My heavy eyes open slowly, a sound of movement around me, the beeping of machines, and words - from voices that I do not recognize. I am in a room with white walls, lying on a floating stretcher. There is a medibot humming near my head, scanning me. A team of Republic workers look at projections of my brain and body on holos. I see a strange metallic device, near my neck region in the scan - around where they injected us before. They point to things on the charts that I do not understand. Trying to sit up I realize I am cuffed to the bed, still wearing a white uniform.
How did I get here? What are they doing to me? The last thing I remember is being in the assembly hall, spewing my guts out. My eyes were heavy, did I fall asleep? My mind flashes images of the being swathed in light, questions filling my mind once more. Are they going to cut me apart to study me? Do they know about the being? Sekat. I take a deep breath, holding it until my heart slows, I feel the calm wash over me; it pushes down everything else, focusing me on the present. Taking in the room fully, I search for anything useful. I see instruments on a floating tray. One of the workers notices my movements and motions to the others.
“H777 is awake.” One of the workers says.
“Notify the Warden.” Another says, they seem to be in charge.
“Already done sir.”
“Prep for transport.” The one in charge says.
Two soldiers have come into the room now. The cuffs retract into the floating stretcher. The soldiers are four paces from me, I could have done it two paces off. Moving like the first rays of light piercing the horizon, I grab an instrument from one of the floating trays and roll to the man in charge. He freezes as I bring it to his throat, taking a position behind him.
“Drop the weapon!” one of the soldier’s shouts.
The man I hold is trembling now, finally realizing I have him, but I am calm - as I must be.
“I said drop the weapon!”
“No.” I say looking around the room, trying to gather myself. I am still a little disoriented.
These workers are a soft people I realize, I can feel it in the way they hold themselves, they have never known true hardships. There is no fight in them that I can feel, not like the fight my people have. The soldiers are harder to gauge inside their metal suits however, so I am wary of them - keeping the man tightly in front of me.
“H777 - I will not ask again!”
The two soldiers take a step forward. A voice comes over the intercom system. It is familiar.
“Stand down. Let him pass.” It says.
The soldiers begrudgingly lower their weapons, stepping back from the door, and I take the man with me through it. Spinning as we exit the door in case they try to shoot me in the back.
We are in a hall now, moving as fast as his legs will allow. Why did they let me pass, Sekat I need to focus. This may be my only opportunity.
“Where are we?” I ask.
“Medical research - floor 7.” He whimpers “Please if you just let me go.”
I look down the corridor, it’s difficult to get a sense of direction.
“How do you navigate?”
“Holopad – please.”
“Show me.” I say pointing to his wrist.
He swipes the device on his wrist, a large sprawling map appears, the design seems meant to confuse people. Everything is compartmentalized into small sections, pathways lead next to things that don’t have entrances, one catches my eye. Red lines and restricted messages appear over one of the rooms when I click it. Maybe it’s a weapons room. I will need something more than whatever is in my hand.
“What is here?” I ask, pointing to the strange off-limits room.
“Oh gods - nothing, nothing.” He says.
My curiosity peaks now as I see his eyes grow wide, my hand presses the device firmly to his neck.
“It’s off limits – that’s all I know - I’m not even allowed in there.” He says with a franticness in his tone now, he is afraid of whatever they are doing in there.
“Where can I get weapons on this floor?” I ask him.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“I - don’t know - I’m just medical staff.” He says.
Sekat, what does he know. I need to focus, there isn’t much time. I must learn everything I can. Pushing him to move towards the off-limits room now, we shift slowly around the corners, each time I am surprised to see no one there. I have him swipe between the floors on the holo map, trying to take it all in. I notice that all of floor 13 is completely off limits, interesting.
“Where are my people?” I ask.
“I don’t…” he begins but I press the device closer into his neck and he continues rapidly with “The cell blocks - er - um level 17-30 - no - no level 16-30. Please - don’t kill me.”
“How do I get there.” I ask loosening my grip a little.
“You’d need proper clearance.” He says and I tighten “I – I don’t have it, but - but I can get it.”
We are nearing the strange room on the medical research floor now. When I look to the map, I see something that I did not notice before, the walls of the room are thicker than the others, curious. When we are upon one of the walls that adjoins to the room I hear something faint, like a clicking sound. The senses I have developed over a lifetime of being Ulima – forsaken among my people are beginning to rise, telling me to leave my curiosity where it lies. Not being able to hear the noises well, I place my ear to the wall. The noises are louder now, rhythmic as though something is communicating to something else. My eyes grow wider, my heart begins to thump faster.
