Vocation

Jakob looked about the room nervously. A young woman steated next to him stared at the opposite wall, obviously looking at nothing intently. A young man sat across from him and twiddled his thumbs, breathing nosily through his mouth. The walls were white and the room was hot.

The door opens. In walks a Red woman with pursed lips. “We seem to be missing one.” She notes with visible annoyance as she scans the room. She has a look the makes Jakob shutter. “No matter. We will begin on schedule.” She decides.
The Red woman wore a deep red sweater with a red skirt that flowed and pooled around her. She took her place at the podium in the stuffy room and looked out to the three candidates. She smiled, but it was the sort of smile that held no happiness, only courtesy. Jakob knew that behind those lines of white teeth seethed an anger and a power that no one could withstand. He sank a little lower in his chair.

“Welcome, candidates!” The Red woman began, “You are here because you have been selected by your peers for vocational and personality training. Congratulations!”

The three candidates showed no semblance of interest. Jakob avoided eye contact at all costs. The young woman smiled blankly and the young man continued to twiddle his thumbs.

“Please pay attention to this brief orientation video. It will explain the process of the next few days as well as what you might be able to expect from your time in-capsule.” With that, the Red woman cut the lights and began the video. The bright white of the initial screen stung Jakob’s eyes so much that they watered, but he dare not blink. He did not want to miss a moment of the video. His life may depend on his attentiveness. From the corner of his eye, he could see the young man yawn and start to nod off. The young woman appeared to be looking at the wrong screen.

The video cracked to life and a handsome man in an expensive suit greeted the viewers, “Welcome candidates to your vocational and personality training course!” Even in the gray-toned video the man had noticeably white death. He smiled often when speaking, but there was again no happiness. “My name is Slake and I will be guiding you through the initial steps of this exciting process. I know you must have dozens of questions, and I hope to answer many of them in the next few moments. For now, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine.”

At that moment a cartoonish puff of smoke appeared beside the character Slake. It quickly dissapated to reveal a life-like cartoon capsule but with sticks for arms and legs, and two large, round eyes. “Well, howdy, Slake!” the capsule spoke, “fancy seeing you in these parts! And you brought some friends!”

“That’s right, Cappy.” Replied Slake, “These are our new candidates!”

“Well, hot dog, ain’t that excitin’!” the capsule exclaimed while slapping his twigish thigh, “Pleased to meet you folks! My name’s Cappy, and I’m a vocation capsule! Do any of you know what that is?”

Slake laughed, “Well, of course they do, Cappy! You’re the reason we’re all here.”

“I know that!” Cappy replied jovially, “But does anyone know what a vocation capsule actually does?”

“Come to think of it, Cappy, I don’t think even I know exactly what a vocation capsule does. How about you tell us?”

“I was fixin’ to do just that…” The screen became wavy and staticy as the background music began to fluctuate and skip uncomfortably. The picture went a stark, blinding white again, and Jakob’s eyes watered.

“This awful machine always malfunctions, I’m afraid.” The Red woman began, beating her hand against the projector. “No matter. I’m sure you all know enough about the capsule to forgo any orientation.”

Jakob knew nothing about the capsule, except that it could kill you if you didn’t know what you were doing once inside. But Jakob was too afraid to ask any questions. The Red woman would as soon tear his mind to pieces than tolerate any of his low-born ignorance. He began to perspire, sweating beading and streaking down his forehead. The young man kept staring at his thumbs, and the young woman kept staring at the pale white wall

“You, there” the Red woman interrupted Jakob’s anxious observations, “For what reasons have you come today?”

Jakob’s mind was a blank. He opened his mouth from fear of not saying anything and appearing stupid, but it was that same fear that prevented any words from coming out. He coughed in a vain attempted to hide his social dullardry. Both the young man and young woman were now looking straight at him with disinterested attention. What was worse, the Red woman had begun poking around in Jakob’s mind and had no doubt discovered his fear and anxiety by now.

“Oh, you dear boy,” the Red woman began, as if to drive her discovery home, “You have no reason to be afraid. You have the most to gain from our services. You’re a much better candidate than these two foolish creatures.” She referenced the other two with a wave of her hand and immediately, the two shuddered with brief convulsions and fell limp in their chairs. The were the victims of a quick personality wiping. This was the power of the Red woman; the reason Jakob feared her so. With only a thought she can change you, make you forget who you are. She can create and destroy the very essence of a person.

“Or, to be more correct, it is because of your fear that you are the perfect candidate. It makes the catching of new personalities and vocations far easier.” She sat on the edge of the table and crossed her legs, staring down at Jakob with hunger in her eyes. “Where are you from, young man?”

“Th.. The Calypso system, m’lady.” Jakob stammered, avoiding her gaze.

“I see. Low-born, hmm?” She tapped her fingers against her knee and the placed her hand on the top of his on the table. It looked as if she wanted to be comforting, but she almost crushed his hand with her strength. It was all Jakob could do to hold back tears and screams of pain. “Someone must have paid a great deal to see that you come here.”

