Jordan Benton was never good at office politics. This was something that had always hindered him when climbing the corporate latter. The thought of it clawed at the back of his mind.

Co-workers flooded the conference room to congratulate Cody on his promotion. Most cubicles were left abandoned. Jordan didn’t move. Instead, he sat glaring at his computer screen.

Jealousy grows loudest in private.

This was merely another promotion that should’ve been Jordans.

Some people never get what they truly deserve. He thought.

Jordan could never catch a break. Raises were barely there, if they were there at all. Bonuses too. He checked a job app on his phone. Something which usually gave him hope in times like this. Jordan knew better to think there was any of that left out there.

He took a walk to clear his mind. That’s when he saw an email which caught his attention, “$10,000 compensation for participation in Meridian Trial Services - Human Stress Test Response Study.”

Jordan carefully read the terms and conditions. It seemed like something he could do. A quick call to the company secured his place as a participant.

Meanwhile, Casey Kline, was doom-scrolling while waiting for her next customer. The DMV was slow that day. Then, she saw it— $10,000 compensation at Meridian Trial Services.

She hesitated before clicking, thinking it must be too good to be true. But then, she remembered the name. She had seen it before. Meridian Trial Services was real but mostly implemented testing of experimental medication drugs to the public.

Casey would never risk potentially dangerous side-effects of new prescription meds but, this was different. The Human Stress Test Response Study was about her testing someone else.

The details of the tests were vague at best. The terms and conditions hinted at being a part of government research of some kind. Her application processed immediately.

Three participant slots remained. Most people would have called it a chance of a lifetime. Sam Rowe knew better than to trust things that looked too good to be true.

Everything Sam had, he had to work hard for but times were changing fast. He watched swarms of robots and automation invade the factory he worked. Many of his friends had already been replaced. Grunt work was slowly becoming obsolete. He knew his time was coming.

His phone buzzed.

The email read “Limited availability— Three participant spots remaining.”

Maybe this opportunity wasn’t too good to be true.

Meridian Trial Services flashed in his mind from every desperate corner of his thoughts, the words striking deeper each time they returned. His quick reaction to accept this opportunity secured his place in this study.

Upon signing the contract, more details of this unique opportunity would be revealed. It appeared to be testing of an experimental anti-interrogation drug through various interactive modules.

These modules will be conducted in a clinical setting and medically trained staff will be onsite at all times in case of emergency. Administration of the anti-interrogational drug will be constantly adjusted throughout the modules to determine optimal dosage.

Each of the five participants will reside in their own private room overlooking the test subject. Each round of modules that is successfully completed will reward a specific dollar amount to the participants involved. Participant(s) who opt to increase the level of stress testing will be offered additional compensation given that they successfully push the test subject to his limitation.

If the test subject is unable to continue for any reason, the participant(s) who interacted in the failed module are required to forfeit compensation for that particular round. Any and all remaining compensation earned up to that point will be delivered.

Meridian Trial Services rested in an office park downtown. On the surface, it was ordinary— almost forgettable. Even some of the basic places can hide something you’d never expect.

The name alone was ambiguous. Someone could read it and not think twice yet the air leading down to Meridian Trial Services felt heavy.

Something settled beyond its walls.

Something mysterious.

Something waiting.

Each participant was instructed to take the elevator to a level with a restricted access point. All security checks were automated with step-by-step instructions given at time of arrival.

The further each of them went, the more each of them felt the weight of what they had signed on to. Shadows stretched further than they should inside a place that no one knew existed.

The final hallway revealed something lurking in the darkness— a hollow, mechanical voice stripped of anything human. This voice was to act as a guide during the Human Stress Test Response Study.

This voice could almost change the temperature of the room. Sam, Casey, and Jordan had all felt it. The remaining two participants— Rachel Hughes and Laura Bennett, would soon understand why.

The address given to the participants is different than the headquarters of Meridian Trial Services. The other participants never questioned it. None except for Rachel. The person she spoke with over the phone stated that because of the nature of this study, it MUST be performed at a separate location.

The unfamiliar address bothered her enough to check it twice. By the time she pulled into the office park, most of that doubt had evaporated. Trimmed hedges. Fresh pavement. Glass-fronted buildings reflecting the afternoon sun.

Nothing about the place resembled the abandoned warehouse or back-alley scam she'd imagined. Besides, when money talked, Rachel always listened.

