Test Subjectby ~Nathaniel Tunstall

Test Subject

As always, the early morning was cold.  The dew-laden grass, trampled by armed guards, swayed in the autumn breeze.

Guard: “Perimeter secure, Sir.”

The whole place was buzzing.  A killer was loose in the medical facility.  An epidemic of rumors infected the town: mutants roaming the halls, science experiments gone wild, plants eating people.  The police were keeping a tight perimeter on the building.  One officer approached his commander.

Officer Hughes: “Sir, we have to send in a squad.”

Commander: “Send in your squad, Hughes. We’ve already made contact with the receptionist. She hasn’t even seen the killer and no demands have been made.”

Hughes: “Yes, Sir.”

A squad of four men rushed in: Hughes, Collins, Bills and Gale.  The four men ran in step, the glass doors of the facility giving them a clear view of the dark, sterile halls.  The power had been shut off.  Collins pulled out his flashlight and shined it back and forth through the glass.  A shadow danced just past the reach of the beam.

Hughes: “What was that?”

Bills: “It was probably just a trick of the light.”

With guns drawn, Gale kicked the door in and they all rushed in.  Immediately in front of them the halls lead off to the right and left.  Hughes kept a lookout for any activity. 

Hughes: “Clear, Bills right side of the hall; Gale take the left.  Bills and Hughes crept forward and peered down the left hall, guns drawn.  Nothing moved.

Hughes: “Split up, keep your guns at the ready.  Find the killer and protect any survivors.”

Gale and Collins waited as Bills and Hughes crossed the hall and stepped quietly through the clean-smelling air of the facility.  Bills moved behind Hughes carefully.  A wooden door with a small bullet-proof window stood to the right.  Hughes peered inside the window while Bills had his back.  Hughes gasped as he saw three bodies on the floor.  He groped for the handle-locked.  Hughes stared at the window helplessly.  The victims were all doctors, dead and stewing in a pool of their own blood.  Hughes could make out gaping holes in two of the victims.  The third was farther away and seemed to be unharmed.  Hughes banged on the door.

Hughes: “Are you alright?”

Bills: “Sir, the killer could hear you.”

Hughes: “But the civilians’ lives are more important.”

Bills: “If we get the killer, we can have medical crews help the wounded.”

Hughes: “Let’s hurry and get him.”

The two walked to the next door, prepared for anything.  After they moved on, the man who was seemingly unharmed stumbled to get up.  Bruised and covered in the blood of his co-workers.  His head was foggy and he remembered little of what had happened.  He knew that a shadow had appeared before him and knocked him out.  The haze in his eyes faded and he saw the extent of his friends’ wounds.  Near perfect circles were drilled into them.  Each of them had a hole in his chest, but the holes were in seemingly random positions and each had several holes in their legs.  One of them had an arm sawed completely off.  The man cried over them.  The emotional pain and trauma finally passed over him.  He wiped away the streaming tears to see the monster who had claimed the lives of the many workers, his friends.

Man: “No! Get away from me. Don’t… don’t kill…” 

The man’s scream was heard by the two officers down the hall.

Hughes: “I told you we should have helped him.”

Bills rushed back down the hall, feeling responsible.  He turned towards the door and was surprised to see that it was open and creaking eerily.  He held his gun out in front of him.  He kicked the door in gently.  Hughes stood behind him, ready to fire.  The killer wasn’t anywhere to be seen.  Hughes gaped at the dead man; his eyes were frozen in the dark abyss of terror.

Hughes:  ”I think we should get some back-up.”

Bills backed away, growing more hysterical by the moment after what he had just seen.  

Bills:  ”This guy’s a madman!  I didn’t sign up for this.”

Hughes:  ”Bills, calm down.  We have to get this guy before he kills anyone else.”

Hughes kneeled beside the dead man.  The man’s lifeless fingers clutched a plastic mini-album of family photographs.  

Hughes:  ”It’s sad that this man had to die.  It looks like he had everything to live for – kids, a family.”

Bills:  ”A family?”

Bills was near tears, the thought of his own newborn son and his lovely young wife filling his terror-stricken mind.

Hughes:  ”The back of this picture says something.”

Bills:  ”What does it say?”

Hughes:  ”This must be a picture of his wife.  It says, ‘R.I.P. my dear wife and mother of my three children.’”

Bills began to sob uncontrollably, the waves of emotion rolling over him.

Hughes:  ”Those poor kids are orphans now, all because of this killer.”

