9. Friends?

Serena walked down the halls feeling strange. Was Contamination actually real? Would she turn into a zombie? Could she get a second opinion?

The building continued endlessly onwards in front of her. After a moment's thought, Serena discovered she was lost. It was not unexpected.

She found the nearest staircase and sat down to do some heavy thinking. Around and around her thoughts spiralled - magic apocalypse, contamination and warping. Was there no escape? Is everything here actually real? Or is she just dreaming?

Can she wake up from this nightmare?

*Click*

A surprising sound echoed out, and a door identical to all the others opened. A person stepped out, a young man who seemed familiar...

"The mad scientist from the diner." Serena mumbled to herself, and the man giggled oddly.

"The clothes, right? Usually people are not as blunt about my wardrobe as you." He chuckled, shaking his head. Apart from his odd clothing, he seemed like an ordinary cheerful young man in his late 20s.

"It's not just the clothes. How can anyone stay sane around here? You must be mad." Serena replied forcefully, and made the man chuckle again.

"This hallway is no place to have a serious conversation. Come join me for lunch." The man said with a smile.

With nothing better to do but stew in her own thoughts, Serena followed the young man through several new halls and down a lot of stairs to a large room that looked a lot like a canteen.

There were large tables with attached bench seats spread evenly around the room, and a closed window section that would lead to the kitchen selection area. There were also massive windows, all open, leading to a garden full of flowers and greenery. There were small stone slabs set up like shelves, seeming elegant and stoic in their grey colours.

"Why is everything so empty around here?" Serena asked in confusion.

"That's because you have been exposed to a high concentration of magic, and you are constantly radiating it. Most people around here don't have a high enough tolerance to approach you." The scientist explained helpfully.

"If I'm so full of magic that it's a hazard to everyone around here, then why did you find me? Aren't you worried about Warping too?" Serena asked seriously.

"I'm already Warped. As long as I don't hug you or engage in similar close activities, I will be just fine." He casually sat back on the plastic table seats and crossed his legs.

"You look like, well, I want to say a normal human being but that isn't quite true. Erm..." Serena was very confused. The young man laughed.

"I hide my physical differences under odd clothes and a large attitude - practically no one ever notices I'm Warped. It also helps that I'm one of the lucky ones who can easily hide it." With that said, he rolled up the long sleeves of his lab coat, revealing that past his wrists, the skin on both his arms changed into leathery brown scales of uneven shapes.

"Wowza, that's strange! Can I touch it?" Serena asked curiously. It was sort of scary seeing a person so changed from what they should be, but no where near as scary as meeting a zombie.

"No, the highly contaminated, soon to be Warped young miss is not allowed to touch other people until her magic density has reduced by half at least. Unless you enjoy seeing other people writhe in pain as they grow new limbs in strange places right before your eyes?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously? It's that quick? Then why am I still okay?" Serena asked sceptically.

"It takes a bit of time before the symptoms show up. Magic Contamination is a lot like radiation sickness - you can look forward to agonising pains, nausea and vomiting blood, to name a few of the more common effects. It's a real party." The crazy man chuckled strangely, absently stroking the leather on his arms.

"Then, what do I do now? I have no home, no family, no friends and no money." Serena sighed, despondent.

"That's not entirely true. We're friends, in a strange kind of way. Warped like us have to stick together, or we're likely to end up in some strange government lab getting experimented on. Not a pleasant future." The man said casually, as he laid flat on the bench seat.

"We're friends? But I don't even know your name?" Serena asked, staring at him sceptically.

"I'm Carlos Evans. Or Evans Carlos, if you prefer. It's not my original name, so the order doesn't matter." 'Carlos' the mad scientist introduced himself, waving his hand in introduction. He didn't bother to get up.

"I'm Serena Adams. Should I pick a fake name too?" Serena asked thoughtfully.

"You can if you want. No one here will judge you. Unless you pick a name that is too obviously fake, like Apple Lollipop. Apple lives in the garden out there, by the way. She Warped so much, she became something like a Treant." Carlos pointed out the window, a sad look flashing on his face briefly, before being replaced with a smirk.

"What? She turned into a TREE?!" Serena screeched in surprise.

"Pretty much. Just one of the fun and crazy things Warping can cause. I will probably be a crocodile, or a reptile-man like you see in D&D and other games. Warping is a process that never finishes." Carlos said softly, holding his smirk like a shield against the world.

"Carlos, I'm scared. What happens now?" Serena asked softly.

"Survival, Serena - that is all that matters in the end. Remember kid - humanity is a state of mind, not being. As long as you stay human in your heart and mind, no one can say different. So just take life one day at a time. Survive."

Silence filled the large room, as the breeze danced through the garden outside. There was too much to talk about, and nothing left to say.