Upon the arrival of all five participants, the Human Stress Test Response Study could finally begin. The locking gears of the doors screeched as they turned, sealing each of them inside. Overhead lights flickered like they were struggling to stay alive.

Each room equipped with a desktop computer, table, and chair. And since they would be unable to leave once it began, each room contained its own private bathroom.

The far wall of each room revealed a large window. Behind it a darkened stage. The outline of something was trying to reveal itself.

A wave of static cracked the air. Through each room’s intercom, a mysterious voice introduced itself— muffled and digital. A haunting echo trailed behind each word. But the silence after, almost felt worse.

The voice stated,

“Thank you for your participation in the Human Stress Test Response Study. The details are as follows:

The central test subject has remained awake for seventy-two (72) continuous hours and has undergone extensive cognitive conditioning designed to enhance stress tolerance, emotional compartmentalization, and perceptual endurance.

This study simulates adversarial interrogation environments that may be employed by hostile forces. All procedures presented are representational and are executed within a controlled research setting.

You will be presented with a rotating catalog of stress-induction modules. Participation in every module presented is acceptable but not required. Every module participated in will result in financial compensation credited to your account.

Compensation increases proportionally with each phase engaged. A prompt may display on your computer allowing added stress testing. Each additional stress test component selected and endured by the test subject will be additional compensation.

Once a module is initiated, it must run to completion. If you feel the need to stop a module, press the “abort” button. Withdrawing from the module forfeits all pending compensation obtained for that participant during that module.

By proceeding, you acknowledge that perceived harm, psychological distress, and physical stress responses are integral to the study’s objectives. Accountability for outcomes is assumed by the program.

Press CONTINUE to begin.”

The last line echoed long after it silenced.

The rooms had gone still.

Something dangerous hung in the air.

The center stage brightened. A spotlight glowed upon the test subject. The chair reclined slightly…

Attached to the subject was an array of stress indicators: EEG stress band, blood oxygen saturation sensor, numerous sweat response sensors, pupil dilation system for eye tracking/blink rate, and a micro-tremor detector for involuntary muscle reflex.

Machines surrounded the test subject.

Odd machines— eerie and robotic.

Each participant’s screen activated with its first prompt.

Module 01: Visual Shock and Fatigue

An array of options with payout multipliers flashed. Rachel sifted through a list of pattern disruption loops. Each one manipulating motion with flickering geometric shapes and depth distortion.

Sam was next in the que. With hesitation, he selected the next pattern disruption loop. The screen flickered, flashing like a dying neon sign. The test subject squeezed his eyes shut. Machinery hummed while a countdown timer ticked away.

Sams compensation was deposited.

Jordan was next. He chose seizure inducing effects for three-hundred dollars. Fear settled into the test subject like ice water and his reality began slipping quietly at first— like the walls were closing in.

Casey had the option to increase the threshold of Jordans disruption loop or choosing her own. She picked the one that paid more. When it was Laura’s turn, she challenged the test subject to repeated jump-scares.

Cameras monitored eye movement and pupil dilation. The heart-rate monitor beat rapidly. So far, jump scares demonstrated the most stress.

The lights dimmed as module one ended. Darkness seemed to fill up the corners of the stage. The shock of simulated torture flashed in the participants minds like a relentless loop.

The memory of what they saw lingered like some half-forgotten dream. But this was only the beginning. The worst was yet to come. Whether they liked it or not, torture was part of the architecture.

Module 2: Temperature Change Endurance/Hydro Displacement

This stage illuminated with an eerie blue glow. An overhead machine began moving like a sentinel in dark. A spotlight shined upon the test subjects face. Rachel’s computer assembled the first round of test options.

A. Cold water drip.

B. Waterboarding

C. Cold Plunge

D. Room Temperature Drop

The options didn’t contain a compensation amount or details explaining the what they were. Rachel reached for her phone to google them but cellular service was completely blocked. The facility was in a dead-zone.

A timer began counting down through the intercom. Rachels fingers nervously tapped her keyboard. Rachel needed to make a decision fast. Then she pressed it: A Cold Water Drip. Its duration was set at 30 minutes.

During which, Jordan was able to combine another test.

A temperature gage illuminated on stage.

Large fans kicked on.

The subject shivered slightly.

