Chapter 10: Lockdown

Year:

Zootopia P.E. 2064

Earth A.D. 2018

Location: Power Station E-14, Zootopia.

Time: 12:45 pm

Lieutenant Nick Wilde crossed his thin but muscular arms and leaned against the steel-plated wall, ignoring the cacophony that called itself the 'ZERB Cafeteria" presented in front of him. A healthy bustle of activity was taking place in the dimly-lit room, dozens of guards and officers clustered around various bar tables, hollering in unintelligible voices that only they could interpret. From time to time a scientist, his or her pure white lab coat standing out sharply in a sea of green, would tiptoe in-presumably to buy a stimulant of coffee to drag through the long hours. They were unfailingly ushered out by the unwelcoming masses of the ordinary troops.

Just as well. The fox wouldn't really be recognized in this hall of madness. He could simply mix in with them, try not to sound too suspicious, and hopefully get a few questions answered in half an hour without raising any eyebrows.

His eyes could pick out the hulking silhouette of the guard who had bought him here, the eager-to-please corporal with his unnaturally forced smile. The wolf had insisted upon treating him to a drink, while nervously rubbing his paws together and hinting repeatedly that he would like a speedy promotion. Just as usual, Nick had only responded wordlessly with a sly grin, leaving the greedy soldier to his fantasies. Right now Will was stuck fast in an ever-growing queue, the numerous ones that chose to cut the line in front of him hinting that he probably wouldn't be back until midnight.

Wilde cautiously paced around the cafeteria, pausing for a few moments in front of the most crowded tables, sticking his head into the few parties whose main topic of discussion wasn't merely obscene banter. He wanted juicy rumours…..ones that spread about like wildfire. And to him this cafeteria was a fertile hunting ground-almost immediately, out of the corner of his eye he noticed a small band of soldiers hustled together, occasionally sneaking a glance over their shoulders suspiciously. Something was evidently going on in there. A rumour? Some gossip? There was only one way for Nick to find out.

Nobody noticed the tiny fox cop as he silently moved step by step to eavesdrop on the group of half a dozen grunts, their voices lowered to nothing more than a bare whisper. Nick smiled to himself secretly. Being small sure had its advantages. Professionally,, he squeezed into the herd of unsuspecting mammals and scrutinized that specific table, the mammals there gazing upon the one that was spreading the rumours. Nick pretended to check on his mobile phone, which had in fact long since ran out of battery, and leaned closer to the table. A sickening stench of sweat and bad breath overwhelmed him, but yet he persistently ventured closer, the hushed whispers of the guards emanating louder and louder as he approached.

"A few days ago…..killed….corporal…" one of them announced.

"Observation Room…...captured alive….under containment."

Nick cursed to himself. Their voices were so near yet so far, no more than chaotic buzzing to his ears at this distance. Right now his only wish was to be with Judy….he desperately needed her hearing to figure out what they were talking about. Well, it was no use complaining to himself. The bunny was probably working on something on her own, and it was up to him to investigate. He couldn't disappoint her at that point, could he?

Mustering his courage, the fox leaned low and guardedly advanced towards the table a few metres away. To his relief he was still well concealed in the swirling world of green uniforms, and as far as he could see, the soldiers were immensely engaged in their conversation, their eyes filled with so much anxiety that they didn't dare take their eyes off the speaker. It was as if they were scouts sharing ghost stories in a deep, dark wood on a camping trip. Yet these were grown mammals, and they were in a crowded eatery out of all places-what could they be muttering that caused so much anxiety among themselves?

"So you mean they tranquilized it?" one of the guards enquired.

"Yeah, after he killed Paulus. God rest his soul." another answered

"Hell, they even put the alien in the….what was that again?"

"The Main Laboratory." a hearty voice corrected.

Nick's heart skipped a beat, and immediately snapped out of his trance. The unwelcome clattering filled his mind, as if they were waves racing through the hull of a sinking ship. He soon found himself buried under the discord of hoarse voices, the conversation of the mammals becoming distant and faint again. He sighed and gave up on his effort, instead deciding to try again with Tyler later on when he came back with the drinks. It was no use trying to concentrate here….he doubted if he even had the energy to pay extreme attention anymore.

But there could be no denying of what he had just heard. Nick subconsciously began biting his lips, struggling to contain his fear for Judy. As far as he knew, there...there was some sort of alien in that place! Nick cursed himself for letting go of her so easily...he was a male, he was an officer, and of all things he was her best friend! It should have been him who had stayed there and protected her! He had never considered the compound as a containment facility for extraterrestrial life-forms ever before, the notion too ridiculous to be true. But if such a being required that extreme amount of manpower and weapons to successfully contain it, then….even he was at a loss as to what to do.

