Cube
“Ah, the Cube. Just one ride and you will be swept away. Enjoy the Cube for the sake of your wretched life. Book your Cube experience and don’t let your inner being waste away. Let the thrill of the Cube take control!” the man on the video monitor shouts on a busy city street.
“The Cube is not a true escape from your reality. We are not liable for any individual stuck in another reality. We do not recommend the Cube to anyone struggling with glitch. We do not recommend the Cube to anyone over the age of three hundred, as the alternative space may confuse them.” A female robotic voice rambles so fast Daniel almost misses it.
The young, dirty-blonde man with a scruffy, unkempt beard looks at the Cube display with a smug expression. “You know what, Sally? I think I do need that vacation. But instead of going somewhere, I’ll just do the Cube. What do you think?”
The young redheaded woman with freckles and odd-looking eighteenth-century clothing pokes a finger to her cheek as she looks to the sky in thought. “I don’t know, Daniel. My cousin Jenn said her husband Dave hasn’t been the same since his experience,” she says with concern.
“Oh, come on, Sally. I need a vacation. You’ve been saying how grumpy I’ve been working down at that coal station. Those trains will still run even if I’m out for a day or two.” Daniel jumps up and down, tugging at his trouser suspenders and clicking his heels together in joy.
“You’re acting like one of those old cartoon characters everyone used to watch! If you stop that nonsense and quit jumping around, I say go right ahead, Daniel. But then I get a full Cube Day myself.”
“Agreed!”
THE NEXT DAY
Daniel walks into a large white building in the direct center of the city. He reaches for the heavy steel door handle but stops and peers through the glass. He sighs.
“Man, this is going to take all day in that line.”
Sally pushes past Daniel and walks into the building. “Don’t get cold feet now. It is just like going through TSA at the airport. Now let’s go. Your Cube time starts in two hours.”
Daniel hesitantly drags his feet and shuffles to the end of the line. Men in security uniforms yell instructions from the front of the long queue.
“Those on a permanent Cube vacation, please deposit all your belongings into the incinerator bin and step to the left side of the line. Those on a holiday longer than twenty four hours, please proceed to the center aisle and place all your belongings on the belt. They will be delivered to your Cube handler outside your Cube. Those here for a short stay of twenty four hours or less, please move to the right side of the line and remove all items from your pockets, placing them in a tray. No book bags or items larger than a wallet or phone are allowed in this line.
Finally, if you are only here to see someone off and provide moral support, please do not stand in line. Proceed to the send off glass.”
Sally kisses Daniel on the cheek, points to the right line, and smiles. “See, like the man said, you go there. When you are done, I will wave goodbye over there, and I will meet you at pickup tomorrow morning.”
Daniel slumps toward the back of the line.
“I don’t know why you are sad. Yesterday you were all excited. Plus, it is only the fourteen hour vacation package. You will spend a couple of hours boarding, then six offloading. It will fly by, just you wait.”
Daniel hesitates, but then thinks about how, underneath all the worry, he is actually quite excited to see what the Cube is really about. He stands behind an older woman in line and waves goodbye to Sally. There is something about the woman’s face he cannot quite place. Then he wonders if it is her motherly appearance reminding him how long it has been since he last saw his own mother.
“Don’t go, Daniel.” A shaky old voice comes from the older woman.
“What did you say?” Daniel asks as he places his hand on the woman’s shoulder.
“Daniel, come back. Don’t go. It will lead... we need you here.” The woman speaks so quietly, in such a faint whisper, that Daniel can barely hear it. But he does. He knows he does.
“Lady, I don’t know what this is. Some kind of joke, or maybe Sally put you up to it, but it is not funny,” Daniel says loudly, not realizing everyone is staring.
The woman begins to shake. “Why are you shouting at me, young man? Who are you, and why are you bothering me? I am just trying to board my Cube appointment.”
Daniel sighs as he looks around and instantly realizes he must have had one of his episodes again. One of the main reasons he wanted to go to the Cube and why he needed a vacation so badly. He just needed to clear his head, get away from all the technology, and take a break from the cyber overload the doctor said he had been experiencing.
