The faint rays of light delicately traced the room as you stuffed the last folded blue sweater into your suitcase. Pressing your hand down onto its gentle, and well-warn fabric to fit all your required belongings into the grey case. You grab onto the zipper and pull with all your strength, leaning into the suitcase to keep it flat enough to force the zipper to fully complete it's journey. Finally the zipper gives and easily sides across the suitcase, securing all your clothes, toiletries, and few pictures of your family. You were only allowed to bring a small carry-on sized luggage bag to fit as many personal belongings that you could. Keeping in mind that you were expected to stay at this job for many years it was not much.

Pulling your suitcase off the bed you took one last look at your room. Cold claws gripped at you're heart as you studied your childhood room. One that you will not see again for a long time. Taking a deep breath you tried to absorb the memories the room provoked. You had a good childhood, you have many fond memories of what you were given in this world. Though it was far from perfect you know you will miss home, you will miss your family. You were going to a new chapter in your life now though, so you ignored the fear the threatened to claw at your soul as you stepped out of your room and closed the (d/c) door behind you. You gently let go if the door knob and headed down stares.

The floor boards creaked beneath you while you approached your mother. She smiled, but her eyes held a sadness that sent another pain to your heart. She opened up her arms and leaving your luggage behind you, you throw yourself into her familiar embrace.

"I'm so proud of you (y/n)." She said with a shaky voice. The familiar gentle warmth fills your chest and your lips are pulled into a smile. She released her grip, moving her hands up to your shoulders.

"And please, promise me that you will be safe." She continued her voice stabling.

"I will, I promise." You said ignoring the claws clenching your heart. Taking in another breath you allow your mom to take you to the door. Pulling your luggage behind you waved goodbye to your mother once more before getting into your car.

---Time skip---

Hours passed before a large silver bus arrived. The Windows were tented and it was barren of any design or color. It arrived at 11:30 AM, the exact time the letter said. The doors flew open and you were met with a security guard.

"Can I see your ID, Passport, and letter of acceptance?" He stated his voice devoid of emotion. Turning you opened your purse, digging around through the paperwork and other random items you had deemed necessary to take with you everywhere you went. Pulling out your wallet and a couple letters you handed the security guard the items he asked for. He looked through the letters and your drivers licence while writing down some notes onto a clip board next to him.

"Alright, looks like you're good to go", he said handing you your ID and passport back.

"Thank you," you replied sincerely and boarded onto the bus. The bus was small on the inside, or at least slightly smaller than most school buses. It looked old with dented walls and the grey fabric covering the seats was withered and torn. The air was warm and the atmosphere was claustrophobic. There were others sitting already. Three men and one woman, they all stared silently out the windows, and judging by their expressions it looked like they had been here for a while. Making your way to the middle of the bus you opened a storage compartment right above your chosen seat. It fit your carry-on luggage perfectly. You took a seat by yourself and rested against the warm sun-touched window. The doors screeched shut and the bus started rolling away. Staring out of the tented window you couldn't help but feel how uncomfortably shady this whole job is, even how you were presented the job was shady.

-----

You had recently received your PhD in science, you applied and were accepted to be a researcher at a privately owned lab. The lab was a part of your fathers research for many years, so it was no surprise to you that you were quickly accepted into the faltered community. The lab was small the remaining employees were distant. After your father left his work fell into the hands of his staff and assistants. Unfortunately it wasn't long before many quit and the few remaining integrated their own studies and research, almost abandoning your father's work entirely. You had been living in a run down apartment complex as your job barely gave you enough to pay the bills, let alone to afford food and taxes. But despite all the forces working against you, you pulled through.

You had worked in that lab for a little over a year, charting different plants and any and all of their medical benefits. You felt as if you had learned a lot at this job, regarding doing research first hand and becoming very familiar with charting and analysing data. That day you were alone in the lab, surrounded by various desks, computers, plants, and any requested research equipment. You were interrupted by a the door sliding open and the sound of clacking shoes echoed through the lab. You glanced at the door to see a man in a black suit. He was an older man, white and his bald head reflected the artificial light overhead. He held a black brief case in his hand. The stranger scanned the room, and approached you. After a moment he asked,

"Excuse me ma'am, could I have a moment of your time?"

"Uh, sure." You replied shifting your feet slightly under the strangers piercing gaze.

"You are (f/n) (l/n), correct?"

"Yeah," you replied uncertainty evident in your voice.

The man nodded in reply, walking towards you and stopping at the other side of the desk you stood behind. Setting down his brief case he snapped it open and handed you a packet along with a letter. The packet was deprived of any logo or really any information at all. All the information it provided was the instructions of what you were allowed to pack, your starting salary of $31.20 per hour, and the location a bus will be scheduled to pick you up. The pay caught your eye, it was far more than you had now.

"Good, my name is Donald Moore. I'm here to talk to you today about a new job opportunity you have been selected for. It would be another research position similar to the one you have now. Though it is more advanced, the pay will increase, and you will be offered a free living space on the site. If you choose to accept you will begin by shadowing one of our current scientists and you will be further informed of your new responsibilities. This packet I gave to you will tell you more about the topic. Including the location you will be picked up and any requirements and restrictions regarding what you are and aren't allowed to bring with you. I understand that this may be sudden and perhaps a little confusing, but I assure you that this isn't an opportunity to pass up." He stated straightening the cuffs at the ends of his sleeves.