Casey increased the speed of the water drip when she had the chance and Laura selected to decrease the temperature by 10 degrees.

The room chilled quickly.

The dripping water tapped steadily.

Silence settled between every drop.

The test subject was showing signs of cognitive stress and anxiety. Although the results were obvious, the real question were the participants more worried about the subject or more worried about their payouts.

Next, Sam made his choice. A lid opened beneath the chair. A trap door revealed something chilling. The participants held their breath as the chair lowered, submerging the test subject into a tank of ice-cold water.

The duration began with one minute, increasing in length as selected by the other participants. By the time the cold plunge reached seven minutes, the test subject shook uncontrollably.

Rachel selected the final option in this module. She curiously watched the machines move into place, connecting a device to the test subject’s respiratory passage.

It induced a controlled, simulated drowning effect. The test subject was inhaling water into his sinuses, throat, and lungs.

By the time the test subject had reached two hours of this round’s stress tests, he was experiencing panic, claustrophobia, and mild deterioration of his mental stability.

Then, lights to the stage went dark.

Compensation amounts totaled.

They could all see how much they made— or didn’t.

When the numbers came in, Rachel felt it the most. If only she knew how much each selection paid, she could strategize. That’s when each participant’s screen flashed: The next module would begin shortly with possible bonuses available.

Module 3: Electric Shock

The stage illuminated once again. The machines looked more sinister, moving like injured spiders. Electric sparks flashed around the test subject. Jordan’s computer assembled the third modules test options, he hoped it would be more profitable.

The test subject had wires attached to him connected to large batteries. Jordan was first to act, setting voltage to maximum. The action quickly moved to Laura, setting the duration.

Sam was next, following their pace. An option flashed quickly on everyone’s screens. It said “Bonus $1000.” Rachel, like a thief in the night, clicked it quickly before it disappeared.

Machines moved into place.

Glowing arms hovering in place.

Its movements looked unfinished— almost haunting.

Rachel, still relishing in the bonus she won, also had the option for the next stress test. She chose “The Grill.” It’s a South American military torture method where the victim is bound to a metal frame to conduct electricity through the entire body.

The test subjects chair was designed with this in mind. It’s all metal.

Rachel chose the maximum allotted voltage. Acute trauma slammed the test subject into physical convulsions. This left Casey hesitant to make the next move. Before she had a chance to act, something surprising happened— another bonus appeared on the screen.

Rachel snatched it once again. It happened so fast that none of the others had a chance to react. Casey on the other hand, barely noticed the missed bonus. She was stunned, as she looked centerstage.

Waves of electricity pulsed from the test subject’s chair. As showers of sparks fell, Casey’s computer counted away the few seconds remaining. Casey struck the keypad with one second to spare.

For Casey, it was all becoming hard to watch. All participants took a deep breath as the stage faded into darkness.

Something was changing among them.

Something which challenged morality.

They were beginning to normalize the exchange of money for humanity.

The totals earned appeared on everyone’s screens showing first to last place. So far, the earnings were still in the low thousand-dollar range, at best. While the dust and smoke settled from the electrifying module, the participants had some time to reflect on the grand event and what it meant to them.

Casey felt it the worse. It wasn’t the memory of what’s happened to the test subject that stayed with her. It was her puny bankroll. Rachel, still taking the lead, only wanted more.

She stood up, walked over to the large window trying to anticipate the next module but saw nothing but shadows. She cupped her hands against her ear, pressing it against the window, listening closely.

In the distance she heard footsteps, the sounds of metal grinding, and voices which appeared trapped inside the walls. And then—

“THUD!”

The impact sent Rachel scurrying backward. Her scream was muffled in her soundproof room. Someone from the stage was watching her, moving before she did. A sudden dread filled her room but when she tried to walk out, she discovered the door was locked.

A voice entered the room from the intercom, “All participants must remain in their privately secured room until the completion of the Human Stress Test.”

Hope flickered on Rachels computer in dollar signs. Her fear, fading away as the next module began. The prompts began pouring in, initiated faster than before.

Then, a loud, repetitive noise blasted through the test subject’s headphones. A mixture of inescapable sounds of heavy metal meant to cause sensory overload were already showing its power.

A variety of acoustic bombardment options filled the participants computer screens: broken violin strings, children’s songs, and white noise. Volume levels quickly increased in exchange for compensation.