Officer Wilde forced himself to push away his anxieties for the time being as he spied the corporal returning with the steaming cups of coffee, his grin widening as he spotted the fox. "That bunny better take good care of herself." Nick mumbled to himself, and flashed back a little nervous smile in return. Heck, if there was anyone on Earth that could take good care of themselves, it was Judy. Perhaps even aliens would think of her as that.

The grey wolf beckoned at him and Nick waded over to him through the herd of mammals, his thin body squeezed tightly between piles of his larger counterparts. Just when the fox thought that he needed immediate medication for suffocation, he found himself in a little clearing with the corporal, who was leaning against the wall and staring at him warmly. Even though he was slouching, he still had a good six inches over Nick, drawfing the police officer in comparison. If something unfortunate really happened there….Nick knew he would have to rely on his wits to get the hell out of there.

"Thanks for the drinks, Tyler." he gratefully began, beckoning at the 2 plastic stools.

"Oh, just call me Will, sir." the corporal waved his hand and dismissed the formalities, "Where were you? Why are you huddling next to the Theorists of all mammals?"

He glanced at the "Theorists", still deeply engaged in their guarded conversation. Will sighed and turned to Nick, the mug held high in his paws.

"I was trying to find you when I dropped my wallet. Hella trouble to find it under their stinking feet, I tell you." he chuckled convincingly.

"A toast." he proposed, "To the success of Operation Gotterdammerung."

Nick raised his in response, even though he had no idea of what entity his counterpart was toasting to.

"To Operation Gotterdabb...wha?" he couldn't help himself but to spit out the word in disgust. Who in the world would give that sort of name to any operation? It just managed to twist his tongue up in knots.

The corporal laughed. "Just transferred from Cliffside, aren't you?"

Nick scowled on the inside. So it was them all along….he should have known.-a covert government institution intended to safeguard the mayor's secrets. Silently, the fox swore that he was going to bring them down whatever the cost, this institution that had nearly killed them 2 years back.

He barely succeeded in containing his emotions, the bubbling rage for the ZERB and his anxiety for Judy continuously expanding. Nick exhaled and returned to his work, his rage temporarily forgotten. He still had an important mission to undertake. Again, he could not bear to let Judy down with failure-God knew what she was facing in the laboratory

Nick scratched at his neck nervously, "You could say I am….still haven't gotten used to any of this covert shit."

"I feel for you!" the wolf replied laughing, "I came here 3 years ago and I digress, I'm still lost in here. Didn't they tell you anything in briefing, though?"

"Not much…" the fox chose his words carefully, "Was in the infirmary back then….broke my wrist when my jeep crashed on the highway. Hurt like hell. Well, I guess the bigwigs at the top didn't care to give me any further explanations about this place."

He paused. "I've been holding on ever since, but I seriously need to know what's going on."

The corporal was slowly shaking his head in sympathy, and his glassy eyes bore into Nick, eager to help.

"Alright, Newt (Lieut). I'm gonna try fill in the blanks for you….but I don't really know that much as well. The conspiracies are always abound here at E-14...and you better get used to it fast. I'm not kidding you, Newt."

The wolf opened his mouth to speak, but nothing but a lump formed in his throat.

"Corporal Tyler? Report to Dr. Monroe's office immediately. She wants to have a word with you." the order from the walkie-talkie came, its feminine voice indifferent and emotionless.

Nick's ears perked up at once at the mention of the doctor. Wasn't that supposed to be Judy's undercover identity? His instincts could immediately sense that something was definitely amiss-wasn't the bunny working alone at the laboratory?

"Stay for a while, Will," he insisted, trying to buy her time, "There's nothing urgent about this."

"Oh, no," the wolf stood up rather hurriedly, emptying what was left of his coffee, "Wouldn't want to be late for this kind of appointment."

"What do you mean?"

His sleek, dark eyes stared deeply into his, betraying the fear bubbling inside the wolf, "It could mean demotion...or worse."

Without saying another word, Corporal Taylor readjusted his cap and strode timidly out of the room, leaving the fox with millions of his unanswered fantasies. Oh well, so much for eavesdropping. Nick couldn't help but reveal his disappointment.

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The wolf annoyedly rushed to the washroom, splashing fistfuls of icy tap water onto his face. Heck, what did those bigwigs even want with him at this hour? Tyler was extremely tempted to leave the ZERB, the institution that had turned rogue against the government-but he knew without a doubt that they would kill him if he even tried. They couldn't risk any of their little pawns blurting out one their many secrets, could they?

