Chapter Two - Atlas

The soles of my tan work boots thudded rhythmically against the cold concrete floor as I made my way toward the Boss’s office. Each footfall echoed ominously through the hushed corridors of the compound, amplifying the stillness in the air. After experiment fifty-four's little mishap, the atmosphere was heavy with unease from the experiments themselves, heightened by the fact that the boss had just passed through, his demeanor dark and foreboding. I kept my eyes sharp, scanning the glass enclosures that lined the halls, each one containing an experiment within.

On my left, in the dimly lit and narrow hallways, stood a series of cement-divided chambers with a single side made of bulletproof glass. These enclosures offered glimpses into their interiors, where shadows danced softly against the glass surfaces from the outside. To the left of the glass panels, each experiment was identified by its designated number, which was boldly painted in thick black lettering on the cement wall. The stark contrast of the black paint against the rough, gray surface of the wall made the numbers stand out prominently. The opposite right walls presented a stark contrast— dull, featureless expanses that loomed ominously, absorbing the feeble light around them. Only the flickering glow of the scattered wall sconces punctuated the darkness, their warm, hesitant illumination casting erratic shadows that seemed to shiver and retreat into obscurity, as if afraid to fully emerge from the gloom. Behind those stark walls were more cages, each designed to accommodate the varying needs of their bizarre inhabitants.

Black-suited guards were stationed at every corner, their imposing figures accentuated by their sleek black chest pads and the ominous tranquilizer guns they wielded. Merging seamlessly with the shadows cast by the dimly lit walls, they became nearly indistinguishable from the darkness surrounding them. Each guard bore the same unsettling emblem—a black-embroidered number fifty-seven prominently displayed on their chest pads, both front and back.

These guards were a special creation of the boss, who had engineered them using the unique mutation of the fifty-four series after discovering that some of his hired hands had betrayed him by selling his designs. The result was a chilling assembly, all operating as if possessed by a singular, collective mind—loyal to the boss alone. They stood motionless like silent statues, their rigid poses and blank faces betraying no hint of emotion.

Overhead, the blinking red lights of motion-activated cameras served as constant surveillance, silently recording every movement within their purview. A mere flicker of attention from the boss after watching the feed could send these guards into action, transforming them from passive observers into an intimidating wall of defense. They were an unspoken threat that lingered in the shadows towards any living thing in the compound itself.

As I trudged toward experiment ninety-three's habitat, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the small hybrid trapped within. This minuscule glass cell, no larger than a storage closet, was starkly lit by an overhead beam that cast eerie shadows. Inside, an oversized bug no more than the length of my palm clung precariously to a gnarled, withering branch that leaned against the back corner. Its delicate wings, intricate and beautifully patterned, shimmered like stained glass, captivating yet deceiving. I didn't flinch as it unleashed a stream of flesh-melting acid against the special glass, a reminder of its lethal potential as I continued my steady pace.

My mind wandered back to experiment two hundred eighty-seven, undoubtedly the most cunning of the lot and deceptively compliant, which made it even more dangerous. A low groan escaped my lips at the memory of the Boss slamming shut the door I left open. The last time experiment two hundred eighty-seven had erupted in rage, chaos unfolded; half the guards had frantically taken positions in the hallway, armed with tranquilizers and nerves of steel, while the enraged subject wielded a dented metal bucket amongst strong woody vines, effortlessly taking out several guards in the process of taking out the glass divider. It had taken a full week of constant sedation for a new set of reinforced glass to be installed afterward. The thought of my carelessness weighed heavily on me, and I knew the repercussions from the Boss would be severe.

My feet came to a sudden halt at the threshold of the Boss's office. The door was ajar, but I still rapped my knuckles against the wooden frame, hesitating for a moment as I awaited his permission to enter. As soon as I pushed the door open wider, I barely managed to dodge a wooden chair that came hurtling toward me. It collided violently with the wall behind me, splintering into pieces like a testament to the boss's fury. I quickly slipped inside, pulling the door shut behind me with muscle memory alone.

The office was a war zone, a chaotic reflection of the Boss’s rage. He stood on the far side of his desk, panting furiously, with the contents of his desk scattered haphazardly across the floor, papers and office supplies strewn about like fallen soldiers. "You!" he gritted out, his voice cutting through my mind like a knife. I remained motionless by the door in position, my heart racing, as he stormed around his desk and struck me with a force that sent my head snapping to the side.

Regaining my composure, I pivoted my head back into position, my gaze fixed firmly on the floor at his feet. He stood merely a foot away, his eyes blazing with anger. "You left that door open on purpose, didn't you?" He accused venomously, each word laced with contempt. "Damn incompetent dog! What happened to loyalty?" His voice escalated into a furious rage, each accusation a hammer pounding against the walls of my resolve. "I don't have time for this." He clicked his tongue at me. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his lab coat with a flourish, fixing me with a hard stare that felt like ice. "After all I've given you, this is my reward?" A wicked, tight smile twisted his lips, and I felt a chill crawl down my spine.

Suddenly, the door behind me burst open with a bang, catching me off guard and striking the back of my head. Hands yanked my arms from behind, pinning them down with brutal force. A boot connected with the back of my thigh, forcing me to my knees, and I felt the cold muzzle of a gun pressed against the left side of my neck. I barely registered the sound of the dart being fired before a sharp sting pierced my vein. Stifling the urge to bare my teeth in defiance, I resisted the impulse to fight back, knowing that any struggle would only hasten the dart's effects as I was dragged backward out of the room.

"Perhaps you need some time to reflect on where your loyalty truly lies."

As I crossed the worn, dirty metal threshold, an expressionless guard closed the heavy office door with a firm push, the sound of it slamming shut reverberating through the stillness of the corridor.

I fought to keep the rising tide of panic at bay as they dragged me down the cold hallway toward the storage room adjacent to the boss's office. This room—my room—was nothing more than a bleak, empty cement closet, devoid of comfort and light, with only a solid metal door to separate me from the world inside the compound. With a rough shove, they hurled me inside, and the door clanged shut behind me, sealing me in a suffocating darkness that felt alive.

This time, I attempted to hold back my screams, acutely aware that he wanted to hear them—an echoing symphony of my anguish that he could savor like a fine wine through the walls of his office. The room had been designed specifically for me, a cruel prison where the sound of my tormented cries could become music to his ears. The cold concrete pressed against my skin while the air grew heavy with my despair. I knew I had to resist, to stay silent, as I stewed in fear and loneliness, locked away from the light and hope of escaping his grasp. I found it impossible to silence the relentless whirl of thoughts racing through my mind, as I envisioned myself trapped within the confines of this cramped box of a room, buried thousands of feet beneath the earth's surface in this dismal compound. Each passing moment felt like an eternity as I grappled with the suffocating reality that I was little more than a body encased in a coffin, isolated from the world above, surrounded by an oppressive darkness that seemed to close in on me with every breath I took.