Here we are folks. B is for Bells.
Bells
Every
morning, at exactly 6:23, bells rang throughout the compound to wake the
subjects. They would wake and dress in the standard grey uniforms, the only
identifying feature between them was the number stitched above the heart. In
room 23, Carmelina pulled the grey shirt over her head, adjusting it over her
shoulders to try and cover them. She was the youngest subject on this floor,
only seven years old. The pants dragged on the floor, covering her bare feet.
The cold of the tile no longer bothered her. Years of walking around on them
have numbed her to the sensation.
She
stepped to her door as another set of bells rang at 6:37. The door slid into
the wall and she stepped out into the hallway. On both sides of the hallway,
other kids were doing the same. Thirty rooms in total on this floor, the
subjects ranging in age from Carmelina’s seven to Averill’s thirteen. None of
the subjects made eye contact with each other, instead they turned to head east
down the hallway, all falling into single file.
The
doors at the end of the hall slid open and one by one the kids were given a
sheet of paper from a lady in a daring red dress; odd for this place, but they
were used to the sight and none batted an eye. The room was round and held
fifteen elevators. The subjects were separated into pairs and they all stood at
the doors to the elevators, waiting.
At
6:51 more bells rang and the elevators opened. As if sharing a brain the pairs
stepped in together. Carmelina stepped in number 7 with Averill. The elevator
had 30 floors, the number 20 lit up. There were already 18 people on the
elevator, and Carmelina and Averill stepped in and turned around without making
eye contact. Every subject kept their eyes averted, as they’d been taught. The
subjects in this elevator all looked to be around Averill’s age, all but
another young girl who looked to be Carmelina’s age.
The
elevator started its descent, stopping first at floor ten. Averill and another
got out. This happened on each floor as it continued down. By the first floor,
it was just Carmelina and the other young girl. They both stepped out when the
elevator came to a stop.
“Subject
2023 and 2523,” a man in a green plaid shirt and blue jean overalls said from a
few feet in front of them. The room they were in was just like the elevator
room from twenty floors up, fifteen elevators and two subjects standing in
front of them with a projection of the same man greeting them. “You are to
report to room 23,” he said.
Carmelina
and the young girl followed the others as they fell into single file. The doors
opened and another hallway just like the one twenty floors up greeted them.
They started down the hall, pairs entering their designated rooms as they
walked. Carmelina and Subject 2523 entered room 23.
“Wonderful,
wonderful,” a man wearing bright blue board shorts and an open blue Hawaiian
shirt said. “Carmelina and Rosabel.”
The
two subjects nodded as he said their names.
“That
won’t do, girls,” he said. “Greet me back.”
Carmelina
furrowed her brows. “Hello,” she said softly.
An
intake of breath from beside her was the only thing Rosabel did.
The
man smiled. “Wonderful. My name is Kilian.”
“Kilian,”
Carmelina said.
Another
intake of breath from Rosabel again.
“Can
you not speak Rosabel?” Kilian asked and stepped forward.
Rosabel
looked down at her bare feet. Just like Carmelina, her pants dragged on the
ground. She wiggled her toes.
“This
is problematic,” Kilian said and stroked his stubble chin.
Carmelina
looked up at him quickly before averting her eyes. His green eyes were studying
Rosabel with a strange intensity. She took a look around. The room was the same
as it’s been since she came here five years ago. Two black leather dentist
chairs, restraints dangling from them, stood on either side; a white desk is
pushed back against the far wall, a black desk chair in front of it. The
computer showed a colourful screensaver, the phone blinked red with messages,
and the desk that used to be so orderly was piled with papers. The walls now
have posters of the outside world scattered on them but the floor is still the
same off-white tile.
“Well,
up on the chairs, ladies,” Kilian gestured to them.
Carmelina
and Rosabel moved at the same time, sat on the chairs, and stared at the ivory
ceiling.
Kilian
clicked his tongue. “No need to do that.”
Carmelina
looked at him. He smiled.
“I
do things differently than the others at this place,” he said. He looked over
at Rosabel but she kept her gaze on the ceiling. “Now, now, Rosabel,” he
started. “Haven’t you been taught to follow orders?”
Rosabel
dragged her lavender eyes from the ceiling and looked at him. He smiled.
“Good
girl,” he said. “Now,” he clapped his hands and a machine came down from the
ceiling. He stepped back so it could land on the ground in front of him. Two
arms stretched out from its side, one pointing at Rosabel, the other at
Carmelina, with a black ball that looked like a camera held in the claws
attached to the arm. It was sleek and silver, a keyboard at his waist and a
screen at his eye level. He typed something into the machine and the arms moved
above the girls and down their bodies.
“Ah,”
he said. “I see what the problem is, Rosabel. You’ve lost your voicebox.”
Rosabel
gave a small nod.
“My
predecessor?” Another nod. “Deary me.” He rubbed his chin. “Well, Carmelina and
I will just need to learn sign language with you.”
Rosabel’s
eyes widened.
“It
won’t be hard,” he continued. “Not with our level of intelligence.” He types
something into the computer and the arms go straight up, revealing a screen on
either side. “Let’s begin.”
***
At
exactly 12:12, bells rang throughout the compound and knocks on the examination
room doors followed.