Laura quickly grabbed a “Jump Scare” bonus. They watched the test subjects heart-rate spike in waves as violent screams intertwined with quiet footsteps. Sam upped the intensity by selecting stress position enhancement.

They all had their chances.

They all took them.

The test subject was becoming expendable.

Rachel was about to get the chance to add a visual enhancement. Something that would boost her earnings even further if she pressed the button. A warning flashed on her screen:

“Visual and auditory torture techniques inflict deep mental trauma without leaving visible physical marks. Do you want to proceed?”

Rachel hesitated as the question flashed as her finger hovered over the keyboard. She glanced over to see the test subject struggling to survive. She striked the key anyways.

A visor moved over the test subject’s eyes displaying AI video of hostage and interrogation scenes. The victims— family members.

The footage is played on everyone’s screen.

Nobody turns away.

Everyone has the option to abort.

Nobody does.

The simulations escalate to a screaming pitch. Once the lights dim, the total compensation amounts are delivered. Aggression has paid off. They’re all closer to the amount initially stated on the terms and conditions. They could only hope the test subject would stabilize so they could get even more.

It became less about the purpose of the human stress test and more about how far ordinary people will go, crossing ethical boundaries as long as there were no consequences.

What was being revealed was how ordinary people could quickly adopt abusive behaviors when given not just authority, but also sums of money.

Air hissed from the dark stage.

The silhouette of something mysterious was hidden.

Smoke drifted from it like a ghost with nowhere left to haunt.

It carried the scent of something chemical.

An overhead light shined upon Module 5.

The stage suddenly felt too dangerous to survive in.

Jordan quickly activated the module. He selected the release of a chemical inducing enhanced sensory awareness known to trigger episodes of fear. The burst was released through a secured gas mask on the test subject.

An overhead projector played a strange video on the stage walls. Out of the darkness came red glowing rings of light simulating a tunnel. With it came shaking waves simulating fast movement.

Laura opted to increase the dosage when offered. Sam chose to enhance the visuals and sound. Lights flickering and walls shaking, Rachel held her hand to her eyes to block the flashing lights, keeping one hand on the keyboard.

She wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to collect on this one.

Then it came— “Breath of god” bonus.

Fear grew louder than ever.

So did greed.

When Casey watched this bonus unfold, she witnessed its power and was flooded with sympathy and guilt. The idea of stopping it all clawed at the back of her mind but so did the fact she’d lose all her earnings and leave with nothing.

Her hand slowly moved away from her keyboard.

She couldn’t lose everything now.

Not after all of this.

Instead, she waited eagerly for the next chance to earn more. As did Laura, as she fumed over Rachel obtaining the last bonus. She could only wonder how much she had earned on this module.

Jordan nervously tapped his keyboard as he watched the test subject suffer. Whatever the “Breath of god” was, it caused massive panic and disorientation.

Sam became concerned once he saw the test subjects blood pressure. If he died, they wouldn’t get paid. They all waited anxiously as the timer counted down to the end of the bonus.

“Three, two, one. Bonus completed. Next Module 6: Vascular Occlusion Response Test commencing soon.” Blared a static voice from the intercom.

The test subject’s restraints loosened. He stumbled forward, trying to hold himself up. The hypnotic tunnel-like projection faded to darkness while bright spotlights illuminated the test subject, highlighting his frail condition.

As the stage went dark, the participants could only wonder what Vascular Occlusion Response meant. Each pondered it with a diffusion of responsibility. Deindividuation (people behaving differently in crowds) was consuming them.

The next module began.

Numerous restraints confined the test subject.

He looked tired of surviving.

This was something nobody could see. He was no longer a man— he was an object. Casey was first to act, prompting mechanical bands around his arms to tighten. Jordan did the same, but to the legs. Laura couldn’t wait to increase the intensity.

Sam’s option was to tighten the restraint around his neck. He paused. A of moment of hesitation that cost him. Rachel stole it from him. Sam gasped as he read his computer:

“New feature unlocked: A participant’s option to act can be forfeited in the case of unnecessary delay. Their option to act can be obtained by the first to act.”

Rachel gushed at this new opportunity. She watched the metal rope tighten, squeezing hard. She smiled knowing this would pay well. The corners of her mouth curled up as she saw the test subject beginning to lose consciousness.

