| Chapter 4
“So that’s how you know each other. Small world. My name’s Ernie. I used to be the janitor here until I saw something I wasn’t supposed too. Now they’re keeping me in here so I can’t leak news to anyone outside about what’s been going on in here.”
“And just what has been going on in here?” Valerie said. Before they could answer her she went on to tell them a short version of how she had come to the strange place. She left out the part about throwing the rock at the man and how she could easily win any race in a men’s Olympics event now.”
“Yeah that same guy tried to bite me,” Ron said.
“But he didn’t?” Valerie asked.
“No, I shot him in the arm that was pulling me towards his mouth and ran for it, then the robot snatched me up and brought me here with the man that bit you.”
“Okay, so we’ve told our stories. Now please tell me what is going on.”
“That man, was the very first human that the scientists here have implanted with their nanotechnology. It’s meant to heal the body of any injury or illness, but also enhance the body.”
“Like someone with this nanotech stuff could maybe run really fast?”
“Yes, and have incredible strength. I saw that man break down a steel door, and run down the corridor like he was riding a motorcycle. So yeah, super speed too.”
“I guess I do have that stuff in me. I haven’t been feeling normal ever since that guy bit me. Really warm and itchy, but on the inside. Under my skin like in my muscles or something.”
“That’s the nanotech working it’s way through your body,” Ernie said.
“So why haven’t I gone crazy like him?”
“I don’t know, but it seems your brain is fine. What makes you say that you do have the nanotechnology in you?” Ernie said.
“Well I kind of left out the part about running half a mile in like 46 seconds. The men’s world record is like 50 seconds slower than that and I wasn’t even tired.”
“They’re going to be keeping a close eye on you,” Ernie said. “You could be like the key to their technology working without having negative effects. I think all these people in this cell between us were bitten by that man too, but they turned into zombies type creatures like he did. They’re all in a medically induced coma. So how did you get them to bring you in here? I’m really surprised they did.”
“I made one of the scientists feel sorry for me. First I got him to give me a pillow, then he had me moved into here so I wouldn’t have to stay strapped to a table.”
Ernie chuckled.
“Well done. You women and your charms. My late wife could get out of getting a speeding ticket every time.”
“I’m glad you’re with us,” Ron said. “So, do you think you have super strength too?”
“I don’t know,” Valerie said.
“She does if she can run that fast,” Ernie said.
“Try bending the bars. Maybe you can get out of here.”
“Yeah right, that robot would probably find me and then I’d be back on that table again.”
“But we’ve got to get you out of here,” Ron said.
“The kid’s right young lady. We do need to get out of here. If you can get us through these bars, I think I can get us up to my truck. I have living quarters here and if we can get to some lab coats I bet we could just walk on over. Have you seen these scientist work? They’re totally absorbed, especially now with all that has happened.”
“Come on Valerie, it’s worth a try. We need to get out of here. I couldn’t stand to know we could have done something while you’re on a table again while they run tests on you.”
“Okay. I guess you guys are right. Here goes.”
Valerie walked to the bars next to the door of her cell and wrapped her petite fingers around them. He noticed she had light purple fingernail polish on. He wondered how such beautiful hands could muster enough strength to move such thick metal. Valerie began to pull.
She strained and the bars bent away from each other making an oval shaped gap and an awful sound. They were all silent for a moment, then Valerie spoke.
“Why would they leave me in here if they knew I had super strength?”
“Guess they were counting on you not knowing or going crazy by the time you had the strength,” Ernie said.
“That and the fact that you smooth talked your way in here,” Ron said with a smile.
Valerie ran over to their cell with a speed that didn’t make sense to Ron’s mind and bent open a big gap. Ernie’s gut just fit through once he sucked it in and stepped out sideways. Ron’s skinny frame slipped through with no problem. Ernie walked to the entrance door and then turned back.
“Okay, we can do this. We’re going to move fast, but once we’re disguised just act natural. First we’re going to crawl to the lockers where we can snag the lab coats. Not that they’d notice, but I don’t want any scientists seeing us through the windows until we look like them so stay below the window line. We just need to get to the lockers, then we’ll walk through the main lab to the cafeteria and on through to my place. You guys ready?”
Valerie shook her head. Ron didn’t respond. He was just trying not to puke in front of Valerie. He wondered if somehow he had been implanted because he felt hot and itchy inside too, but then that was always how he felt around her and now they were escaping from a prison. Ernie tapped a few buttons on a green keypad and the door slid open.
“Glad they didn’t change the passcode,” he whispered.
He got down on his hands and knees and shot forward down the hall. Valerie followed. Ron just stood there. Valerie stopped after passing three windows and looked back.
“Come on Ron!” she said in a whispered scream.
He dropped down and began to crawl after them. They continued this way for a few minutes until they came to a doorway on the left. On it in stenciled white letters were the words EMPLOYEE LOCKERS. Ernie reached up and punched in the code, but nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing.
“Someone’s coming this way from down the hall.”
Ron and Ernie strained to hear, but they heard nothing.
“Enhanced body remember?” Valerie whispered.
Ernie reached up and tried one more time.
“They’re going to come around that corner really soon.” Valerie said.
