The records department was a mess. Two dead computers stood perched on a high-standing wall unit, and the rest of the dusty room was a labyrinth of corroded steel cabinets. The rust had fused most of the cabinet drawers shut, which they had to force open using a broken-off door handle that they picked up near the entrance. Some drawers were nearly empty, while others broke free from the cabinet's sliding rails from the weight.
"How did people work in this?" Kate groaned as she flipped through documents. For fear of burning the paper, they took turns working the files and providing light.
"You are not so tidy yourself. Maybe pack a working flashlight next time?" Anne taunted her.
"I didn't pack a broken flashlight, and you know it. It must have broken when we fell or something."
"Now stop teasing me and up the light a bit. I can't make out the text."
And don't think of overdoing it on purpose. I would never.
They both chuckled and hunched over the open folder yet again.
"Aha! I think this is what we need." Kate said.
"What is it?"
"It's a catalog. I'm not going to go through everything in here. It will take years."
Kate squinted as she read the small typed font.
"Anne sweety, check if you can see any numbers or markings on these cabinets. They all look the same, so there must be something."
Anne ran her bright hands over the crusty cabinets, rubbing off bits of rust and paint crumbs.
"Careful. The numbers might be painted." Kate warned.
"Found it!"
Anne pointed to a metal plaque in one cabinet's right corner. A serial number was engraved onto it.
"Hmmm... FM-09," Kate mumbled, then looked for it on the list.
"Here it is. It says, 'Fear Manifestation Logs - Specimens', whatever that means. It looks like 'FM' refers to that fear lab thing we read. Want to check it out?" Kate asked.
Why not?
Kate pulled on the handle, and the drawer slid out with a screech. Anne and Kate choked as moldy dust bellowed out from the lined-up files.
Gross.
The labels sticking out the top of the files were surprisingly legible.
"Want to switch? My hands are getting numb." Anne asked.
Kate gave her a wink, then lit her hands just as Anne's tiny hands dimmed until their light was gone.
Thanks. Now let's see.
Anne mouthed the names as her little fingers flicked through the labels.
Blah blah blah, mosquito something, bishop owl, baboon spider.
No.
She grabbed the folder labeled 'Baboon Spider' and flicked it open.
Specimen 11 - Baboon Spider (aka Chacma Spider)
Description
The Baboon Spider is a large baboon with the legs and joints of an arachnid. It has an adult weight of around 180 pounds, and its body is suspended up to 4 feet from the ground. Adulthood is reached within 4-5 years. The Baboon Spider is covered by dark fur, usually black or brown. It has a Pisauridae eye structure along with a long muzzle and teeth similar to that of the Cachma baboon. Some specimens were observed to have one or two additional underdeveloped mouths protruding from the neck.
Behavior
Baboon spiders prefer to move in groups of up to 30 adults or more, with aggressive behavior intensifying based on the group's size. When alone, it will shy away from most confrontations but will attack when aggravated.
Specimen 11 reproductions are all male, though it has developed the ability to reproduce by egg clusters. Fortunately, the fertilization rate of these clusters is around 0.32%.
Parent subject and manifestation test
Specimen 11 was grown from the fears extracted from entity [redacted], who showed an intense fear of spiders and baboons. These fears were cultivated together and combined rather well. The subsequent exposure of Specimen 11 to entity [redacted] proved highly successful, with a 63% physical manifestation lasting 5.1 seconds. See FM-02 for a detailed test report.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Containment notes
For safety, only three instances of Specimen 11 should be held in lab captivity at any time. See FM-03 for containment procedures.
"Kate... am I understanding this correctly?" Anne's voice quivered as she whispered.
"They made those creatures. They were... grown? Right here! So much of that sounds so wrong." Kate said.
I've had enough of these baboons for a lifetime. We are here for Tom. Let's keep looking.
"What else do you see on that catalog?" Anne asked.
"Kate?"
Kate looked up at Anne with a wavering smile, then glanced around at the cabinets around them.
"See if you can find anything marked ER." Kate finally said.
"ER?"
"Entity Records."
"Oh," Anne mumbled and started rubbing clear every plaque in order. Kate shivered and looked at her as she worked through the cabinets.
Kate placed her hands on Anne's shoulders and pulled her into a hug from behind.
"Everything will be fine. Are you that worried about what you may find?" Kate whispered.
"I have so many questions, but I'm not sure if I want answers to all of them. So yes, I'm very scared."
Anne brushed off chunky bits of rust from a plaque to reveal the index ER-01 set deep within the metal.
"That was quick," Kate said with a grin.
"A bit too quick." Anne took a deep breath and grabbed onto the cabinet handle.
"Something is not right."
Before Kate could ask what she meant, Anne softly pulled on the drawer. While still a bit noisy and rusted, the drawer opened effortlessly. Kate lit the inside to reveal its contents... or lack thereof.
No.
