Esther moves quietly through the dimly lit corridor, her senses on high alert. As she rounds a corner, she sees a security guard walking down the hall, his back turned to her.
She quickly ducks behind a nearby corner, pressing herself against the wall. She holds her breath, waiting for the guard to pass by.
The guard continues walking, blissfully unaware of Esther's presence. He passes by the corner where Esther is hiding, his footsteps receding as he moves on.
Esther releases the breath she was holding, her heart still racing. She waits a few moments to ensure the coast is clear before peeking around the corner.
Coast clear, Esther steps out and continues down the corridor. She keeps her eyes peeled, looking for any signs of Piper's location. As she walks, she suddenly hears voices coming from a nearby room.
Esther pauses, her ears straining to hear the conversation. She can make out two voices, a man and a woman, engaged in a heated discussion.
She carefully approaches the room, staying out of sight near the open doorway.
Esther peeks into the room, her eyes immediately falling on a scientist and a nurse standing by a table on the far side of the room. On the table, is a restrained girl with her back to the door, her pink, curly hair covering her face.
From what Esther can see, it's Piper.
But next to Piper, she saw a sight even more jarring and unexpected - General Katyusha standing before her, seemingly leading the experimentation.
The scientist says, his voice cold and detached, "Everything is prepared for Test 411-A?"
The nurse nodding, her voice just as clinical. "Yes, all equipment and supplies are ready. The subject is sedated as well. We can begin the procedure at any time. We will be testing this subject's pain tolerance.”
"Perfect," Katyusha replies, a sinister smile playing on her lips. "Let's get started. I want to make sure this subject's pain threshold is measured to perfection."
Esther's eyes widen as she watches the scene, rage and fear coursing through her veins. She quickly pulls back out of sight, her mind racing.
Esther's heart raced inside her chest, her mind trying to come up with a plan to save Piper and prevent the experiment from happening. The sound of footsteps approaching the room grabs her attention, forcing her to step out of sight, her back pressed against the wall while she takes deep breaths and tries not to panic.
As she stood there, her mind raced through possible options. She could try to overpower the lab technician and nurse, but the risk of being overpowered by Katyusha herself is too great. She could also try to create a distraction, but that would likely alert the others. Esther knew she was in a tough spot.
In the midst of her thoughts, Esther suddenly notices something - a vent panel on the wall next to her. It's big enough for a person to fit through. A small glimmer of hope sparks in her chest.
Without wasting another moment, Esther swiftly pries open the vent panel, cringing slightly as it makes a soft creaking sound. She slips into the vent, pushing the panel back in place.
She begins her slow crawl through the tight metal vent, the dimly lit space seeming longer than it actually is.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
As the crawl through the vent continues, her breath and heart rate start to get faster. But she keeps pushing onward, the image of an innocent girl strapped to a table being experimented upon fueling her determination.
She soon notices a light up ahead. The end of the vent. She picks up her speed, moving as quietly as possible, her mind racing with what she'll do once she emerges.
When she reaches the end of the vent, Esther hesitates. Her ears pick up the voices of the scientist and nurse in the room beyond - discussing some scientific details she doesn't understand. She tries to listen intently for any sign of Katyusha, but she doesn't hear her at all.
The silence feels strange, almost too much so. Esther decides to risk a glance through the vent grate, which allows her to see into the room without being seen. She slowly peers through the grating, her breath catching in her throat.
The scene she sees is almost like a nightmare come to life. The room is stark and clinical. Piper is strapped to a metal table, her body bound in heavy cuffs. She is still passed out, her pink curls falling across her face. Standing next to her is the nurse, preparing syringes as the scientist double-checks his notes and equipment.
The fact that Piper is completely defenseless sends a chill down Esther's spine. She can feel her heart rate increasing as her eyes scan the room. There is no sign of Katyusha. Where had she gone?
Esther tears her gaze from Piper's unconscious form, her eyes frantically searching the room for any sign of Katyusha. The scientist and the nurse are still busy preparing the equipment, their conversation in hushed, clinical tones. It's almost as if they're preparing for a surgical procedure rather than an experiment. But the lack of Katyusha in the room is also worrying. Where could she be? Has she left the room, or is she hiding somewhere, waiting to spring a trap? The thought sends a new wave of fear coursing through Esther's veins.