Bills:  ”He needs to be locked up.”

Growing more determined, Bills wiped away the tears to begin a mad hunt for the killer.

Bills:  ”For the orphans!”

Hughes placed the album on the ground beside the dead man and stood up.

Hughes:  ”We should check the rest of this hall and then check in with Gale and Collins.”

Hughes and Bills closed the door to continue their check of the facility, searching for an unknown killer.  After several steps down the hall, the pair heard the patter of feet from the direction they had just come.  Bills shined his flashlight back and forth down the empty hall behind him.  The sound continued but nothing was there.  Hughes ignored the sound and continued walking while Bills looked around frantically.  Ahead, the hall expanded to a large room – a cafeteria.  Hughes quickly checked under several tables for anyone that might be hiding.  The room was empty.

Hughes:  ”Nothing here.”

Bills:  ”Check the kitchen.”

Hughes crossed the large cafeteria and cautiously pulled open the kitchen door.  He checked every pantry and cabinet, searching for any sign of the killer.  He found nothing.  Hughes turned back, expecting to find Bills guarding the kitchen door.  He wasn’t there.  Hughes rushed to the door back to the cafeteria and pushed against it, but it didn’t budge.  Hughes pounded on the door.

Hughes:  ”Let me out!  Bills!  Help me get out!”

Bills heard Hughes’ cries for help, but could do nothing for him because he was combating a dark being that could only be the killer.  A face, ugly and disfigured, stared at him.  The terrifying beast used its hind legs to push a large cabinet against the door, trapping Hughes inside.  Its red eyes flashed, frightening the already terrified Bills.  He shot several times with his handgun.  The creature screeched at the sound of the gunfire, then charged toward him.  Bills tried to run but it snatched his leg in its massive jaws.  The beast dragged him off, pulling him by his foot.  Bills gave one final blood-curdling scream as he was yanked out of the cafeteria and down the hall.  

Hughes heard the gunfire from the other side of the door and kicked helplessly at the door.

Hughes:  ”Let me out!  I need to help!”

Hughes felt hopeless.  His partner for nearly five years was probably dead.  The killer had locked him away so that he couldn’t help Bills to escape from this sick, twisted trap.  Hughes heard Bills’ final scream and knew his friend was dead.

Hughes felt paralyzed with grief and terror.  A clanking noise behind him suddenly awoke Hughes from his stupor of self-pity.  Hughes watched in awe as a woman climbed up from a hold in the kitchen floor, holding one of the floor tiles above her head.  

Receptionist:  ”Hello.  Are you here to stop that killer?”

Hughes:  ”Yes.  Where did you come from?”

Receptionist:  ”Well, I started somewhere by the main door.  And now we’re in the…?  Ah, the kitchen.  Sorry, it’s quite dark down there.”

Hughes:  ”May I ask who you are?” 

Receptionist: “My name is Erica Saladine. I’m the receptionist here.”

The receptionist was an eccentric little woman; she wore a pink hat, a pink wool shirt, a long, flowing pink skirt and pearl earrings. Her hair was a natural blonde and her eyes were hazel. Hughes shook her hand.

Hughes: “Nice to meet you, too bad it was under these circumstances.”

Erica: “Nice to meet you too Mr.?”

Hughes gave her his name. She nodded.

Erica: “Would you like to use this tunnel? I can get you anywhere from here, but you’re going to get dirty.”

She smiled and ruffled her skirt to get the dirt off.

Hughes: “I definitely need to use the tunnel. The killer locked me in here. My partner may be hurt; he was in the cafeteria with the killer.”

Erica: “Me first. I’ll lead the way.”

Hughes wondered how she could be so calm in such a twisted situation. She was in danger just by being in the building. Hughes crawled inside after Erica and put the tile back where it had been.

Hughes: “This is an odd little facility isn’t it?”

Erica: “Yes it would seem so. At least now I know why they made every employee learn the tunnel systems.”

Hughes: “What reason would they have for making these?”

Erica: “Well, the reasons they gave me, being an average receptionist, they told me it was for escaping fires and other disasters. Now I know it’s for escaping their own creations, experiments.”

Hughes couldn’t believe what he was hearing. An experiment did this? A science project killed a whole building of people? The ‘doctors’ had created a monster.

Hughes: “Did you ever see these experiments? You must have at least seen some odd things here.”

Erica: “I saw them bring in some animals once. They never came out.

They continued to crouch through the long escape tunnel.

