Go For Stories

Nigel barely even noticed the human presence surrounding him as he moved through the crowds still gathered around Research Three. They parted around him like water escaping a bike tyre. He walked over the gangway that ran through the centre of the central chamber towards the lift, upright and commanding on the outside, weary on the inside. The two thousand people down here were starting to see the light at the end, they were finally starting to feel the wind on their face for the first time in what felt like forever. After four and a half years stuck down here in this experiment, for want of a better word, this was the first death.

As soon as they all heard about this, and they would all hear about it, there would be panic. People would remember how long it had been since they’d seen their loved ones or felt the sun on their face. Before long, they would start to wonder what would happen if they didn’t make it out, like poor Doctor Peterson. Poor, dedicated Doctor Peterson, who gets up early to start work before everyone else.

Nigel paused. That wasn’t Allen at all. He was never late, sure, but he was never known to be early to anything. If there was anything Nigel was truly proud of about his time down here, it was that he had gotten to know just about every person here on a personal level. He’d like to say that it was because he was such a friendly guy, but really it just made his job easier. If he knew anything about Allen, it was that he was a man who enjoyed his sleep.
He shook off the thought, even the sleepiest of people had heavy workloads sometimes. Now Nigel would be one of them. There would be an inquest into this. He would be dragged forward to make testimonials and reports. He tried not to think about it as he pressed the button for the elevator. To his surprise, the doors opened straight away and three people stepped out.

“Tom, Alice, Frank,” he said, nodding at each as they passed. They all gave him a guilty smile as they headed straight for the crowd milling around the lab.
Never underestimate the power of human curiosity, he thought as he stepped into the lift and pressed the button that led to his floor. He remained upright until the doors had closed, then he slumped against the mirrored wall. The lift ascended.

Then stopped dead. He slammed against the wall and the lights flickered out. He now found himself in a pitch black, soundless void.

“What the fuck?” he said, his voice sounding like a shout in the silence. The backup lights should have come on instantly. Despite knowing it wouldn’t work, he pressed the button at his hip and waited. Nothing happened. He rolled his eyes in the dark and fumbled around the lift, feeling for the control panel, arms outstretched. His fingers groped for the emergency button. After a few steps, he realised he should have reached the panel by now. Two more steps, still no panel.

He stopped and took a breath. He knew the lift can’t have grown, he knew it was only his imagination. It had to be. He took another tentative step and met with thin air.

“Hey!” He shouted. The echo came back to him as if bounced from a giant cavern. Cold fingers of fear ran down his spine. He lunged forward…

…and slammed face-first into the doors.

“Goddamn it.” He put the heel of his hand to his eye and held it for a moment, allowing himself to calm down. It wasn’t like him to freak out like this. He took a couple of deep breaths and counted to ten. Now that he had found the door, he reached out and pushed the emergency button on the panel without looking.

The dim red backup lights lit up. Straight away, despite the eerie crimson glow from the lights, he could see that there was nothing unusual about the lift. Other than the reflection of a crazed madman in the mirror, that is. A speaker crackled to life on the control panel.

“Hello,” said a man through the speaker, “Is there anyone there?”

“Levi? Is that you? Can you get maintenance to-”

“Hello?”

“Yes. Levi, it’s me. I’m trying to tell you. I’m stuck in this bloody lift and-”

“Look. You’re going to have to stop messing around, whoever you are. I can hear you breathing.”

Nigel rolled his eyes.

“I should bloody hope you can hear me breathing. I…”

He trailed off. He could hear breathing too and it wasn’t coming from the speaker. His hair prickled up at the back of his neck. Deep rhythmic breaths, like those of a sleeping lion, filled the space. Nigel couldn’t turn. Fear held him locked in place. There was no way someone could be here with him, so what was it? What was breathing down his neck? He stood still, waiting. For what, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he didn’t want to know what was in the empty lift with him. But standing still wasn’t going to solve anything. He spun around and raised his fists, ready to fight for his life.

Nothing.

Then the speaker crackled again. A new voice came through this time.

“We know,” an unnatural, high-pitched voice said. It sounded like the voice of the mist. “We know.”

“What?” Nigel practically shouted as he turned back to the speaker. This had done it. His nerves were fried. “What do you know?”

A soft, excited chuckle drifted out of the speaker, inhabited by a mix of relief and menace. It filled the space and made Nigel’s head spin.

