A Long Morning : A dark sci-fi noir story

by Dhrubo Neel

I don’t have any fancy degrees.
But as a journalist, I’m pretty well known around the area.
My editor often jokes that I have a good hand at “cooking up” stories.
I take that as a compliment. These days, if you don’t add a bit of spice to the news, it simply doesn’t sell.

I often get invitations to different events — can’t attend them all, obviously.
But yesterday, the moment I received that letter, I knew I had to make it.

The invitation was from none other than Dr. Sebastian Carter, the famous scientist.
He lived quietly on Grimstone Road in a spooky old mansion that looked more like a prison.
Nobody really knew what branch of science he specialized in, but he was often featured in foreign journals and magazines.

“I’m heading out, Molly! Not sure if I’ll be back before evening,” I called out to my wife while slipping on my shoes.
“Breakfast?” she asked.
“I’m sure he’ll offer me something. Such a big scientist, must have some wealth too!”
As I tied my shoelaces, I glanced at the cat and said, “Go on, finish the milk. I’m over forty now — missing a glass won’t kill me.”

I pedaled hard on my bicycle.
The tires were freshly inflated, and it zipped along smoothly.

Number 33 Grimstone Road loomed ahead, with a massive iron gate.
No guards in sight.
The garden looked perfectly manicured though — did Dr. Carter manage it all alone?

And there he was — standing right outside on the driveway, waiting for me!
As soon as I introduced myself, he smiled warmly and said,
“Come in, come in! Big news awaits you. If you write this up properly, there’s a prize in it for sure!”

I followed him eagerly, too excited to notice much around me.
The road was quiet, almost eerily deserted.

The mansion itself had towering walls and tiny, bunker-like windows.
As I stepped inside, a heavy, musty smell hit me.
But soon, the delicious aroma of various foods masked it.
Looks like breakfast was going to be good today!

“So, what’s the news?” I asked eagerly.
He laughed. “News? My friend, the real news is right here with me!”

The living room wasn’t exactly cozy, but it oozed old-world grandeur.
No servants appeared with trays or tea.
Instead, Dr. Carter disappeared into the kitchen and returned moments later, carrying a tray loaded with fruits himself.
I jumped up, embarrassed.

“Oh no, please!”
He chuckled. “You’ll be working hard today — you’ll need the energy!”

As I took a big bite of an apple, he suddenly asked,
“What’s your understanding of time?”

The apple froze mid-bite.
“Uhh, you mean like… seconds, minutes, hours?”

He laughed heartily, went to the window, and stared out at the deserted street.
A lone crow perched lazily atop an electric pole, gazing at the sky.

“Time exists only inside our minds. The brain’s the real trickster!” he declared.
“Indeed,” I nodded, pouring myself some tea.

“I called you here,” he said, “to show you my latest invention.”

“Something to do with time?” I guessed. “A fancy new clock, maybe?”

He didn’t laugh.
I silently cursed myself. This was no tinkering clockmaker — this was a scientist of repute!

“To understand my invention, you must first understand time,” he said, seating himself like a modern-day Buddha.

I sat up straighter, trying to look as serious as I could.

“Say a mosquito bites you,” he said.
“How long does it take before you feel it? The signal travels through your nerves at the speed of light — and the brain processes it at that same lightning speed. We humans call this processing ‘a second’ after stretching and dressing it up.”

Wow. Such a simple explanation!
Though honestly, I couldn’t match the speed at which he was throwing ideas at me.

“You still don’t get it,” he smiled.

“If,” he continued, “suddenly everyone’s thinking speed slowed down — everyone, everything — no one would even notice. We’d adjust our sense of seconds and minutes without realizing. Time would stretch without anyone knowing.”

“I think I get it a little now,” I said, feeling half-smart.

“My invention deals with time dilation. And no one else knows about it yet.”

He poured more tea — a small break — but I was itching to see the real deal.

“I’ve captured time in the palm of my hand,” he said dramatically.
At least now I had a catchy headline!

