‘It couldn’t have been easy.’
Most doors on the base have a locked or are protected in some way, this one requires a key card and proper clearance.
‘Damn, I hope I have the right clearance level.’
I take my keys out and hold my clearance card to the card reader.
The screen blinks an angry red.
>CLEARANCE DENIED<
‘shit, I’m not getting in here am I.’
If this was any other situation I would have been able to kick the door down.
But this is area fifty-one, these doors are so reinforced that not even a swat team on steroids could break it down.
Additionally even if this door was not reinforced and it was possible to kick it down, I wouldn’t. The sound would be loud and attract attention that I don’t want.
Fortunately there is another option. As a ‘senior sanitation technician’ I have a few perks. One is that I can send a request to administration to gain access to any room in order to clean it; Regardless of my clearance level.
‘After all messes can happen anywhere.’
In order to file a request I need to access to a terminal, the closest is near the elevator.
I begin walking to the elevator terminal with caution and stealth.
The only sound I can hear is the slight rustling of my clothes and the loud beat of my heart.
I constantly observe my surroundings for hidden threats.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
There are fewer dead bodies in this area, but the corpses that lie in this hall are all half eaten.
Once I reach the terminal I input my card.
I boot up the terminal.
The black screen with dull grey text greets me.
>...<
>WELCOME DYLAN<
When I first used the terminal one thing that stood out to me is that the system surprisingly antiquated for a high tech military installation. Somebody told me that the reason for this was to make the system more difficult to hack.
A prompt appears at the center of the screen
>MENU<
>ASSIGNMENTS<
>MESSAGES<
>REQUEST<
I input my command.
>/REQUEST<
>...<
Then I clarify.
>/REQUEST ACCESS: SURVEILLANCE ROOM FLOOR 60 REASON: CLEANING<
I wait a few moments for my request to process through the system. Usually my requests are automatically granted since I am a senior sanitation technician.
>ACCESS GRANTED ... CLEARANCE UPDATED<
It comes to a slight surprise for me, I half expected the system to fail. Why is the system still running yet containment has failed?
I exit the menu and shutdown.
>...<
>HAVE A NICE DAY DYLAN<
>...<
Now that I am fi...
I think I hear something.
*...*
‘What’s that?’
I strain my ears, trying to catch any disturbance to the silence.
*skkkt*
*skkkt*
A chill goes down my spine, and goosebumps cover my arms.
‘Fuck, this I’m out.’
I begin quietly running towards my closet.
*skkkT*
*skkKT
*skKKT*
“FUCK!”
I ditch my pole, and look behind me while still running.
I’m being followed by something.
This ‘thing’, looks like you took a lion, dipped it in blood red ink, gave it teeth that would make a piranha feel ashamed, then add a couple tumors and a parasitic twin into the mix.
The red thing is equal parts terrifying and disgusting in a visceral way…
*sKKKT*
It’s catching up.
I make a beeline to the surveillance room.
I hold my card up to the reader.
*SKKKT*
>ACCESS GRANTED<
The door opens with a click, and I slam it shut behind me.
‘Holy fuck’
*BANG*
I collapse on the ground from my exertion, I just outran a fucking mutant lion thing.
*BANG*
I feel so high on life that I don’t even notice the person behind me.