“Excellent,”
Kilian said and stood up. He opened the door, took the tray from the robotic
arm, and shut it again. Three boxed meals sat on the tray. He walked back and
sat down, handing each girl her meal and set the tray on his lap. “Bon
appetite.”
Carmelina
giggled and opened her box, taking out the sandwich.
“That
was an eventful morning,” Kilian said. “Sign language learned, yes?”
Carmelina
nodded and Rosabel signed ‘yes’.
“Excellent.”
He took a bite of his sandwich. “This afternoon will be something neither of
you have done before, I’m sure.”
Rosabel
tilted her head as she took a bite.
“We’re
going to destroy this compound.”
Carmelina
gasped. Rosabel’s mouth dropped open.
Kilian
grinned. “You girls are becoming more human as the day goes along.”
Carmelina
furrowed her brows again. “We are human.”
“Yes,
but here they have you become nothing more than subjects to be tested on. I,
nor my superiors, agree with this. This compound is the last one standing. Also
the hardest to destroy,” Kilian took a bite. “That’s why I needed to get in.”
“How
long have you been here?” Carmelina asked.
“Three
years,” Kilian answered. “It took me three years to become your examiner and in
that time all of my research has led me to one conclusion: you two are the only
ones worth saving.”
‘Why?’
Rosabel signed.
“You
better finish up,” Kilian said, ignoring Rosabel. “Our mission begins when the
next set of bells ring.” He waved to the screens and watched as they both
turned to look at them.
The
girls’ eyes ran across the screen as they read the information, eating their
sandwiches as an after thought. They turned to look at him at the same time.
“You
understand your roles?” Kilian asked and took their empty boxes.
They
both nodded.
Kilian
stood up and motioned for them to do the same with the tray. “Wonderful.”
He
walked forward towards the door as the bells rang throughout the compound at
12:42. A knock followed the bell and Kilian opened the door to give the tray to
the robotic arm. The arm disappeared into the floor with the empty tray and
Kilian stepped out of the room, Rosabel and Carmelina following. He gave a nod
and each girl took off to opposite ends of the hallway. He followed Rosabel
west which led to the main lobby.
Carmelina
joined him and Rosabel two minutes later, confirming the cameras had been shut
off on her end.
“Excellent,”
Kilian said and swiped his employee ID next to the door at the end of the hall.
It swished open and the two girls darted forward, shutting off those cameras
too. The room they entered was empty, only two cameras pointed to either side
of the room and another door at the other end. Again Kilian swiped his ID next
to the door and it opened. The girls darted forward and got rid of the four
guards in the room.
“A
weapon for each of you,” Kilian said as he grabbed the two guns off the two
guards that stood just inside the door. He straightened and watched as the
girls swung the guns over their shoulders, carrying it as if they had their
entire lives. “The next room is much heavier secured.” He said as bells started
ringing through the compound. “We’ll need to break this door.”
Carmelina
nodded and turned to it, shooting the panel beside it. It smoked and clicked
open, the door sliding into the wall. Rosabel immediately began shooting into
the room, killing the guards that stood in there to capture them. The
receptionist screamed and ducked behind the counter.
Kilian
stepped into the room first and grinned. “Excellent, Rosabel.”
Rosabel
and Carmelina stepped up beside him.
“You
two guard the front door, shoot any you see coming. I’ll get this compound
ready to blow,” Kilian said. He walked over to the desk as the girls followed
his orders. “Hello dear,” Kilian said, leaning over the desk. “You don’t think
anyone is coming, do you?”
She
looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. “The head office will send
backup.”
Kilian
grinned. “Head office is currently out of commission.”
She
gasped.
“Took
them out two months ago. So why don’t you go ahead and hit the self-destruct
button.”
“There
is no such button,” she whispered.
Kilian
raised an eyebrow. “Really? There were at all the other compounds.”
She
just shook her head as the bells started getting louder.
“For
heaven’s sake, shut off those damn bells.”
“They’ll
keep ringing until the boss enters his code,” she said.
Kilian
groaned. He straightened and walked around the desk.
“What are you
doing?” She scurried backwards on her butt.
“Finding the
self-destruct,” he said and started poking around her desk.
“There isn’t
one,” she said only to gasp when he found a compartment underneath it that
revealed a small black button, the words ‘emergency use only’ written beside
it.
“There isn’t
one, eh?” He said and pressed the button. A fire alarm started blaring then as
he casually walked to the entrance. He turned around as she stood up. “Sorry
doll,” he said and shot her, the bullet hitting her forehead dead centre.
“Kilian?”
Carmelina asked once he stepped outside. “How do we leave?”
Kilian grinned
and started leading them down the beautifully designed driveway. “Our ride is
waiting outside the gate.”
Rosabel turned
back to the compound as an explosion sounded through the air. The back of the
place was lit up in flames and screams echoed through her ears.
“Better start
running, girls,” Kilian said and started to jog.
The girls looked
at each other and smiled before sprinting to the front gate that was starting
to open, a bright green van pulling up to the entrance. Kilian laughed as they
passed him and he picked up speed, another explosion sounding from behind him.
“You sure make a
spectacle,” the man in the van said as the girls opened the back and got in,
Kilian sliding in the passenger seat.
“You know me,”
Kilian said as the man turned the van around and started back down the country
road. “I live for the fire.”