Erica: “We’re just about… Here.”

A simple lamp marked the point at which the tile was loose. Erica lifted the tile up gently and peeked up, looking carefully for the killer. She saw no one and slid the tile to the side.

Erica: “Come on up.”

Erica climbed up and held her hand out to Officer Hughes. She pulled him up. Hughes was surprised by the strength of the tiny woman. Her size made her appear much weaker than she really was.
Hughes: “Thank you, Mrs. Saladine.”

Erica: “Now, you should go and find your partner. I’m going to use this tunnel to get out.”

Hughes: “Good luck, Ma’am.”

Erica: “Thank you sir.”

Erica crouched into the tunnel again and disappeared from sight. Hughes examined the room in which he found himself. A small, square room filled with various instruments to conduct experiments surrounded him. Many of the instruments seemed to be covered in blood, glowing red in the twilight-like darkness that filled the room. The only light in the room came from a faintly glowing lamp above an experiment, operating table. Hughes held his gun tightly, the only means of protection he had. Bills was no longer there to save him. Hughes avoided the instruments carefully and walked past a rolling shelf, towards the door. He pushed the door, turning the knob. Thud, the door hit something. Hughes pushed harder and the door gradually opened. He slid through the door and discovered a dead man on the other side.

Hughes: “Bills? Is that… you? No it can’t be…You can’t be.”

Hughes knelt beside Bills’ corpse, flashlight in hand. Holes? More perfectly drilled holes, freshly carved. Hughes felt hot tears flow off his cheeks.

Hughes: “How could someone do this to you? What monster did this to you and the rest of these people?”

Bills’ body had bite marks on it as well as the bloody holes. Gashes were ripped into his flesh; there had obviously been a fight. Hughes lifted Bills’ body and attempted to carry him out. Hughes had little idea of how to get out, but Bills’ body wasn’t going to be left in there, if he had anything to say about it.

Meanwhile, on the outside of the facility, the commander looked at the facility with panic growing on his face.

Commander: “Get me the SWAT team.”

The commander hadn’t heard anything from his squad for an hour. He was worried that they hadn’t made it. Gunfire had been heard twice now from inside. They couldn’t wait any longer. Within minutes, the SWAT team surrounded the place. Snipers were on every rooftop. Two dozen well-armed men and women were ready to mow the killer down.

Commander: “Go in and find us a killer. Bring back Hughes’ team, dead or alive. Also, help anyone who’s still alive.”

A dozen members of the SWAT team rushed towards the glass door. One member held the door for the rest of them. As they rushed in, they paused at the reception desk, shocked at the complacently smiling woman sitter there watching them enter.

Erica: “How may I help you gentlemen?”

SWAT leader: “Miss, this facility is under lock-down. A killer is loose here.”

Erica: “what are you talking about? Jet health is very much safe.”

SWAT leader: “Miss, are you alright? Is the killer in this room?”

Erica: “Killer? No one has ever died here. Jet Health boasts the highest safety standards in the industry.”

SWAT leader: “Please stand up so I may escort you out of the building.”

Erica stood up as if to follow the SWAT leader. Unexpectedly, she made a series of snarling and hissing sounds. 

SWAT leader: “Get her out of here.” 

A SWAT member attempted to grab her by the left arm and escort her out. Erica bit his hand and hissed violently. He shoved her violently to get her off. Erica fell to the ground and continued her snarling. Suddenly, the SWAT team heard uproar down the hall. Two SWAT members fell to their knees, and blood spattered the walls. The commotion was caused by a large hairless beast charging at them. The beast was twice the size of any man with blood dripping from its drill-like fangs. Its eyes glinted with pure evil and it snarled fiercely. 

SWAT leader: “Shoot! Kill It!”

In panic, the SWAT leader shot repeatedly at the terrifying best, emptying his full clip. The SWAT leader realized in horror that he was the only one still standing. The beast charged at him. He tried to reload, fumbling with the clip. It was too late, the monster drilled into his body a dozen times. Erica stood up and stared blankly at the chaos she had caused. 

Erica: “Who’s my good little pet?”

She rubbed the beast’s giant, hairless nose gently. As the brute calmed, it shrunk from its enormous size to its common animal form, a common lab-rat. Erica knelt down, picked him up and carefully set him on her shoulder.

Erica: “Good job.”

She rubbed his tiny back as she walked down the hall. The now placid rat snuggled sweetly against her neck.

