With John and Mary acting as their guide, Theodore and Lila discussed where to look for the entrance into the hidden hallway. They checked every wall they walked by for anything unusual, but so far, they haven't found anything.
It would make sense; they didn't want someone accidentally find the entrance while going about their time in the complex.
Theodore heard back from Al, like John and Mary said, Alex Industries wasn't keen on letting any information from it slip, there's NDAs for the NDAs, so forth.
All employees went through strenuous checks, even when they were children, and it goes in depth to their time in school to when they get out of bed that morning.
Any offenses deemed by Alex Industries would've been impermissible.
Even the smallest offenses get people scrutinized by the complex and it was legal for them to do this because of the sensitive nature.
Nobody's allowed to talk about anything that goes on in the complex and employees regularly have their rooms checked by the complex for any contraband that they listed extensively.
All forms of communication monitored, an invasion of policy to some, and they couldn't have relationships like Mary and John, it'd be grounds for their termination.
With the government contracts, Alex Industries doesn't overlook any rock, if they think someone's a threat to the security of the complex, they will be terminated and charges filed if necessary.
Why anyone wanted to work for Alex Industries beyond Al, but he suspected there's a least some who went into it for the patriotism.
The benefits were the same as Durham Industries and with that said, heavily restrictive compared to Durham Industries.
"Anyway, I can't find anything. They don't even let a sheet of paper go out without them going through it for hidden messages," Al summed that he can't find anything on the complex.
So secure, that if there's anything sensitive, it's locked up tighter than a prison on Pluto.
"Fine, what about Durham, anything there?" Theodore inquired if the TARDIS found anything on them, since they're liberal in areas, and Al says he did, but anything involving them and Alex Industries doesn't exist, so-to-speak.
If they're involved, any communication between the complexes hushed up from top to bottom.
"Nothing, then?" Theodore wearily asks as he walked with Lila while they followed John and Mary towards the part of the complex they're not allowed through, towards the factory.
Across the factory floor's where the offices are for those who work in the factory side of the complex, John and Mary working the shipping side never went this way and neither anyone from there.
Past that's where they'll find the offices with those tasked with accounting, legal, and keeping the work flow smooth for the complex, beyond's the office for their boss.
Buffer zones in between with their own separate dorms and cafeterias.
The complex likes to keep things easily separable for paperwork reasons.
Nobody goes where they shouldn't, everybody knows the expectations, and nobody causes problems, to sum it up.
The only thing they share's the main area leading outside, that's about it. Nobody talked to each other that weren't in the same section, though, but that's expected.
Hearing how the complex's split up, it only exacerbated their troubles finding the hidden hallways.
Isn't like they're going to find a blueprint…
"Al, come in," Theodore reached out to him.
The TARDIS answered and Theodore asked him to find all the known blueprints for Durham Industries. All the variants that he can find, put them together, see what changed and didn't, see if they can't get a better idea.
"Want a drink with that?" Al sarcastically asks Theodore before the aloof giant hushes the TARDIS, telling him to do it, and scan if there's any signs of life somewhere in the complex that they haven't come across, yet.
Al reminded him of his temper and said, "I can't promise you much, but I'll try. So far, it's looking like a company ghost town."
Theodore found it hard to believe that that many people and Al hadn't found anyone, but the TARDIS said that he checked every corner he's able, nobody's showing up except the four.
"Did anyone leave, any logs?" Theodore inquired of anything showing that at least someone might've gotten out of the complex, but the TARDIS told him that he can't find anyone on his scanners, and he tuned them for everything.
Exhaling, Theodore let Al to his work, while he continued his adventure with Lila and the couple.
They're coming up to the entrance into the factory floor, but there's a security panel with a scanner for badges.
Showing his pearly whites, Theodore used his Sonic Screwdriver against the security panel, overriding it, and allowing them access through the factory floor, filled with machinery and conveyer belts.
There's no one around, the machinery's humming along, following the schematics that Durham Industries passed to the workers in this section. Conveyer belts moving different stages of a device, looked to be a metal detector of some sort, and there's piles of boxes stuck in the hole leading to John and Mary's section, with excess spilling over to the sides in separate piles on opposite sides of the conveyer belt.
