The Warehouse (private with JBone7777)

[R682]

“Where are we?” Katie blinked, sitting up abruptly from the dusty warm concrete floor and staring about herself wildly, “And how did we get here?”


The room was a small dimly lit grey hanger, heavy and solid in concrete and steel, and featureless apart from a huge pair of steel doors at one end and some kind of featureless open-arm-width circular steel plate in the middle.



Alex groaned and opened his eyes to turn his head on the gritty floor and look over at her from where he lay, nearby. He struggled to his feet, feeling the cold floor and realising he wasn’t as opportunely dressed as Katie. He was only wearing his pyjamas. As he searched his memory for how he could possibly have come to be here, dressed like this, the only last thing he could remember was going to bed as normal.


Katie smirked, already up into a confident no-nonsense pose,


“Nice jim-jams by the way, dickhead.” She glanced around herself, clearly taking the situation in, as Alex just had.


"Do you think this has something to do with that advert?" she mused, quietly. "Some kind of knock out gas, while we slept?"



Such things were not unheard of in these harsh times, though the advert itself had seemed generous enough.



'Pure water, good food and clean, secure accommodation guaranteed for two months,' it had promised, amidst a sea of legalese. 'Study involves submission to monitored test of automised care facility. Subject contractual requirements are limited to remaining within the facility for the duration of the study and waiving the company of all responsibility for treatment received falling within the programmed remit of the prototype.'



Katie hadn’t found the advert on the usual city servers. It had been tucked away, buried on an obscure bulletin board, accessible only through a link from an art website she frequented. A search for its keywords suggested it appeared nowhere else on the entire net, yet the date was current, and 432 Corporation was a genuine owner of more than one physical building in the city, even if its website was bland and non-specific as to its role.


“It’s spam,” Alex had shrugged, when she first excitedly showed it to him on her hand-held.


“It’s not!” she insisted, “If it was it’d be everywhere. I bet they hid it away like this ‘cause they don’t want to be swamped with too many volunteers. It was only posted a few hours ago; we could be the lucky ones.” As ever, her enthusiasm was infectious. “Anyway,” she said stubbornly, “I’m not doing it by myself, so I’m signing you up whether you like it or not.”


“Hang on a minute!” Alex had exclaimed.


“Oh come on!” Katie exclaimed, gesturing around her, “don’t tell me anything wouldn’t be a decent break from this.”


The alley they were passing through was dark and grimy, filled with a rancid dry heat, ripe with stale fetid air. The grease infested their hair, their clothes, but it was impossible to get clean. No water had run in the city’s pipes for months now, and what little could be gathered was far too precious to wash with. The sky above was black, but you could no longer see the stars. Eventually the city would repair itself, but not until enough people had died to take away the strain.



Of course it wouldn’t be Katie and Alex who died, any more than the corporate middle classes. Those at risk of starvation, dehydration and disease would be the elderly, and the sick, and those that couldn’t take care of themselves. Katie and Alex were survivors; city rats. Born in adjacent apartments, they’d raised each other. Saw less and less of their respective parents until they essentially only cohabited with them, but the two of them did everything together. They were family. So if Katie had her heart set on something, Alex might try to argue her out of it, but ultimately if she did something, there was no way they weren’t doing it together. And she was usually right in her plans; they did alright between the two of them. Got just about enough food and water; odd jobs, petty theft, online enterprise. Sometimes even enough to bring home to their parents. Education was intermittent; online classrooms that they could access on the move, but they were both proficient and motivated towards what there was available. The harder learning was to access, the more people in general had seemed to grow to want and value it.


Katie had continued her persuasive argument,


“Come on, clean water, food, a place to sleep for two months. Who cares what they do to us if we have that. It’d really help our parents cope for a bit… And automated means three laws safe, after all, so they can’t actually hurt us or make us do anything we don’t want to.”


Alex had groaned. Knowing he didn’t have a counter argument, and Katie always got her way even if he did, he played for time.


“Just let me think about it until tomorrow.”


But, apparently, she hadn't... and all it had taken was her to submit their addresses, for them to end up here, overnight...

"Where the... Where are we?" Alex asked Katie with a groan, rubbing his head. He looked down at himself, and blushed a bit. "I didn't plan on waking up not at home." He wore plaid fleece pajama pants, and a faded orange long sleeve shirt. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as she started theorizing. He was thinking himself. He frowned, and looked at her. He said nothing as his mind quickly put everything together.

"Katie!" He said suddenly. "What happend to 'let's sleep on it'? I said I wasn't sure, and it was because of this." He groaned. "It was a weird ad. We really don't even know if it was legit. And you sent them our addresses anyways?" He was pacing back and forth as he spoke. There was no anger in Alex's voice though, his tone really just made it sound like he was confirming these accusations as facts.

He knew Katie was smart, but she did go rushing into things a lot. And like she had a habit of making snap descions, he had a habit of getting dragged along. He looked around the huge space, and clapped his hands. It echoed off the walls, and it left Alex with a weird feeling. "This is a creepy place, you know. I can't imagine what experiments on us would dictate a room that's this big. It seems more practical as a jet hangar... And it looks like one too. What's that thing in the middle?" He said wondered aloud.