She laughed when he survived the round she stole from Sam. The rest of them couldn’t believe how much Rachel was winning. The ending numbers detailed it all:

Rachel - $7,200

Laura - $ 5,100

Sam - $ 3,800

Casey - $ 5,700

Jordan - $ 5,500

The next module would determine the final compensation and conclude the Human Stress Test of Meridian Trail Services. It is designed to push limits even further combining all previous modules.

Module 7: Compression Breakdown

Computers fire up with an up-to-date health status and a warning:

“Human Stress Test results in this phase may persist beyond human threshold leading to termination.”

A rotating catalog of stress test options flashed on Jordans computer as he tried to process the warning he had just read. His fingers swiped the quickest option knowing any hesitation could cost him.

The Electric Shock Module was initiated but something about it had changed— it began just as intense as it ended.

Next, Laura found out she could increase the current module or activate another one before Jordan’s was completed. She chose to add the Vascular Occlusion Response Module.

It also began just as intense as it had ended. Sparks rained down on the stage from the amped electric prods while extreme pressure bared down on the test subject’s limbs.

“Snap!”

The first broken bone.

None of them stopped.

Sam, determined to make up for his loss from the last round, made his choice. Strobe lights blinked from the darkest corners of the stage while fear inducing chemicals forced its way into the test subject.

More than fear reflected in the test subject’s eyes.

Something the participants couldn’t yet see.

Not yet.

Rachel, undeterred and determined to increase her superior financial status, unlocked the blink suppression timer. An added feature designed into the test subjects gas mask.

Before Casey was able initiate her module, a warning flashed:

“Maximum pain threshold approaching!”

Casey hesitated and instantly regretted it once she saw her total compensation reducing by the second.

She quickly chose Auditory Pain Response Index. Eardrum shattering high-frequency sound waves boomed while all the other modules persisted.

Everyone’s screen flashed the same message:

“Subject has a family.”

For a moment, they gazed upon the test subject like they did at the beginning— through a humane lens. All had the power to stop it if only greed would not stop them.

Then, everyone’s screens locked reading another message:

“Continue?”

All participants must choose to continue to proceed, possibly reaching maximum compensation. All of them did, except for one.

The lights of the stage went dark.

Computers shut down.

The participants waited without answers.

A static voice appeared once again saying, “Thank you for participating with the Meridian Trial Services.” Confusion and anger filled the rooms. Especially from Rachel. They wanted money. They wanted to know who stopped the Human Stress Test.

The stage suddenly brightened.

The restraining chair now empty.

The test subject standing as if nothing had happened to him.

“Congratulation’s… The Human Stress Test is complete.” He said with same scratchy static voice that came through the intercom.

“What!?” Rachel nearly shouted.

“Some truths arrive too late to save anyone.” He said coldly before adding, “The Human Stress Test wasn’t mine… it was yours.”

A door opened. The participant who refused to continue exited. A countdown played over the intercom. As seconds ticked away, the others trapped had no choice but to submit to their impending fate.

When the crime scene was discovered, four dead bodies were found. Their corpses rotted inside locked rooms. Cause of death: Poisonous gas.

Investigators also found destroyed computers and a creepy stage with a chair equipped with restraints. A document rested on the chair. The document was titled: “Terms & Conditions.”

That document claimed to be associated with Meridian Trail Services but the real Meridian Trial Services had never been linked to that location. The floor of that building had not been leased out to anyone for years. As to who fully remodeled the floor still remains a mystery.

At least two bodies remained missing— the person in room #5, the person on the surgical chair, and the person(s) orchestrating this bizarre crime.

When Sam scrolled his phone, he saw that the human stress test that he was involved with had finally come to light. Thinking of the potential trouble that might befall him, he never told anyone about it.

He struggled to figure out why anyone would orchestrate such a scheme. It preyed on his mind constantly. The “test subject” wasn’t being tested at all. The participants were. Their stress, decision speed, hesitation, empathy, greed…

This whole thing was about figuring out one thing— How much money does it take before ordinary people stop seeing another human being as human? There wasn’t just one villain. There was five at first. Then, four after Sam decided it couldn’t go on any further.

He felt guilty to ever have been involved in it. He knew the only reason that he was alive was because he had chosen to stop it all. He never checked whether the money came. Darkness often begins as curiosity. Light becomes more valuable in darkness. And in Sam’s case, his light saved him.