Chapter 4 - The Way Down (1/2)

Chapter 4 The Way Down

I did not see any emergency exit near the lift, and it seemed that this underground laboratory was designed with the intent to protect each level’s uniqueness. As to what this motive was meant to achieve, who knew? Grudgingly, I could only follow the trail of blood forward- perhaps the wounded person had a way of escaping from this hellish place. After all, he or she should be more familiar with this laboratory than me.

The trail of blood led me past a few big rooms until it disappeared as I reached another gate of alloyed steel bearing the symbol of medical treatment. I believed the wounded person must be inside this place, but I hesitated as I stood before the gate. Perhaps, if I was trespassing, I would be beaten into pulp the moment the gates opened.

“Is there anyone in there?” I asked loudly, smacking the entrance. The echos reverberated clearly around the dark corridor, but there was no reply.

“Hey! Is there anyone in there?” I repeated, this time using more force to knock. 30 seconds passed with still no response, and as such, I took out the identity card to open the gates.

Just at this moment, a woman’s voice came from the intercom of the identification reader, and she sounded a little weak. “Who are you? Why are you here?” the woman sounded full of doubt. Perhaps, in her eyes, no one could enter such a heavily fortified place without proper identification.

“Cough– I’m just a scavenger from nearby who happened to chance upon this place,” I said. It did not sound convincing even to myself- a scavenger, finding this place by luck? Obviously impossible.

“What I want to know is, why did you appear here!” the iciness in the woman’s tone intensified, evidently displeased with my half-hearted explanation. Fine, I thought. I still have to rely on her to escape from this accursed place, no matter how much I hate her coldness.

“I found a card in the manager’s office and really reached here by accident. I came here to find resources,” I said. For a long while, there was no reply from the intercom.

“The elevator’s broken down, do you know how to get out?” I asked again. I was getting impatient, as I hated staying in the dark for a prolonged period.

At this moment, the metal gates suddenly opened and I raised my weapon. Similary, another black muzzle was staring right back at me, and the woman was Fanny, just as I had expected. We stood there, standing off against each other, and she swept her gaze up and down my body, making me feel uncomfortable.

“Why are you undressed?” Fanny asked, her sudden question making me feel somewhat embarrassed. “That’s right, all you vagrants are the same. Raggedly looking, covered with filth and dirty,” she continued.

Vagrant? Seems like she really was from out of town- everyone around Dick Town called us scavengers. I looked around the room and did not see the armed man- Fanny was alone, and I had no idea where the soldier, who was supposed to protect her, had went to. It was at this moment that I noticed Fanny’s arm was covered in gauze, and I could still vaguely see fresh spots of blood. Also, her action of raising her gun had caused the blood stain from her wounds to grow.

“I bear no ill will. I just want to get out of here,” I explained, trying to dissolve the tension. I then kept my gun as a sign of goodwill, and Fanny shifted the muzzle of her weapon away from me after a moment’s deliberation. She lowered her head slightly, and I could not figure out what she was thinking about.

“Don’t you need these things?” I said, pointing at the huge amount of medical supplies left behind in the treatment room. There were packs of blood plasma from universal donors, morphine and anti-radiation capsules, and there were even large amounts of medical products rarely seen even in big chain stores.

“I don’t need them,” Fanny replied. Just as well. I stuffed those slightly rarer medical products into my backpack, and finished looting quickly under her disdainful stare. If I could make it out of here, I could barter for better gear using these expensive items.

“Do you wish to get out?” Fanny asked as she stared at me.

“Er– that’s right,” I replied. Her stare was making me uncomfortable, but I still replied firmly. Her tone, though, sounded a little strange.

“Fine, follow me then.” Fanny walked straight out of the treatment room after she finished speaking, and I had other choice but to follow behind her. She remained silent while walking in front of me, but her gun hand was slightly cocked, perhaps as a cautionary measure against any possible danger that might suddenly appear. I did not question her about the whereabouts of her male companion, as I could not guarantee if she would not turn around and shoot me if she knew I had been tracking her all this while.

We circled around a few rooms and passed through a narrow corridor. Fanny had brought me to a vast equipment storage room, and I had never laid eyes upon such kind of items before.

“My companion is at the fifth basement level, and I need to link up with him below,” Fanny said, voluntarily offering news about the man’s location.

“How can we go down? By using the equipment in this room?” I asked, feeling lost- I could not see any large drill-like machines here.