After breakfast, Dr. Carter jumped up, signaling me to follow him.
We walked through a dim corridor to the back of the mansion.
There stood a heavy door, behind which lights flickered.

Inside, a massive chamber enclosed a spinning orb — radiating sharp, bright beams.

“What does it do?” I asked.

“That,” he said, “is my time device.”

“Sure, but how does it show time? I need to explain this clearly to my readers,” I pressed.

He nodded. “Good point. Without proof, no report is credible, right?”

I glanced at my wristwatch.
Seconds ticking by normally.
I counted silently — one, two, three.
Time seemed perfectly normal.

Dr. Carter scowled at my watch, deep in thought.
Then he abruptly turned and walked back to the lounge.
I trailed after him, stealing one last glance at the whirling machine.

“This house seems old but sturdy,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

“Built it myself. Reinforced titanium alloy. You could bomb it, and it wouldn’t budge!” he said proudly.
“But I don’t spend much time here. Nitai takes care of things.”

Ah, so there was someone else.
Though I hadn’t seen him yet.

Reading my mind, Dr. Carter added, “Nitai’s resting. He won’t be around now.”
His voice had a hard edge.

I scanned the room again.
Steel-reinforced windows, no visible openings.
Not surprising — a scientist would guard his secrets well.

“Not even a thief could break in,” he chuckled, ignoring my nervous laugh.

Clearly, my lack of scientific understanding amused him.

“Could you explain it a little more simply?” I requested.

He half-smiled, poured himself a vibrant fruit juice, and motioned for me to drink too.
“This place has everything. Nitai will bring you whatever you need — except during his rest hours.”

The juice was incredible — I felt like I could skip meals all day.
Probably some supercharged concoction.

A science fiction story like Black Mirror series.

“So, about your invention…” I nudged again.

“Oh yes. For now, let’s leave it. In time, you’ll understand,” he said, laughing at his own pun.

The air lightened finally, and we shared a good laugh.

Midday rolled into afternoon.
Four o’clock was my deadline to submit the story.
I grew restless.

Seeing my fidgeting, Dr. Carter said lazily,
“Relax, you have plenty of time.”

Outside, the crow was still perched on the electric pole, staring at the vast sky.

At two o’clock, we had lunch.
Nitai was still nowhere to be seen.
Apparently, he worked one day and slept the next — a bizarre arrangement.

“I really must leave now,” I said.
“Or your news won’t make tomorrow’s paper!”

“No problem,” Dr. Carter said. “But what will you write? You have no proof yet.”

“I’ll just quote you and frame it as a teaser. Then follow up later,” I offered.

“No, no,” he insisted. “A journalist should see the truth firsthand — write it so no one can call it a lie.”

“So now…?” I pressed.

Despite all the hospitality, irritation prickled inside me.

Do you want to see this story as an episode of Black Mirror season 8 ?

Was he just toying with me?

Worse — I had left my phone at home!
Couldn’t even call the editor to explain.

“Tell you what,” Dr. Carter said, “Sit tight. I’ll pop out to the corner store and be right back.”

The tone of command was unmistakable.
I nodded.
Poured myself another heavenly glass of juice.

The heavy door groaned open after a complicated lock-and-code sequence.
Dr. Carter slipped out.
The door shut behind him automatically.

An hour passed.
Then two.

At some point, I dozed off on the sofa.
So much for submitting today’s story.

When I woke, the mansion was eerily silent.
I called out.
No reply.

Growing anxious, I tried the doors — all locked tight.
Tried to reach the back room.
Nothing but the whirring machine — spinning in its chamber.
No way out.
Even if there was… where would I go?

Another two hours passed. I discovered many doors during this time. Some were locked. Found two bathrooms too. Neither had any windows.
One room was lined with books. I had no desire to read.
Another door was unusually heavy. The moment I opened it, a shiver ran through me. A large room—or was it a refrigerator? Rows of neatly arranged food, vegetables, fruits. Yet somehow, no appetite. I left.
Found a regal bed in another room. Quite cool, with neatly laid sheets—just looking at it made me want to fall asleep.

