The Johnson Run

by Kai O'Connal

  The dwarf cleared her throat. “That won’t be necessary. If you’ll come with me, there’s an access door a few hallways over that leads into the entire guts of the facility. Will that work?”

  “Thank you.”

  True to her word, Mel led them to a door labelled SERVICE ENTRANCE ONLY. Keandra noticed that she pulled out a separate key card to unlock the door. All the other doors had opened with a scan from an employee’s ID badge. After swiping the unmarked card, Mel put her thumb on a scanner before the latch clicked open.

  The door opened into a long tunnel that stretched as far down as they could see. The entire shaft echoed with the sound of rushing water and the steady roar of fan engines far in the distance. A couple ladders were embedded in the walls, and a wire grate platform stuck out every five meters or so.

  “Are you sure she’s qualified to do this?”

  Keandra stepped close to Mel, staring her down without looming menacingly over her. The effect still made the smaller woman shrink back, but she didn’t cower.

  “In addition to being part of our security forces, Paz has an engineering degree and is more than capable of making sure everything is up to code.”

  “Very well. Make sure to return to this door as it is the only one that is unlocked from the inside.”

  With a nod, Paz entered the access shaft and began climbing down the ladder. Her feet struck each rung with a heavy clang that sounded like it would echo through the entire facility. However, when Mel shut the door, the sound disappeared completely.

  Mel smacked her hands together, rubbing them against each other. “Right, so now that that part is done, how would you like to proceed? Do you want to start with the laboratories?”

  “Considering the hazard would be greatest down there, I’d like to start with the lowest level.”

  “Are you sure about that?”

  The woman was obviously nervous, something Keandra could use to keep her off balance. She opted to remind Mel of her position.

  “Yes, I’m sure. Your director said you were to show us everything, remember?”

  30

  Their guide was silent as she led them back to the elevator, and Keandra was glad for that. The less convincing she had to do, the faster they could get where they needed to. At least Paz was on her own and hopefully managing to stay out of sight. Keandra glanced back at Lance and E-jekt, taking comfort in their presence.

  When they got to the elevator, Mel used her ID badge to grant them access, and hit the button for the ninth floor. She had to press her finger against a biometric panel before the floor lit up and the doors closed. Once the elevator began to move, the simple gray walls shimmered and displayed a large cityscape. If Keandra didn’t know better, she might have believed they were in a glass elevator descending along the side of a skyscraper. She was impressed by the lengths Crystal Techtronix had gone to disguise the fact that they were several meters underground. It did succeed in making the facility seem less oppressive.

  The doors slid open, revealing another hallway much like those on the first floor. Keandra noticed that on this floor, cameras rested visibly in the center of the ceiling every few meters. They were the wide-angled circular ones, designed to provide a full 360-degree view without needing to move or shift. That meant these cameras had no blind spots, except possibly directly beneath them.

  From her current vantage point, she couldn’t see any automated security systems, just the cameras. It also struck her that the hallways were emptier down here. It seemed as if the entire floor was silent. A couple of the hallways were nearly dark, with only emergency lighting. Whenever they stepped into one of these dim hallways, the rest of the lights powered on, illuminating the passage.

  “Why is this floor empty?”

  “As a general rule, the lower you go down in the facility, the more secure the projects are, and the fewer people have access to them. Given that this is the bottom floor…” Mel shrugged and spread her hands. “Where did you want to start?”

  Keandra thought back to the wireframe blueprint of the facility, remembering where their objective was most likely to be. It was a large circular chamber on the eighth floor, one of the biggest rooms on that level.

  “It’s really only necessary that we check the large testing chambers and labs. We aren’t concerned with hallways and offices; those will still be up to code even with the new requirements. To save everyone’s time and get out of your hair that much sooner, I think we should limit the scope of our audit to the larger rooms.”

  Their guide led them on a twisting path through the bottom floor of the underground structure. After enough time had passed that Keandra was sure they could have walked the perimeter of the entire complex, they stopped in front of a sealed door. Once again, the dwarf pulled out her special card and unlocked the door. The lock took a few seconds to disengage as gears rattled against each other. Keandra wasn’t sure she’d ever seen a door this heavily secured. When it finally swung open, it was almost half a meter thick.

  The room beyond was dark, but the lights powered on as soon as Mel stepped through. Two rows of long tables ran along the length of the room, containing a collection of terminals, microscopes, and hardware that looked very similar to what E-jekt used to make and alter his trinkets. Keandra couldn’t identify half the tools, let alone guess their purpose.

  Mel stood in the center of the room, watching Keandra and her team as they moved about. Keandra made a show of walking up to one of the walls and pulling out her commlink, moving purposefully around the room as if taking measurements.

  She texted the others.

  E-jekt did as instructed, mirroring her actions but moving in the opposite direction. Lance stood to the side of the door and crossed his arms, staying vigilant and standing tall without resting against the wall.

 

 

 

 

 

  The reply came not from the ork, but from Freyr.

