Disputation Period

“Ugh, why do you always make this exact same mistake!” Ashley shouted in exasperation as she pushed her rolling chair back, “You never even try to listen to me.”

“I would, if what came out of your mouth was actually pleasant,” Zach replied, looking rather displeased at his co-worker. 

Ashley stood up quietly at her desk, pacing around with her hands clawing at her auburn hair. Zach often described her as a tiger—vicious and fiery with a quick temper. And Ashley was about to lose it today.

“Look, you should know what happens if someone catches us arguing. So let’s just suck it up and start over, okay?” Ashley glared at Zach, hoping her words would at least talk some sense into him. She hated the fact that he always gave off a lazy gaze, and was always indifferent about everything. She hated that he never showed any emotion while she often showed too much. 

“No-can-do lady. Not with that attitude at least.”

Ashley was about to respond to Zach’s snarky comment, before her eyes dimmed dark and she began to feel drowsy. 

“Hey, what’s going on-” Zach started to say, before dropping to the ground like a heavy bowling pin. 

Shit. Not this again. 

Ashley couldn’t think straight. She wanted to feel panic or fear. But all she could feel was her breathing slowing down and her pulse becoming steady, as her mind slowly began to grow more and more hazy…

***

Zach opened his eyes, and saw nothing but a dark wash of ripples that seemed to expand infinitely into the distance. His eyes were a blurry mess, and it took all the energy he had to even blink with his eyelids.

His chest tightened. And he realized he was underwater. 

Suddenly, a pair of warm hands grasped his shoulder. He tried to look around, but the liquid around him seemed to grip his head and body and not want to let go. The clutch of the hands tightened around his arm, and pulled upwards in an aggressive manner. He was now stuck in a painful tug-of-war between two unknown forces. 

The force dragged him through the water, ignoring his struggles of resistance. Zach could feel his pulse quicken, his chest constrict even more—he felt like he was about to pass out. 

The hand gave him a quick shake. He looked upwards, and saw that it was Ashley. 

Why is she here? Zach pondered as Ashley kicked and pushed against the crashing waves. 

Finally, they reached the surface. Splashes of water emerged along with the two, whom had both begun to engage in a series of coughing fits. 

When both of them could finally talk again, Zach tried to gaze at his surroundings. “Where…are we? I could’ve sworn we were at the office like two minutes ago.”

“Fifteen minutes. And technically we still are.” Ashley responded, gasping for a breath. 

“At the office?” Zach looked majorly confused, his brain couldn’t comprehend this. What about the water? The salty taste in his mouth?

“Yes. Why do you think we haven’t drowned after being underwater for that long?”

Before Ashley could continue, Zach’s eyes widened when he saw the large object in the water approaching them. He pointed panickedly behind Ashley. 

Oh my lord. Please don’t let it be the pirates again. Ashley thought to herself as she turned around to see what it was. 

But it was worse, a large seawater creature with a triangular fin was headed their way.

This was ten times worse.

“Swim as fast as you can!” Ashley shouted as she quickly duck underwater, kicking her feet as swiftly as she could manage and pushing her hands through the sharp liquid. The adrenaline was starting to wear off, and she was starting to feel fatigue in her arms. 

Legs weakening and hands shaking, Ashley felt her pace begin to slow down. Each stroke became more and more difficult, and she was struggling to stay awake. 

She felt something brush the side of her leg. Shark? No, she would’ve lost her leg by now. 

Zach emerged from beside her, and was urgently waving for her to come to the surface. 

How does he still have energy? Ashley wondered as she tried to climb for air. She couldn’t feel her legs anymore, but memories of her past experience pushed her to use all the force she could possibly muster and claw her way back up to the surface. 

Zach immediately grabbed her arms and pulled her onto the raft. 

They were both on the piece of wood, panting and breathless—even more so than their previous ocean encounter from ten minutes ago. 

Zach was the first to speak. “So, you wanna tell me why we’re suddenly being chased by a shark?” 

Ashley raised a finger. Let me breathe first, she seemed to say. 

“Remember what happened with Jake and Gail last year?”

Zach paused for a few seconds to think. “Didn’t they suddenly collapse in the office for around an hour?”

“Yeah exactly. They had a fight and wouldn’t compromise, so the HR team decided to put them on a little bonding exercise.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean like this. They put us in a simulation, force us to work together for survival until we’re literally obligated to get along. They call it ‘bonding’.” Ashley put up her hands to make the gesture of air quotations with her fingers. 

“But how do they do that? We haven’t even developed the technology for that yet.”

“Why do you think we partner with Quik Tech?”

Zach's face filled to the brim with horror. Had they really done it? Was their team’s dynamic so bad that they had to resort to such inhumane methods to force co-workers to get along with each other?

“They’re monsters.”

“Business people is the better definition I think. But yes I agree. They have to be the trashiest people I know to put someone through this twice.”

Zach paused. “You’ve done this before?”

“I’m not the most agreeable person.”

“Yeah, clearly.”

The two sat in silence for a moment. Ashley was exhausted from hauling two people out of the water and Zach needed more than just a minute to comprehend everything that was going on. 

“You think that shark is gone?” Zach asked, wanting to break the awkward silence.

“Hell if I know.”

Zach squeezed his mouth into a thin line, wondering if he should ask the pressing question on his mind. 

“What happens if you die in the simulation?”

Ashley stared at him with a concerned face, then let out a high-pitched laugh. 

“Wow, I was wondering why you looked so concerned. Don’t worry, we won’t die in real life if that’s what you’re worrying about. It usually lasts for an hour, and there’s no way in hell they would want us not being able to work after the ‘bonding’,” More air quotations. 

