When the robotic voice stopped speaking a warm voice came on. This second voice was too warm and cheery. It was obviously AI generated or pre-recorded.
Keith sat back down on the ground. He was used to sitting on the tiles now. They wouldn't be letting him go anytime soon. Actually based on how they described
Imogen Howe
, Keith wasn't sure if they were ever going to let him go.
He thought his only chance of getting out of here was if they caught Imogen Howe. Then they wouldn't need him anymore. She was who they really wanted. He was simply there because they had run out of ideas. Thought that Keith might be the key to luring Imogen in.
So Keith would remain stuck here. Unless they found her own their own accord. Because he wasn't going to do what they demanded. He wasn't going to contact her and trap her. He couldn't live with himself if he were to do that. What would be the point of getting out of here then? To live in shame for what he did. He'd rather die in this room.
After the cheery voice stopped speaking the lights turned off. And it became uncomfortably quiet. The sound of a faint ringing began inside of his ears. It became louder and louder. It made it hard to fall asleep. But eventually he fell asleep. Didn't realize he did until he woke up again with the light.
The white fluorescent slammed on. The buzz drowned out the ringing. His head ached. just like every time they slammed the lights on.
A cheery voice came through the speakers crystal clear. Keith tried to tune the words out. They were meaningless. It was the robot voice that would actually say something. It would blast through, staticky. Low quality microphone.
He closed his eyes, tried to ignore the headache away. Imagined himself back to earlier times. On another place that was just as cold and bright. Only, back then he wasn't so hopeless. Up there. Far away in
Spacecity
.