Not far away, Hughes dragged Bills carefully through the maze of halls in the facility, looking futilely for the exit. Hughes heard gunfire just down the hall and ran, Bills still on his shoulders.

Hughes: “Sorry about this, old friend.”

Hughes dropped Bills and whipped out his gun, preparing to help whoever needed protection from the monster that had killed Bills. He paused around the corner when the gunfire stopped. He peeked around and saw Erica standing centered among a dead team of SWAT agents. He noticed her bend down to pick up something off the ground. She then continued to walk down the hall towards him. Hughes ran down the hall, past Bills’ body and entered the nearest door, the room with the three dead scientists. Hughes lungs were on fire, panic filled his mind. How could that woman be doing this? Hughes pulled out his police radio.

Hughes (into radio): “The receptionist is the killer. She’s a woman in bright pink. This may be the last thing I say, so avenge me, Bills and all the other scientists she’s killed.”

Hughes’ eyes bulged in terror as the door creaked inward. His gun faced the entryway, ready to fire. His finger twitched against the trigger. Bang, the gun roared in Hughes’ hand, and a man collapsed before him.

Hughes: “Gale? I… I killed him.”

Collins shouted from outside the room: “Come out with your hands up.”

Hughes: “Collins, it’s me, Hughes.”

Collins: “I know who you are, drop the weapon and come out with your hands up.”

Hughes dropped his gun and put his hands in the air. He took his steps carefully.

Collins: “Hughes, you’re a suspect in the murder of Officer Xavier Bills.”

Hughes: “Erica, the receptionist did it all. She killed all these people.”

Collins: “Hughes, we checked the records, there’s no receptionist currently working here. They fired their last one nearly three years ago.

Hughes: “I was outside with you when this all started happening. How could you possibly blame me?”

Collins: “You just killed Gale. Why should I trust you anymore?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Hughes saw a sudden movement. Erica loomed behind Collins, a hairless lab-rat on her shoulder. Protectively, Hughes shoved Collins to the side. Collins pulled the trigger in surprise. Hughes blood spattered the doorway behind him. Collins fell to the side against Hughes’ now lifeless body. He caught a glimpse of the woman in pink and realized that Hughes was trying to save him.

Erica: “Feast.”

The lab-rat leapt from her shoulder, growing exponentially as it did so. Collins screamed in pain as the rat-beast used its teeth to drill holes into his body.

A short while later, Erica walked out of the facility. Tears filled her eyes and she ran towards the Police barrier.

Erica: “The killer’s still inside. He killed all of those nice policemen and chased me to the door.”

Commander: “Please come with me, Miss.”

The commander pulled her to the side: “Erica Saladine, you’re under arrest for the murder of Xavier Bills and every scientist in this facility.”

Erica: “What proof do you have?”

Commander: “I saw you kill them through the glass door.”

The commander handcuffed Erica and locked her in the back of the police car. The commander walked back to the barrier.

Commander: “The killer has been apprehended, send in the paramedics.”

Paramedics rushed in to collect the bodies and to find anyone in need of help. Sadly, they would find no one alive. The place was a bloodbath.

The commander climbed in his squad car and drove off.

Erica: “Dear, will you loosen these handcuffs a bit?”
Commander: “Wait till we get around the corner so no one sees. Did you destroy those experiments?”

Erica: “I wouldn’t have left if I hadn’t. Although I hated to see my pet go, I had to kill it to take my revenge on Jet Health for firing me all those years ago. They ruined my life and now I’ve taken theirs.”

Commander: “Now that you’ve gotten your revenge, my sweet wife, we never have to speak of this again.”

The couple drove home and locked the door. Silently, the commander took his coat off and hung it on his coat-rack.

Erica: “So what do you want to do now, ‘Commander’?”

Erica winked at her husband smugly and she kissed him passionately. Suddenly, their doorbell rang.

Erica: “Don’t answer it. Stay with me.”

Commander: “I have to, it could be work related.”

The commander opened the door cautiously.

Investigator: “Sir, we have reason to believe you and your wife were involved in the mass-murder of the scientists at Jet Health. Please come with me. I have some questions for you.”

The commander took his wife’s hand and stepped outside with the investigator.

Investigator: “Sir, we reviewed the security tapes at the Jet Health local office. It would seem that your wife used their experiment to slaughter their employees and your own officers. Also, if this is the case, you let her go free. That would make you an accessory to murder. You both will be taken into custody.”

Investigator: “Please come with me.”

