Step
Hssss—Kshhh
Step
Step
…
Who knows how long we'd been walking.
Step
Hsss—Kshhhh
Step
And perhaps finally—A Ray of hope was in sight.
…
…
"Hey isn't that—"
"The exit-?" Eve's words sounded hysterical, like she just saw a bright light at the end of a dark corridor***.***
Step Step Step Step Step Step
Huff Huff Huff
Was it out of desperation? or was it out of hope, perhaps even a little of both, I don't know nor do I care. Heck I didn't even think—My body ran as soon as soon as those words left Eve's mouth
Hsssss—Kshhhhhh
Step Step Step Step Step
SLAMM
The airlock. The decontamination chamber. The way out..
"HEY! OPEN THE DOOR!"
Jeremy was the first to reach it.
He slammed his gloved hand against the metal door, his voice echoing through the corridor.
"WE'RE HERE! THERE ARE SURVIVORS!"
BANG BANG BANG
"Jeremy, calm down!" Eve shouted her voice desperate.
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO CALM DOWN?"
BANG
"HEY! CAN ANYONE HEAR US?!" I spoke, was it out of fear? or was it out of anxiety I joined in Jeremy's shouting session.
Yet nothing answered us.
…
Who knows how long we shouted for. In a way, desperation had began to creep in rather fast.
And at some point…
Bzzzzt.
[Identify yourself.] The voice of a young woman could be heard.
"CLEANUP TEAM! SITE X70! WE HAVE FIVE SURVIVORS!" Jeremy continued, yet.
[Remain where you are. Do not attempt to breach the door.]
…
Remain where you are?
What?
"Are you kidding me?!" Jeremy shouted. "OPEN THE DOOR!"
[Your team is currently under quarantine protocol following the containment breach and subsequent explosion at Site X70. No personnel will be permitted to exit until clearance has been granted.]
…
"WHAT?!"
Even through his helmet, I could hear Jeremy's voice cracking.
"WE'VE BEEN IN THERE FOR HOURS, SCHEDULE WISE WE'RE SET TO RETURN BACK HERE IN 30 MINUTES."
[Your cooperation is appreciated. Please remain calm while the situation is assessed.]
Bzzzt.
…
Hsssssss—Kshhhh.
"Son of a bitch." Old Man Randy spoke.
"That's it? We're just supposed to stand here?"
[Protocol dictates—]
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR PROTOCOL!"
Eve-?
[We understand your concerns. However, the quarantine measures are in place to prevent further contamination. Your safety remains our priority.]
…
…
I almost laughed.
Our safety remains our priority.
…
Hah.
…
From the sound of it, it's their safety not ours.
…
"DON't JOKE WITH ME YOU SON OF A—"
Bzzzt.
…
"SCHEISSE"
THUD
Jeremy spoke as he stomped his foot.
…
Weird.
Something felt wrong.
…
I was angry. Really angry, but let's be honest. In those fictional stories, lashing out at your superior does nothing.
They care nothing for those from a lower class. I thought said 'lower class' were the R-Classes but…
…
It looks like we 'cleaners' are included in that lower class.
…
I could feel cold sweat forming inside my head, 3 things filled my head. The first being—How much air we'd have left. The second, whether we would even be able to leave this place. Third—The current atmosphere.
Hsssss—Kshhhhhhh
Jeremy and even Eve had lost their composure. Old Man Randy was pissed, so was I yet…
Amanda was strangely quiet.
Was it out of curiosity? or was it this bad feeling welling up in me, I couldn't help but glance at her direction.
Hssss—Kshhhh.
Something was off.
No.
Not the sound itself. We'd been listening to that same damn sound for hours. It had gotten so tiring. so… normal.
…
It was the breathing behind it.
Hss—Kshhhhhh
Amanda's breaths were becoming increasingly uneven. She'd take one, pause, then take another, each one sounding just a little more strained than the last.
…
"Amanda?"
No response.
"Hey. Amanda?"
She turned towards me, her movement sluggish
Silence
Hssssss—Kshhhhh.
…
"Are you okay?"
A stupid question.
Of course she wasn't okay. None of us were, she shook her head anyway.
"I'm—Khhk."
Hssss—Kshhhh
…
That wasn't my breathing.
Only now did I realize.
Hss—Ksh—Klck.
A strange, metallic catch echoed from her chest regulator. The sound a straw makes when you forcefully crush it as it collapses to the ground
"Amanda?"