“We found the way in.” More gentle laughter. “We’re coming.”

If Nigel thought he was concerned before, he was wrong. He broke out in a cold sweat and his heart thumped in his chest. His legs grew weak, barely able to hold him up.

“Who is?!” He asked the speaker, trying to sound bold and commanding, despite the waver in his voice. “Who is coming?”

A spark lanced out of the panel and struck him on the back of the right hand. He cursed and rubbed it with his left.

The speaker hummed and Levi’s voice came through again.

“Nobody’s coming, mate. The lift’s working fine.”

Without Nigel noticing, the red glow had been replaced by the normal white light and the lift was in motion. His floor indicator lit up and the movement stopped. The doors opened onto the corridor where everything seemed normal. Nigel took a moment, shook off the heebies he was feeling, stood up straight, and stepped out into the hallway.

Levi met him at the door to the main security room. The concern was evident on his dark, furrowed brow and his downturned moustachioed lip.

“What’s up, Nige?” he asked.

“Nothing,” muttered Nigel as he tried to evade his friend’s worried form.

Levi shot out a hand and held onto Nigel’s shoulder.

“Nuh-uh. You’re not getting past me that easy. What was all that shouting in the lift about? Why are you sweaty? And what is that?” He stared at the throbbing lump forming on Nigel’s face, just over the left eye.

“I said it’s nothing. Let me go.”

“Not on your Nellie, bud. Come on.”

Nigel didn’t bother to put up a fight. There was no point when Levi was in full tilt father mode. Besides, he was too shaken from his experience in the elevator to make the effort. Levi led him into the main security room, where most occupants were already staring his way. Word of the incident in the lab would have already spread to every member of staff here, even if they weren’t directly involved. Nigel ignored their gaze and walked with purpose towards Levi’s desk in the corner of the room. He may not have a fancy office like Nigel, but he did have prime position next to the main window. His view was nearly as good, though not as central to the main atrium.

“Sit,” commanded Levi. Nigel did as instructed. “Now, what’s going on here? Tell me everything?”

Nigel glared at the onlooking security staff in the room, who all took their cue and lowered their eyes before going about their business. They knew enough not to eavesdrop once Nigel broke out his patented business-stare. Once satisfied his words would not be heard, he told Levi everything: the explosion in the lab, the weird mist, how he’d hurt his eye on the door and everything else that happened in the lift. Or at least what he thought had happened. Levi took it all in, nodding at the right moments, and looking worried at the wrong ones. When Nigel finished, Levi leaned forward and put his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“I think you need a nap.” he held up his hand before Nigel could respond. “No, what happened downstairs was tragic and unprecedented. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you. Doctor Peterson may not have been my best mate, but I liked him. Everyone did. If it’s going to put you in the wrong headspace, that’s not going to help you respect his memory. What I think you need is to go lie down, or even a sit down, have a break and then get back into it, refreshed and ready for action. You know as well as I do that this is gonna cause some problems. We all need to be prepared for what’s to come. Am I right?”

Nigel didn’t respond.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Nigel nodded. He was right.

“Good. Now go have a rest.”

Nigel stood and stared out of the window. He could see people in their offices, working at their desks and walking from one lab to another across all the levels in the building. They all had a job to do and, if the government agency that employed them was to be believed, it was an important one. It was his responsibility to look after this complex. All of it. What had happened clearly affected him more than he thought. He gave Levi a smile.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Nigel strode across the room to the internal door that led straight to his office. He looked out over the main room as he shut the door, seeing the most dedicated group of security experts a man could ask for. The door clicked shut and he let out a huge sigh. Turning to his desk, he saw the stone-cold coffee sitting there from this morning. He let out a bigger sigh and sat down, grabbing the mug as he did. He took a sip and closed his eyes. Even cold, it served its purpose and It wasn’t long before his head felt heavy and his mind slowed.

Just as he was drifting off, there was a knock at the door. He sat bolt upright and slammed his mug onto the table, splashing it in the process.

“Yes?” he said, sucking the coffee from his fingers.

The door opened a crack and Milly poked her head through.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly.

“Milly, of course,” he said, standing and wiping his hand on the back of his pants. “Come in.”

She entered the room and shut the door behind her. Her eyes were wide and worried.

“Now,” said Nigel, “What can I do for you?”

“It’s about Allen,” she said, her voice thin. “I think he was murdered.”