He opened the door to the figure of a man. The hall light was far too
bright to make anything else out.
"Andrew McClanie?" the silhouette in his doorway asked.
"Yes. What do you..." Andrew suddenly loss consciousness and fell to
the floor.
---
"Andrew?" a voice called out. "Andrew?"
He slowly woke from the void. Blurry vision revealed only that he was
in a small room. A cell, if you will. Lying on a bed, he supposed. He
looked over in the direction of the voice. An attractive, young-
middle-aged woman in a suit was standing in front of the door. She was
clutching a manila envelope with one hand, and in the other she held a
walkie-talkie.
He tried to speak, but the woman interrupted. "Don't try to speak. You
won't be able to for another day or so. The knock-out drug you inhaled
an obscene amount of has incapacitated you in that way. You will also
be completely under my suggestion. It makes the first day easier on
us."
What is this? What do you want with me?!
"I'm sure you have many many questions you want answered. I'm here to
do my best to explain your new situation to you," she clipped the
walkie into her belt and withdrew papers from the evelope. "Your name
is Andrew Barnes McClaine. Age 19. Brown hair, hazel eyes. Extremely
well-studied and intelligent. Good genes of every sort..." she
employed a strange amount of emphasis on this last one "...and a great
physical potential. You see, Andrew, it's those last two - and
particularly the last one - that begin to explain why you are here."
I still don't understand. You haven't told me anything.
"You see, we are a secret institution employed by various fitness
companies, supplement manufacturers, and most importantly (emphasis)
private investors. With the high number of billionaire individuals and
companies very interested in our products, we are one of the most
well-funded companies in existence, and - in my opinion - the most
effective."
BUT WHAT DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ME?
"Every year we randomly select around 150 people to take on. We erase
them from the public record completely, bring them here, and train
them. We train them to be bodybuilders. Bodybuilders of the highest
sort. They are then shipped out for use to our affiliate companies and
private investors - what they do is entirely up to them. You, Andrew,
are one of our selected this year. Your family - as it consists of
only your parents and your father's siblings - has been informed of a
certain version of this story, and is being compensated for their
discretion. They shouldn't be worried, as the documentation they've
received was sent in your name. They'll continue to get letters from
you - by us, of course - until you are allowed to see them towards the
end of your training."
TRAINING? YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING. THIS IS A JOKE. I AM AN AMERICAN
CITIZEN. I HAVE RIGHTS. I DON'T WANT THIS. IT'S A JOKE. THIS IS
ILLEGAL.
"Come with me Andrew. I'm going to give you a tour of our facilities.
The guards will hand-cuff you and escort you. After the tour such
measures will be unnecessary, I'm sure."