Chapter nine
Scully tuned a valve on the heavy steel door to open it.
"It's strange to have such a heavy door for just a basement," Mulder said examining the door.
"Well, this is where we assume that Friedman is conducting his research," Scully said.
"Right," Mulder agreed.
They stepped out into a dark and nearly destroyed corridor.
Parts of the hallway had collapsed and some of the walls had been destroyed.
"I assume it was from whatever collapsed the main part of the school," Mulder said.
"Yeah, I still have no idea of what could have done that," Scully said.
"Earthquake," Mulder suggested.
"I don't think Pennsylvania gets those too often." Scully said.
They continued walking down the corridor. As they moved forward there was no lights at all, and the end of the hall was completely collapsed and impassable.
The only way that they could go was though another heavy steel door to their left.
They ended up in another hallway that went left and right. It was in the same state as the previous area, except this hall had red lights to give some illumination and tree roots were breaking through and growing out of the concrete walls.
"That is so strange," Scully said looking at the tree's roots.
"It seems to be coming from within the school," Mulder said examining them as well.
"But how?" Scully asked.
"I don't know," Mulder said staring intently at the roots, "But you want to know something weird?"
Scully looked at him, "What?"
"I think these roots are alive," Mulder said and seemed to be trying to decide if he wanted to touch the root or not.
Scully took a closer look and saw that the root seemed to be pulsating, like a heartbeat, and moving ever so slightly.
"That can't be," Scully said, "Trees don't move."
"Yeah, well, you tell that to this one," Mulder said.
"Come on, let's just find away to get out of," Stan said uneasily.
"Yeah, I really don't want to know if this thing knows we're here," Mulder said and looked to the left and right of the hall, "Which way should be go?"
"We could try right," Stan suggested.
Mulder, Scully, and Stan started walking towards the right and came to a heavy steel door.
It was another hall, destroyed with roots, but completely lit with red lights.
"This is really getting annoying," Stan complained, "I can't see well. Why isn't there any regular light?"
"I'm assuming Herbert doesn't want light down here since this is where he must keep his test subjects," Mulder said.
"Makes sense since light seems to mutate the person," Stan agreed.
"Mulder," Scully said suddenly and grasping arm.
He looked at her surprised. She then pointed to their right.
Mulder saw that another one of the students was leaning against the wall. He didn't look so well.
Stan raised his gun and took aim. Mulder stopped him.
"He'll change," Stan said.
"He hasn't yet," Mulder said, "Hey," he called.
The kid looked at them startled, but didn't move.
"Leave me alone," he snapped.
"Where's Herbert Friedman?" Scully asked.
"Probably taking care of one of the others," the student said bitterly.
"Is a Kenny Matthews down here?" Mulder asked, walking a bit closer to the boy.
The boy moved back from him.
"Really, I just want to be left alone," he said, "I feel it, it's over," he moaned.
"Feel what?" Scully asked.
"I'm not me anymore…you should get away from me," the boy said and moved farther away from them and deeper into a dark corner.
"Come on, there's no way we can help him," Mulder said pulling Scully to follow him.
"Herbert is going to pay for this," Scully said determinedly while she looked at the boy sadly.
They headed down to the left side of the hall, but found the only door there to be locked.
Mulder, Scully, and Stan then backtracked to the previous hall and headed for the left side.
They entered the first room they came upon to their right.
Mulder opened it and they entered a room that housed huge steel cages on wheels and a couple of cells.
"Makes transport easier," Mulder commented as he examined one of the cages.
"Where might he take them?" Scully said as she looked through some of the smaller cages.
"Hey, guys," Stan said looking into one of the cells, "Something's in here."
Mulder and Scully walked over to him, withdrawing their guns.
Inside one of the cells was girl sitting in the corner of her cell. She was crying softly.
"The cell's open, but this cage is blocking it," Stan said.
"Come on, help me move it," Mulder said to Stan.
Mulder and Stan moved the steel cage.
The three walked in on guard, unsure of what to expect. They had drawn their guns.
The girl hadn't moved. She didn't seem to notice that they were even there.
"Miss?" Scully said tentatively.
The girl turned to look at them sharply. The girl was just like all the others. She seemed sickly.
"No light!" she said fearfully, "No light, it hurts!" she cried.
"We don't have light," Mulder assured, "Who are you?"
She paused for a minute, "I-I…I don't remember," she said and looked devastated at that.
"Don't worry," Scully said gently.
The girl glared at Scully, "Don't worry!? How can you say that…he changed and then they took him and he has never come back, I'm next, I know it!" she screamed and stood up to face them.
"Who's they, who'd they take?" Mulder asked.
"The boy I was imprisoned with," she said, then doubled over and cried out, "He took the boy, but he keeps me in darkness, but it doesn't help anymore,"
"Herbert?" Mulder asked.
"I'm changing…please you have to kill me," she cried beseechingly.
Mulder and Scully exchanged looks. They knew they couldn't, even if it was the right thing to do.
"We…we can't." Mulder said sounding apologetic.
"You have to," she begged, "You have to or I-I'll…I'll kill her," she said pointing at Scully, who backed up a bit.
"You won't," Mulder said, but furtively fingered the trigger of his gun.
The girl backed up into her corner again, crying out in anguish.
"We should go," Scully said turning to leave, pulling a stunned Stan with her.
The girl looked up sharply, "No, please, you can't leave me to become one of those things!" she screamed and then lunged for Scully and caught Scully by her hair, ready to bite her.
Mulder was quick to aim his gun, and with a slight regret, he fired at the girl.
The young girl fell to the ground, dead.
Scully rubbed the back of her head, staring at the girl lying on the floor.
"Are you all right?" Mulder asked Scully, coming over to her.
