Broken

It was that.
It was it.
It was the revelation.

Arthur Boyle looked at the concrete wall, and the wall seemed
completely uninterested, but equally ready to resist every Arthur's
attempt to advance.

This was it!

Arthur had just realized that no number of hitting this wall with his
head will move it, not for an inch, and not even for a milimeter.

He looked in the glass, while his head was entangled with chemicals,
and his brain seemed as if someone has put it in a wire basket before
it started to grow. He was unable to feel emotion, except maybe to
indulge in something and try to quench the feeling that way.

He looked in the glass again. He couldn't believe what he saw. His
reflection started to sob.

Arthur was moved, and nearly moved enough to start crying himself. He
hid a tear he did not want the guards to see. He restrained himself.
The reflex looked broken and hopeless. Arthur wondered why that might
be, and started to worry exceedingly.

Are they plotting something terminal this time?

He sat behind the terminal and started writing. The net was moved. He
pressed SEND. Arthur was not sure whether there was an artificial
intelligence already in that net - but he felt whoever it is, he needs
to know about this new dangerous presence.

He turned around and looked in the glass to check. The reflection
seemed encouraged and calmed. He hoped he could make it smile, but it
seemed such a vain desire.