“Yes, m’lady.” Jakob replied, wincing through his teeth, “My father requested it in his will after he died. He want to see that I got a proper job.”

“Oh, you poor thing.” Still crushing Jakob’s hand the Red woman gently caressed his face with the other. “Not only are you far from home, but you have no family waiting for you when you return. I understand he was your sole caretaker?”

“Yes, m’lady.”

“Well, you will be taken care of here. I have a special program set aside for someone just like you.” The Red woman released Jakob’s hand and stood. His fingers were flushed with blood and red like the woman’s eyes but Jakob dare not move them. Any sign of weakness could mean instant wiping. He tried to think as little as possible. The Red woman was in his mind, but if he concentrated on the pain, on the sweat, on the feeling of the blood in his veins he could keep his mental transgressions down to a minimum.

“Before your appointment, we must test you.” The Red woman moved to a cabinet on the other side of the room. She clumsily shifted the chair of the limp young man to access the cabinet, but she must have moved him too hurriedly. He fell out of the chair and smashed his nose right into the table and stayed there, face down onto the surface of the wood. He made no move but slowly began to slide off the table, a small smear of blood following his descent. He collapsed into a slump underneath the table and Jakob shivered at the sound of limp arms and legs sloughing to the floor.

“Oh, dear. How unpleasant!” The Red woman exclaimed with disgust in her voice but a slight smile in her mouth. She retrieved a large bundle of papers and two writing carbons from the cabinet. As she turned and approached Jakob his eyes met hers for an instant. They were pure fire, blazened with wisdom and power and malice. A ribbon of terror slipped through his mind to the core of his stomach. It made him shiver slightly and the effect was not lost on the Red woman. “There, there, now…” she said softly with a coy smile. “I’m not going to erase you. You’re far to innocent and pleasant.” She lifted her hand to caress Jakob’s cheek. It may have been somewhat sweet if her touch were not so cold. His flesh burned with sweat at the touch of her skin but he could not pull away. She lifted his head to look into his eyes again. They met, and he was powerless. She used her force to tunnel her way into his mind and there she stayed; burned red and deep into his memory so that her shape and her will could never be forgotten. It was over in an instant, and Jakob gasped as if he took his last breath. It was done. He was now hers. The Red woman had gained possession of Jakob’s very soul.

“Very good.” The Red woman spoke with a sultry voice, satisfied in her conquest, “You have a bright future ahead of you. We will give you a new name and a new vocation. You may even become great. It is for the capsule to decide.”

She placed the papers and writing utensils in front of Jakob on the table. “Take these tests while your vessel is prepared. I shall return for them momentarily.” Jakob obeyed, forgetting that he didn’t know how to read or write. But at that moment it didn’t seem to matter. His hand traveled across paper and his eyes across words as if they could read and write for him. His body acted independent of his mind. Jakob was now a prisoner in his own flesh. The process of personality replacement had already begun.
__________

Jakob did not remember finishing the tests. He vaguely recalled the bodies of the young man and young woman being wheeled out of the room, she still with the blank face, and he still holding his thumbs. He did not remember the Red woman returning for the tests but he also did not remember her leaving. It felt as though she was always there, even though Jakob knew that she wasn’t. The Red woman took his hand and led him away from the hot room, down a humming hallway full of doors. Sleepily, as if in a dream, he came to his capsule. They stood by the vessel when the Red woman took Jakob’s face and kissed him deeply. Jakob tried to scream in protest but no sounds came. His body moved in unison to hers and a great heat flooded his mouth. Jakob felt a mix of pain and pleasure and dread as she lingered at his lips, but he could not pull away. Slowly, her hand lowered to the capsule and opened the lid. A loud hiss erupted as the cleaing gas emptied and swept around them covering everything in a white haze. The Red woman never broke her gaze from Jakob’s, and as she kissed him once more she lowered his body into the capsule.

“But… I don’t want to go in. I don’t want to sleep…” Jakob’s voice was getting slower and more slurred. His arms were heavy and acting of their own accord. Nothing Jakob willed could change his fate now.

“Don’t worry.” The Red woman said gently, “When you wake, this will all be over and your vocation will have been selected for you. You can look forward to a peaceful rest and awaken to a productive, meaningful life.” She closed the lid and the white haze gathered around Jakob. The Red woman stepped away from view, disappearing into the mist of the assessment gas as music began to fill the capsule. Pleasant harmonies of hundreds of string instruments begin to lull Jakob to sleep. The last thought Jakob had was that of his father, and if he knew what hell he condemned Jakob to.

What would he awake to be? Would he awake at all? Jakob’s memories began to shift and fade, merging with each other and losing form. Order was becoming out of place. Past birthdays and holidays were mixing with trauma and weathers. Faces were beginning to change in his mind’s eye. Did he last see his mother, or his pet canine? Was his favorite food eggs or plastic? For some reason, he remembered them now looking and tasting the same. The only thing that remained, in the midst of the growing swirl of blackness and blur of remembering, was the Red woman and her eyes of fire. Jakob was certain that whatever became of him, his personality, and his vocation, she would remain.