His visit was short and he left you with only the information packet, your letter of acceptance, and many questions. You had two weeks to think about the offer. After being faced with piles of bills and another night on an old, rickety bed you had made your decision to accept the mans offer.

----

The seat beneath you jumped, jolting you awake and slamming back down onto the buses old metal frame. Your forehead throbbed from being wacked against the window seal you were leaning against. You cringed when you rubbed the side of your forehead the smarting pain retreating deeper into your skull resulting in a headache. You sighed as you stared out the window, out into a sandy wasteland that seemed to have no end. You had no idea where you were or really where you were headed. All you knew was that the bus ride lasted overnight, only stopping once at a gas station.

Hours later a building came to view in the distance. It seemed small at first but minutes later it grew into a towering facility. Similar to the monochrome bus the building was almost completely white with very few windows and barbed wire gates that towered high. Security guards were stationed across the entrance of the building and some up inside of the watch towers over head. The place looked like a prison. A guard approached the bus and spoke with the driver and the security guard before they opened up the gates.

The bus came to a stop and the security guard stood and turned to face everyone seated on the bus.

"Alright, everyone please grab all your luggage and follow me out of the bus. We will be taking you to your assigned living quarters and at 5:30 I expect all of you to be ready to be taken to your first orientation before you are assigned a scientist to shadow for your first couple weeks. Here, on your way out I have each of your apartment keys and numbers. Do not lose these." The guard explained, backing up to allow you and the other newly hired researchers off the bus before exiting the bus last. Glancing down at the key and paper provided to you, you noted your apartment number, 307, after stepping off of the bus and onto the large white tiles that filled the inside of the gates.

With your apartment key in one hand and luggage in the other you followed the guards into the facility. There was a large, grey metal door that made the ground rumble beneath you. Inside of the building it was just as bare as the outside, with bright white walls and cream colored tiles covering the floors. There were staircases leading down into darkness on either side of the room and black railings framing the walk space of the room. The room felt fresh and well lit with light shining through a large dome in the center of the ceiling. The huge, steel door rumbled shut behind you, the slam from the metal colliding with the wall made you instinctively look back. There was a black sign above the door with white letters spelling, 'Gate A'. The sun reflecting off of the bright tiles felt blinding to you and amplifying your headache. The guards continued ahead taking you to your new living space.

The hallways were winding and confusing, every room looked the same with the same white walls with the only designs being yellow stripes going long ways tracing all the hallways and rooms. The guards stopped at a large elevator door, and pressed a large button next to the door. The elevator opened immediately and the guards motioned for you to enter. The elevator was large but with seven people and five bags of luggage you felt clausterphobic. You were quick to back into the far corner of the elevator and dropping your key and note into the pocket of your jacket. One of the guards pushed a button to head down to the third level below the surface. The doors slid open again and you were led out to be greeted by another pair of elevators.

"Alright, each of you should have your room number and key already so you can drop off your luggage before orientation starts. As a reminder it starts at 5:30, and we will be here to escort you to your orientation. Go ahead up the elevators if your room is on the second or third levels." The guard said gesturing to the two elevators before stationing themselves across the room and into the lobby.

A man pushed the button on the first elevator calling it down to him and all the other scientists. The doors opened with a quiet ding and the five of you piled into the elevator. Everyone was silent, avoiding eye contact with one another or rereading their apartment numbers. You tapped your fingers nervously against the handle of your luggage. The silence was thick and unbearable until a couple of the men started talking about their apartment numbers and how they felt unlucky about being in the second floor, and how hearing the sounds of footsteps above them always kept them up at night. Their conversation reminded you of your life in the apartment complex at home. Your experience with neighbors was just as annoying. With their loud music booming late into the night and the sounds of their running footsteps throughout the apartment complex. You hated it there, but it was all you could afford under your circumstances. The doors slid open again and the two men left, leaving you and two other scientists to travel to the next floor. Finally you arrived at the third floor and you stepped out onto the endless white tiled floors and long hallways. It looked the same as below, the only differences being that there were more doors and numbers labeling each apartment door.

You walked ahead reading each labeled door until you found it, apartment 307. Pulling out your key you unlocked your door and stepped into another barren room. It was small about the size if room you had before. There was a wooden dresser on the far side of the room and a twin sized bed on the far right side of the room. The bed had grey and white sheets and one white pillow resting against the head board. There was a small wooden nightstand next to the bed with a grey lamp sitting on top of the stand with an electric alarm clock resting closest to your bed. To your left there was a closed door to what you assumed to be your bathroom. You closed the door behind you and set your luggage down onto your bed. You rested down beside your unopened luggage. The room wasn't much, but compared to the rundown apartment you came from it was a nice upgrade. The air smelt sterile and fresh similar to a hospital room. This is your new home now, your stomach started to feel upset from all of the changes you have gone through in just a couple days. You checked the clock beside your bed and read, 5:20, 10 minutes before you had to be down the elevator to meet the guards again. You took a long deep breath, everything is going to be ok, I'm going to do good here. It'll be ok. You have been a researcher for a long time now. And You did great at your last job, and you will here too. You silently encouraged yourself to try to calm the butterflies plaguing your stomach. Taking one long, deep breath you stood from your bed and began to unpack before you had to leave.

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Hi guys! Thank you for reading my first chapter and I'll be sure to update again soon!