An Unauthorized Genetic Experiment: episode two.
Author: Chippewa Livingston
Archive: Please ask
Disclaimer: I claim no affiliation or ownership of characters or material related to Dark Angel.
27. Command voice
Red light through my eyelids, and the sound of a heartbeat matching the throbbing in my head. Breathing tracked pretty well with a variable-star flare of heat down one side of my ribs.
At some point, I realized that I was alone. Just me, a concrete floor, and the smell of blood. I didn't want to open my eyes, because then I'd find out exactly how much. No one was adding any more pain – there was plenty already.
Moving made things worse, which I hadn't thought possible.
I was totally certain that I wasn't going to make it out of here on my own. They were going to come in for me, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.
**
Scuffed stainless steel doors. "No doorknob. I'm trapped. Can't get a grip. They're coming in for me, and there's nothing I can do. No handle. . ." My hands felt numb, but this was important.
Something hit me, pushed me down, and sat on my chest. It took effort to breath.
"Sharp!" Elle was silhouetted against the lights. "We're leaving, and I need your help."
"Trapped in a box, Elle. They're going to kill us!" My voice had taken on an undignified high pitch.
"Whatever's going on in your head has to wait, Sharp." She put a hand against my face. "I want the soldier now. We're a team."
Manticore types would kill me for this, I realized. Complete and total panic.
"You follow my orders," Elle continued, "without hesitation."
"Yes." I decided things were coming into focus, but I could feel my hands shaking. "Ma'am."
"Stay focused. We're going elevator surfing. I need your help with Asha." She climbed off, and pulled me to my feet. "Trust me, we're leaving. Stay with me."
She pointed at the ceiling and smiled.
So, I made a step for her with my hands, and she climbed to my shoulders and made one of the light fixtures slide sideways. She climbed through the opening into the darkness before I heard the sound of breaking glass below us.
"This is awful," whimpered Asha into the cell phone. "You have to come quick, he's going to. . ." She shut off the phone in mid sentence, and looked at me with suspicion.
"I'm okay," I said through clenched teeth. "Let's go."
I lifted her into the empty space, and Elle pulled her up.
Then I was through, and we looked for our next destination. The three elevators shared the same rectangular shaft. Concrete and steel structure rose up into the darkness over head, and down several levels into the basement. The light wasn't very good.
The other two elevators were moving up, slowly.
"That one, now!" Elle practically threw Asha to the left, onto the top of the other elevator. She followed with a cat's leap, and I caught a crossbar on the side as it rose past me.
I glanced down to see the bottom of the elevator shaft moving further away, and decided that I'd better climb up before things got any crazier. Aching muscles complained, but I swung one heel up over a bracket, shifted my grip, and looked up to see Asha reaching for my hand.
"Come on!"
"Are you secure?" I imagined pulling her off the top of the elevator.
It surged to a stop, but I had a pretty firm grip by this time. The paneling trembled from footsteps inside. People were getting out.
Elle appeared next to Asha. "I've got it wedged here. C'mon up."
It was quick work for me to climb onto the top. The ceiling was closer now.
"Hey, the elevator we were in goes up to four."
"You mean the roof," said Elle. "That's where we're going. You climb first, and give me your belt."
"You got it." I only managed to rip off one belt loop in the process, while I planned my trip along the inside of the elevator shaft. I could reach out and touch the wall. Right 12 feet, up about 10. Steel I-beams to stand on for the trip sideways, then something that looked like water pipe to climb up.
"Hurry!" Elle was latching my belt to hers and Asha's. I stepped onto the steel, then climbed.
It was easy enough to get the roof-level doors open, and latched that way. The little room here was almost large enough to hold a card game in, and lit by a single fluorescent bulb. I ignored the other door. The "EXIT" sign hummed softly.
I lay on the floor, and reached down over the edge of the doorway into the elevator shaft. Asha and Elle were inching across the I beam.
Elle looked up, and tossed one end of the linked belts. "You first!"
Asha hung on, Elle pushed, and I pulled. She looked a little pale, but had the sense to step away from the shaft and towards the exit door.
I dropped the end of the belt down again, and Elle caught it and walked up the wall.
The three of us burst through the door to the dark, wet roof top. The sound of rotor blades pounded against us. A white helicopter with red markings was hovering overhead, and the downdraft sprayed us with water and bits of gravel from the roofing.
"You rock," said Elle, smiling at me. "Our ride is here."
I noticed her fist heading for my jaw, but I couldn't figure out why, or what to do about it.