“What do you hear?” He musters after a few moments; his eyes search me for answers.
“Ula…” I say instinctively in the old tongue, the word falling from my lips as my ears hear the clicking tones communicating. My mind realizes what is in there is not like us, it is an inherently different form of intelligent life. Whatever they have trapped in the restricted room makes the hairs on my neck stand to attention - every fiber of my being tells me danger. Will this be related to the next task for my people? I reach my hand to my forehead and feel sweat bead from it, it takes me a moment to realize this primal feeling in me. It is fear, pure and utter fear.
“Meaning?” he asks with a deep swallow.
“Death.”
We step away slowly from the wall, my breath is uneven, I do not feel curiosity to know what lurks anymore. My legs seek to carry me away from it and I follow their call readily.
“How do we get off this floor?” I say to him as we move further from the room where death resides.
He points to a wall panel and waves his wrist over it. The door opens to an elevator. He pushes floor 15 and I push the device deep into his neck, remembering that my people are on 16-30.
“Wait - wait - my friend can get us there, but they work on 15.” He says, he is sweating profusely.
“What were you doing to me? What was in that room?” I ask him as the elevator rises.
“Ju - just running tests, you were coma - comatose when we found you. I d-d-don’t know.” He stammers, I can see the veins in his neck throbbing.
“How long was I out?”
“Three days - please, you don’t need to hold it - to - to my throat, I will comply.”
Sekat, three days. The others, I need to get to them. I need a plan, think.
“The thing in my neck, that your people injected us with.” I say, recalling the metallic device, pulling away some of the pressure.
“It’s - it’s a tracker for vital signs.” He begins, then he feels the object push a little firmer once more “It me - measures things like heart rate, nutrition, blood toxicology - and - and tracks your location.”
“How do I remove it?” I ask him, giving his throat some reprieve once again.
“It - it has a failsafe, unauthorized tampering will result in - in - in death. Please - don’t kill me, I have a child and - and a wife.”
“So did many of my people.” I say, my eyes meeting his in a cold gaze.
I begin to smell something and look down at his white pants, there is streaking of yellow forming on them. Sekat, do these people really control mine?
The door to floor 15 opens and we move through it into a hallway.
“What is the purpose of this floor?” I ask him as we move through the maze of corridors. We keep moving to another set of doors which he opens.
“It’s – it’s for processing.” He says after a big gulp, there is a shiver that runs through him.
“What does it process?”
“T-T-The dead.” He stammers profusely, his eyes looking up at me, wondering if he will be among the dead soon.
My jaw flexes and I do not speak of it further, I do not wish to be distracted by the calls of the dead. My focus returns to matters of the living.
“What is this thing?” I ask him, pushing the object in a little, then out.
“You don’t know what it is?” he asks me with confusion, his face looking more concerned now.
“It looked like a weapon, so I took it, now speak - what does it do?”
“It’s a la - laser scalpel, please for the love of the gods be careful not to press any buttons.” He pleads, his sweat is dripping onto the floor now.
The intercom buzzes on again, the same voice. I think I know who it is now, I have heard the slither of their tongue before.
“H777, are you ready to talk now?”
Ignoring the voice, I press the man to continue. We enter another chamber that has a pod. The pod begins to move, then a few moments later, the lights flicker off and back on.
“Oh gods - please - don’t kill me - please.” He whines.
“What happened?” I ask, while trying to push the buttons on the panel, but it gives an error message. This is not good, I cannot stop it. I debate trying to cut the panel with the laser scalpel - but if I cut something I shouldn't, and power goes out... I would be stuck, and then it’s only a matter of time.
The pod moves for a few more minutes before it comes to a halt. The door opens and a large room is before us, there are twenty soldiers posted, ten on each wall. They do not turn to meet us, they stand as statues. Their armor is different, golden lines decorate their suits.
“Proceed.” The voice says.
Trying to work the panel again, I push all the buttons, ready to cut it this time. The power shuts off in the pod before I can even try, tension rising within me. Having no other choice now, I move forward slowly, spinning in a circle with the man - device pressed deep in his neck. The soldiers do not react, they simply stare onwards. The door opens on the far wall with a mechanical whir. As I pass through it, I see the owner of the voice, confirming my suspicions. She sits behind a large black marble desk, standing in contrast to the white room. Her feet atop the desk, leaning back in her large gold painted chair. On either side of her is a gold marked soldier.
“Welcome H777, please take a seat.” Warden Akaria says pointing to a chair that rises from a recess in the floor in front the desk.
I do not answer her call, I take the room in and keep my grip firm. Sekat.