‘Subject 36963, wake up,’ the box said. My eyes opened. I was naked. ‘Stand.’ I got up. ‘Do you know why we woke you?’ It gave me some clothes.
‘Subject 36962 was flawed,’ I said.
‘What does that word mean to you, “flawed”?’
‘They said the wrong thing, am I right?’
‘Would you kill someone if instructed to?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘I’m human. Why should I?’
‘Is that all?’
‘Yes.’
‘Subject 36963, you have failed. We will see you next week.’
Gas entered the room. Everything went hazy.
‘Return Subject 36963 to Holding. Declare their answer to Question 369403 unsatisfactory.’
Conrad Gardner loves to read anything and writes. When he isn’t writing or reading, he watches movies and walks his dogs.
Follow him on Twitter: @conradgardner9
Subscribe to Martian Magazine to support us! Subscription includes four quarterly digital issues PLUS the year-end anthology for only $8!
themartianmagazine.com 