Author: Chippewa Livingston
Archive: Please ask
Disclaimer: I claim no affiliation or ownership of characters or material related to Dark Angel.
27. Command voice
Red light through my eyelids, and the sound of a heartbeat matching the throbbing in my head. Breathing tracked pretty well with a variable-star flare of heat down one side of my ribs.
At some point, I realized that I was alone. Just me, a concrete floor, and the smell of blood. I didn't want to open my eyes, because then I'd find out exactly how much. No one was adding any more pain – there was plenty already.
Moving made things worse, which I hadn't thought possible.
I was totally certain that I wasn't going to make it out of here on my own. They were going to come in for me, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.
**
Scuffed stainless steel doors. "No doorknob. I'm trapped. Can't get a grip. They're coming in for me, and there's nothing I can do. No handle. . ." My hands felt numb, but this was important.
Something hit me, pushed me down, and sat on my chest. It took effort to breath.
"Sharp!" Elle was silhouetted against the lights. "We're leaving, and I need your help."
"Trapped in a box, Elle. They're going to kill us!" My voice had taken on an undignified high pitch.
"Whatever's going on in your head has to wait, Sharp." She put a hand against my face. "I want the soldier now. We're a team."
Manticore types would kill me for this, I realized. Complete and total panic.
"You follow my orders," Elle continued, "without hesitation."
"Yes." I decided things were coming into focus, but I could feel my hands shaking. "Ma'am."
"Stay focused. We're going elevator surfing. I need your help with Asha." She climbed off, and pulled me to my feet. "Trust me, we're leaving. Stay with me."
She pointed at the ceiling and smiled.
So, I made a step for her with my hands, and she climbed to my shoulders and made one of the light fixtures slide sideways. She climbed through the opening into the darkness before I heard the sound of breaking glass below us.
"This is awful," whimpered Asha into the cell phone. "You have to come quick, he's going to. . ." She shut off the phone in mid sentence, and looked at me with suspicion.
"I'm okay," I said through clenched teeth. "Let's go."
I lifted her into the empty space, and Elle pulled her up.
Then I was through, and we looked for our next destination. The three elevators shared the same rectangular shaft. Concrete and steel structure rose up into the darkness over head, and down several levels into the basement. The light wasn't very good.
The other two elevators were moving up, slowly.
"That one, now!" Elle practically threw Asha to the left, onto the top of the other elevator. She followed with a cat's leap, and I caught a crossbar on the side as it rose past me.
I glanced down to see the bottom of the elevator shaft moving further away, and decided that I'd better climb up before things got any crazier. Aching muscles complained, but I swung one heel up over a bracket, shifted my grip, and looked up to see Asha reaching for my hand.
"Come on!"
"Are you secure?" I imagined pulling her off the top of the elevator.
It surged to a stop, but I had a pretty firm grip by this time. The paneling trembled from footsteps inside. People were getting out.
Elle appeared next to Asha. "I've got it wedged here. C'mon up."
It was quick work for me to climb onto the top. The ceiling was closer now.
"Hey, the elevator we were in goes up to four."
"You mean the roof," said Elle. "That's where we're going. You climb first, and give me your belt."
"You got it." I only managed to rip off one belt loop in the process, while I planned my trip along the inside of the elevator shaft. I could reach out and touch the wall. Right 12 feet, up about 10. Steel I-beams to stand on for the trip sideways, then something that looked like water pipe to climb up.
"Hurry!" Elle was latching my belt to hers and Asha's. I stepped onto the steel, then climbed.
It was easy enough to get the roof-level doors open, and latched that way. The little room here was almost large enough to hold a card game in, and lit by a single fluorescent bulb. I ignored the other door. The "EXIT" sign hummed softly.
I lay on the floor, and reached down over the edge of the doorway into the elevator shaft. Asha and Elle were inching across the I beam.
Elle looked up, and tossed one end of the linked belts. "You first!"
Asha hung on, Elle pushed, and I pulled. She looked a little pale, but had the sense to step away from the shaft and towards the exit door.
I dropped the end of the belt down again, and Elle caught it and walked up the wall.
The three of us burst through the door to the dark, wet roof top. The sound of rotor blades pounded against us. A white helicopter with red markings was hovering overhead, and the downdraft sprayed us with water and bits of gravel from the roofing.
"You rock," said Elle, smiling at me. "Our ride is here."
I noticed her fist heading for my jaw, but I couldn't figure out why, or what to do about it.