"White I'm scared."
She didn't need to say anything. Her eyes said more then words ever could. I stared deep into her soft green eyes, looking for the courage I knew she had in her to go through with this, and perhaps also my own courage. We were at a crucial point, if we went any further there would be no turning back, but if we turned around now and waited quietly perhaps we could get off with little punishment...
NO! What was I thinking, we were going to get out of here once and for all.
"Come on lets go." I said standing up from our position in the door way and grabbing her hand.
The chemical lab lay behind us through the door, lab equipment and glass were all over the place as a result from a hastily made explosive. The air was filled with dust and smoke from a smoke bomb that still sizzled spewing the pungent smelling white mist throughout the hallway. It worked perfectly in limiting the vision of everyone that may still be on this level, unfortunately I mean everyone. I could barely see PB who stood only a few feet from me, and the screeching alarm only made things worse. I was counting on our good hearing to warn us of threats through the smoke, but now the only thing I could hear was the labs PA system. Repeating the same message over and over.
"Attention containment staff to sub-level 3, code orange. Use of non-lethal force authorized."
We made our way quickly through the hallway keeping low to the side. Not being able to hear, and the only light that shown through the mist being a flashing red danger light, made finding our destination now extremely hard. Every door we passed I hit with my fist, trying to find that heavenly sound of metal that would tell me I was at the elevator. I came to the next door and right before my hand connected, everything went dead silent.
I looked over to PB who was clearer now since the smoke was beginning to settle. The red light still pulsed slowly, but there were other lights now that shined through the smoke... It was the containment staff, they were sweeping the hallway looking for us.
"Shit." I mumbled under my breath.
I tapped on the door as banging on them now would give our position away. I so hoped this one to be the elevator, sadly though my hopes always seem to go unfulfilled. We scurried past 2 more, both leaving us in despair. I was starting to get worried, I didn't remember it being this far down. If we missed it we couldn't go back we would get caught. There was absolutely no room for back stepping in this plan. I tapped the next door half heartedly not expecting anything.
Ding!
My eyes widened with overwhelming joy. Looking back down the hall I could tell they were getting closer. I wedged my fingers into the door of the elevator forcing it open just enough that it would shut again once we were inside. The elevator was directly below us, which gave us something to stand on, and like the rest of the lab the only light we had was that of the pulsing red variety. Not wasting any time, I jumped on the ladder that was next to the door we just came through and we climbed up it 2 floors and wedged ourselves through the door onto the floor. It was eerily silent, I had never seen any floor on the lab this empty. There were always scientist scurrying around like white mice, eagerly moving from one experiment to the other. At this time though this was a blessing, it would probably take them a few minutes before they realize we were on this floor. Plenty of time for us to do what we needed to do and get out of here.
We ran along the hallway trying to find the room we needed.
"PB here." I said to her grabbing her wrist.
I read the plaque by the door.
Experiment holding cells and examination
Not wasting any of our short time I didn't hesitate flinging the door open and rushing inside. I saw my companions caged in the corner... Eyes wide in terror!
Rover screamed. "Ru–"
But it was too late, a sharp prick in my chest and the coming blackness confirmed...
I had been caught.
I awoke to a blinding light. Was I dead? No I wasn't that fortunate, I tried to move but couldn't. I was strapped tightly to a cold metal table. As my senses returned I could make out faint silhouettes and voices.
"It's waking up."
"Should I put it back out?"
"Yes, this is delicate. We can't have it squirming."
A slight sting and I was out again. I only wished now that the black void that now returned would never let me go. That it would take me, body and soul. I know I'm not so fortunate, I know that I will always be a prisoner in this sterile hell. Forced to live out my days enduring their twisted tests. I will and will always remain... Just an experiment.