‘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.

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.