  Keandra scanned the AI’s message as fast as she could, and then put away her commlink and turned to Mel, making sure to position herself so E-jekt wouldn’t be in the dwarf’s line of sight. He slid forward, moving to one of the tables and peering down to look closely without touching anything.

  “I think that just about does it for this room. It looks like you are showing no signs of stress or issues with structural integrity. If the rest of the facility is this sound, then I see no problems with your company passing this audit.”

  “Very good. Does that mean we’re done here?”

  Keandra took a slow turn, taking her time, but not stretching it out too much as she faced away from their escort and examined the exterior of the room. By the time she came back around, E-jekt had stepped away from the table and nodded to her. Satisfied, she flashed a smile. “Yes, we are. If you’d lead us to the next room?”

  They filed back out into the hallway, with Mel leading them on another labyrinthine path. At one point they passed a cafeteria, and Keandra glanced inside as they brushed past the open doorway. It seemed almost identical to the cafeteria on the first floor, except for the complete absence of people. Something
stood out, making the hairs at the nape of her neck stand on edge. Prepared dishes of food stocked the serving stations, one of which was still steaming. Keandra smelled the spiced meat from the hall. Apparently, these floors were not as abandoned as Crystal Techtronix wanted them to believe.

  Mel led them to another laboratory, this one not as secure as the first. It had a similar distribution of tables and collections of gadgets in various states of assembly. Once again, Keandra and E-jekt pretended to check the room, walking around the exterior like they were looking for something.

  When they were in the third room, performing yet another “inspection,” Keandra caught Lance’s attention when the dwarf wasn’t looking. She cocked her head at Mel, hoping he understood.

  “Excuse me, Mel,” he said, catching on. “Do you mind if I go to the cafeteria to get a glass of water? I’m afraid something down here is drying out my throat.”

  For a few seconds, there was utter stillness and silence in the lab. Keandra paused in her search and turned to watch the exchange. She saw Mel glance between Lance and the others, clearly debating what to do. In the end, she turned to Keandra.

  “You don’t mind if I escort him down to the cafeteria? It’s only a couple of rooms away, and I’ll be right back. Should be back well before you’re finished.”

  “Of course not. I completely understand not wanting to have someone unaffiliated with your company wandering the halls of a secure facility.”

  “All right, then. We’ll be right back. If you’ll follow me…”

  As soon as they left the room, both E-jekt and Keandra made a beeline for the center, facing the entrance so they could watch it while they conversed. E-jekt hissed at her, keeping his voice low when he spoke.

  “So I’ve checked what they’re working on here. It has nothing to do with weapons or tracking at all, despite what Freyr said.”

  At the mention of the AI’s name, Keandra tucked her commlink back into her pocket, holding her hand over it. It would not do much to cover the sound, but it made her feel better. “What do you mean?”

  “This stuff is all for entertainment and digital research. New methods of recording simsense, experimental holograph technology, etc. This isn’t weapons.”

  Keandra shook her head—the hacker’s words didn’t make sense. “Then why all the security and secrecy? Do you think it’s some kind of ploy? Something to cover up what they’re really working on?”

  E-jekt shrugged and leaned to the side, peering further around the door and into the hallway beyond. “Possibly, but we’re on what is supposedly their most secure floor, where I imagine they’d keep their most vital tech. It’s possible, but I doubt it. One thing I’m sure of: I’m not wrong about what they’re working on here. Freyr lied to us.”

  Voices echoed down the hall, coming closer. Lance was doing his part and engaging in loud conversation to make sure they knew he was returning. Even if they couldn’t communicate with him directly, he knew how to do his job and do it well.

  “Keep this off our chats. Act like we’re still proceeding with the plan.” Obviously E-jekt knew this already, which was why he talked to her in person rather than sending it over their private network. Still, she had to say it. “We keep up with the plan as normal. Get access to that network on the eighth floor as quickly as possible, hopefully before we get found out. We’re in this deep, and we need to see what Freyr would risk his life and ours for.”

  As soon as she finished, Keandra walked back to the wall she had been looking at when Mel left. She pulled her commlink out and went through the motions as if she’d just finished her analysis. Mel and Lance entered and stood across the room from them. They paused when they saw Keandra was ready to move on.

  “This room checks out. Shall we go to the next?”

  Mel turned to exit the room, but paused for a heartbeat as soon as her foot touched the floor. The movement was so slight Keandra barely noticed it. The dwarf twisted to the side, faster than Keandra could track, and punched at Lance.

  He caught the motion in time to fall back, staying just ahead of her fist, but not ahead of the spur that sprang out with the sound of metal scraping on metal.

  31

  Lance fell back clutching his abdomen, blood seeping through his clothes. As soon as he hit the floor, he kept going, rolling back on his shoulder and bringing his legs up and over his head. He planted his hands and pushed, launching himself to a standing position almost a meter away from his adversary, a bloody handprint on the floor in front of him.

