”
Thorin’s face hardened as he again looked down at Rose’s still body.
“…until you met him, that self-righteous, anti-chipping activist blowhard. And I’m sorry. I know that one of the things that made us special was that I allowed you to be who you were, even when you broke the rules. But the way that you would let him speak to you… I had to report him.
“I couldn’t take it anymore. I would sit and just scream at him through the monitor. Didn’t you realize that he was no good for us? Didn’t you realize that he didn’t love you?
“And then you let that sorry excuse for a human being poison your mind. He stole you from me. Why did you break up with me, Rose? Couldn’t you tell that I was the one who loved you and not him?”
Thorin lowered his head and softened his voice.
“They tried to assign me to someone else, but we weren’t the same. No one could replace you. Our relationship was perfect. We had a connection with each other that shaped the moon and the stars around us.
“I quit after that. Or maybe I should say that I retired an extremely wealthy man. I retained a percentage of everything we created, and I wouldn’t be able to spend it all if I had two lifetimes. But what was any of it without you?
“The company had rules in place, though. Observers would only receive their residuals checks as long as they didn’t interact with their researchers in the real world. And I follow the rules, Rose. So instead, I traveled the world and bought expensive toys. But through every moment of it, I never stopped thinking about you.
“Imagine my surprise the first time I saw your vid feed appear on my feeder. It was destiny. I had never believed in fate, but there was the proof that we were meant to be together.
“Watching your vid feed was like picking up right where we left off, only better. You had so much sadness before, and I had to guess why. But this time, you would look me in the mirror and bare your soul to me. You told me your secrets and dreams. And that’s how I knew that you had fallen in love with me, too.” Thorin’s face hardened again.
“The men, though. All of those men. Groping you, screwing you. And after every time, to hear you say that you loved them. I didn’t like that at all. I didn’t like that one bit.
“But there was one day when I forgave all of that. It was the day you looked me in the mirror with tears in your eyes and told me that all you wanted was to be loved. How could I do nothing after that? Especially when it was clear how much you wanted to be with me, too.
“But I couldn’t just walk up to you and ask you out for coffee. What if you said no? What would happen to our relationship after that? It could be ruined.
“Luckily, I knew you better than you knew yourself. You loved grand gestures. So I created the grandest gesture of them all. I bought this island. I built this place. I hired people to pretend to be producers, and I created a tweak for the device that had brought us together, your brain chip.
“All I had to do then was to find contestants. They couldn’t just be anyone. In order for you to understand that I was your perfect man, you had to compare me to the knuckle-dragging cretins that you usually chose.
“I thought it would be hard to find attractive men who were so self-absorbed that no one would notice if they dropped off the earth. But I was wrong. They begged me to be here. After that, all I needed was you, and you were easier to convince than they were.
“It made a lot of sense, actually. Because deep down, you knew that this was how you were going to meet me. Your excitement about it made me so happy.” Thorin grew silent, staring down at the paralyzed woman below him.
“How did it go wrong?” he asked her. “I’ll tell you how. It was him,” he said, pointing at me.
“His lies screwed it all up. He was supposed to be a Corporate Recruiter. His psychological profile told me that you would eliminate him on the first day, but he lingered and infected you with his ravings.
“It wasn’t meant to be him in the end. It was a guy named Kurt who you eliminated on the first night. With him and me standing in front of you by the waterfall near the pool, you would have chosen me. The two of us would have lived happily ever after.”
Thorin quieted, losing himself in Rose’s eyes. He then chuckled as if remembering better times.
“No, I shouldn’t do this,” Thorin said with a delighted smile. “But see, this is what you do to me. I have no control when it comes you,” he proclaimed gleefully. “I don’t believe it, but I’m going to gi
ve you another chance.”
Thorin laughed, rolling his eyes. Turning back to her, he blushed, preparing for the most romantic moment of his life.
“Rose, I have revealed my soul to you. I know how much that means to you. And I have created the grandest gesture of love that any man ever could. If you choose me, you will never have to worry about anything again. You will live like a queen, not with my money, but with the money that we earned together.