Zach let out a sigh. It was no doubt he felt stupid after that throughough explanation, but he did feel relieved that they didn’t have to risk their lives on a dumb simulation. 

“Also, by the way-” Ashley began, before turning to see that Zach had already been knocked out. 

Sigh. Here we go again. Ashley closed her eyes, and allowed herself to be taken away by the expanding darkness.

***

“Hey, I think we’re back at the office.” Zach’s voice echoed through the dim and empty office room. 

Ashley’s eyes were greeted by a blinding flash of blue light. 

“Agh, stop shining that thing into my eyes.”

She heard a clicking sound, and the light stopped. Ashley adjusted her glasses to look around. They were indeed back in the office.

“Why’s there nobody here?” Zach asked, shining his light to look for the switch. “There’s no assistive bots around to help us either.”

“God, Zach it’s fine. As long as we’re back-” Ashley stopped herself. Had the layout of the office changed? She could’ve sworn there were six lines of tables there instead of five. 

“Hey…does something feel a bit…off to you?” Zach moved closer towards Ashley and spun his flashlight around. 

Ashley looked around. “Did you grow taller?” She said as she looked to the top of Zach’s dark brown hair. 

“Not that I know of.”

Then it finally hit Ashley. The room was shrinking. 

The walls began to close in on the two. Towering walls drew closer and closer, reducing the empty space between them. The ceiling crashed down like a giant wave of darkness. Ashley felt her heart rate quicken and sweat drip out of her palms. 

Darkness and confined spaces. Her two least favourite things. 

“Hey…Hey! Are you okay?” Zach shook Ashley gently. “You look…pale, are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m claustrophobic.”

The realization sank into Zach’s face as he glanced at the tightening space around them. He would be alright in this situation, but she wouldn’t be.

“Let’s get you somewhere with more space.”

Zach lugged Ashley’s arm over his head, and rushed towards the emergency exit. Luckily, the door was unlocked. He shoved the door open in a swift motion and lunged her and himself through. The stairwell stretched for forever below their feet, each step giving the walls more time to cave in. 

It was now a struggle against time.

“You’ve done this before. Is there any way to stop the simulation?” Zach shouted amidst the chaos and clattering feet against the stair steps.

“If there was, wouldn’t I have said something about it already?” Ashley’s breathing quickened, and she began to feel lightheaded, almost about to faint. 

“Hey, don’t pass out on me here.” Zach gave her a small shook. Oh how the roles have changed. “We’re almost to the first floor.”

When they got to the door, Ashley’s legs gave out—plunging her to the ground. But they were finally at the exit, at last. They could finally leave the hellhole of a place and get somewhere with fresh air and personal space. 

Zach pulled on the doorknob. Click. It wouldn’t budge. He tried pulling again, this time with more force, but it was no use. The door was locked.

“Shit.” Zach pushed his hair back in frustration, looking at Ashley who looked as if she would puke or faint at any given moment. 

The walls didn’t stop moving. They contorted and continued to move inwards despite Zach’s growing panic. The darkness cast shadows against the stairwell, moving along like tiny corrupted soldiers preparing for their next battle. 

But it was Ashley and Zach who had lost this battle. 

Zach looked at Ashley. “Are you okay?” His voice softened, and his face filled with concern and worry.

Ashley couldn’t speak. She fought with her lungs for air as the space around her closed off, suffocating her. No, no, no, she couldn’t take this. Her mind was filled with flashbacks of being trapped in a small closet, the door locked, and clothing stuffed beneath the cracks. There wasn’t any space, any light…

“Breathe.” Zach sat down beside Ashley, who had now curled up into a small ball against the door. “Breathe slowly and deeply.”

Ashley tried to inhale, but her chest felt constricted. 

“Look at my watch.” Zach extended his arm out, a large white seven appeared on the dimly lit screen. 

“So?” Ashley managed to croak out.

“That means there’s only seven more minutes left.” He tried to give her as much space as possible, despite being pushed into a cramped corner of the stairwell ramp. “You said it only lasts for an hour, we just need to get through these last few minutes.”

Ashley’s breathing slowed, as she watched the numbers on Zach’s watch tick down. The lowering ceiling proceeded to plunge downwards rapidly. She prayed that time would go faster. 

“You know, you’re actually not as bad as I thought.” Zach said, trying to take Ashley’s thoughts away from her surroundings. 

“You too.” Ashley rasped, “Sorry for targeting you during the group interview though, it was kinda petty of me.”

Zach let out a tiny laugh. “Sorry for switching up your work documents last month.”

“That was you?” Ashley spun around to face Zach, her face red with irritation and embarrassment, “But now we’re even right?”

“Is this a peace treaty?” 

“Yeah, I mean…It wouldn’t benefit both of us to be arguing all the time…And I guess you’re not that terrible of a person.”

“I’ll take that compliment.”

“It’s the only one you’ll ever be getting from me.” Ashley warned, waving her finger in the air. 

They both laughed, then sat in silence, watching the moonlight drain the darkness from the window. 

And everything faded black for the last time. 

***

When the two opened their eyes again, they were back in the office, with the sun shining high in the sky and documents in hand. Everything was back the way they had left it, almost to say that they had never left it at all. Unsettling. 

They both dropped down in their chairs, their mental exhaustion merging with their physical weariness. 

“Never again.” Zach said, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

“Never again.” Ashley repeated, as she stared out the office window. 

“Let’s start over,” Zach smiled, extending his hand out to hers, “Now pass me those papers goddammit.”