  Mel pressed her assault, punching at the ground and obviously hoping to catch him off guard. The spike struck the metal floor with a shower of sparks and a screech that sent shivers down Keandra’s spine.

  E-jekt drew his gun and fired, but the bullet went wide of its mark—the dwarf moved faster than was possible unless she was augmented or another adept. She continued pursuing Lance, trying to keep him on the defensive. It was clear she thought he was the greatest threat.

  Keandra drew her regular firearm from the hidden holster under her arm. She backed up across the lab as she fired several shots, moving around a table to keep it between her and their adversary. Most of her shots missed, but one clipped Mel in the shoulder. It was only a grazing wound, though, and not enough to slow the dwarf down even if she hadn’t had armor to protect her.

  Mel’s relentless assault forced Lance to keep retreating, unable to get the space to draw his weapon and defend himself effectively. He was reduced to backing up and dodging, and would soon run out of room. No matter how fast he moved, his opponent kept pace with him, slicing his jacket as he stayed ahead of her blurring blade.

  When his heel hit the wall, he dropped down so low that his knees almost touched the ground. Pushing through his legs, he launched himself at the dwarf, twisting to avoid being skewered, but still taking a deep slash along the length of his chest. Mel braced for the impact, raising her other hand to a guard position.

  Rather than barrel into her, Lance grabbed her shoulder and pulled, yanking her off balance and bending her at the waist. He leaped over her, kicking her in the back as he passed, using the impact to do a flip and land on his feet with his sword drawn. He spun around, flourishing the blade in the space between them to discourage her from charging until he faced her. She pushed off the wall and spun around to face him.

  Now that they were separated, Keandra resumed firing, squeezing off three quick shots. E-jekt did the same, and several of their bullets struck Mel in the torso. She jerked with each shot, but the heavy impacts sounded like hammers striking an anvil with only a thin layer of cotton to muffle the sound. She was armored, and possibly had dermal plating. Keandra shoved her gun back into its holster and grabbed the injector Paz had gotten for her, hoped the toxins would still have an effect.

  But Mel wouldn’t give her that opportunity. The dwarf charged forward, swinging her bladed fist with a wild fury. Lance blocked and retreated a couple of steps again, sparks flying as his steel met hers, deflecting the killing blows. He swept her arm over his head, ducking low to avoid the swipe, then slashed at her side with his blade. His cut was only half finished before she reversed direction and dropped her blade edge into his right shoulder. He jerked back, yanking his own weapon free as he clutched his injured shoulder with his free hand. His arm shook, and the tip of the sword rattled against the floor. Mel had a slash on her side, blood running down through her coat and over her pants.

  Seeing her chance, Keandra opened fire again. The dwarf was still too fast. She dropped into a deep crouch, using the table for a barrier. Keandra sprinted around the far side, intending to trap Mel between her and Lance.

  “No!” Lance shouted as he charged forward. Keandra grabbed the table edge and swung around, leading with her gun as Mel tossed a glass bottle at her. Keandra tried to stop, her feet sliding on the tiles as she reversed direction. If she hadn’t been holding onto something stable, she would have fallen. She yanked hard, pulling herself out of the immediate splash
zone as the glass bottle shattered against the wall behind her.

  Whatever was in the bottle began smoking as soon as it made contact with the air, and the fumes were pungent. They reeked of moldy flowers mixed with a sharp spice. Keandra tried to hold her breath, but one whiff of the odor made her gag and cough, gasping for more air, which only exacerbated the effect. She stumbled away from the fumes, covering her mouth and nose with her arm.

  With a roar, the HVAC system kicked on, sucking up the fumes in an effort to cleanse the air. E-jekt rushed to Keandra, grabbing her shoulders and helping her sit down behind one of the tables, resting her back against the cover. Keandra continued coughing, trying to force out the toxin. Her eyes watered and rainbows danced around the lights, moving in oscillating patterns that were equal parts hypnotic and sickening.

  Metal rang against metal from what sounded like a long distance away. Her mind struggled with the reality as she tried to place the sound. Her coughing slowed, but her mind moved through a padded maze. It was a pleasant labyrinth, one that encouraged her to relax and enjoy the moment.

  “Snap out of it!”

  E-jekt shouted at her from only a few centimeters away, but his words sounded distant and jumbled. She knew there was something she was supposed to be doing, and that it was important, but right now she was comfortable and didn’t feel like moving.

  He grabbed her by both arms and shook her, and her head smacked against the hard surface behind her. The pain was accompanied by a burst of orange light and the scent of sulphur. Keandra squinted and wrinkled her nose, reaching up to the back of her head where she the sting throbbed.

  At least when she opened her eyes, she now recalled where she was and what she was doing. The thoughts came slowly, but she remembered the facility, their mission, and the fight with Mel. She groped for the edge of the table, trying to pull herself to a standing position, but her body refused to obey. E-jekt pushed her back down before standing up to fire.