Shub. Ja... fa-sure, remembering that day like it was just last week.

  Came to, lying in a small chamber, no windows. Alone. Groggy. Wrapped in clean bedding. The wound by my neck-- sealed and smooth.

  Door clicked. A booming voice. “Welcome to my care!” And there she was-- close up, in the flesh. “Humans do enjoy being coddled.” She patted my knee through the blanket. “Even you, my little Dahrry!”

  Couldn't find words in front of this person I'd seen in vids all my life and never imagined meeting. Sure-certain recognized her, but it was a younger version staring at me.

  President leaned close. “I want your memories. You'll give them to me.”

  Shook my head.

  She tightened her smile on a face that looked like it belonged to an adolescent. “To be precise, I want your mems of Miye Jonas.”

  Turned away and bit my lip.

  “No need for digging in, little Dahrry. Let's negotiate! You want to keep your mems of Susine. And I get the rest.”

  Tried to prop myself up on an elbow. My voice rasped, “Gonna steal them from me anyways.”

  “Alright, look-see, Dahrry. I will sweeten the deal and offer you a premium juvenile mem set. Your stable financial-emotional future will be assured infinitely. No more confusion or self-doubting, Dahrry. You'll be set for life in the way you should have been from the get-go.”

  Curled up in a ball and pulled the bed sheet over myself.

  She spoke to me in a simplistic, slow tone. “Little Dahrry? You want what-- a friend? Somewhere to stay? A job to feel useful?”

  Didn't emerge.

  “Don’t make me force things, Dahrry, dear. Show me your smarts. Ask for what you want.”

  Spoke from under the covers. “Don’t know wh--”

  “That's correct, little human!” She ripped the bed sheet away. “Get dressed.”

  The only clothes made available: black skim shirt and kilt covered in images of the President.

  She watched me silently with her arms crossed.

  Snugged up the kilt and mumbled, “We're just a crop to you.”

  Her smile showed teeth. “I didn’t know you had it in you to utter that. You're indeed a data outlier-- seemingly dim-witted, but capable of brain synergy.”

  President slowly extended her arm toward my face. “You deserve to experience this once in your lifetime.” Her palm landed on my check.

  Flinched after a moment of the skin-to-skin contact.

  She whispered, “I have a surprise for you, my Dahrry.”

  On her signal, two walls of the chamber rolled back, revealing a larger space with other walls receding simultaneously. Us four humans saw each other at the same time.

  One was in the midst of eating, another was pacing, the other sat on the ground, and I stood. All of us wore black skim shirts and kilts with images of the President's face. Each had our spaces ruptured and were now enclosed together in a single, large, square chamber with no apparent exit.

  President stepped into the center of the space. “Finally all together! That's Jenta. There's Cavendee. The one eating is Entolb. And last but not least, here's Dahrine.

  “Only one will be selected for the great honor. Amuse yourselves and make me proud.” President exited through a seamless port.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Jenta raced up to the smooth wall where the door had been, feeling for the camouflaged opening. She spun to accuse me, “Looking at me, loser?”

  Averted gaze and whispered to Entolb. “Are you a wolf too?”

  He did not look up from eating. “Superfluous chat creature.”

  Turned to Cavendee. He crouched and raised his hands to fend me off.

  Shrugged and said to all of them.“We gonna just wait for Pres to say what-next? Cut off our food at any time or purge us…”

  Jenta loudly rapped on the wall in different spots. “Trying to get out of here.”

  “Ya know.” Entolb stated, “There's four palm scanners on the wall over there.”

  Cavendee nodded. “Sure-certain! We all go together. We need each other, as it should be, friends.”

  “Ha! Don't need any of you.” Jenta snatched the fork from her nutri tray and jammed the prongs into the seam of the palm scanner panel. As she leaned into it and pried harder, with a zap, Jenta fell to the floor.

  “Always get someone else to go first.” Entolb continued eating.

  President's voice piped into the room. “Just like that, one's already eliminated.”

  Cavendee stared at the scorched palm scanners. “Now there's no way out!” He slumped against the wall. “Oh no, my anxious attachment style… I'm not built for all this pressure! It's so unfair for us hyper-sensitive ones who--”

  “Shut up,” Entolb barked.