The world is now so wrapped up in technology that the AI makes sure you can never truly get away from it. That is why Sally insists he take a Cube vacation and why she urged him to stay away from the propaganda platforms. The addiction festers in people. It was even worse before AI invented the Cube program. A vacation away and back to the old world, where every hour feels like a week.
“Sorry, ma’am. I really need a vacation. Sometimes I get ahead of myself. I hope you have a great Cubecation,” Daniel says with a smile before lowering his eyes to the ground.
Several minutes pass, and Daniel finds himself next in line for the screening.
“Right this way, sir. Any items on your person should be deposited into the tray. All belongings will be logged and returned to you at the end of your trip. At this time I must ask, did you pay for the fully covered trip, or will you be placing a card on file for additional purchases?”
Daniel swallows and answers nervously. “I have a card here from my sister. It is for a credit deposit.” He lifts the card and hands it to the security officer.
The officer slides the card into a machine. As Daniel walks through the scanner, a red light shifts to green with a loud ding.
“All right, sir. Everything looks good. You have the green light to access the onboarding area of your Cubecation. Your cube is at Gate 376. You have approximately an hour and a half to complete onboarding, which takes about twenty minutes. After that, you are free to shop around while you wait.”
Daniel walks through the body scanner and toward his gate. The other gates pass by him, each about as wide as a door with a computer beside it. He looks up and sees the number 365.
“Just ten to go,” he thinks.
Daniel reaches his gate and stands in front of the computer.
“Hello. You must be Daniel. How is your day going so far?” a voice says from the computer.
“Oh, uh, hey there. It is my first time on a Cubecation. How do I proceed?”
“Oh, uh, hey there. It is my first time on a Cubecation. How do I proceed?”
“Wonderful,” the computer replied in a pleasant artificial voice. “First time experiences have a ninety eight percent satisfaction rating. Please place your hand on the glass panel in front of you for identity confirmation.”
Daniel pressed his palm against the panel. It warmed instantly and a soft chime sounded.
“Identity confirmed. Welcome, Daniel. Your Cubecation package includes fourteen hours of immersive experiential reality. Based on your psychological profile and stress levels, we recommend the Late Industrial Era. Coal stations, steam trains, and minimal technological interference.”
Daniel smirked. “Sounds about right.”
A slot opened beneath the screen and a thin metal band slid out. “Please place the band around your wrist.”
Daniel snapped the band in place. It tightened slightly and pulsed once.
“Please proceed through the door when it opens.”
The wall beside him separated with a quiet hiss, revealing a small white room. In the center sat a smooth black cube about the size of a coffin.
Daniel stared at it. “That’s the Cube?”
“Yes. Please lie inside and close the lid. Your experience will begin immediately.”
He stepped into the room and ran a hand along the surface. It was perfectly smooth and strangely warm. The door behind him sealed shut with a dull thud.
Daniel lifted the lid and climbed inside. The interior was soft and molded perfectly to his body.
“Reminder,” the voice said calmly, “time perception inside the Cube may differ from external time.”
Daniel laughed nervously. “Good. That’s kind of the point.”
For a moment he hesitated, remembering the old woman’s whisper.
Don’t go, Daniel.
He shook his head and pulled the lid closed.
Darkness surrounded him.
A quiet click came from the band around his wrist.
“Cubecation beginning.”
Warmth spread through his body and the world vanished.
Outside the room, a technician glanced at the monitor. Daniel’s name blinked beside a green light marked ACTIVE.
“First timer?” A technician asked.
“Yeah. Fourteen-hour package.”
The second technician leaned closer to the screen. A small line of text flickered beneath Daniel’s status.
Estimated Subjective Duration: 43 Years
The first technician frowned. “That can’t be right.”
The other shrugged. “Most people never realize.”
Inside the Cube, Daniel opened his eyes to the sound of a steam train whistle. He stood once again at the coal station where he worked.
But something felt wrong.
Everyone on the platform had stopped moving.
And they were all staring directly at him.