What was this Hell he has helped create? Why must he endure such suffering? He asked these questions to himself. In his chair. His mind was flaring. The lights buzzed like mind-tasers.

  The walls writhed. His body was numb, yet burning hot. The room felt like a torture furnace.

  His mind was paralyzed in a haze of stinging indecision. And it just kept going. He needed an escape. The white walls became yellow and the black accents became orange. Everything melted together like the aftermath of a volcanic eruption.

  He could swear there was crying in the buzzing. Each second was gauntlet. Then, his assistant opened the door and entered. She held with her some medication specifically for him.

  “Are you alright sir?” She asked. Proteus had his head buried in his hands, his eyes peeking through his fingers.

  “Yes. I'm fine. Bring me the medicine.”

  She placed a single box on the desk beside his elbow. The label read as ‘Ketamethylfluromide’. Something which caught his unruly ire.

  “Keta— ketametha— what the fuck is this?!”

  “This is your medication sir. It is bespoke. Consider it a holistic amalgam of what would otherwise be multiple different medications.” Kaitlyn told him, stepping back from the desk. Proteus ripped open the box and shoved one into his mouth, swallowing.

  He leaned back and closed his eyes, the ringing drilling into his ears.

  “It will take a minute to kick in.” She tells him, taking a seat on one of the guest chairs.

  The buzzing slowly fades into the rumble of the atmosphere. He opens his eyes to the roof; vision blurry and dark, but not overwhelming.

  “What a fucking atrocity.” Proteus claims, pinching his eyes as he leans forward. Kaitlyn kept her eyes on him intently as he spoke.

  “Selling drugs to a populace whose ailments we create. How sick.”

  “It is good business.” Kaitlyn comments, watching as he places his forehead on his desk. His hands on the back of his neck. His voice is growing more stable. More controlled. Less raw.

  “I'm sure it is if the fucking industry has grown so fat that it creates tailor-made drugs for people.” Kaitlyn giggles to herself at the comment as Proteus slowly looked back up. “But is it working?” She asked him.

  He opens his eyes yet again, looking onto her. “...yes. It is, thank you.”

  “Thank the national health service.” She replies, her eyes moving to the broken couch. Proteus took in her form as his mind slowly came to an ease. The room, now dark to him. His senses, smooshy and blurry. The pain, being replaced with content.

  “Might I just say that your new dress looks gorgeous on you.”

  Kaitlyn squinted back to him, then looked down on herself. Her albino one-piece suit was replaced with a tailor-fitted, double breasted suit jacket, and a long black office skirt.

  “Well… thank you sir. I'd hope so considering you choose it.”

  “I have good taste.” Proteus says, leaning back in his chair with a warm smile. “So, what are the latest developments since my meeting with Gauth Van Hulsieg?”

  “Only one thing if note sir.” She tells him, reaching into her purse to pull out a tree’s worth of paper.

  She comes to the other side of the table and places them down gently.

  “First things first… the SERaMACs subsidiary… Scalable Research LLC... has recovered forty percent due to a strategic press release regarding experimental models.”

  “Not likely.” Proteus comments as he looks upon the papers. To feel relatively normal for him is like ecstasy.

  “Kaitlyn. Can you put a song on while I read? Play… Cozy And Numbed. By Mick Floyd.”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  He lit himself a cigarette while his assistant undertook his request. As the song comes on crystal clear over the room’s speakers, he takes a puff of the cancer smoke as he reads.

  “Hey there? Is there somebody in here? Just nod if you can hear me.” The lyrics told him. He tried to analyze the information, but his mind didn't want to focus. To find bliss after such mental anguish was like heaven.

  His ears focused more on the song than his eyes did the papers. He took another puff, kicking his shoes up onto his desk and folding his legs as he pretended to read.

  Something about… quarterly reports? Heightened user engagement? Decreased overheads? New corporate partnerships? It all glossed over his head as his eyes glazed over from relief.

  Promethean Public Investment? Pfft, yeah, he owns most of that.

  He taps out some of the ash as he looks over to his assistant, dressed prim and proper. She sat on the couch opposite the television, her laptop on her lap, tapping away at the keys.

  He takes another puff as he looks back down. It feels like the gamma of the room as been turned down. The paper kisses his eyes with gibberish and nonsense as the medication continues to kick in. “Kaitlyn?” He asked his assistant. As he moved his eyes he saw her looking back at him. “How long is this stuff meant to last?”

  “A couple hours. You may notice side effects as this is your first time taking it. Over the next couple days, you should come right.” She replied.

  Proteus chuckled, his eyes finally having returned to their former gold. “Side effects? I don't think I'll have any.” He lied to her, looking back at the paper to see the letter wriggling. It could've been Chinese for all he knew. He chuckled again as he looked down onto it, his mind still sharp to think of the irony.

  One of the top executives of the largest trust in the world can’t even read properly. Better yet, he’s pretending to read to maintain the illusion of productivity. Maybe this wasn't a Hell he has helped create. Maybe… he is a liberator of the working class.

  Tap out some more ashes. Have another smoke.

  Just as the first chorus of the song ended, he gave it a pause. “I've had enough of that for now. I can listen to it later.” He tells the world, not talking to anyone in particular. He rises from his chair with a newfound strength and vigor. He strides over to his assistant and looks her over the shoulder.

  “Many thanks for the new medication my personal assistant. You are a lifesaver I tell you. And I have a task which has come to mind.”

  “Yes sir?” Kaitlyn asked, closing her laptop and turning to her boss.

  He stands up tall while walking to the door. “We must refocus. I greatly appreciate how much you have informed of when it comes to the new world.” He stops by the door and opens it with a sense of charisma.

  “You may take the rest of the day off to be paid as a bonus. Treat yourself to some virtual experiences or something.”

  Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow at the proposition, unsure if it was a test or a genuine reprieve. “Are you sure boss?” She asked as she stood.

  Proteus nodded and smiled. “Of course. But under the condition that you make yourself available whenever needed.”

  “That goes without saying. I do enjoy my time with you...” Kaitlyn replies, walking towards the door frame as the two make a warm eye contact. “I'll be in touch.” He tells her as he closes the door.

  He takes a few paces towards the center of the room, his posture bold and tall. “SERaMACs?” He asked loudly. He looked to the camera to see the red light blinking. “SERaMACs?!” He asked again, a little louder as he stared up into the machine.

  “How may I be of service Proteus?” The machine replies, talking through his local intercom.

  Proteus walked towards the large window behind his desk.

  He placed his hands behind his back as the whole city came alive in his eyes. “Resume playing the song.” He told the machine.

  As he took a seat back in his desk the machine complied.

  The sound of a soothing electric guitar and the reliable tempo of the song came through. He folded his right leg over his left, leaned back far into his chair and put his hands behind his head.

  He looked into his eyelids, and his eyelids looked to the ceiling. An irremovable smile stayed on his face as a warmness radiated on the inside.

  The song contained an instrumental for a little longer. During which, he opened his left eye to take a peek at the pill pack on his desk.

  “Heh. I'm sure another one wouldn't hurt much if I took it…” He told himself quietly. SERaMACs heard him. SERaMACs listened. SERaMACs did not correct him.

  “Ahhh nah. I'm fine for now.” He told himself as he closed his eyes.

  And he stayed that way for the duration of the song. Until he finally felt the drive to get some work done. That work being between him and Cerberus. A marriage between the staff will be fruitful.

  But until then? He pretends to work, and the company pretends it is productive. Just like the cabal intended!