“Rose, I have known you since you were eighteen. We’ve grown up together. I have cheered for you. I’ve been there for you, and I have proven that I am willing to sacrifice the world for you. You will never have to question the way I feel about you.
“So Rose, I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, will you choose me?”
I was truly dumbfounded by what I heard. Somehow I had seen Thorin every day, and I never had seen his potential to do something so elaborate, so bold. It would have required such rabid determination. How many clues had I missed?
And Rose, what must she be thinking? What must it be like to find someone who knows you so intimately and for him to offer you everything that you have ever wanted? Was he crazy for putting this “game” together for her? What had I considered doing to win Rose’s love? Was Thorin any crazier than I was?
It was as I considered that possibility that it hit me, the detail he had brushed over. It was the missing piece that explained who Thorin was and why he had put this whole thing together. Feeling confident, I decided it was my turn to speak.
“I don’t mean to interrupt because I see that you’re having a moment here. Your entire life hanging in the balance, unsure of which way it will go, blah, blah, blah. But I just gotta ask you one question. After that, I’ll shut up and not stand in your way if you both wanna live happily ever after together.”
Thorin’s pale face turned bright red. It reminded me of the tower. He looked ready to kill someone.
“What?” he growled, ready to explode.
“You said that it was important to find contestants who wouldn’t be missed if they dropped off the face of the earth. Why was that?
“I mean, all of this. You’re right, this is the grandest gesture anyone could ever make. Buying an island… shipping in a wild bear… building Thunderdome? I mean, Thorin… come on. It’s beyond incredible.
“So, as well as you know her and with all of the things you’ve done for her, why did everyone who got eliminated have to die?”
Thorin swallowed hard. I wondered what shade of red he would turn next. I was disappointed when the lack of color returned to his cheeks.
“It’s a fair question isn’t it?” I asked. “Why did everyone have to die? You had to know that Rose would ask you the same question, right? You did prepare an answer, didn’t you? I mean after thinking through all of these details, you couldn’t have made such a dimmed-witted oversight, could you have?”
Thorin closed his eyes, trying to escape his anger.
“You didn’t?” I pushed. “Oh my god, you did!”
“Rose never would have asked that question. They were eliminated. They were the guys that she didn’t want to see again. How would she find out what happened to them?” he asked through gritted teeth.
“Ah, right. It was me and my meddling ways. I spilled the beans on that one, and she wouldn’t have known otherwise. Fair enough.
“But that doesn’t answer my origin question. What I asked was, why did everyone have to die in the first place? Why not let everyone play their part, get eliminated and go home? Certainly, that would have been easier. Are you so insane that you couldn’t see that?
“Wait, that’s it, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s it. Wow! You know, I was kind of impressed by everything you did to win Rose. But in reality, you’re just a chimp throwing darts at a board. Aren’t you? You just got lucky.”
Thorin’s head snapped towards me. “No, Ford. I have a very good reason for what I did.”
“Then what is it?” I pushed. “Tell me. Why did everyone who got eliminated have to die?”
What disturbed me most about his response was how casually he said it.
“Tell me something, Ford. What if, after I had done all of this for her, she chose someone else? Huh? What was I to do then? I couldn’t just go about my life knowing that she was with someone else and that she didn’t choose me.”
“Thorin, you’re not making any sense,” I explained.
“I’m making perfect sense. I knew that other men watched her vid feeds. I am not crazy. So when she stopped making vids and people started asking questions, someone who saw her here could go to the police. Every person who saw us together could have led the police back to me.”
“Wait. Why would she stop making vids?” I asked with my heart beating harder.
“Ford, if I did all of this, if I revealed my very soul to her, and then she rejected me for it… I couldn’t let her live after that. Could I?”
A chill rattled my spine, hearing the words. He killed all of us so that he could kill Rose without it leading back to him. Thorin didn’t love Rose. He was just a psychopath. The only chance Rose had to survive this was to play along. She needed to buy herself enough time to escape.
Her only choice was to walk out of here on his arm. Then, when he stopped watching her, she could maybe slip off some yacht in the middle the night. She had to have figured that out, and it could work.