Ernie cursed under his breath then stood, crouching as low as he could and started running back down the corridor in the direction they had come, waving for Ron and Valerie to follow after him. They did, running like monkeys back down the corridor just under the view of the large windows. Valerie could still hear the footsteps coming their way, and they had grown faster. Whoever it was had started to run. She picked up her pace and ran up beside Ernie.
“They’re running now. They’ll be on us soon.”
“We’re almost there,” Ernie said.
He kept running, if you could call it that, until he came to a door Valerie and Ron wouldn’t even have noticed. It was the same color as the wall with no placard stating what was inside.
“Stay down.” Ernie said.
He stood and jumped, reaching a small key sitting on the casing of the door.
“He’s almost here,” Valerie said.
Ernie slammed the key into the doorknob and turned it. Then he pushed the door open and jumped inside. Ron waited for Valerie to get in, then he dove in. Ernie pushed the door closed, shutting out all the light in the small janitor’s supply closet. The only thing they could see was a horizontal strip of light under the door. They heard someone running just outside, and then saw their shadow as they ran past the door.
Ernie whispered, “I bet that was the security guard who watches the camera feeds.”
“It must have taken him a while to notice we were gone.”
“Yeah, he probably had the prison camera on at all times, but he has to watch several other monitors at the same time. There are a lot of cameras in here, and it’s not a small facility. I don’t think anyone expected us to be able to escape past metal bars like that. I have no idea why they built those prison cells or when, but I’m sure they didn’t plan on holding people with nanotechnology enhancing their strength.”
“Don’t you take care of cleaning the whole facility?”
“Yeah but I was never aloud past that door. I’ve always wondered what was past it. I assumed it was just were some more secret labs were that they didn’t want anyone to know about to protect their technological advances. I’m sure they knew that if I would have seen jail cells in the facility I might have thought twice about getting a job here. We got lucky it has the same key code as most of the doors around here.”
“So what do we do know?” Valerie said.
“I have an idea,” Ernie said as he stood and turned to face the deep shelves.
“Good,” Valerie said.
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Hey man, I’ll do whatever it takes to get us out of here,” Ron said.
“Good,” Ernie said as he felt around the shelves until he found what he was looking for. His fingers found the familiar shape of a huge roll of duct tape, but he still needed one thing. Nearby on the shelf he found a cleaning rag. He picked it up and moved back towards the door.
“We’re going to swing open the door just before he runs past it, and when he slams into it and falls to the ground, we pull him in. You guys hold him down, Ron keep his arms behind his back, and I’ll stick this rag in his mouth and wrap duct tape over his mouth and around his head a few times. He’ll be fine, and I’ll make sure to keep his nose free from tape so he can breathe just fine. He should have a key card that can get us into that locker room.”
“Awesome,” Ron said.
“You’re right, I don’t really like it. But I’m in,” Valerie said.
They didn’t have to wait long, and lucky for them the security guard was running back to his post at top speed. Ernie unlocked the door and got ready.
“I’ll tap your leg when I think you should open it,” she said to Ernie.
Ron moved next to the door.
“I’ll pull him in once he’s down.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get the tape on his mouth, but you two will have to hold him down while I close the door. Then I’ll secure his arms and legs.” Ernie said.
“Okay,” Ron and Valerie said in unison. Neither of them sounded as sure as they had before. They all waited not making a sound. Valerie closed her eyes and listened with her enhanced hearing. She raised her hand, hesitated, then slapped Ernie’s calf. He pushed the door open as fast as he could. The man slammed into it, screaming out in pain. Ron lunged out of the door and grabbed him, dragging him in. He grabbed the man’s arms, pulled them behind his back, and wrapped his arms around them like he was giving them a bear hug. Ernie locked them back in, then turned around and fell to his knees. He stuffed the rag into the man’s mouth, then pulled the duct tape over it. He kept going all the way around and then did it five more times for good measure. Then he searched the man’s breast pocket and found the key card secured with a retractable string. He pulled it off, breaking the string, and put it in his pocket. Then he pulled together the man’s hands.
“Valerie, can you please hold his hands together for me?”
“Sure.”
She found a knee and then followed his legs down to his feet. His attempted kicks were easy to control with her enhanced strength, and soon Ernie had wrapped duct tape around his ankles several times. He pulled on it to make sure it was secure, and then went for the hands. Ron held them while Ernie pulled the tape around his wrists.
“Okay, I’ve got the key card and he’s not going anywhere. Let’s go before someone else comes down this way.”
Ernie unlocked the door, and stepped out with his body low to the ground. Valerie and Ron followed, leaving the man struggling on the floor. They did their funny monkey run back to the locker room and this time Ernie was able to get the door open. Once inside with the door closed they could finally stand and Ernie ran to the lockers, trying several of them until one opened. He reached inside and pulled out two lab coats. He threw one to Valerie and then looked at Ron.
“Come on man, help me find one for you!”
Ron started on the opposite side and the seventh locker opened. He reached inside and pulled out a lab coat. By the time he had it on the others were waiting from him near the doorway.
“Okay, let’s go. Just act natural and follow me.” Ernie said, but as he turned the enormous robot had returned and it reached out grabbing him and knocking Valerie to the ground. She scurried away back to Ron.
“Leave us alone!” Ron screamed in a trembling voice.
The robot advanced towards them coming further into the room while Ernie squirmed to break free. All of the sudden a loud sound of something metal exploded behind Ron making him jump.