[R682]

"What makes you think I know any more than you?" Katie growled. "I just woke up here, too, you know."

She stretched uncomfortably, brushing dust of herself, and then relented slightly.

"I did fill in the ad," she admitted awkwardly, but then added, defensively; "but what if we'd left it, and missed out? Who knows how many volunteers there might have been?" She looked around them at the expanse of the empty warehouse. "Though... we are the only ones here," she observed, ruefully.

That was, of course, assuming this was all linked to the advert, and not just some coincidence. Katie hoped not; at least whoever posted the advert must be operating to some kind of rules and regulations. If this was something else, however, then all bets were off. She kept that thought to herself, however, not wanting to disturb Alex with anything less than a full show of confidence.

"Why don't you go and find out," she prodded him, noting the metal disk for herself. From here it looked like a large manhole cover, but perfectly smooth, shiny and completely flush with the floor. Perhaps just a metal plate inlaid in the floor; but it was the only point of interest in the warehouse. Well, except for the industrial doors on the far wall; but something told Katie there wasn't even any point checking those to see if they were locked. They would be.

Already, she too was drifting her way over towards the plate - ultimately making her way over elbow to elbow with Alex.

Even when they were right up to it, however, no further details were apparent, except a thin seam running right around the exterior. Katie poked it with the toe of her giant combat boot, but there was no suggestion of movement. The seam was too thin to pry, even if they'd had a knife blade.

"What's it for, do you think?" Katie wondered. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry." Alex mumbled looking down, a bit taken aback by Katie's tone. He listened quietly, and nodded. "I'm sorry." He repeated. "I just... Thought we said we were going to wait." He finished quietly. "And we are the only ones, which is a bit scary." He admitted. He wasn't as brave as Katie, and he knew it. He could only hope to try.

"Check it out?" He repeated incredulously, staring at Katie with wide eyes. He swallowed hard, and bagan to inch forward. His heartbeat quickened as he advanced on the center of the room. He yelled when he felt something touch his elbow, only to realize it was Katie. He sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, before continuing next to her.

He watched with apprehension as she nudge the disc with his foot. When nothing happened, he let out an internal sigh.
"I have no clue what it's for." He admitted, sure she would be in the same boat. He went to walk over, and he tripped over her foot, falling face first on the center of the plate.

[R682]

"Stop being such a wuss," Katie sighed as they approached, exasperated to see that Alex was hitting true form, even compared to his usual standards. Mind you, she was glad it wasn't her left standing there in just her pyjamas. She couldn't remember anything about what must have happened in terms of knock-out gas, but she guessed it must have happened after Alex had already gone to bed, but while she was still up and about, dressed and conscious. Whatever they'd used, it must have been strong stuff, though her head seemed to have cleared now, immediately. Some kind of reversing agent in the air here? Who knew? But the last few hours, since she remembered filling in the form on the computer, and wandering around her room, were a thick, heavy, solid blank. It was lucky, too, she realised, that she hadn't wet her pants while she was out. She had to go quite badly. Not that there were any facilities apparent here; she could see that at a glance. Great. She was already picturing the ignominy of squatting here in a dry corner, under Alex's awareness, and sending rivulets coursing across the dust. Not until he'd had to, first. Anything less would be an admission of weakness, however badly she felt it.

Having nudged the panel, Katie was already ready to dismiss it. Whatever it was, it wasn't something that they could open, and it wasn't a bathroom. Anything else, she wasn't really interested in right now. She turned disdainfully aside. As she did, however, Alex chose that moment to surge impulsively forward, catching his bare foot on her combat boot as she turned.

"Oh for goodness sake!" she groaned, as he sprawled forwards onto the plate.

With his bare skin pressed against the plate, however, Alex was feeling something that the two of them, until now, hadn't been able to detect. In direct contrast to the chill dusty concrete floor, it was glowing warm, almost hot to the touch. And more, even, than that, though the metal could be felt a faint and continuous vibration. A vibration which - could it be his imagination? - A vibration which could even seem to be slowly but steadily growing, and increasing in intensity.

"Sorry!" And apologized quickly. "And I'm not a wuss." He retorted from the ground. He just lay there a few moments, too defeated to really stand or move from his spot. What a jerk, she was calling him a wuss? It was true, but they didn't know what this thing did, or where the heck they even were. He had a right to be slightly freaked out. He looked across the plate to realize that, different from the rest of the giant room, this plate was immaculately clean. Spotless and streak less. It was a bit odd he noticed that, but he was admiring of it. Alex was normally the biggest clean freak, which Katie had teased him about even as young children. It was a bad trait to have to, when they really couldn't afford anywhere too nice. Alex often went on his huge cleaning sprees, in which he'd lock himself in the room with all his supplies, and clean it too to bottom. It ended up becoming spotless in a short amount of time. He was proud of his handiwork, to Katie's teasing didn't really affect him.