No response
"Hey. Amanda?"
She turned towards me, her movement sluggish. Behind the glass of her visor, her breath had turned fast once more I could see her visor fogging up rapidly
"Sss—KHHHHK"
…
What the hell was that?
Hsss—Kshhh
No.
No, no, no.
That wasn't right.
"KHHK"
GRAB
Amanda's hands shot toward her throat as she clawed at the front of her suit, then grabbed at her mask, desperately trying to pull it away from her face.
"Amanda?!"
THUD.
Her knees hit the floor.
"AMANDA!"
…
KHHHK.
Her hands wouldn't stop moving. One clawed at her throat, the other desperately tugging at the edges of her mask, searching for something—anything—that would let her breathe.
"KHHK—KHHK—KHHK"
She couldn't.
She fucking couldn't.
"DON'T TAKE YOUR MASK OFF!"
I heard someone shout.
Randy?
Jeremy?
I couldn't tell.
THUD THUD THUD
Amanda's boots scraped against the floor as she struggled, her body twisting desperately as though she could somehow escape whatever was choking her.
"AMANDA! STOP! STOP!"
Eve dropped beside her, grabbing her wrists.
But Amanda wouldn't listen.
Could she even hear us?
"KHHHHK"
Hssss—Kshhhh.
…
For a moment it felt like time just slowed down.
It was probably just me.
Because everything was happening so fast, yet somehow, I could see every little thing.
Amanda's trembling fingers.
The fog spreading across her visor.
Eve trying to hold her still.
Jeremy shouting something behind me.
Old Man Randy cursing.
And—
KHHK—KHHK
That damn Regulator.
She was running out of air—No
She'd already run out.
"OPEN THE DAMN AIR LOCK!" Jeremy's voice tore through the corridor.
BANG BANG BANG
"WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"
BZZZZT.
[Remain calm. Your situation is being assessed.]
…
What?
…
Remain calm?
I stared at the speaker. Then at Amanda. Then back at the speaker.
…
How long did we have?
Five minutes?
Heck probably even less.
I didn't know how much time had already passed—All I knew was that she was struggling to breathe, and every second we wasted was another second we couldn't get back.
…
Hsss—Kshhhhh
"Someone—"
My voice caught in my throat.
KHHHK
SOMEONE FUCKING HELP HER.
I wanted to shout those words.
Yet—Let's be honest. In this situation. There was nothing we could do.
I checked
I know these kinds of things, after all.
Nothing. No warning. No alarm telling you to get the hell out before you run out of air.
Eve's word somehow rang into my head.
It's almost as if they don't want us to survive.
…
We can't reach the outside world.
Hss—Kshhhhh
Everything will probably be drowned—A secret never to be told.
"—!!!" Someone was shouting—Who?
…
I couldn't tell anymore.
THUD TH—
[Remain—]
…
Glance
[1]
…
[1]
…
"—!!!!!"
[1]
The System.
…
[1]
One Single Question.
…
"—!!!!"
Thud
Hs—Kshhhh
…
Well I'm sure you know what I want to ask right? System?
[1]
…
[1]
How do I save Amanda?
[1]
[…]
[Remnants originated from what your world calls 'Fiction' They do not know this fact.] It spoke before turning to [0]
[E█ROR—█████. ████ AUT█ORITY████ BE██ND ████ ████. ████. … █re ███ ce██in? ███ ████ ████. … … ███ ████. Cho█ce████** ]
[…]
…
[There exists 5 of us.]
[████████.]
[█████████.]
[████████████.]
[Recollection.]
[██—ERRORR BEY██D—██████████]
[…]
[The 5 who governs.]
[Pillars]
And as soon as those words ended, it displayed a screen I had never seen.
[Error. █████. ████. ████.]
[-90]
But I didn't even have time to think nor pay attention, my mind went blank as my mouth spoke.
Ss—Kshhhh
"I HAVE INFORMATION YOU WANT."
"—?!?!"
…
Perhaps at that moment. I didn't know what sort of gamble I'd just did. My mind only had one thought. How to save Amanda?
In the eyes of these higher ups—A couple of cleaner's life is nothing. But—Someone with information? Something they didn't know of.
Bzzzzt
[Speak.] The voice behind had changed, her voice familiar yet I didn't care. I didn't even think twice.
"THESE REMNANTS, THEY COME FROM FICTIONAL WORLDS."