  Cavendee sobbed, “Can't help it! I'm panicking. You all won't talk to me properly and--”

  Entolb put a hand firmly over Cavendee's mouth, then used the other to pinch Cavendee's nose closed.

  A few moments later, President's voice piped in. “Just like that, one more is gone. So far this is going exactly as I expected. Yawn.”

  Entolb stared at me. “Better decide real quick how you're gonna play this, you winkle. To become the protégé and be close to her--”

  Held my hands up. “Have it. Don’t want any of that.”

  “Stop it!” He shook his head and said, in a serious tone, “I can only win when I earn it. If you wimp-bail out, then she'll reset the game and I'll have to wait who-knows how many years for a worthy competitor!

  “So just keep doing your ridiculous thing, be yourself-- that's the path to the inevitable end result of this all-- which is me chosen and in charge. See? Did I make it clear enough for your small brain to grasp?”

  Muttered, “She isn’t sure you're worthy.”

  “What? Did you just say?” Entolb came eye to eye with me.

  Spoke louder. “If she knew you're the best, she wouldn't bother with this experiment. Did I make it clear enough for your small brain to grasp?”

  Entolb startled me by loudly laughing. “Right! Now you've got the idea, little humanoid. Sure, keep telling yourself all that.”

  “You linked with Christolb. I can tell by your name.”

  “He taught me everything I know.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Who cares?” Entolb tapped his fingertip on my chest. “Come on, she won't award me the prize without a fair fight.”

  Swatted his hand away. “Not gonna fight you.”

  “Yes, you will. We're genetically wired to fight over limited resources.”

  President’s voice piped in to explain that she'll select one of us as her special, next-of-kin apprentice with all-access to data.

  “On the other hand, the weakling-loser will receive a special punishment: you'll forget everything you cherish and shall only think of me.” Her voice gave a giggle. “I love a high stakes game. Be ready. This'll be over soon. I'm watching.”

  My mind tried to find a handhold but kept slipping… Escape and go back to Seebi? Go home? Impossible options... Win and find out what happened to Susine and Prof?… Felt strange spark of a desire.

  On the other side of the room, Entolb muttered to himself, slapped his face, jogged in place.

  Heard a humming noise. Looked up, ceiling hatches opening directly above each of us. Simultaneously, two dark bundles fell.

  Instinctively flinched back from the thing tumbling toward me.

  Glimpsed Entolb vigorously kicking his object in mid-air, sending the duffel thing to thud against the wall. After a moment, he returned to his nutri tray, eating like nothing happened.

  My bundle landed on the carpet. Approached and noticed a zip seal in the padded membrane. Tentatively tugged it open.

  Tiny, fleshy fingers reached out. Of course, recognized the immature form of my species even though never seen one in the flesh.

  A mother unit arrived, took charge of the infant, disinfected the ground surface, and addressed me. “Thank you for being sweet-kind. You get 3000 credits, dear human.”

  Entolb looked at the remaining bundle, unmoving against the wall.

  As soon as President entered the chamber, Entolb blurted, “Madame, you know that any unknown situation triggers my protective training! Gut instinct is to first defend, then ask questions later. I do this for you--”

  “Very disappointed. I had higher hopes for you, Entolb.”

  “My loyalty is absolute, Madame, you… you must know that.” Entolb prostrated himself in front of her feet. “It was a mistake that got made… One mistake. Please.”

  “All mistake-makers simply regret getting caught. I don't give anyone a second chance. You and I will never speak again.”

  A bot neutralized Entolb and he slumped to the floor.

  “You need to see this, like it or not, Dahrry.” President grasped my chin firmly. “Watch as his RNA is extracted. Fresh is best!”

  Within a minute, the bot had centrifuged and injected the contents into a port at President's abdomen.

  “His fighting, muscular memories are flowing into me.” She sighed and rearranged her hair. “Just one of many ways I keep myself timelessly vibrant. Now then, Dah16. Time to find out if I get positive returns from my investment in you. Come with me. Now.”