The Lab

It didn't take long for Bram to find the problem with the dome. The button had gotten stuck when it popped back up for me. It was sitting lopsided. I watched him fiddle with it and only a second later it turned back on.

"Did you see the problem and how I fixed it, Alexandra?" I nodded emphatically.

Next, Bram and I waited outside the door while Jeffy scrubbed himself. We had no idea if we should spare water or not, but Jeffy had to get cleaned off.

"Make sure you scrub real good, Jeffy," Bram called.

"Yup! I will."

Once Jeffy was out, Bram gave him some of his clothes. The boy was swimming in them, but he didn't seem to mind.

As Jeffy was wandering around the house, Bram and I took his old clothes and burned them in the fireplace. Any more splotches of biological material we took care of by using strong chemical cleaners. Bram had plenty of rags in the garage for us to use.

Jeffy came to us and said he was hungry and thirsty. As Bram gave the boy a drink and a snack, he appeared shocked. I pulled him aside.

"What is it?"

"He's going to change. I can see cuts, maybe even bites. They're already turning black. Along his neck."

"Couldn't it just be from before, when he was outside? Maybe the wounds are just covered in dirt."

"He just showered, Alexandra. Think!" Bram whispered.

"Well, we have to do something!" I exclaimed; my voice elevated. Jeffy turned around, with the stale half-eaten dinner roll in his mouth. Bram held me by my arms.

"Get ahold of yourself Alexandra. Do you want him to hear you?"

"No, but I don't believe this is how it has to be!" I whispered, clenching my fist. I glanced at Jeffy and then back to Bram. I asked, "How long does he have?"

"About an hour, maybe two tops." Bram's face was unwavering. I studied his expression, shaking my head in defiance.

"You have shots," I said pointing at Bram. "You must have vaccines. You said it's like rabies. That virus can take months to take effect!"

"The wound is near his head," Bram said. "He's almost guaranteed to be a lost cause."

"Lost cause? How can you say that?" I demanded, fighting back tears. Bram wouldn't speak. "Do you agree that he could have a chance if he got an injection?" I questioned.

"Yes, I do," Bram whispered. I could tell he meant it. A wave of illness overwhelmed him. I had to help him to the recliner. Almost instantly he was sweating and chattering.

After he was sitting down, I asked, "Where are they?"

"In the lab. But I don't know what's there. It could all be destroyed by now. There will most definitely be Noirs. My comrades."

I glanced at Jeffy with his messy hair and innocent face. I couldn't let this happen to him. Not without trying.

"I'm going to go," I said. Bram locked eyes with me as he scanned my face. After pursing his lips, he leaned back in the chair. I knew this meant he agreed. "I'm leaving now."

"You can do this. Make sure to keep your goggles on," he instructed. I nodded. "And there's one other thing. If it's safe, please find my favorite dog, Diva."

"You kept dogs there?" The barking I'd heard before now made sense.

"Yes, all the dogs we've injected, ironically, don't get sick from this. We think it made them stronger and wanted to study their progress. But now … obviously that's over."

"Where is she?"

"She's in a kennel with the other dogs. They're in the basement of the lab. That's the same place where the vaccines are. You'll find them in the small white refrigerator in a room just off the kennel area. Please be safe." Bram pointed to his bag on the island. I brought it to him. He rifled through it and handed me his clearance card. "I trust you."

Bram forced himself to stand again to shut the dome off. Then he limped while following me holding the M4. He handed it to me, I strapped it on, and made sure my suit was zipped properly at both arms, legs, and my back.

I gave him a nod and I turned back to see Jeffy one last time. I pulled my goggles on and opened the door. After checking, I didn't see any Noirs around except the ones nearby that Bram had put down. Once it was clear I left.

***

I made my way to the lab along the usual walkway that Bram took each day. Smoke was billowing out the top of the cafeteria to my right and I could hear popping sounds of various volumes. I crouched. It was only a few more yards to the lab.

I got to the outside doors. It was quieter than I'd expected. The wind blew the greasy smoke from the cafeteria over to me. I stifled a cough.

Swiping the card, the doors unlocked with a click that echoed. I scanned the area behind me to see if any Noirs were nearby, seeing none. When the doors opened, I entered with caution.

It was silent. There were a few overturned pieces of furniture and some broken glass, but it was in better shape than I expected. I crouched, with my weapon drawn.

Bram taught me to stay low whenever possible whether an enemy was confirmed to be nearby or not. The ones that you couldn't see were the ones you needed to anticipate. He had been a good instructor even when he was an ass. The confidence I now felt when holding a weapon was worth enduring his abrasive personality.

I studied the building. Glass was crunching under my boots. There were offices to my left and right with a main hallway down the middle. I scouted for others, but it was dark.

My yellow goggles were all fogged up which didn't help, either. I pulled them off my face and was holding them in my gloved hands when I heard a sound to my left followed by a chorus of voices humming.

I swiftly darted into an office to my left, then scurried underneath one of the metal desks. Without thinking, I went prone, Bram's training kicking in. I heard thumping footsteps and then the humming again. I remained as still as I could.

I watched as several Noirs sprinted by, some on four legs, like quadrupedal beasts. I flattened myself to the floor as best as I could. One stopped only a few feet from me.

The Noir scanned the area. I could see the black saliva on its lips. I watched as it stood there, scratching itself. Then, I could see the uniform.

There, above the right pocket patch was a name I couldn't make out. Seeing that first-hand made me realize my use of the word "it" to describe them was inaccurate. These were not "things," they were people. He walked closer to me, nearly bumping against my leg.

Perhaps they had a bad sense of smell, and their sight wasn't great either. I was so close that if he shuffled to the left one centimeter we would have been touching. All he would need to do was squat down and he'd see me. As that reality washed over me, I held my breath in fright.