She can feel her mind racing, trying to come up with a plan. If she were to burst through the vent, she would be at a disadvantage. The scientist and nurse would be alerted immediately, and even if she could take them down, Katyusha could return at any moment. Esther knew she had to think quickly, but her mind feels like it's filled with cotton. However, a thought strikes her. The vent leads into the room, but there's a good chance it ends in a crawlspace somewhere. If she managed to slip out without being noticed and find a place to hide, she could buy herself some time to figure out a plan. It's a risky move, but she can't just leave Piper behind.
Taking a deep breath, Esther steels herself. She needs to stay quiet, move quickly, and hope that the others are too engrossed in their preparations to notice her. She slowly begins to push the vent grate open, wincing at each creak of the metal.
Finally, the vent grate is open just enough for her to slip through. She looks at Piper one more time - unconscious, defenseless, tied to the table. It's a heartbreaking sight, and it fuels her determination to get her out of there.
With one last deep breath, Esther crawls out of the vent, moving as soundlessly as possible. She lands in a small crawl space, the cool darkness a stark contrast to the bright light of the lab.
She quickly stands, looking around for a small hiding place - a cramped corner, behind a cabinet, anything where she can stay hidden. She listens intently for any sign that the others have noticed her, but the room remains filled with the low hum of conversation from the scientist and nurse.
After a few more moments of searching, she finally spots a small space behind a large piece of medical equipment. It's not much, but it will have to do. She quickly crawls into the small space, trying to fit as much of her body behind the machine as possible, which was eased by her overall slender frame. Once she is settled, she remains still, holding her breath, her heart beating like a drum in her ears. She keeps her eyes fixed on the small opening to the crawlspace, silently praying that she won't be discovered.
The room beyond remains filled with the low voices of the doctor and nurse, the sounds of equipment being shifted and prepared. Piper continues to lay motionless and unaware on the metal table, her pink hair casting a splash of color against the cold, clinical backdrop.
Esther can't see much from her hiding spot, but the sound of the others moving about in the room makes her even more anxious. It's then that she notices a small crack in the medical equipment in front of her, wide enough for her to peek through at the room beyond without being seen.
Taking a chance, she leans forward slightly, her eye pressing against the crack, giving her a small glimpse of the room's activities. The scientist and nurse are still busy preparing the room and the equipment, their backs turned to Piper.
The sight of them moving casually, seemingly unperturbed by anything, causes a shiver to run down Esther's spine. There is still no sign of Katyusha. Where could she be? Is she watching the room from another camera?
Esther's thoughts are interrupted as the scientist suddenly turns and glances towards her hiding spot. For a moment, she freezes, her heart in her throat. But the scientist only shifts some papers on his desk, the glance was only cursory. He then returned to his preparations, unperturbed. Esther lets out a silent breath of relief, her heart rate slowly returning to normal. It was a close call, and it only reinforces the need for her to remain hidden.
She continues to watch through the crack in the equipment, her eyes trained on Piper and the others. The preparations for the experiment seem to be getting closer to completion - the needles are lined up, the restraints are tightened. The nurse is now checking Piper's vitals - blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen levels. She seems to glance at a monitor every few seconds, recording the data on her tablet.
In spite of how terrible the situation is, Esther can't help but be amazed at the technology here. She's grown up on scraps and hand-me-downs, the idea of a lab like this is almost mythical. But there's no time to be distracted. She keeps her eyes locked on Piper and the others, waiting for any sign of Katyusha or the start of the experiment.
As the final preparations are made, Esther grips the edge of her hiding spot, her knuckles turning white with tension. She can only watch, her heart in her throat, as the others ready the instruments to use on Piper. The scientist approaches Piper, a syringe in hand. The nurse stands by, her eyes on the monitor, the tablet in her hands. Time seems to be moving in slow motion. Any moment now, the experiment will begin.