She only nodded. Mulder stared at the young girl. He knew that she'd attack, and he knew that he'd have to kill her. The girl was desperate to die. She didn't want to meet the same fate as all the other monsters that were running loose now.
Mulder solemnly holstered his gun.
Scully touched his arm, "You didn't have a choice Mulder," she said softly.
"Neither did she," Mulder said angrily, "Let's just find Herbert."
Scully nodded. Stan had been looking around the cell.
"Hey, I found this," Stan said handing a piece of torn paper to Scully.
"If you are reading this letter, you have probably been, as I was, locked up by Herbert Friedman… I can't get out but you might be luckier than me. I am afraid I will soon be used as a guinea pig, like all the other students...If you do get out; I have put together, in a safe hidden in the dormitory, all the proof necessary to bring down Friedman. Find the…" Scully read.
"Find the what?" Mulder asked.
Scully shrugged, "I don't know, it just ends there, but what dormitory? I didn't think students stayed on campus."
"They don't anymore. The building is condemned now," Stan said, "It's in the east part of the school, by the area that we saw Kenny in on the tape. The gate leading there is padlocked and so is the building itself," he explained.
"Well we have to look there. Let's get out of here and find a way to check it out," Mulder said.
"Still need to find away out of this basement," Scully pointed out.
"I haven't forgotten," Mulder said casually as he led them back into the hallway.
Scully looked up and down the corridor, "Well, we've been about everywhere that was open," she said.
"Well, let's continue to the right then," Mulder said and started walking.
They came to the end of the hall and to the last door.
Three entered into the room. It seemed to be a laboratory.
There was an examining table in the middle and a huge heavy steel door on the side that led into the room where the girl had been.
Scully walked over to the examination table.
"Oh god, what did this used to be?" she said looking at half of a body that was left on the table. It wasn't human.
"Well, I don't want to run into a live one is all I can say," Mulder said looking disgusted at the thing.
He proceeded to look around the lab.
"It seems like someone was quick to get out of here," Stan said as he noticed all the broken glass and scattered papers around the floor.
"Either something or someone made them leave fast," Scully said, "At the moment, I'm not sure which."
"Well, where did they go? We didn't see anyone run by us or anyone else alive in the school," Mulder said, looking under the desks and touching the walls.
"What are you thinking; secret room, or escape route?" Scully asked watching Mulder.
"Always," Mulder said coming across a lever in the wall.
He studied it.
"Find something?" Stan asked.
"Maybe," he said, and then looked at the steel doors, "Now this lever either opens those doors or another part of the lab."
"Only one way to find out," Scully said.
Mulder nodded and pulled the lever down.
The three were startled when a bookcase by the far wall started to move. They walked over to it and it revealed a ladder that descended.
"I think we may have found our way out," Mulder said pleased.
"Great," Stan said happily.
"Actually, I want to check out this lab, maybe I can find some answers, and evidence," Scully said.
Mulder nodded, "Good idea, but I really want to check out what's down there," he said.
"Well go on and I'll catch up," Scully said.
"All right, be quick though," Mulder said.
"I will," Scully said.
Mulder started down the ladder. He looked at Stan.
Stan was a bit hesitant, "Should we really leave you alone?" he asked Scully.
"It's fine, I'll just be a minute," she promised.
Stan nodded and followed Mulder down.
X x X
The lower ground was another hallway. It only went one way to the right and had one door.
"Okay, so now were lower," Mulder said, but looked at the door.
"This is the only door down here, maybe this is where Kenny is," Stan said.
"It has to be," Mulder said and reached for the valve on the steel door and turned it.
"Shouldn't we wait for Agent Scully?" Stan asked.
"We're not going far, just a quick peek," Mulder said, "She'll find us," he assured.
Stan nodded.
They opened the door and stepped into a dark room that lit with regular light when someone entered. Mulder and Stan's eyes took a moment to adjust.
Stan and Mulder saw more cells. In those cells were two people squinting against the light.
"Agent Mulder?" said a female voice; she had covered herself with her hoody.
"Shannon?" Mulder asked surprised as he recognized the voice and rushed over to her.
She lowered her hood. Shannon had some bruises and cuts on her face.
"Yeah. I found Kenny," she said sheepishly, pointing to the other person in the cell across form her.
"Oh Shannon, what are you doing here?" Mulder said disappointed, as he looked for a way to open the cell.
"Explain it later Shannon," Kenny said urgently, "Friedman will be back soon."
"Right, please get us out of here," Shannon said.
Mulder nodded. He looked at the locks. They were electronic.
"How?" Stan asked as he searched too.
"Over there is a release button," Kenny said pointing at the wall by the door.
Mulder saw the panel, but was surprised when the door was opening. He was expecting Scully. Instead, it was Friedman.
"Friedman!" Mulder cried.
Stan and he rushed towards Herbert.
Friedman threw in a small canister. It landed of the floor and started to leak gas.
Friedman shut the door and locked it.
Mulder banged on it and tried to open it, "Friedman!" he called again.
Stan and Mulder covered their noses as they saw that the gas was filling the room fast.
Kenny and Shannon had already lost consciousness.
Stan had tried with Mulder to open the door.
Stan had been holding his breath, but couldn't hold out much longer. He then inhaled deeply. After a moment, he passed out.
Mulder tried to hold out longer. He needed to get out and get to Scully. He didn't know what Friedman would do to her if he found her. Mulder banged on the door, hoping Scully would hear it. After a moment, he gave up; defeated.
His lungs were burning now with the lack of oxygen. He knew that he couldn't avoid the gas forever and he didn't think Scully would find him in time this time. He inhaled deeply and a few seconds later, he slipped into darkness.