Anne hastily pulled open the bottom drawer, which slid open just as effortlessly. Full of nothingness.
"How can there not be any records?" Anne scowled.
Kate pulled on the next cabinet's doors, which both slid open freely, but just as empty.
"Do you think someone took it?" Kate asked as she easily closed the drawers.
"It really looks like it," Kate continued.
Who would be scavenging around in this place?
And whoever did, left the rest just as it were.
Anne slowly opened the drawer again, hopelessly peered into it, then closed it one last time.
This got me all worked up for nothing.
I'm sure there is something of value in some of these other files.
Anne ran her fingers through her red hair, pulled on a few locks, and released them making them bounce back.
"Maybe we should-"
The creak of a metal door opening from somewhere within the facility echoed down the corridors.
What was that? Someone is here.
Anne and Kate jumped to their feet and ran to the door, stopping abruptly to listen for any other sounds. Silence.
We need to go. Where do we go? Where did the sound come from? It sounded like it came from where we came in. Just follow me.
Kate slipped out the door with Anne right behind her, hands now glowing.
She turned the first corner away from their entrance and briskly walked as quietly as possible, skipping a few passages and then taking a left turn.
Do you think it was maybe the wind or something? No idea, but we have to be careful. We will be spotted from a mile away with this light.
Take a right here. Why? I don't know. It just feels like we should.
Anne, that's a bit weird, but ok.
Moments later the corridor unexpectedly ends as a makeshift barricade blocks their past.
A dead end? Look, the one side is collapsed, maybe we can get through there.
They made it to the other side with little effort, only to be met with the passage ending with a solid wall.
Why would you barricade a dead end?
This feels... familiar.
A single slit ran down the middle of the wall, which otherwise has no imperfections whatsoever.
It's a door. I feel like I have seen this before.
Anne reached out with a glowing hand, running it along the groove in the wall. Absorbed by every detail.
The cold touch, or was it warm? Smooth and flawless. Unyielding, yet inviting. The perfect symmetry of the halves. But most importantly...
Anne! Kate finally managed to snap her out of her trance.
Finally, you are back. Turn off your hands!
Anne quickly extinguished her hands, dropping them in utter darkness. She only now noticed the thumping of many boots on the concrete floor.
Stay quiet. I don't know if they even know we are here.
"Spread out! They have to be close. Find them!" A woman's voice echoed seemingly from every direction.
They know! Anne, prepare to fight. I don't think there will be any running.
Anne nodded, even though Kate would never see it in this darkness. Her tiny hands shook as she tried to focus. Kate's hands flashed into action as she readied for what was to come. Hundreds of boots seem to thump all around them. Kate wildly eyed the break in the barricade which now swam in the light from her glowing hands.
"Hello there young lady."
Anne yelped as a woman calmly strolled into sight. Her headlamp cast the area in a warm light, colliding and mixing with the light from Kate.
"Elly!" Anne cried in disbelief.
A friend? Yes. Kind of, I think.
Kate quickly put out her hands and slowly lowered them, confused and agitated.
"Don't you worry dear, I mean you no harm," Elly spoke in her soft and gentle voice. A troop of soldiers filed past her to fill the space beside her. Kate scoffed and moved backward to hide Anne behind her.
"I see you made a friend. I like her," Elly smiled.
"What are you doing here?" Anne's voice shook from behind Kate.
"How did you even find us?"
"I was looking for you of course. We need to protect you. I'm sure you know how dangerous the outside world is."
Protect me!?
"Protect me? Like you protected Tom?" Anne yelled.
Kate shuddered at the rush of raw emotion and moved even closer to Anne. Elly's calm expression seemed to freeze for an instant.
"What happened to Tom is... inexcusable," Elly said, her voice trailing off and laden with what sounded like true sorrow.
"We need you to come with us. We need to keep you safe. We need to save your-"
"There is no 'We'," Anne yelled, but the sound came out soft and labored. "They took him..."
"There is a 'we' my dear. We want to save Tom too." Elly's long, thin frame looked even slimmer from the many shadows cast by the flashlights of every soldier's rifle. Her glasses shone brightly. The emotional banter did not soften her unyielding demeanor.
"The general has personally stepped in to get your brother back."
As Elly spoke those words, a woman emerged from behind her. Every soldier stiffened and soluted in unison. The solute sent all the rifle lights pointing down, plunging anything below their knees in bright light, but covering everything else in shifting shadows that danced across her face as she stopped next to Elly. Even Elly seemed to struggle to keep her composure.
"Anne, dear. This is the general." Elly's voice quivered.
"Why should we trust you, oh great general? Look what happened when we trusted you the first time." Anne said with the little strength she could muster.
Elly's eyes widened at the retort but remained silent.
The general stared at Anne with bright green eyes that would pierce her very soul. Even the shadows that obscured most of her face were unable to mask the pure intensity.
When the general spoke, it was as if all other sounds ceased to exist.
"Is that any way to talk to your mother?"