Popping a few breath mints into his mouth to erase the stench of his breath, he straightened out his ruffled uniform and hastily stormed over to the elevator shaft, slamming on the button and waiting for one of them to arrive. Will checked the chunk of stainless steel strapped to his wrist and tapped his foot impatiently-it wasn't every day that one of the members of the top brass demanded to speak with him. He daydreamed of a promotion while he waited, tired of the reckless and ridiculous orders he was responsible for carrying out. It was about time he issued his own. After a few minutes, the elevator finally arrived at his floor and the door slid open, exposing a tiny and rusty interior.

Searching for his mind for the correct floor, he closed the door again and was soon engulfed in the stink of rotten food and sour milk. Gosh, did the ZERB even have enough funds to keep the place going? It sure had the resources to create an interdimensional portal, but as far as he could see, the top brass didn't give a shit to how its workers lived. Tyler struggled to hold his breath and tried not to gag as the elevator shot upwards to the office that took up an entire floor of the compound. Slowly, the machine ground to a halt as it approached the top floor, and a mechanical voice demanded that his identity card be scanned thoroughly before he would be permitted access.

Cursing, the corporal pulled out his wallet and fumbled for his proof of identity, only to find nothing but a year's worth of dust accumulated in the compartments. He must have misplaced it while he was drinking with the lieutenant! Terrified of being trapped in the claustrophobic contraption, the wolf desperately pounded on the door, demanding to be freed. Little did he know that there would be no need for that.

"Let him in," a mysterious voice emanating from the outside decreed. Almost instantly the doors slammed wide open, the elevator's interior flooded with the glare of the neon lights. Shielding his sight, the corporal stepped into the corridor leading to the doctor's office. Heavily-armed guards twice his height staring boldly at him, their digits cradling their triggers in case he dare did anything-as if he would have a chance under their watch.

"Go in." one of them ordered authoritatively, and propelled him into the office proper, "You've kept her waiting for far too long."

Taking off his cap politely and holding it under his elbow, the wolf knocked a few times on the short, oak door. His heart was beating almost as loudly as his knocks, every vibration inside nearly causing him to double over in panic. It was almost never a good sign to be summoned for a talk with the very top.

"Come in." someone inside requested.

Cautiously opening the door, the weight of the oak creaking on the hinges, he poked his head inside to see the grey rabbit sitting boredly at her desk, a golden nameplate before her proudly stating her name.

"Doctor Jane A. Monroe" it was engraved.

"Ma'am" he cleared his throat anxiously, "I am extremely honoured to have escorted you to the Main Laboratory this morning, and I…"

She held up her paw for silence. In the light she seemed slightly older and wrinkled, her fur darker than he had remembered seeing a few hours earlier.

"You left your post." she accused blankly.

"Uhh….yes, but ma'am I thought you specifically ordered for me to…" he stammered.

"You abandoned your assigned post of duty, thus allowing potential threats to fall upon the compound."

"But doctor...I felt obliged to escort you to your place of work." he explained.

"I was nowhere near the side entrance this morning, as a matter of fact."

Tyler moved his lips as if to speak, but for once he was lost for words.

A well-built tiger crept out behind her, shrouded by the darkness. He was neatly dressed in a colonel's uniform, rows of medals decorating his chest. The wolf's eyes glanced to what he was holding. It was clearly some sort of lightweight computer, its body slimmer than any of the models he had ever seen before.

On closer inspection it seemed more like a pad, a layer of clear glass covering the top without a cover.

"Colonel Tigerstone, please show Corporal Tyler the footage from this morning." she spoke to the bodyguard behind her.

He nodded and moved silently until he was right in front of Will, smiling menacingly. The tiger pulled out his electronic pad and typed in a code, the dim glow from the screen casting an eerie light on his face.

"Doctor...Doctor Monroe….I don't understand...you came with the lieutenant ...the fox, didn't you?" he prompted, "You were walking from the jeeps?"

"Watch." she commanded.

The Colonel held the screen towards him. It was displaying some sort of recorded footage, similar to how a phone camera functioned. However the quality of the video was much higher. Bewildered, Will tried to make out what he was seeing-it took a few moments for him to realize what was happening.

It was security footage from one of the cameras installed on the perimeter of the base….and he was in it-so they had been keeping an eye on him all along. Although the fact wasn't that surprising to him, considering the extent that the ZERB went to protect their secrets, he was still shocked at seeing himself in the video. What wrong had he even committed?

As the footage went on he could vaguely see the faint silhouettes of the bunny and the fox approach him, and even their casual conversation before he opened the gate and accompanied them in. What was the point of Monroe showing him that video? It wasn't as if he was unaware what had happened that morning. What was the rabbit trying to prove?

