People surrender Querl, pushing him in every possible direction as they all try to get to some place or another. Every other being he pushes against stinks or secretes some equally foul liquid and none of them stop to apologise or even look at him for more than a few seconds. He's clutching a holo screen close to his chest and occasionally looks at the job add displayed on the screen, advertising a simple job as a lab assistance. The job is well below his competence but he tells himself that it's secure, as secure as it gets in a place like this; A place that's quite clearly even more unfriendly than the files say.
Querl rounds a corner and stops in front of a tall, solid metal gate with a large, yellow sign on it: 'Hartvark Laboratories' it says in Interlac. He takes a deep breath, drags his hand through his hair in a futile attempt to hide the dreaded symbol on his forehead and presses the intercom button beside the door.
"Hartvark Laboratories, state your business" a monotone, static voice says. Querl clears his throat.
"I'm here to speak to a doctor Fra about a job opening." There's a click and the gate swings open to reveal a small, fenced in courtyard. It's barren but well maintained with a single metal door to his right. The door opens as the gate closes behind him and he steps inside, entering a dim corridor. Querl follows the narrow passage, searching for the doctor or his office.
"Bionic scan complete. Identity: Unknown. Species: Unknown." Querl spins around but sees only a smooth wall. He slowly backs away, eyes darting back and forth for the source of the voice that seems to echo around the hall.
"Welcome Unknown! Doctor Fra is awaiting you. Please follow the yellow arrows on the floor." Though convinced that there had not been any arrows there just a moment before Querl looks down, finding a row of small, yellow arrows forming a straight line down the corridor. They look like something from one of Bouncing Boy's 20th century films. Yet, from what Querl had discerned the film involved a human child, a set of primitive robots and a large mammal, things he doubts he will encounter in a laboratory. The unusual likeness almost settles the peculiar nervousness that has been creeping up on him since he entered the building though there's something about the place that has his whole body on high alert. He takes another deep breath to try to calm himself and raises his head, walking down the corridor with all confidence he can muster. The arrows stop in front of a shiny metal door and he hesitantly knocks on it.
After a moment the door slides open and Querl finds himself standing face to face with a towering, grey humanoid who peers down at him. It's stare makes his skin crawl and he has to will himself to look back up at it while he tries to brush forward his bangs again.
"Are you Unknown?" the humanoid asks in a voice that could have commanded armies. It's loud and unforgiving, and it makes Querl feel very small.
"No, I don't believe so. I am Idon Erx of Colu. I seek a place of employment in your facilities." The humanoid blinks and Querl draws a breath as the unchanging face continues to stare down at him. Then it laughs with a low, rumbling sound that's even worse than the earlier staring. It's knowing, mocking him ever so subtly.
"What do you take me for, a fool? I know one of your kind when I see it, even if you hide like maggots in rotten meat." One of the humanoid's giant fists wraps around Querl's upper arm. "You may think you can just waltz around with your noses in the air but I've got news for you. Your kind aren't welcome here, Dox." It lifts Querl into the air.
"Let me down."
"Oh, of course I will let the little, little maniac down. The poor boy is scared." The humanoid exhales and Querl coughs as it's rotten breath hits his face.
"What do you want?" he ask.
"A sense of order, I suppose. That's your speciality, is it not?" Querl opens his mouth to answer but the humanoid grabs his jaw first, twisting it upwards until Querl has to look at it's face. The pain quickly spreads through his whole face and he lets out a low whine.
"I should probably kill you right now but that would be a tad bit too easy, would it not? Your kind do not deserve such an easy death." The humanoid slams Querl into the door frame with a loud crack. Gasping for air he tries to open his eyes but before he can he is thrown to the floor. The creature kneels over him and slams his head into the hard floor until Querl is screeching, red flashing before his eyes. His head is pulsating and he does not notice that the creature has closed in on his face before the mouldy stank of it's breath hits him.
He whimpers and coughs, tasting metal on his tongue. Through half-lidded eyes he can see hundreds of teeth reflect the light from the corridor, saliva rolling down them like condense on a beaker.
"Let's get this straight, Brainiac; You do not belong here." Querl's fingers slowly move towards his belt, towards the unit that activates his force field. Should activate it at least, as far as he remembers he has not actually checked it for damage in the last week and a half but with the creature's breath in his face there is little time for that. He reaches the button and with a low hum his force field fires up. The humanoid recoils with a hiss.
"Coward!" It draws up to it's full height a meter or two away from him, clutching the hand it had held Querl's jaw with. Querl tries to get to his feet; At first he can not bring his legs to move but by moving ever so carefully he gets to his feet after a while, all while the humanoid stares.
"Hardly" he says. Lifting his feet hurts and moving is a painfully slow process, though strangely enough the humanoid does not make a move to follow him. Instead it smiles again, baring it's many teeth and making him look over his shoulder. He has almost reached the end of the corridor when it speaks again and he freezes in place.
"So that's how it is, huh? A most impressive solution by the universe itself, none the less. I think it's what your dear earthlings would call 'karma'. But you don't believe in that; Do you, Brainiac?"
Querl starts to move again, as fast as his aching body allows to. There is some part of his new emotional spectrum that urges him forward, pushing down on him like a really bad outcome is inevitable. Considering the humanoid's words he realises it might as well be, he does not really have any assets and if everyone on this planet acts like the humanoid it will be a miracle if he survives for even a few days.
Hot, sandy air hits him, coming from where the sturdy wall had been a moment ago. He turns, finding himself in an alley guarded by tall, windowless houses. The corridor he came through stays as such briefly but then the metal folds in on itself, creating a proper wall and completing the alley. It is intelligent metal, nothing he has not seen before; Just not in this kind of place. Another dry wind blows by, making the dust on the street ahead of him twirl up into the air.
Perhaps it would be better to re-evaluate his plan.