I’ve just made a disturbing discovery and have to take notes while the experience is still fresh in my mind, even though I’ve got all the evidence right in front of me.
When a model patient like me shows signs of progress, the prognosis is for them to be considered for escape route No. #50: being accepted at a Halfway House. From there, they’re selected for specific jobs best suitable to their ability. For many, that would require menial labour until they can be moved to higher tasks, but for those deemed more competent, they’re put in fields better suited to their purpose. Such a deserving position would mean being able to leave the confines of this prison, and I was anxious about the prospects that might follow.
Lately, I’d had more responsibility levied to me during my off-hours, and been taking some sensitive mathemathical documents to solve in the privacy of my cell. It was much easier and quieter without having the pressures of numbers changing on a whim. On these homework assignments, I was given permission to take a closer look at the surrounding geography of the landscape. The topography had changed a lot since I last remembered.
If I’d paid more attention to the rolled-up map, I could’ve figured it out sooner. It was by sheer chance that I happened to notice.
Within these confined spaces, the map kept rolling up, which annoyed me to no end, so I compensated by putting heavy weighed objects at opposite ends to keep it in place. Once the map was at a stable level, I could survey at my leisure, taking time to really pay attention. And that’s when I saw it.
At the far end of the corner where I’d placed a shiny container was a warped reflection of the underlying chart which revealed a familiar shape. I took a closer look at the corner, and noticed it was right next to a circle of markers.
All the clues had been there. ‘At macroscopic dimensions, space becomes curved’. That tidbit of information only came before I was rushed to do a late-night replacement job. In addition, we weren’t allowed to bring any food or beverages. Reflective cups were banned to prevent any Amazing Greys from seeing confidential information. If I’d made the connection earlier, I would’ve notice the correlation between the two.
I took another look at the map and found there were more places where significant marks formed a noticeable circle. I dragged a metallic cup over the concentrated circled areas where the majority of the dots concentrated. It was an anamorphic reflection where the was surface area was warped, and the hidden image would only be revealed via the reflection. The landscape had been distorted from the movement of tectonic plates, but the cracked seams were still there.
Sure enough, a familiar image appeared. It started out by saying Y…O…U…
That was promising! It meant I was onto something! But the other circles were of different sizes. To compensate, I took a slab of loose metal and curled it into a cylindrical shape that would properly fit the remaining images. Gradually making my way throughout the other spots, I was able to make out the remainder of the patterns that remained disconcertingly consistent.
Y…O…U…R…S…T…U…F…
Yours tuf? Maybe it’d make more sense later. I continued on.
F…O…R…E…L…S…E…B…U…
Fore lsebu? I put all the letters together and it very clearly spelled out a message:
YOURSTUFFORELSEBU
I stared incomprehensibly at the scrawled code, wondering if I’d missed a letter somewhere. Then I realized I was looking at it out of order:
BUYOURSTUFFORELSE
With spaces implanted at certain key words, it clearly said:
BUY OUR STUFF OR ELSE
It was an advertisement. It was a subliminal advertisement. It was a good thing the Accountant wasn’t around to see this.
Hopefully, he’ll never find out. I’d hate to be responsible for dampening his enthusiasm.
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