The truth of what had taken place hit him like a freight train, as if his mind had plunged from a cliff into a freezing ocean. He stepped back in horror, no longer able to control his emotions. Tyler fell onto his knees and wept, as he too understood the consequences of his rash decisions.

"I was nowhere near the side entrance this morning." the bunny repeated indifferently as the tiger withdrew the pad, "We only noticed them 15 minutes ago when the techs ran through the data, and I instructed that these video extracts be prepared for your viewing. After all, it certainly is unfair for a mammal to die without knowing the reason for his untimely execution."

As if on cue, the Colonel stepped towards and produced something from his pocket. Tyler shivered as the tiger threw it onto the ground for him to observe, and terrified he turned his face away, attempting futilely to evade the imminent death he was presented with. It was an iron ice pick, long and sharpened. He wondered if it was merely his imagination, but he thought he could see flakes of dried blood on the tip...the last remains of a previous victim perhaps?

"As a soldier, you are well aware of the consequences of allowing intruders to gain access to our compound. Legally we don't allow capital punishment, but there is no way we can forgive such idiocy."

Will dropped to the floor, uncontrollable tears streaming down his face and onto the elegant carpeted floor. He was at the endgame now-after 3 years it had finally come to this….betrayed by his own superiors, infiltrated by outsiders. He had no one to blame but himself.

"Save me!" he howled, specks of saliva landing on his uniform.

"Corporal William Wolfus Tyler, you have one shot at redeeming yourself." the real Dr. Monroe announced, throwing a thin piece of paper at him. As he wiped his tears with his paw to get a better look he could see that it was extracted from the security footage, a photograph of the amateur and her accomplice. "I don't care if you capture them dead or alive. Make sure they don't leave this place at any cost."

William Wolfus Tyler rose to his feet and saluted, gritting his teeth in fury. He was determined to save himself, no matter what it meant. Hell, the wolf was prepared to kill the two intruders if need be.

"Loyalty." he promised, as his paw contacted with the soft fur on his head.

Outside of the office, he raised his walkie-talkie to his mouth and gave his first order as a temporary lieutenant.

"Sound the alarm and get all paws to battle stations. We have a 10-12 on our paws….lock down the whole compound immediately!"

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Nick checked his watch for the millionth time and wondered where in the world Judy could possibly be. It was already half an hour past their original meet-up time, but so far he hadn't as much as seen the bunny's shadow. Just a few minutes ago, he trudged morosely from the abandoned cars, his digits sore and numb from the winter cold. It was the first time he had been let down by the bunny.

The fox rapped his fingers subconsciously againt the cafeteria wall, unsuccessfully attempting to limit his expanding concern for the bunny . As much as he was determined to find her and be a responsible friend to Judy, he didn't have the faintest idea where she was in the winding maze of corridors and tunnels. The yellowed map that Tyler had pushed into his paws before leaving wasn't helping at all-nearly every unmarked room looked identical to him along the way. Nick understood it would probably be better to wait for her in the cafeteria, the most logical meeting place, rather than running around mindlessly and getting himself lost. Right now, his only job was to keep a low profile.

Gingerly brushing off the thin layer of grit, he grasped the ID card he had nicked from Tyler in his nimble paws, memorizing every detail in case someone ever interrogated him.

With that in paw, he had traversed his way round the facility within an hour, poking his head into every chamber that seemed different from its counterparts. Before long, Nick had taken notice of something resembling a Grand Chamber, heralded by an imposing steel gate that opened every five minutes or so to admit the next shift of patrols. There had been more than a few, if not dozens of heavily-armed guards standing on duty in front of the main entrance. If Nick's sight and instincts were to be trusted, then their weapons seemed to be quite different than the ones he had seen back in the van….heavier, and much bulkier. He started to panic when he noticed a sleek black magazine attached to the barrel instead of the usual transparent dart container. It didn't exactly seem like a tranquilizer gun, and he sure hoped he would never have to find out for himself.

The number of guards in front of the portal room weren't exactly friendly either. Gruff and unwelcoming, he was nothing but creeped out when they had stopped him and requested that his identity card be shown for processing. Producing the one he had acquired illegally, Nick had offered it into their paws with the friendliest smile he could muster. Without taking a second glance at the portrait on the card, they had shoved it under the processor and of course, it grew green, allowing him the clearance to enter. He thanked his lucky stars that the Corporal had been granted access to the room. If not, he knew perfectly he was subject to search, and if suspicions were raised….then he figured he probably wouldn't make it out alive. Would Judy have come to save him if his cover were really blown?

