Baoh, The Outworldler - ch 1.1

Awaken, Baoh! (1)

I walk out of the building, letting the sun touch my skin. After being inside that coffin-like place I want nothing more than to go home and enjoy some nice dinner with my girlfriend.

“Have a good evening, rookie.” One of my coworkers waves at me, his back already retreating from me, “Don’t forget that important thing.”

“Ah, yeah, sure. See ya.”

I walk through the dimly lit street, going over my mental checklist for the week. After returning home I will enjoy a soak in my bathtub, using that saline aromatic packet I got from my boss. Later, I will work out in my private gym working my arms with push-ups, then switching to my core, and then finishing with a boxing session until I break it open.

I pause my steps for a moment. “Why would I take a bath first, then sweat it again in the gym?” The order sounds odd, but for some reason, it makes sense to me.

Glurgle

I turn around at the mysterious wet noise, but I can’t find anything suspicious. There’s only me here, but I still feel like I’m being watched.

“Oh, right, the security cameras.” I shake my head with a chuckle, “I can never get used to them.”

Paying the eye-like equipment on the streets no mind, I quicken my pace to reach home. Thankfully, it’s a straight line from home to work, so I applied to it. ‘When did I apply to the company?’ I try to recall the memory while walking faster, my breath labored by the exertion as I almost break into a run. Before I can ponder any further, I arrive at my house.

It’s a small thing, painted steel gray with a few red cable-like decals to give it a bit of personality. I try to open my front door, but the thing is locked, forcing me to push and bang and tackle the door. “Damn it, I forgot it’s locked.”

After opening the door, I’m greeted by my father. A strict man that demands the best from me, at all costs.

“You’re still tied up in that place? Pathetic.”

I don’t answer him, only acknowledging him with a nod and nothing more. I pass by the tall man and open the door to the lobby, and something soft tackles me.

“You’re here!” Bright blue eyes look up, and my expression softens with affection to her.

“Hey babe, how was your day?”I ask her while embracing her tightly to my chest.

“Like the usual, horrible.”She snarks at me.“I need your help so much, you have no idea.”

“Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” I tell her while puffing my chest, but instead of continuing the flirting game, she looks down dejectedly. “Babe, what’s wrong?”

“I need to leave. Escape.”

“Escape? Escape from what? Are they being creeps again? You’re not making any sense.”

She breaks from my embrace, running towards the hallway. “I need your help, please! You have to find me before they do!” She turns back for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise while her cheeks gain a faint pink tint. “I think I love you.” She exits the hallway, slamming the door with a loud noise.

Glurgle

Once again I turn around to the odd sound, and this time I find my father. He’s tall with long hair cascading to his back, muscular frame exposed save for a few strategic straps on his body and the single loincloth hiding his private parts. From his standing pose he looks down on me,but as a rule he looks down on everyone, though I admit his gaze has a hint of interest which is more than most other humans can say about my father.

Glurgle

“Wait. You’re not my father! Who the hell are you?”

“Aren’t I?” The stranger, my father, asks with a mocking tone. “Everything you have came from me, you are only alive because of my efforts. Isn’t that what being a father is all about?”He asks with genuine curiosity as if the concept of fatherhood is an alien thought to him. “Or does the title of father only exist between progenitor and spawn?” He gives me a malicious grin that sends shivers down my spine. “Because I am responsible for that, too.”

Glurgle

My head starts to hurt, my vision darkens, and my strength leaves my body as I fall to my knees. The pain gets worse as I feel something wiggling and digging into my skull. Blood bursts from my nose and I start bleeding profusely.

“Are you just going to die like a worm? Shouldn’t have expected anything from you. A Human.”

I grit my teeth and I pull all of my remaining willpower to stand up. I’m not going to let this piece of shit talk down on me as I’m dying in front of him. I’m going to punch his face even if I die!

No, I will not die! Dying would give him the satisfaction!

“Ohhhhhh!” I reach out towards him, throwing a punch with all my strength, and much to my surprise he doesn’t dodge the attack. Flesh meets flesh and his head twists to the side, my fist impact strong enough to cut his lip.

“Good, you’re strong enough to survive. You will have to do.”

Glurgle

Glurgle

Glurgle

My eyes open awake and I find myself trapped underwater with a breathing mask on my face. I try to push at the door in front of me staring at the panicking faces staring through the small, circular window separating me from them.

I start banging on the steel door, pushing and punching with all my strength.

No, not all my strength. I need to struggle harder, stronger!

My efforts increase, and I feel my knuckles, palms, and elbows hurt from the effort. I headbutt the glass, push through the door, and even try to kick the lower part. Unfortunately, I don’t have the necessary leverage to exert enough force to break the steel door open, even if I have the raw strength to do so. However, if I don’t have enough leverage, I need to make my own.

I coil my arms and clench my fists as hard as I can, bringing them back into a tighter position. My muscles strain more and more until I feel them locking in position.

BLAM

My fists slam on the metal and my entire steel coffin moves, a small indentation forming on the lid. The faces packing outside start running, no doubt calling for help and security. I ignore them for now and punch the doors the same way again.

BLAM

And again.

BLAM

And again.

BLAM

And again!

CRASH!

The entire lid flies off the hinges, and I stumble outside as I hear sirens and screaming from around me. I take off the breathing mask and take stock of my situation, noticing the various men and women wearing white lab coats, they're scientists, staring at me with fear. I don’t have time to ask them any questions as a group of armed men enters the laboratory pointing their weapons, FN 90 Personal Defense Weapon, at me and opening fire.

But I’m faster than they can aim, and by twisting and bending my body I grab one of the soldiers by the face and throw them at the rest. They quickly spread to dodge the throw, but that gives me enough time to grab another soldier by his armor and use him as a living shield as I rush through the door towards the corridor. I feel my back being pickled with needles, and I throw the man back inside the lab.

I drop the pin of the grenade I took off from the soldier and start running through the corridors, the explosion forcing the entire compound to enter into red alert and the rest of the scientists to panic. I navigate through the sterile hallways until I find a locker room. There I hastily put on a pair of pants, a shirt, and a lab coat before running away through the window. Once outside, I run towards the tall walls, and with a surprising display of athletics, I run up the wall before jumping it over.

When I land on the other side of the wall I turn back and realize the feat I just accomplished. The walls are at least fifty feet high, or around fifteen meters, something I’m certain I would never accomplish before.

Suddenly I hear dogs barking, and I start running towards the wilderness, trying to lose my trail. It’s a large area of native forest in a mountainous region, and I don’t stop running. I never stop running. I run for hours, the sun above the trees traveling in a large arch, until I eventually find a busy road and I slow down my running to a comfortable jog. I follow the road until I come closer to civilization and notice a road sign written in Chinese.

“Where the hell am I? How the hell did I get here? I was just,” I stop in place and hold my head in pain, but I grit my teeth and try to force through the pain to remember what I did before arriving in China.

Eventually, I came up with a horrifying realization. “I, I can’t remember. I, don’t even remember my name.”

I take a deep breath to calm myself, spending a few minutes on a breathing exercise. Once I’m done, I feel much better than before.

“Fuck it, we ball. It’s not like those crazy bastards will leave me alone, so there will be plenty of opportunities to figure out this mystery.”

With my resolve firmly set, I walk towards civilization with a new objective: find some dinner. I’m starving.