“Sir, would you like something to eat?”
The voice chimed in my ears like a drizzle. I turned around—and almost fainted. A giant machine stood before me!
“Indeed, sir. I am Nitai, the house robot. Would you like something to eat?”
“You’re a robot? Fine, robot or steel ghost, just quickly open the main door. I need to get out.”
Nitai lowered his metallic head and said nothing. Such theatrics for a robot! Then muttered softly, “I haven’t been given that permission. Also, I don’t know the password.”
“When is your master coming back? He locked me up here and ran off!”
“He usually returns quickly. Never takes more than a minute. He’ll leave and be right back.”
What was Nitai saying! It’s been six or seven hours already, and he’s claiming “any moment now”!
“Sir, would you like something to eat?”
“What were you doing all this time?”
“I was recharging, sir. I charge a little, then work a little.”
“A little! Haven’t seen you the whole day, and you call that ‘a little’!”
“Would you like something to eat, sir?”
“I’ll eat ten kilos of biryani! Now get lost!”
I decided to wait one more hour. If he didn’t come back by then, I would tear the entire house apart.
I sat there, wondering what to do. About an hour later, I caught a whiff—Nitai had cooked something. The entire room was filled with the aroma.
“Here you go, sir.”
“What is this!”
I never imagined the robot could be this much of an idiot. He appeared carrying a massive pot filled to the brim with biryani. He really cooked exactly ten kilos!

---

Two days later. Morning.
Last night, I saw the scientist in my dreams. He smiled warmly and said, “I’m almost there, just a little longer!”
I jumped out of bed. Breakfast was prepared on the table. If I hadn’t been so hungry, I would have flung it across the room.
“Nitai!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you heard from your master?”
“He just stepped out. He’ll be right back…”
“What! It’s been two whole days!”
No point arguing with a machine. Better to eat and search for a way out.
I labored for almost four hours. Couldn’t even find any heavy equipment to smash the door. Broke two chairs trying. The windows didn’t even get a scratch.
Tried my luck at the scientist’s lab too. I hurled sofa cushions, bowls, spoons, knives at the spinning, round machine. Nothing.
Who knows whether those steel rods were even steel—or that damned titanium. I realized wasting my strength was useless.
Night fell. I started feeling a bit relieved, thinking that surely by now people would have noticed my absence. Someone must know where I went.
But why hadn’t anyone come yet?
No point asking Nitai—he’s an idiot. Always the same line: “Sir just stepped out. He’ll be back.”

“If I ever catch your master, I’ll…”
Once, I even tried to slap Nitai. He blocked me with his metal hand—it nearly broke my bones.
Still, he cooked and brought me food whenever I asked, even made juice.
But why wasn’t anyone looking for me?
I came up with a theory:
The scientist must have died, and everyone assumed I had disappeared too.
Or maybe the scientist had left a note outside the house: “Dear journalist, come back later. I’ll be delayed.”
A hundred theories buzzed around my head. None helped.

---

A month passed.
The imprisoned life became unbearable.
Nitai would spend one day recharging, then work the next.
The days he recharged were the worst—no one to talk to, had to cook myself.
Only a crow sat on the electric wire outside. Maybe a different crow. They all perched there, searching the sky.
I had planned to wreck the house, but there was nothing to wreck.
Had to ration the food in the refrigerator.
Appetite had shrunk too.
It was clear the devilish scientist had planned to trap me here all along.
I searched every inch of the house daily, hoping to find something.
Whenever Nitai recharged, I tried random passwords at the main door.
But if I failed three times, the keypad would lock for the day.
And every time Nitai saw me near the door, he’d rush over furiously.

