Chapter Three
Tunnels
"I'm sorry– where are we going?"
"You'll see when we get there!"
The Doctor runs through several tunnels that seem to open up when he approaches them; either that, or they're just cleverly hidden. The latter must be the case, because I often swear I can hear footsteps chasing us.
I turn back to the Doctor, who is running ahead of me. "Is this some sort of test? For the Initiates?"
"Nope." he tells me. Well, if he is a serial killer, he's certainly an honest one.
"So, what are we doing?" I ask, hoping for an actual answer.
"Running for our lives; I already told you."
"Yes, but from who?"
"Probably the Dauntless, but there might be a couple of Erudites in there. The Erudite are the smart ones, right? Dressed like you?"
I stay quiet, processing this. Why would a faction try to kill their new initiate? More important, why would the Erudite try to kill one of their former members? Transfers are traitors, sure, but they're not that hated.
At that point, a group of four people in black outfits run in front of us. "Stop!" one of them yells, and they raise their guns.
The Doctor grabs my hand again, and stomps on the ground. The people blocking our way stop, tense. But nothing happens. There are a few awkward seconds of silence, where we all sort of stare at the Doctor in an odd way as he checks his watch, and then the floor opens up underneath us.
Gunshots go off, but they don't go fast enough. The Doctor and I fall a few feet, then into another tunnel. "Dang." he says, looking back up at the panel, which quickly closes. "Can't believe how slow that goes. I'm going to have to tell the electrician. Oh, wait; he's dead. Scratch that. You okay?"
He directs this last sentence at me. My sight is getting blurry again. What is with me today? I'm usually a lot better at this running and jumping stuff.
"Yeah. I'm fine." I tell him. "That was actually kind of fun."
"Glad you thought so." the Doctor says, before pausing. He obviously hears the footsteps that I do, and there are a lot of them. "Time to run again."
He takes off, leaving me little choice but to follow him.
"Isn't this exciting?" he asks. "This must be why you people like Dauntless so much."
The blurs are coming again, a lot faster. He was in the simulation, listed as a murderer. I think to myself. Finally, the blurs get too rough, and I stop running. Please let them go away.
The Doctor stops and looks around. "Well, come on, then!" he calls.
"No." I say. I don't want to admit weakness, so I come up with another reason to stop. "I'm not moving another step until you tell me who you are and where we're going."
"No time right now." he says. "Come with me or you're going to die a very slow, painful death."
"And if I do come with you?" I ask dubiously. The blurriness fades somewhat, so I can probably run if I have to.
"You won't. Are you coming or do I have to drag you?"
I decide to run. The Doctor goes ahead, and I notice that the footsteps are considerably louder. I hear a gunshot in the distance. The Doctor turns a corner. I follow, but almost run into him.
"We're supposed to be moving!" I remind him, before I notice what he's standing in front of.
It looks like a large blue box, with the words "POLICE PUBLIC CALL BOX" along the top. The Doctor fumbles with a key in his hands, then manages to unlock the door. "Get in."
A small box. Perfect place for a murder, I think. "And if I don't?" I ask.
One of our pursuers yells. The Doctor points over my head. "They get you." he says. "Trust me, you don't want that." he goes in.
I may be daring, but I'm not stupid. Judging by the number of footsteps, I could never take on the number of people in the group. If this "Doctor" tries to kill me, it's not as if I'm completely helpless. I get in the box.
And then I stop in my tracks. The door slams shut behind me.
I stand on a ramp leading to the center of an enormous room. In the center of the coral-like chamber is a hexagonal console covered in buttons and knobs, with which the Doctor was fiddling nonchalantly.
"It's… it's bigger on the inside." I stutter.
"Yes, it is." the Doctor nods, running around clicking dials. "Right. Now, just grab hold of something, and we'll be off."
A hammering on the door snaps me out of my shocked daze. "They're going to get in!" I yell.
"The assembled orders of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door. Trust me, they've tried." This sentence is a little confusing, but I am distracted by the loud whirring, like an ill car engine. The ground rocks beneath my feet, and I grab onto a railing for balance. Once it stops, the Doctor runs past me down to the door.
"You still haven't told me where we're going." I tell him.
"You'll figure it out as soon as I open up this door." the Doctor grins.
"Don't open the door! They're out there!" I run over, skidding to a stop right next to him.
"Nonsense. They're about fifty stories above us and have no idea where we are." the Doctor smiles cheerfully.
Right. So we must be in an elevator of sorts. That explains the ground moving.
The door opens.
Outside is a metal-coated room, but we're facing an open door. Outside, I can see hundreds of people running about with clipboards or mechanical tools. Computers line the walls, with somebody working in each one. The whole room is bustling with activity. Most of the people out there are in the Dauntless Black, but I see a lot of blue for Erudite, a couple of black-and-white for Candor, a few red-and-yellow Amities and only one or two Abnegation grays.
"Welcome to the Rebellion." the Doctor says.
Oh. That explains a lot.
Suddenly, I hear a noise behind us.
"Oh, good. You got her. Now, if you'll excuse me, this noise is shaking the foundations of my mind palace."