The Experiment
“Is that the island?” I have to shout over the sound of the helicopter, and only receive a nod from the study observer that’s accompanying me. His jots something down on the little notebook he’s carrying. I’m guessing they’ve been instructed not to say much so as to not disrupt any part of the experiment. Makes for a really boring flight. We’re circling the island at this point and when looking at it, it’s kind of beautiful if you don’t think about the fact that it’s a cage.
One month on an isolated island with 12 other participants, that’s the deal. There will even be electricity and plumbing so it’s not a survival thing, although they haven’t really specified much else about it. They did say that if you complete the experiment, you will receive a nice compensation in the amount of $5,000, which seems fairly simple. The screening process wasn’t complex, just a lot of questions about my life and my personality. As a 26-year-old waitress, I didn’t have too much to tell. I do well with conflict and I’m just trying to be independent. A few days later I get a call inviting me to participate in this experiment.
The helicopter lands on top of a building just on the edge of the island, and not even a moment after we land, I’m being escorted inside by the observer. He didn’t tell me his name, so I just keep calling him the observer, which seems fitting given how far he’s going to stay aloof. After countless turns down totally white halls, we finally stop at a security door. He pulls out a little badge from his pocket, scanning it, and a loud buzzer announces that the door is unlocked.
I’m guided behind a screen, and I’m given a new pair of clothes, cargo pants and a plain white t-shirt. They’re surprisingly comfortable. Once I’m dressed, observer guy gestures for me to follow him once more and we walk to another locked door. He raises his badge and steps aside, motioning for me to step forward. I walk in to see a room full of people in the same clothes as me, some older, some younger, and pretty split down the middle gender wise. The door locks behind me, causing me to jump. A few people chuckle, saying how it startled them too.
“So, does anybody know what this experiment is all about?” I ask, and most shake their heads no, but a blonde woman who looks a few years older than me, shrugs and says, “It’s some kind of social experiment, I think,” she gets a little quiet when she notices everyone has looked up at her, “I mean, I’m just assuming because of the environmental factors. I had a lot of sociology classes when I was in school, and this seems similar to some experiments I remember reading about.”
A heavier-set man who looks to be in his 40’s chimes in, “I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t remember a whole lot of good outcomes from those kinds of studies.” He’s not wrong, I think to myself, as a young man with dark brown hair adds, “If you’re so worried, why don’t you go ahead and drop out? More money for the rest of us.” Heavy-set guy just sighs and crosses his arms, leaning back into his seat.
“How long do we have to wait in here?” I ask, trying not to stir up the pot, but genuinely curious. The younger guy glances at me from his corner, “Some of us have been here for days, just waiting for all the people to be here, I guess. Do you have somewhere to be?” I just throw my hands up and nod, I’m guessing he’s one of the ones that’s been in here for a few days, given his snarky attitude.
I’m picking at my fingernails when the door opens and a younger girl with red hair is tentatively walking in. She’s wringing her hands and looks like she’s nervous enough to hurl. I’m sure all of us staring at her isn’t helping. Looking around, I think this could be my chance to pair up, so I quickly make my way over and reach out my hand, “Hi, I’m Anna.” She looks grateful as she shakes my hand, “I’m Vickie,” she lowers her voice and whispers, “thank you.” No longer than just after we’ve sat down, a white-coat woman enters the room with her clipboard in hand.
“Thank you for your patience,” she says with an almost robotic voice, “In just a few moments the wall on the far side of this room will open and you will be encouraged to venture out onto the Island. I take it you’ve all signed your waivers?” She pauses briefly to check that we all nod our heads.
“Good, the experiment will begin once the wall opens. I’m here to inform you of the rules. This is an observational study, and you will be watched through the entirety of your stay. Once you step onto the Island, you will no longer be expected to follow any kind of societal norm or standards, allowing complete freedom to do as you please. Essentially, the only rule is that you endure through the entirety of the study. This is the last you will see of us until your time here comes to an end. Thank you for your participation, there will be no questions.”
She leaves the room as quickly as she entered with the sound of a heavy lock clicking into place. There’s a grinding noise as the wall she mentioned starts to detach from the room, which is something I would’ve never expected it would do. Sunlight floods in, overwhelming the fluorescent light we’d been succumbing to. The forest is a lush green, and there’s a path leading further in. We collectively start walking down the path and I feel Vickie making sure to keep close behind me. Eventually it opens up to a few small hut-like buildings, just enough for two people each, and we come to a halt.
The snarky young guy is the first one to break from the group, darting to the seemingly biggest hut. “This one’s mine,” He shouts. A random woman is quick to challenge him, “We’re supposed to share these.” The guy just kind of saunters back over to her, getting in her face as he says, “Yeah? Last I remember, there are no rules. So, this one is mine and I’m not sharing.” It’s not long before people are siding one way or the other, but I’m already ushering Vickie and I to one of the buildings on the far side of the circle. My stomach drops a little when I realize there’s no lock on the inside as I start to wonder more and more about what this experiment is supposed to be about.
A scream pierces through the air, and I prop myself up to look out the window. The woman who tried to say something is on the ground with snarky guy standing over her, a sneer on his face. A few people run into nearby huts, and some are stunned in place by what just happened. I hold my breath and wait for observers to come storming in, putting a stop to these kind of actions, but nobody comes. I press my back to the door just in time for somebody to try and barge their way in. Vickie is curled up on the bed in the corner as I hold steady, digging my heels into the soft dirt floor.
I can hear shouting from outside but don’t dare move from my spot at the door. Whoever was trying to get in left, but something in the air feels chaotic. Like we’ve all at once realized what it means to have no rules. Nothing that binds us to a moral code. The thought is terrifying. I notice the blinking red light of the camera in the corner.
“Hey!” I scream at it, “Are you guys going to do something?” The red light only continues to blink in response. Things seem to be settling outside, but I can still feel the tension in the air. I check the cooler in the room to find there’s just a few apples and a case of water we’ll be lucky to make last the month. There’s another yelp from outside, and I slam myself against the door again, not bothering to look. Darkness starts to settle as the sun sets, and panic takes over as I scream at the camera once more, pleading for them to do something.
***
“How’re the participants doing so far?”
A display of screens offers a view for each person, one girl screaming at the camera.
“They are detaching from moral code faster than anticipated, are you sure we should continue?”
“Yes, this is what we hoped for. Do not intercede. The study must continue.”