A large monitor above kept track of the metal detector and there's an excessive amount made, going over the allocated number requested, and Theodore inquired about it as they walked through the floor while the machinery hummed.
Normally, the factory's supposed to stop when the allotted amount's made, but it hadn't stopped. It's uncommon, but it happens with enough frequency, it's expected that at least one or two pallets of extra equipment's made, and Durham Industries reimburses the company for the error.
Someone's supposed to be in the control room above making sure the factory stops when the order's fulfilled and override when the factory isn't stopping as it should, but of course, nobody's up there, so the factory's destined continuing manufacturing the metal detectors until the machinery fails from lack of maintenance.
Reaching the end of the factory floor, there's another blocked off doorway, and Theodore got them through it once more with his handy Sonic Screwdriver.
The factory workers' dorm's through here and out of curiosity, Theodore peaked through the slots in the doors as he passed by, trying to find signs of life, but there's nobody in their rooms.
Wearily, John wondered what happened, there's no way they could've been the only two people left in the factory.
"A shot in the dark, but was there any cause for concerns, like, any chances of war breaking out?" Lila broached the topic as they're walking past the rows of rooms.
Shaking her head, her dirty blond hair dripping over her shoulders, Mary responded that they weren't at war with anyone, and there wasn't any news of the chances.
"I doubt a war broke out. If it did, we would've died," John wearily said to Lila.
It's no secret the complexes existed, they're as transparent as glass, and if the country was in danger of war breaking out, the complexes wouldn't survive the strategic bombings intent on destroying the country's largest factories.
If there was any indication of an attack, John and Mary would've known.
That's until they've broken themselves from a loop, but with everything still intact, and no signs of an attack, it'd appear there wasn't a threat of war.
Continuing their quest for answers, they stopped at the cafeteria for the factory workers, finding there's also abandoned food left in the trays.
Same as before, large chunks missing, but still moldy.
Looking through the kitchen, aside from Spam, everything else expired.
Once more, there's nobody present except the four, and Theodore ended up checking the food, curious, and aside from the mold that has children in college, it'd appear there's nothing amiss with the food, so if they're being drugged, it wasn't through the food.
"But, why would they drug us?" Mary wondered why the Durham Industries would've come up with a plan involving them drugged.
It's illegal in more ways than one and while she's right, it doesn't stop them from trying.
Thinking about why Durham Industries drugged their employees as he walked with his large hands in his stitched pockets, with Lila beside him, Theodore wondered the same.
Of course, it's possible that it's an occam razor, that there's a simpler explanation, and even so, it doesn't change how devious Durham Industries was in their ploy.
Drugging their unsuspecting employees with an unknown substance without first ensuring there's no chances of it causing a bad reaction's a stupid idea, but with their policies on medication brought into the complex, no doubt they have a profile of every person who worked there.
"Once we get out, I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they're in court!" John declared that once they're out of the complex, he's suing them for every cent they have for what they done, but Theodore reminded him that they needed hard evidence of the crime.
Maybe it's hard explaining away what happened to the other three thousand and ninety-eight workers, but two workers like John and Mary, it's easier said than done in creating doubt.
"Besides, if you try and take them to court, now, they'll blow you away, metaphorically and literary," Lila pointed out that John shouldn't act hastily, as rightfully angry he was about them becoming lab rats, if he can't find credible evidence that's iron clad, they'll wipe him from the courts, and if they're willing to drug him and the workers, well, maybe they're willing to do other things to him.
Better find evidence Durham Industries can't weasel way out from under, but make sure they can't use him as a scapegoat when the cards are down, bully or kill him when his silence can't be bought, your standard unfortunate affairs.
Hesitatingly, John agreed with Lila's point as he held an arm around Mary's waist, afraid.
Theodore assured him that it won't come to pass, Durham Industries will face justice, and John and Mary won't have to worry.
With nearly four thousand people missing, Durham Industries had a lot to explain for what happened.
"Why would they do it to us, though?" Mary questioned the reasoning behind it all and Theodore tells her that often, it comes down to narcissism and money, maybe they thought they'd save a bit of money using her and everyone here.
