[h1][color=greenyellow]Tyler Franklin Sawyer[/color][/h1] [hr] The shriek of mechanical parts failing, the sizzle and pop of dissolving soft matter. The sound of a whirring contraption winding down and a bellows ceasing to pump air. In his sleep, Tyler's face twisted and contorted as he subconsciously heard the sound of animalistic feeding, like a pig to slop. Drool dribbled from one of the corners of his mouth and onto the pillow below his head as he almost [i]growled[/i] in his restless sleep. His muscles tensed and strained as he struggled in vain, before gasping into a waking cold sweat. [color=gray]"Hey."[/color] Came a voice from the speaker hung up near the television. [color=gray]"You awake?"[/color] Tyler shook his head and heard the jingling of metal reply. His wrists had a familiar chafe to them. A pressure. Cuffs. He sat up and looked around the room but found no personable origin for the voice, he replied regardless. [color=greenyellow]"More or less. Where the hell am I?"[/color] [color=gray]"Good question, isn't it?"[/color] The voice replied, [color=gray]"You'll get filled in a little later. For right now though, I need to hear some things from you."[/color] Tyler pulled slightly at the restraints with a grunt before letting his arms flop back down into his lap. He let out a sigh, heavy and annoyed, before speaking. [color=greenyellow]"Well, you must be the warden of this place, so what do you want to know? If it ain't already on my file, that is."[/color] [color=gray]"Warden. Good one."[/color] The voice said, [color=gray]"My name is Elias. And I [i]am[/i] in charge of things here, but it's not a prison. However, some of the folks the agents bring in [i]are[/i] noted criminals. So I have to take precautions. First things first - can you confirm you've been having some strange dreams lately?"[/color] [color=greenyellow]"Name's Tyler, Elias. Excuse my manner, but this sure seems a lot like a prison... A fancy one maybe, but a prison. And sure, if you call crawlin' up the walls and munchin' on machine nasties strange then yeah, my dreams have been a step away from... average fare."[/color] [color=gray]"[i]That's[/i] what we're looking for. But like I said, I'll elaborate later - for right now, I'm gonna make you an offer. I work with an organization that can make a lot of different things happen without a lot of people knowing about them. I know you probably weren't enjoying your sentence, either. So here's the thing - I have a job for you. And a lot of other people. But I wanna know beforehand if you're gonna cooperate."[/color] Tyler sucks on his teeth for a moment, thinking quickly. [color=greenyellow]"You ain't wrong. But cooperation depends on how lucrative the offer is. We talkin' a clean slate here?"[/color] [color=gray]"Cleanest slate there is. New name, new papers, new home even. We can set you up however you like. [i]If[/i] you behave yourself. [i]And[/i] if you do your job [i]well[/i]."[/color] [color=greenyellow]"And if I have family? The offer extend to them?"[/color] He looks down at himself and picks slightly at his nails. [color=gray]"We can arrange something for all of you."[/color] He takes a deep breath before replying. [color=greenyellow]"What wouldja need me to do?"[/color] [color=gray]"Once again - I'll explain later. For now, just give me your word you'll cooperate, and the service bot outside will come in and uncuff you."[/color] With a breath through his teeth, Tyler nods slightly. [color=greenyellow]"Yeah... Yeah alright. I'll act the sensible boy scout as well as I can, for now."[/color] [color=gray]"Good man."[/color] [hr] [i]The next day...[/i] [hr] The soft, steaming burger almost swallowed Tyler's fingers as he dug into his first major meal of the day. The bun was so soft and the lettuce so crisp. So much better than food in the pen. This joint wasn't SO bad, considering the food and the treatment he had been receiving. They even took the cuffs off of his wrists, on account of his stellar behavior. How could he even commit a crime anyway, when he was stunned by such a delectable piece of food? They had even given him new digs to wear around the complex they had placed him in. A nice clean jumpsuit, black with a big red 3 on the arm. Much better than the muck-ridden mess he was wearing from the pen. He looked around at the other 'Zoners' present around him, all eating and conversing. If he was pleased with his current situation, his heavy brow and morose expression betrayed nothing of the sort. Tyler took another bite of his burger and chewed slow to savor the flavor. What did he have to worry about, after all? With the service drones watching over him like a pack of hungry wolves, and the scrap of metal cafeteria seat tucked away beneath the folded seams of his jumpsuit's pant leg, he felt pretty safe for being cooped up yet again. Maybe he wouldn't even need to pack up shop and run. Maybe this deal was on the up and up, seemed pretty good so far with the food and the limited freedom. He scratched at his chest as he weighed the options and felt a flat, firm shape within his breast pocket. Tyler paused for a moment before fishing out the object to examine it. It was a picture. Big enough to fit in his wallet. A picture of a little girl, a cheerful looking thing with a face painted in the likeness of a cat. Sabrina. She looked too cute, too innocent to be of any relation to the severe, emotionless mess of a man that sat grimacing at her picture. He managed to crack a minute smile as he said, [color=greenyellow]"Don't worry kitten. Daddy'll be back home before you know it."[/color] Depositing the picture back in his pocket, Tyler quickly finished his burger and left the tray upon the table before reporting to the area that held the Nexus Projectors. Just like he was briefed earlier, before he was released. Strange contraptions they had here, he couldn't help but think as he stood off to the side, away from the traffic of the other Zoners. He was content to look around for now, dipping his toe into the water before plunging his head in.