[I know~ I come from one too after all]
"THE FIVE."
[…]
"THE FIVE WHO GOVERN T—KHHK"
Ssssss—Klck.
I didn't even notice how I had ran out of air.
"KHHHK."
Sccchhh—rrrt
"CAEL" Eve's voice-?
THUD THUD THUD THUD
"KHHHK."
My visor had started fogging. Instinctively I couldn't help but grab my throat.
THWMP
My mask had imploded, suction-cupping flat against my nose and cheeks. The vacuum sealed my mouth shut. No longer could I speak.
"KHHHK—"
I CAN'T BREATHE
Thud
I CAN'T—
KHHHK—
My fingers dug into my throat.
No.
No, no, no—
GET IT OFF.
I tried to pull the mask away, I really really did. but my hands wouldn't cooperate. My fingers trembled, slipping against the glass as I desperately tried to force air into my lungs.
"KHHHK"
Nothing.
There was nothing.
I CAN'T BREATHE.
I CAN'T BREATHE.
I CAN'T—
Thud
My knees gave out The ground rushed towards me, and I barely managed to catch myself with one hand—I think. I could't tell anymore.
Or perhaps I didn't.
I couldn't tell anymore.
"KHHK."
THUD THUD THUD
My chest burned. My throat burned. Everything burned.
THE FIVE—
I had to finish.
THE FIVE WHO—
My mouth opened, yet no words came out.
PLEASE
I didn't even know who I was begging anymore.
The System?
God?
The Silentium?
Anyone?
…
The sounds around me grew distant. The shouting. The banging. The desperate, uneven breathing. All of it slowly fading into something I could barely hear.
I don't want to die.
I really really don't want to die.
Idon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twanttodieIdon'twant—
My vision had darkened, everything had turned dark I could no longer—Ah.
I'm dead aren't I?
[Hoh~]
That voice. So familiar—Yet…
It was the last thing I heard before everything. Everything turned—
Black.
—Evelyn's POV
"CAEL" I couldn't help but shout—I know I'll run out of air faster but at this point.
Fuck I can't even care anymore.
…
Thud
My knees felt weak.
I was tired.
…
Why were we getting into incidents after incidents?
They removed the alarm system, they didn't give us comms.
I thought we swore to quit this job together.
…
Hsss—Kshhh
Yet…
Glance
Amanda had stopped moving.
…
Cael was still struggling
Thud
…
Old Man Randy and Jeremy had fell. I could see Old Man's hand trembling. Jeremy had turned quiet.
Hssss—Kshhhh.
…
Their breathing still even—For now.
They probably only had a couple of breathes left.
Glance
I couldn't help but look at my gloved hand.
…
I probably only have 30 seconds of air left.
…
I shouldn't have taken this job.
Hsss—Kshhhhhhh
…
I'm gonna die.
…
Hss—Kshhhhh.
The five.
Whatever that was Cael tried to say—Ah. It's useless.
He can't even speak anymore.
…
Hs—Kshhhh.
[HoH~]
[Alright.]
[Maybe I'll save you~]
Sssss—Klck..
Sccchhh—rrrt
…
One more breath remains.
[Maybe I'll save your friends too as a bonus—But…]
"Khhhk."
[I'll wait till you all lose consciousness~]
Ah.
"KHHHK."
No.
No, no, no.
Not yet.
I DON'T WANT TO DIE.
GRAB
My hands flew towards my mask, desperately searching for something I could do.
Anything.
"KHHK!"
My knees buckled.
THUD
I couldn't even tell if I was still breathing.
Was this it? Was this how it ended? After everything we'd been through? After we'd promised to quit together?
I DON'T WANT TO—
My hands struck the floor. I tried to push myself up.But my arms wouldn't listen.
"KHHHHK."
The sound was becoming distant.
No.
Please.
Not yet.
Not yet.
I still wanted to live.
I still wanted to—
…
THUD
My body finally gave in.
The last thing I saw were the blurred outlines of my friends lying on the floor.
…
Ah.
So this was it
…
Black.
Darkness.
…
Death
"KHhHHk—"
THUD THUD THUD THUD
…
I should've never taken this job.
…
I should've been a scuba instructor.
THUD THUD
…
Maybe one of those that maintain an aquarium or something.
THUD
"KhhhhHK—"
…
Did that voice say something?
…
I-
Thud
Don't want to die.