Game for the Antidote

Chance

The phantoms grabbed my arm and started to pull me out of the room. When I didn't resist, they just put a hand on my shoulder and escorted me out. I turned around for a second and gave everyone a salute and the door closed.

"No more chances. You are eliminated, Freja Smith." A voice in front of me said. I just nodded in agreement and we started to walk away from the room.

Tears started to form in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them off before it hit the floor. All of the things I went through, my downfall is that damn formula. I could've been gone on the last game and not Samantha.. I rather not think about it.

We heard footsteps behind us, the person in front raising his hand, motioning us to stop walking.

"She... it's alive.." I looked up from the floor and saw Scott, panting and leaning his hand on the wall. "What's alive?" The man in front of me asked. I didn't even realize it was Nelson, but I couldn't care about anything right now.

"The rat. It's alive. It's not dead." Scott said. I looked at him in shock. That means...

"Well then. I suppose this is a false elimination. Scott please take Smith back to the room." Nelson left with the phantoms and I looked at Scott with happy tears. I hugged Scott from happiness and he returned it by patting me in the back. We went back to the room and he opened the door for me, signaling for me to go in first. I thanked him and entered the room. Again.

I ran to Woods and Matthias and gave them a tight hug. They hugged back and we all cheered with happiness.

"I'm back. I'm- how?!"

"The effects took longer than the rest of the subjects. You put in more liquid than the rest, that's why it took a long time to react to the rat." Deborah explained. I ignored her and continued to hug the dudes. We let go of each other and it was time to go back to the white room.

The three of us walk beside each other, chatting and making some jokes here and there. We entered the white room and the room is darker than before.

"How many people are left?"

"Five."

And only one "antidote"...

I slid down to the floor and let out a sigh. "This is the part where we all betray each other right?"

The two nodded at me and I just sat there, thinking.

Am I ready to betray them?

"How did you meet the dude you joined earlier?" Woods asked, looking at the ceiling and back at me. "He's Scott Clarick." I simply answered.

"You mean.."

"Yup. He escorted me out of Deborah's office after I threw a tantrum." Wait, they don't know about that. Crap.

"Woah, wait. What, why did you throw a tantrum?" Matthias asked. I look at both of them, debating whether I should tell them the truth or not.

"There's nothing really else to say other than she doesn't really care about us and just cares about her damn project." I explained, remembering when she just looked at me and slowly shook her head when I asked her if she cared about me. The two sat there, shocked at what I just said.

"You're joking right?"

I shook my head and they sigh in frustration. Looks like I'm not alone in the Deb hate club. The door opened, revealing Scott and Wesley. They started to walk towards us and I lightly tapped Woods shoulder to gather his attention. I pointed at the two approaching figures and he just nodded and went back to staring at the ceiling. The two stopped in front of us and Scott started talking.

"Deborah wants to see you three."

"No." Matthias replied. I looked at him shocked and then I remembered what I said earlier.

"Excuse me?"

"We're not going. She doesn't care about us, we're just her little experiments. We're like puppets on her strings." Matthias explained to the two. The two looked at each other in disbelief and started talking again.

"You have no option. Deborah wanted to see you three, whether you like it or not." Wesley said in his stern tone. We didn't have a choice and followed the two. My mind wandered and started to think of a plan to get back to the white room, even though that place is not comfortable, but it was far enough from Deborah.

"Care to explain why you think that?" Wesley asked Matthias. Matthias didn't respond, just continued walking. Wesley looked at Woods, but he turned his head the other way, also refusing to speak. Wesley looked at me, hoping to answer his question, and I did. But he wouldn't like what I'm going to say.

"Deborah never cared for us. She also cares for her project to succeed. She's just using us. She might be using you as well." I replied. Wesley stopped at his tracks and we continued walking, passing him as his brain started to register what I just said. She might be using everyone in here like us, she might be using Wesley to make that Dispersion bomb and get all the recognition for it. And then what will happen to us then? She has everything set up for her plan, but not even a crumb for us after we get out of this place.

We reached Deborah's office, Scott opened the door for us and we started to go in slowly. I never thought I would be pissed at seeing this room, but things changed.

"Congratulations-"

"Save it, Deb. What do you want now?" Woods asked, cutting Deborah off. Deborah looked at Woods shocked and she looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and by the looks of it, she understood what was going on. She sat back down on her chair, sliding a folder in front of us. Curious, I grabbed the folder and inside is papers upon papers about Woods, Matthias, and I. I gave the folder to Matthias and he started to also read what's inside.

"Those are papers I gathered from Nelson's office. He was planning on taking you three, whether you win or lose the game." She explained, handing me another folder.

"That is also about your families."

Family? I never met any of my family.. I used to live by myself. Not once in my life I met my family nor my relatives. But lord and behold, they took part in the human trials on this place. No wonder they never show up to any gatherings. And to think there is out in the world, looking for me... I was wrong.

"What's this all about... what are you trying to say, Deborah?"

Deborah pulled out a name tag from her desk and tossed it at me.

Theodora Smith
Lead Biochemist

"My mom worked here?"