Uncertainty

Andre felt a hand brush over his skin. His eyes fluttered open as he muttered one pain-easing word.

"Father?"

Andre looked around, confused. He sat up in his small bed. A steel-framed window, barred door, small toilet all surrounded him. As his eyes carefully examined all the details in the area, one conclusion soon came up.

This was a prison and Andre was only a teenage boy. He didn't seem to remember anything. Clutching his head and thoroughly clueless, Andre was beginning to panic.

"Hey!"

He looked up. A robot was glaring at him from outside his cell. As they made eye contact, it almost felt like a staring contest. The robot didn't blink and neither did Andre. The cell door in front of him slid open. Andre took a step out of his cell, trying to avoid getting too close to the mechanical being.

"Take it easy, Mutagon. It's only his first day." a voice remarked.

Andre found himself breaking his eye contact with the robot and enforcing it onto a human being standing beside him. The man had slick black well-cut hair and some black with white striped pajamas.

The man was handsome, but also somehow slightly saddened.

"Doctor Joseph Vanta at your service. My, my, it's been at least a year since we last met," he mentioned.

Andre bit his lip in a bit of a stressful manner. It had been at least a while since he had encountered another man. After a long pause of silence, he spoke.

"Do I know you?"

The man who called himself Doctor Vanta sighed. His sigh was not one of relief or pain so Andre just assumed it was one of disappointment.

"Sir, have I done something wrong?" Andre uttered.

"Not at all, Andre. Please forgive me, I thought this long-awaited reunion would be more emotional."

Andre's heart fell heavily. If this man wanted an emotional reunion, that meant he probably knew Andre as some kind of long lost friend.

"Honestly, I would have preferred to give you some ice green tea on your first day but it seems I have none."

"It's fine, sir. Was your name Joseph?" Andre walked over to him.

"Please, call me Doctor Vanta. You're the only polite one here."

Andre shook the gentleman's hand. They shook for a moment but the robot interrupted.

"You are already late for breakfast." it said in a monstrous voice, "Please allow me to escort you to the cafeteria for your allowance of food."

The robot held up a laser rifle and pushed Andre forward. Andre stumbled a few times but never lost his footing.

What a talented young 17-year-old! As the robot continued to shove Andre forwards, Doctor Vanta followed.

The robot kept on using excessive force until they came upon a very thick door. The door opened slowly and a crack of light soon appeared. Andre squinted, as his eyes hadn't seen real sunlight for days.

When his eyes finally adjusted, what he saw made his jaw drop. There was a giant lawn with perfectly mowed grass and a nice small fence marking the edges of the field. On the side of the yard was a small room with tables and bins placed everywhere.

"Welcome to the Pentogon, the highest security prison in the world." Doctor Vanta explained, "We're high-security inmates and so we have this entire prison to ourselves."

"Really?" Andre gasped at the overwhelming sight, "All this to ourselves?"

"Of course, also this is the cafeteria. You must be starving by now my boy."

Andre's stomach growled ferociously. He nodded.

"You've been in the cryogenic freezing chamber for a while after they..." Doctor Vanta cut himself off. He was definitely leaving something out of his words. Suddenly, Doctor Vanta's attention turned to the robot once more.

"Are you done with your conversation?" it asked, clearly impatient.

"Yes, sir," Andre replied.

"Good. This is the eating area. Once you are done with your cutlery, you put them in this bin." it indicated the fork and knife symbol on one of the disposable bins. Then, it pushed a button, and some steak, rice, and macaroni salad plopped onto a preorganized tray.

Doctor Vanta picked a tray up and went to sit at one of the wooden tables. Andre did the same. He dusted off his prison pajamas and sat onto a creaking chair.

"Sir?" Andre piped in.

"Yes?" Doctor Vanta replied.

"How do you know me?"

Doctor Vanta sighed and swallowed more of the overcooked steak. Then, he cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Well, that is a long story...."