The couple stepped outside. He motioned for them to turn around and he cuffed their hands to their backs.

Investigator: “Get in.”

Commander: “I’m the commander of this town’s police station. You can’t order me around.”

Investigator: “Legally you must come with me. You know this very well sir.”

Erica: “Don’t speak to my husband that way.”

Investigator: “Please don’t make this difficult. Please just get in the car.”

Commander: “Just get in the car honey.”

The investigator closed the door as the couple climbed in. He opened the drivers’ side door and calmly ducked inside. He drove towards the center of the small town. After several minutes, he drove straight past the turn off that lead to the police station.

Commander: “Where the hell are you taking us?”

Erica: “Let us out this instant.”

The investigator kept driving beyond the town. The commander stared out of the dusty window and sighed.

Commander: “Sir, we at least deserve to know where we’re going.”

Investigator: “You’re right. You do, but I don’t know exactly where we’re going.”

Erica: “Fair enough…”

Commander: “How is that fair? What do you plan to do with us?”

Investigator: “You killed my experiment. I’ll do the same for you.”

Erica began to cry.

Erica: “I’m so sorry. Please let me go. I never meant to hurt anyone.”

Investigator: “We all know that you’re lying through you’re bipolar teeth.”

Commander: “It’s true. Your performance there was horrible. Just give up the act.”

Erica: “Who are you anyways?”

Erica glared at her husband and suddenly went back to the investigator.

Investigator: “I’m your old boss.”

Erica: “You can’t be.”

Commander: “You mean to tell me that you’re her old boss, the owner of Jet Health?”

The ‘investigator’s’ crooked smile gave the commander chills. 

Owner: “Yes, I am. We can always use new ’subjects.’ Interested?”

Commander: “We refuse.”

Owner: “Very well then.”

The owner of Jet Health veered off the road. He went down a narrow dirt road. He got out and opened the door for the couple.

Owner: “Get out here, now.”

Commander: “So you can kill us and leave us here to rot? I don’t think so.”

Owner: “Suit yourself.”

He pulled Erica out violently. Erica screamed as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

Owner: “Die with some dignity.”

He pulled his gun out and held it to her head.

Commander: “Please. Take me instead.”

The commander climbed out of the car uneasily. He got on his knees and bowed before the owner.

Owner: “Neither of you are proud enough to face death. Get up.”

He fired a warning shot into the air and they scrambled to their feet. He then pushed the commander back into the car and slammed the door.

Owner: “Die.”

He shot Erica in the back of her head. Blood spattered over the car window.

Commander: “No! I thought we had a chance to live. Why did you do this?”

The commander pounded his head against the wall and the owner of Jet Health climbed back in the car and drove off.

Owner: “Ready for your new life?”

The commander was crying for his lost love.

Commander: “What do you mean…New life?”

Owner: “You’ll find out.”

The commander looked with dread out of the blood spattered window. The labs which had caused all of this were staring back at him in the distance.
Commander: “You aren’t going to turn me into one of those freaks are you?”

Owner: “You’ll forget everything anyways. I might as well tell you. You’re going to be fused with another animal at random to see how you’re mind reacts.”

Commander: “That’s worse than death. Just please kill me.”

Owner: “I used the last of my bullets on Ms. Bipolar.”

Commander: “Beat me to death then?”

The commander was at the end of his ropes. He knew he was going to be tied down and hacked open. The operating table was his only fear now. He had lost the one person he cared about most.

Owner: “You’ll be a great help to science.”

Commander: “Mad science.”

The commander laid down on the back seat, crying into the cloth covered seat cushion.

The owner pulled into the facility parking lot. The place was already cleared of police officers. The owner again climbed out and unlocked the door for the commander.

Owner: “Get up. We have work to do.”

He held open the glass door for the commander and poked him with his gun. As the commander walked inside, the owner jabbed a needle into him and injected him with a serum to knock him out. The commander fell to the floor, and his eyes glazed over. The commander laughed manically and pulled out a scalpel. 

The commander woke up to see the white walls of the facility. A thin veil over his face blurred his vision. He lifted himself up carefully. He was on the operating table. His whole body was wrapped in a sterile plastic sheet. He tossed it off nonchalantly, still dazed from the serum. The commander tried to speak but all he could manage were several low moans. He glared down at his hands which were replaced with paws. His furry hands had claws like darts. The owner stood behind him and held a remote in his hands.  He clicked his finger over a button. The commander fell over, dazed, a shock collar on his neck.