He paused for a moment longer. Then I watched the uniformed Noir take off running.

Finally, I dared to exhale. As I glanced beside me, I could see black saliva on the floor. Terrified, I pulled the yellow goggles back on, glad for a barrier between me and that infectious goo.

As I slid them on, something happened. I could see several of the Noirs outside through a nearby window. I wasn't sure if I hit a button or if there was something more intricate going on, like the goggles could somehow … feel me?

All the Noirs were now highlighted in light blue for me. Once I heard the humming in unison, I could see a change in their behavior. Each one stood up fully shifted to the right the way a herd or birds migrating followed a leader. I watched them sprint and gallop away. I wondered what caught their attention as well as what attracted them to leave one area to find another.

What the hell happened to these people? I'm sure if Bram explained it again scientifically it would make sense, but this wasn't a question that had an easy answer. I wanted to know why this had to happen at all.

I continued my descent into the lab stairwell, stopping frequently to gain a better sense of my surroundings. I listened intently every few seconds and then forged onward. Part way to the B1 barrier, I noticed that something was leaking under the door.

The liquid was clear, which led me to believe it was water. It drew my attention, so I walked to the door to look. Just as I peeked inside, I heard growling and then a scream. My eyes widened as I saw a lab technician running across the room. After her was a big beast running on four legs.

Once the beast passed by the door, he came running to me. I rushed down the stairs just as I heard bellowing shouts and then slamming against the door. The sound of dogs barking kept me on track. I raced farther down to B2 and was standing in front of the door when I heard the upstairs door break off its hinges.

I swiped the card and then heaved opened the basement door. I was quick but quiet when I closed it. This room was dark, with only an intermittently flickering light. The dog I'd heard barking sounded incensed, which I hoped was only because of me and not a rogue Noir wandering around.

The smaller room had shelves situated centrally and lab tables built into the wall. There were documents and pictures on the racks. Under my feet was sand and dust that made the floor feel gritty under my feet.

Around the corner in a small inlet, four cages were lined up. The dogs began to bark and claw at the metal. Once I noticed the small white refrigerator in the back room, I realized one dog had worked its way out of the cage.

He wasn't unlike a wolf in his features with his long legs and gray-toned fur. He had his head bowed as he advanced toward me, his teeth bared and a low growl warning me to stay away. I backed up trying to give him space. When he barked with a snarl at me, I backed up so quickly that I slipped into the tiny bathroom connected to the room.

I couldn't believe my luck. I hadn't seen this bathroom at first. The dog was barking over and over at me, clawing at the door. I locked the bathroom and waited, wondering what the fuck I was going to do now. Then, I heard something toppling down the stairs. It hit the wall with a thud.

At once the barking stopped though it was only momentarily. Then I heard the dog's bark panning away from me. He was running toward that sound. After a few seconds, I slowly opened the bathroom door.

Outside the room in the hallway, I could hear the dog growling and then suddenly wrestling with a foe. I rushed to the small refrigerator and opened it. There were four injections inside. I took them all.

The dogs in the cages continued to bark. I could see a Pit Bull with a big collar around her neck. Her coat was orange, and she had intelligent golden eyes. The collar appeared to have some kind of technology attached to it.

"You must be Diva," I whispered. She cocked her head up at me panting. After I let the other dogs out, they raced to help their friend in the hall. Then, I opened Diva's cage. At first, she growled but once I let her sniff my gloved hand, she seemed to understand. Maybe Bram's scent was on me. I found a leash for her and clipped it on.

I carefully placed the needles into a side zipper of my suit and began walking in a low crouch out of the room. All three dogs were now attacking a Noir on the floor. The Noir was rolling around with them as they took turns biting.

The dogs had black mouths and saliva all over their coats as they lunged and chomped. Diva wanted to attack too but a quick tug on the leash got her up the stairs with me. Glancing down, I saw the Noir they were attacking was twice the size of an average man. It had to be the beast from upstairs.

On B1, I glanced in the room where I'd seen the lab tech running. I wished I could save anyone trapped here, but I had to leave. For all I knew that person was Noir now. No need to play hero.

I was careful with Diva on the first floor, avoiding any glass so she wouldn't injure her paws. Then, we left through the heavy steel laboratory doors. Outside, I put my goggles back on and scanned the area. I could see a few Noirs to the far right, their bodies outlined in blue.

Walking with Diva, I followed the same path along the walkway to get home. Up ahead, I noticed a solitary Noir. She was hobbling aimlessly, bumping into nearby buildings. Diva yanked me backward, suddenly sitting. I tried pulling her forward, but she wouldn't budge. In fact, she successfully dragged me behind a green transformer.

I watched as the Noir unexpectedly dropped to the ground like a dead weight. Her body went rigid and then she convulsed. Did they all suffer like that? Then as soon as it began her shaking stopped.

As I observed, her clothing began to soak with the black liquid. Then, without warning, her body was ripped apart with explosive force. Barely able to think, I instinctively ducked down, pressing my face into the grass.

Several lumps bounced off my back as I remained prone. After a few seconds and a quick prayer, I carefully lifted my shaking body. I couldn't make out every place that her biological debris had hit me, but I could see the liquid on Diva. I studied Diva to get a read on her. She just shook off and panted like nothing unusual was going on.

My mask and goggles were now dirty. It was hard to tell the difference between dirt and Noir blood. I did my best to wipe my gear. After scanning the area for further threats and seeing none, I continued.

"Good girl, Diva! My Orange Angel," I said with tears in my eyes. "How'd you know?" She glanced up at me, appearing … proud. "C'mon, girl. Let's get you home to Bram."

Right before we took off, I thought I heard a growl behind us coming from the lab.