Dark Science Fiction Noir Story with Time dilation

---

Many more days passed.
I had never done any literary work in my life, but now I started writing bits and pieces.
Started reading those thick science books from the library.
At first it was difficult. Then slowly, I began to understand.
No distractions meant faster learning.
I stopped counting days.
Realized even the window glass was fake—just a still image glued onto it.
Whenever I looked out, the same light, the same crow, frozen in place.
Probably three or four months had passed.
Lost track of time completely.
My wristwatch’s battery had died.
No wall clocks anywhere.
Only when sleep came did I realize a day had passed.

Whenever I asked Nitai about the time, he stared blankly, as if I’d asked the hardest question in the universe.

“Nitai, can you break those steel bars? I want to destroy those spinning machines too.”
“I don’t have permission for that, sir.”
“What do you have permission for? Can you tell me where the house’s power source is hidden? If we cut off the main switch—”
“No, sir. I do know there’s a fission reactor here. It will supply electricity for many, many years.”

---

One and a half years passed.
Every night, I marked a line in my notebook before sleeping.
Thank heavens I hadn’t gone insane yet.
The library had saved me.
Today, I planned to read more about Doppler effect, then practice Lagrange’s equations, and finally tackle Joseph Larmor’s unfinished formula.

---

Three and a half years passed.
After reading all those science books, I had a good understanding of what was happening to me.
But knowing didn’t help.
I had abandoned any hope of opening the front door two years ago.
Now, there was nothing to do except think and write.

I started thinking about that first day.
I had seen the scientist open the door. His hand had moved five times.
That meant the password had five digits.
But I couldn’t recall exactly at what angles and speeds his hand had moved.
If I could figure that out, I could guess the password.

What did we talk about before he left?
Ah, he was heading to the corner store. He had said something like:
“A thing that understands matter opens with its hint.”
Was that a riddle? A hint for the door?

I started thinking anew.
I realized I had changed a lot over this long time.
Studying science had completely altered the way I thought.
It felt like a thousand new doors had opened in my mind.

Thinking about doors jolted a memory.
The scientist’s favorite material was titanium.
The password must relate to it.
It had five digits.
I never would have guessed if I hadn’t finished studying chemistry.

I rushed to the door.
With trembling fingers, I punched: 2, 8, 10, 2.
These were the numbers of electrons orbiting titanium’s four shells.
The click of gears was almost unbelievable.
My heart surged.

Escape just like that? Without punishing the devil?

The keypad options became unlocked.
I changed the password immediately.
Then rushed to Nitai.
Even while charging, he could take advance commands.

I whispered in his ear, “I’m starving, Nitai. Cook everything in the house. Leave nothing untouched.”

By then, the door had fully opened.
I wasn’t surprised to see the scene outside—because by now, I understood what time dilation meant.

There, frozen mid-step on the road, was scientist Sebastian.
It looked as if he hadn’t moved even two steps.
The crow sitting on the electric pole had just started spreading its wings.
A cat floated in midair at a corner.
Everything was moving incredibly slowly.
Time beyond the door was flowing at its own pace—almost zero from my perspective.

Hard proof, right before my eyes.

As I stepped outside, it was as if someone flipped a switch.
The whole world sprang back to life.
The crow and the cat didn’t realize that, according to my internal clock, three and a half years had passed.

I saw Sebastian cheerfully glancing around.
Quickly, I hid behind a tree.
I had left the door open behind me.

Moments later, Sebastian turned, saw the open door—and dashed back in, thinking he had left it open by mistake!
Poor fool! No sense of time!
The moment he entered, the door slammed shut behind him.

Taking a deep breath, I walked toward the bicycle parked at the roadside.
Barely a few steps in, I realized exactly what had happened.
For a while, I stood there, gazing back at the closed door.

No.
Nobody came out.

Writer

Dhrubo Neel, a prominent writer living in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Email: dhrubonil@yahoo.com

Whatsapp: +8801976324725

This is a sci-fi story written in Bangla first. Here is the translation of the original story with slight changes (names and places). If you like Black Mirror like dark science fiction or thriller genre stories, then its a perfect dark science fiction black mirror like story for you. This is a dark sci-fi story like an episode of Black Mirror season 8.