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Episode 003 |
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“One-Two-Three-Four-Five? That’s the stupidest combination I ever heard of. That’s the kind of thing an idiot puts on his luggage.” Dark Helmet, Spaceballs There’s surprisingly little blood as I push Anton’s chair over to the corner of the room. There’s not a lot of space in the compact office, but I turn his chair to face the corner and push him off away from the desk. The slurping sound of the front of his chest as it drags along the floor makes me nauseous. But once I get him into the corner, I step back from the chair. The image of him facing the wall, as if almost alive, is too creepy. I turn the chair around, resolving myself to deal with the sight of his mutilated body. I turn back to the computer, grimacing as I accidentally step in the soupy, black blood that’s sprinkled the floor. I walk on my toes back behind the desk and stare down at the computer screen. I pull out the keyboard again and feel the keys for a moment. I breathe out, trying to calm down. For a moment, a warm breeze skates over me. Like a breath of heaven, I close my eyes and simply stand still. The warmth rains down from above like a sprinkling summer shower on a scorching day. My head almost unconsciously looks up and my eyes open to stare at the sunroof in the ceiling. Shattered open, it exposed the nighttime breeze from the outside world. The fresh air invigorates me while the thought of the warm air outside makes me smile. After my brief love affair with the warm wind, I turn my mind back to the computer. The warning scrolls across the screen over and over; reappearing just a second after it disappears. Warning: Containment Breach. Project 525 is exposed. “Project 525,” I whisper. I look down at the keyboard. I hit a few keys, but once again, nothing. I try escape. Nothing. I hit the space bar repeatedly, the alien clacking echoing off the walls. When I stop and the silent hits me, the thought of the sound traveling registers. I look up at the door, my heart slowing fearfully. In my mind, I suddenly attack myself with thoughts of those things, of him and them, coming rushing into the room. I see them leaping over the desk, jumping at me. I see them tearing the desk apart, throwing it to the side and rushing me in a blind fury. I snap out of it. The door is still closed. And as I breathe, I hear no other sounds. I hit control, alt, and delete. And I smile. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: Behind the familiar window that popped up, I see the warning continue to scroll by. Warning: Containment Breach. Project 525 is exposed. I scratch under my chin. I type. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: AW01 I hit enter. Warning: Containment Breach. Project 525 is exposed. I chew on the results. I try to think, looking around the room. I look over at Anton. “You don’t seem like the kind of guy who writes his passwords down,” I whisper to myself. I search the room with my eyes. I turn around at the bookshelves, scanning the books. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: Chemical I hit enter. Warning: Containment Breach. Project 525 is exposed. I sigh. I look around the room again, and shrug. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: AAAAAAAAAAA “Okay,” I whisper. “Eleven spaces. 37 possibilities. 37 to the eleventh power. That’s, huh, six seven eight, that’s…that’s…” High school math comes back to me as the vague size of the number registers. “Ooh,” I grimace in defeat. I look around the room again. The synchronization of the warning on the computer screen and the red flashing light outside bothers me. I consider leaving the computer, but the ever-present thought of him and them keep me in the room. “At least until I know how to get out of here,” I whisper. I turn my attention back to the room. “You’d be a sentimental old coot, Anton,” I say to the old man in the chair to my left. “What would you make your password?” I look down at the access. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: Bass I hit enter. Warning: Containment Breach. Project 525 is exposed. I sigh. I look around the room again. I look through the drawers, carefully sliding them out as quietly as possible. In the second drawer on the right, I find it. My salvation. A telephone. I snatch up the phone’s receiver, hitting the three panic buttons before I even know what I’m doing. “We’re sorry,” comes an automated voice. “All lines are currently down for repairs. Please give us just a few moments to…” I hang up and stare at the computer. “You’re my only hope,” I whisper cynically. I look back at the door. I look around the room again, my eye getting caught by the picture. I step over to the large photograph, staring at the two men and the small boy, all around the fish. I look close, leaning in to the picture. On the boy’s wrist is a watch that says ‘Eric Wilson’. Control Panel Username: AWilson01 Password: Eric I hit enter. The warning goes away. The familiar icons found on every other computer in the world appear over a striking, but monochromatic blue background that proudly displays the name ‘Argent Labs’, with the small writing of ‘A sub-project of the Ever-After Corporation’ off to one corner. “Argent
Labs?” I whisper. “Ever-After?” I take a deep breath. “Never heard of ‘em.” |
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