There hadn't been much in the room that interested him. In the dim light he could vaguely make out rows and rows of blank screens sitting silently behind him, concealed by the pitch blackness. Nick hadn't exactly been in the mood to go through the stacks and stacks of paperwork lying everywhere, so he just left them alone, lest that a guard was actually looking over his shoulder. Wading his way through the labyrinth of workbenches and different compartments, he noticed a thick layer of glass dividing the colossal chamber into 2 sections-quite evidently, there was some sort of light problem that rendered the other half unviewable. Intrigued, he had tapped on the freezing glass, only to find that the other chamber huge and hollow. Using his paw to shield the blinding neon lights from the exterior, Officer Wilde thought he could catch the bulky silhouettes of workpads and heavy machinery, but he couldn't place a paw on it.

The fox had then walked along the glass wall, eager to find some sort of entrance to the mysterious room. He had only succeeded in getting himself tripped over by a few plastic cartons, tripping over some cylinders that he had no way of identifying.

That was when the guards outside had asked him what the hell he was doing inside. Not willing to start a conflict, he had left reluctantly and made his way back to the cafeteria.

Recollecting his recent thoughts and findings, the fox soon became distracted and detached from the cafeteria in which he was standing. Stuck fast in his deep and endless concentration, he didn't notice more and more pairs of eyes glancing over to him, anxious voices whispering cautiously. Nick closed his eyes and tried to relax his discomfort. He silently convinced himself that nothing at all was wrong, that his partner was already on her way-and he was going to make her proud.

If he had been paying attention, he would have seen a trope of guards marching into the room, armed to the teeth. Their black uniforms stood out sharply within the masses of green, the strange masks they donned only adding to their mysteriosity. Although the words 'ZERB' were strewn to their military vests, their clothing bore nothing in resemblance to whatever their colleagues wore, and even the standard cap on their heads was replaced by an unknown steel helmet with an unknown insignia on top.

The others widened their eyes in fright. "They come from Containment." one of the wolves clustered at a nearby tables hushedly announced in a mix of fear and excitement.

Yet the fox wasn't aware of any of this. He was too absorbed in his thoughts for his partner, his best friend whom he cared so much for. And of course he was afraid, terrified by the dark secrets that the compound held in its premises, ready to be unleashed. The atmosphere in his mind grew darker, and so did the one in the room.

The patrol joined ranks and marched steadily towards Officer Wilde, their boots kicking up a heavy footfall of filth on the ground. The others around them receded like waves for them to pass through, too afraid to speak louder than mere whispers. The lead guard signaled to his counterparts following close behind-attentively, they drew level as they approached the relatively tiny fox.

Nick looked up to see a mass of black uniforms converging on him. They couldn't have uncovered his identity, could they? He was just one fox out of millions in the city.

The lead soldier held out his paw, unusually covered with a grey glove to keep out the cold.

"Identity card." he ordered briskly.

Legs trembling, Nick stood up and took out the card he had stolen for the guard to inspect. Finally understanding what was going to happen, his other paw went to his back pocket. It gripped over the barrel of the pistol he had been carrying, his profuse perspiration running all over the handle.

The guard looked up, a menacing grin on his face.

"Say, Tyler…..I never knew you were a fox. Did you happen to have a species-change operation lately?"

Nick drew his tranquilizer and fired it at point-blank range into the guard.

To his horror, the guard was still standing, the dart sticking out harmlessly of his sleek black vest. He held up his paw and lightly plucked it out of his uniform.

In one swift motion, he flung it towards to the ground in jest, and the pin clanged mockingly against the steel that formed the cafeteria walls. Nick watched on in disbelief...to him, it must have been nothing more than a mere mosquito bite.

In a flash, it was as if a thousand paws were crushing him to the ground. Nick writhed around like a distraught fish, flailing his arms against the forces threatening to ground him into fine powder. A tremendous uproad was growing in the room, the other guards enthusiastically joining in the fight. He cursed as a paw slammed into his jaw, another knocking away the pistol he had held fast to like a toy. Excruciating pains spread everywhere on his burning body, like growing forest fires refusing to be put out. For once he was defenceless, helpless…he felt weak.

Somebody was lifting him up now, away from the surging crowd of chaos and insanity. For a moment he thought was dead, being lifted to heaven by a multitude of the heavenly host. But even in his daze, he knew his fantasy was too good to be true. All the remaining hope inside of him lost, he closed his eyes and muttered a prayer to a God he never really knew.

The fox screamed in terror, unable to do anything to save himself.

His head slammed into the ground, and the fox thought he could hear a sharp crack coming from himself. Before he knew anything, Nick was surrounded by a blinding field of white.

Then it all turned black.