0055
On an inky Friday night, following an after-hours swim to sneak in more practice, Rin jogs to clear his mind.
Nights on the Samezuka campus are clear of other students. Students who limit themselves to what they can manage before their muscles tell them to stop. Rin likes to think he is different, because he is different. Nobody tells him what he can or can't do, not even his own body. So he jogs, without fail, ignoring the strain of lost energy and sweat sticking skin to cotton shirt.
On this inky Friday night, during his regular jog around school campus, Rin notices something rather peculiar.
In his line of sight, a machine sits, right on the middle of the walk. Metal sticks out in odd angles, thin arms sweep in and out of crevices like snake tongues tasting the air. Two bulbs are attached on opposite sides, one blinks red, the other is green. The machine-robot-thing wordlessly blocks his path, as if mocking him, hey kid, watcha doin' up so late, tryin' ta be tuff? HAH. Whatta joke!
Rin feels the apparatus provoking him, the red light lazily blinking in his direction, snorting in contempt at this kid who thinks he's hot stuff. Well, screw that thing! Rin can do whatever the hell he wants, and nobody blinks a light at him like it's telling him to stop!
Rin jogs up to it and kicks, hard, right under the centerpiece. Despite the flimsy-looking wheels on the underside, it stays put as if glued. The red blinking light speeds its incessant blinking to a worrying rate before it goes out. Rin almost hmphs in triumph, until a third light from the headpiece shines on his middle and... Rin can only describe it as scans.
Flimsy arms grab his own arms and legs in a vice-like grip, and the third light erratically scans up, down, temporarily blinding him. This all happens in under a three seconds, and in that miniscule time frame, Rin can feel the light- and he's not sure how to describe this- rearrange something somewhere. Somewhere in the back of his head, in his brain...
He's not given much time to think about it. A funnel-hose-thing replaces the headlight, and he is sprayed with gunk. Now here's something he can eloquently illustrate.
"GROSS," Rin exclaims, covered head to shoe in the viscous stuff. And for the record, before this occurrence, he has never been covered in any strange liquids, don't listen to those damn rumors. All lies and deceit.
The flimsy armed machine finally releases him and goes back to being a roadblock. Rin plans to fire another kick in retaliation, but a sudden dizziness overtakes him. He collapses onto his knees, and before the rest of his body gives out, he sends a final farewell.
"Fuck you... ya stupid robot." Middle finger raised high, his face hits the ground.
The metal hunk of supposed junk whirs excitedly. This time, the green light blinks on slowly and watches with sick fascination as the liquid seeps through the pores of the fallen male's skin. A small speaker inside emanates an eerie tinny voice.
"Ma-tsu-o-ka, Ri-n... Age-17. Re-vERse be-gins on count-down. 5...4...3...2..."