The only problem with that plan that I could see was me. She would have to choose him and then watch him kill me.
I’ll admit, it wasn’t my favorite plan. Hell, razor-wire toilet paper would be a better plan, but I was finally out of options. The blood that surrounded my chair told me the score. I was bleeding to death. I no longer had the strength to get up, much less save her. Rose was going to have to save herself. So I sat quietly, hoping beyond hope that she did it.
“Have I answered your question to your satisfaction, Ford?” Thorin asked calmly.
I couldn’t show any emotion. I couldn’t risk saying something that could dissuade Rose from doing what she had to do.
“You have,” I stated, trying to sound content.
“Now, can I continue?”
“Yes. Please continue,” I encouraged.
He turned back to Rose, focusing his demented eyes on her. “As I was saying, Rose. I have done all of this because I love you. So now, Rose, I ask you, will you choose me?”
Rose had to say “yes.” With both of us immobilized, she had no choice but to say “yes.” We both knew it, and I was confident that she would make the right chose.
“Thorin, I wouldn’t choose you if I was on fire and you held the last glass of water on earth.”
And then she said that. Well, crap!
She continued, “You are completely insane. Don’t you understand? You might not have put the chip in my head, but you were the one who turned me into a camera. The thought of you is what kept me from sleeping at night. You were my nightmare, and the only happiness you could give me, I’ve already gotten. And that happiness is from seeing how sad and pathetic you are in real life. I will never fear you ever again.
“So in case I haven’t been clear enough, the answer is ‘no.’ I don’t choose you. I choose Ford. And you can go screw yourself!”
Thorin’s frigid stare was equaled by Rose’s burning gaze. His jaw clenched, tightening his lips against his teeth. He looked like he was about to burst.
“As you wish,” Thorin relented, putting up no resistance. “You will get your death. But first, after everything I did for you, you owe me something.”
Thorin reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Rose squeaked in horror. Continuing down her neck and chest, he touched the tip of her breast.
“Thorin!” I shouted.
Startled, he pulled his hand away. “That’s right. You’re still here.”
“Don’t do this, Thorin,” I snarled.
“Why not? You’ve had her. I watched all of those other men have her. Why not
me? I loved her from the moment I first saw her. It’s my turn.”
“Don’t do this. Don’t do this, Thorin!”
Thorin looked at me with a creepy smile. “How about a compromise? How about I just make sure that you won’t have to watch it,” he said before shifting his body in route to the wall of displays.
It always comes down to those split seconds in life, doesn’t it? A sudden decision to look back and see if she is looking at you. That moment when you let your guard down. That second when the enemy’s relaxation gives you an opening. Those are our opportunities. As Thorin turned his back to me, I was about to get another one.
Here were my obstacles: a day old gunshot wound in the stomach, multiple shark bites, a dramatic loss of blood, and twelve feet. That’s what stood between me and the putrid vile that was Thorin, but the window was opening. If I was ever going to jump through it, now was the time.
The question was, what would happen if I tried? I wasn’t sure. Blood was pooling around my chair. Since I hurt all over, I was guessing it was mine. Even if I wanted to get up, and I wanted it with every ounce of my being, my legs could still fold under me like a lawn chair. But as his attention shifted and his back turned, it was my time. I had to find out what would happen next.
I grabbed onto the armrests and threw my weight forward. I looked over at Rose. She lifted her hand. Apparently, she wasn’t as helpless as she had pretended to be. God, I loved her.
I couldn’t wait for her to rescue us, though. So, shifting my wobbly leg under me, I launched myself towards him. I didn’t have much left in me. Luckily, I wouldn’t need much to take him down.
I staggered across the room, allowing my momentum to do most of the work. He heard me coming, but it was too late. By the time he turned, I had my arm around his neck. With me attached, he crashed into the panel in front of him.
Whatever scabs had formed over my shark bites exploded when I hit Thorin’s back. I coughed, wanting to throw up. I was sure that I hurt myself more than I had hurt him, but even then, I didn’t let go.