Understandably, John's irate at the thought, but Theodore calmed him, telling him that his anger's justified, but it can't cloud him, not now.
So many questions need answering.
Within half an hour of walking through the long hallways, checking every corner for any sign of life or the hidden hallways, they managed to get through the security panels effortlessly with the help of the Sonic Screwdriver, finding their way into Herald Fitzgerald's office.
It's empty, but it looked like he'd upped and left suddenly, there's a bottle of bourbon left open on the desk next to the half-filled glass, with half of a burnt cigarette left in the ashtray.
Man had a large portrait of himself above his desk, on the heavy sight, with a bushy bright ginger mustache, light green eyes, and a suit that even Hammond would've snubbed at.
Going through his things, as one does in these situations, they found standard documents a boss would've had on hand, everything down to a breakdown on the taxes owed for the year.
Rummaging through his office further, they found a hidden door behind the portrait.
Of course.
The hallway's lit up and they're able to go through the doorway without problem.
In a two-by-two fashion, they walked down the hallway, trying to find their way through, finding hidden hatches into different areas of the complex.
The air's frigid, giving everyone goosebumps.
It looked like a psych ward hallway more than it did your standard hidden hallway, with hatches peeking into different areas of the complex without anyone noticing.
Thankfully, they didn't have to worry about getting lost, Al came through, and built up a profile of the blueprints on the complex.
Took work, Al had to snack constantly to keep himself energized, but he succeeded in his efforts as he relayed the information covertly to Theodore as he walked with the three.
"Good job, Al," Theodore congratulated Al for pulling through, but there's something else, Al's not sure, but something's making his scanners wonky, and he's not sure.
"What do you mean?" Theodore inquired more about this and the TARDIS informed him that he couldn't make it out, but something's rumbling somewhere in the complex.
He's not sure what it is, but he'll keep Theodore updated on it.
"You know where to find us," Theodore summed as he let Al disappear from his mind while he followed the modified blueprint.
John and Mary's surprised he seemingly knew where they're going, but Lila knew already how he came to learn it, and he took charge leading them through the white hallway until finding an unmarked storage room, heavily locked down, with a different security panel that wouldn't accept badges from anyone in the complex.
Effortlessly subverted with the Sonic Screwdriver and inside, the four discovered pallets of unmarked boxes lined the sides of the four walls. There's boxes already opened into, trays on silver tables with small paper cups.
Walking up to the table, they see there's white pills inside the paper cups, the size of nickels, flat as a tum.
Investigating a pill, Theodore sees there's no markings on it, nothing pressed into it, and it's solid, no liquid centre.
Gently resting it on the table, Theodore reached for the plain white box, looking it over, seeing there's aluminum pressed sheets with the same pills.
Lila found large logs in a corner of the room compiled of every employee in the complex.
It's difficult sorting through them all, but Lila looked through one, seeing dates written down, how much medications were given, and the results.
Someone in the offices for the business side of the complex complained to Herald Fitzgerald of sudden nausea that made it difficult for him working on the computer and asked for time off while he tried to let it pass, which Herald Fitzgerald passed.
The more Lila poked through the logs, she found everyone reported at least one side effect from unknowingly consuming drugged food.
She's sure Herald Fitzgerald's guilty as a son of a bitch, but amongst the piles of logs, she came across one with his name, and lo, found even he had been unknowingly drugged.
Someone marked him having to go to the doctors for sudden panic attacks, something that hadn't happened to him before, and the consumption of his drugged bourbon made him prone to losing his appetite.
All these logs, there was a whole team who did nothing but monitor everyone in the complex that been drugged by this drug, making sure that they didn't have any severe side effects that would've caused them to become aware.
Seems those with heart medication weren't given the drug, probably because the side effects would've been too dangerous, and noticeable.
"I'm starting to get the gut feeling that this wasn't just a plot of some boss who wanted to test his workers," Lila felt the pit in her stomach as she shoved the log back in its spot.
Theodore agreed with her as he went through the boxes, looking for anything suggesting their sources, and it took time before he found a delivery paper shoved in between boxes.
It's from…
Alex Industries.
Why of course, why didn't Theodore think they weren't involved in some capacity?
Sarcasm's one of the rare things shared between him and Hammond.