"Hey, this is warm." He said suddenly, moving his hands around on the plate slowly. He had just noticed that fact, while feeling around on it. He probably should have noticed it sooner, but his mind was very preoccupied at the moment. "Ow, actually kinda burns." He mumbled, getting up on his knees. Through his clothes, it was just a very pleasant warmth. But direct skin contact was hot. Also...
"Hey, I don't mean to worry you... But it's also rumbling." He said. "Hot and rumbling... Maybe it's the electrical box for all these lights?" He said aloud. "But I swear... It's getting stronger." He said with sudden nervousness, jumping off next to Katie. "An elevator maybe?"

[R682]

"Let me feel," insisted Katie, batting Alex out of the way, before crouching down and putting out her hand to the plate. "You're right," she decided after a few moments. "Something's coming!"

An elevator was exactly what it was. There was nothing to do but wait, as the vibration of it grew audible and made the dust on the ground begin to shudder. When it arrived, however, it still made them jump, suddenly bursting up out of the ground like the opening bolt of a gun. It was a good job neither of them was still standing on it, or they might have been catapulted cartoonishly through the air. With a sudden rapid metallic grating sound, the plate shot up from the ground, revealing itself to be the roof of a man-sized metal cylinder which extended from the ground to above head height in a matter of moments. There was a open doorway, revealing a tight interior of polished steel, featureless save for a single flush steel button. It was smaller that a phone booth within; an almost impossible fit for two, and horribly claustrophobic looking, regardless.

Still, what else were they about to do?

"You stay here," Katie commanded, wanting to get on with things, especially considering her state of discomfort. "I'll go down and send it back up for you, okay?" She stepped inside decisively, and pressed the button. "Maybe."

Alex took a step back next to Katie as the whole place seemed to rattle. It reminded him of an earthquake or something. They waited in apprehension, Alex's fear overcome by a sense of curiousness. When it popped up and revealed it was an elevator, Alex let out a sigh of relief. Even though he was right, it didn't lessen the worry for him. Where would it take them? He had no clue, and was terrified to find out.

"What?" He cried, lunging forward and pressing himself up against her. "No way I'm stay alone, and more importantly no way I'm letting you go down by yourself." He looked at her, a sudden intense fire in his eyes. "We've never let each other go through anything alone. No matter what. It could be dangerous, and no way I'm letting you go alone." Before she could protest, he hit the button. Sure he was scared, but they'd do it together.

[R682]

Katie only had time to let out an outraged splutter as she suddenly found Alex thrusting himself against her to squeeze into the tiny space, before the lift began to move, with the same immediacy that it had arrived, almost bouncing them up against the ceiling as it jolted downwards.

Frankly, Alex was lucky not to have been caught in the doorway and severed in half. There was no door as such, just the steel wall of the shaft now rushing past outside. In order not to press against it, moving at the speed of an express train, Alex was forced instead to push hard up against her, their limbs intertwining against each other however they might fit.

Of course, they couldn't see any of this anymore, as there was no light inside. Immediately, they were plunged into absolute pitch blackness. But it was easy enough to sense what was going on immediately around them, the space was so small.

"Alex! What the fuck!" Katie finally managed to exclaim, by which point they were already thundering deep underground. They might be friends, but there was a certain intimate distance that existed between them, born of propriety. This was not a situation she was familiar with finding herself in, when it came to Alex. "Jesus! Get off me!"

But getting off wasn't even an option - even rotating 90 degrees and pressing against opposite walls, they still found their knees between each others knees, and Katie's chest pressed against Alex, and his head against her shoulder. The space was impossibly tight, even for one person; and with two, there was an urgent sense that one might not even be able to breathe. Katie desperately hoped that air was being pumped in from somewhere, as there couldn't be more than a few minutes worth in this space that felt smaller, hotter and stuffier by the minute.

And then the elevator abruptly shuddered and jerked to a stop in the absolute darkness. Not a destination; a grinding, inexplicable stop in the unbroken shaft. And then nothing. There it stayed, without a sound. Katie had to fight down the panicking sense that something had gone wrong; they were trapped here like rats, goodness knew how far underground, in this tiny space the size of a coffin. A space which might even become a coffin, if something didn't happen now.

"Sorry sorr-" he was cut off as the sped down. "Katie there was no door!" He exclaimed in panic. "We're going so fast, I'm gonna die... I'm gonna get scraped across the entire tube and die." He was breathing heavily, practically hyperventilating. He was so close to touching it, and was so scared, he forgot about being pressed up against Katie. Truthfully, he had never even thought of her in that way. He couldn't possibly. She was pretty much a sister to him.

There was the rushing sound of the elevator flying down. They had to be going so fast, and it was pitch black.
"Getting off isn't an option!" He had yell over the noise. "You're gonna kill me don't push!" He yelled preemtively. He caught her drift as they rotated. Still pressed against each other, his arm happened to just barely catch the wall speeding by. The slightest touch, but thankfully they stopped right at that moment. Except they didn't get out. If Alex was hyperventilating earlier, he was now.

"Why did we stop? There's no way out." He stated simply, kind of in shock. "We're stuck. Oh my god we're going to die." He pushed at the walls, still hyperventilating. "Katie, you know this is my worst fear. Like when you locked me in that fridge when we were little and I cried the whole way home and wouldn't go into my fridge for a week." He recounted, talking a lot when he started panicking.