Ch. 2
Tim proceeded down "Main St." and stopped in front of the large plate glass window of “Electronics Store”, pretending to window shop. He was keeping a close eye on the control room, waiting to see the Eradicator leader make his next move. He decided to head towards the “business district” to get a better view. Briefcase in hand, he smiled warmly at a gaggle of secretaries making their way to the “Coffee Shop”. They giggled and flirted with him. One of the secretaries decided to strike up a conversation, assuring her friends that she’d catch up with them in line. He chatted her up, since it made him appear even more a part of the test, and since she had her back to the control room, his vantage point was perfect. Besides, she was a looker, even if she was a robot. Well-designed, that was for sure, with her average height, long chestnut hair, and great legs. She was demure yet seductive in her buttoned-to-the-neck cream colored blouse and brown knee-length skirt. Her name was Victoria, or Vickie for short, all her friends call her Vickie, and did he work one of the buildings around here? He sure looked like it. By the way, how was he adjusting to the whole reversal of time thing? She herself thought it was weird, but what could you do in these changing times.
Sensing a trap, Tim avoided the question by saying he was late for a meeting, patting his briefcase, and that it was nice meeting her. He quickly glanced at the control room again and stepped quickly into the nearest building. He got on the working elevator (Matt was meticulous in his planning), and proceeded to the top floors. Tim examined the top three floors for escape routes, put on edge by the conversation with Vickie. An Eradicator test subject would not be aware of the concept of time. Could Matt know that he was here? He didn’t think it likely, mostly because he was still alive and free to roam the test area. Still…better safe than sorry.
It turned out that the lowest of the top three floors provided the best escape route, so he took the elevator back down to that floor, and secured an empty office with a working window (the only one, and he wondered if Matt was aware of this mistake). He put his briefcase on the table and opened it, checking the power level of the folded hover board concealed within. He didn’t quite know what Matt was planning this time, but he was a pro on his board and could get out of any dangerous situation once it was in-air. He was about to take the elevator back down to the ground level when a loud siren went off, accompanied by Matt’s voice giving a one-word command, “fill”. Suddenly, screams from the hundred or so Eradicators filled the test area. Tim ran to the window to witness four walls of water converging on the “town”, with people running in all directions trying to avoid death by drowning. Stupid bio-machines, Tim thought. Didn’t they know that they were designed to survive in water? Of course they didn’t, Tim’s thought process continued. They’re programmed to believe that they’re completely human until they are sent the signal to fight and defend. Satisfied with knowing Matt’s final plan, Tim unfolded his board, cocked his loaded pistol, and set about ascending from the office window. He found his target, a small landing 2 meters away, opposite the control room. He’d be able to make it unharmed, he figured, due to the speed of his board, and the fact that it’d take 2 minutes easy for the armed Eradicators to leave the control room for the test area adequately equipped, even longer to arrive at this only other way out of the test facility, aside from the main doors.
Tim opened the wide window and was about to jump on his board when he decided to check the control room one last time before he took off. A quick glance showed that Matt was no longer there monitoring his army’s progress. He was not in the control room at all. While Tim found this odd, he also found it lucky; the armed Eradicators could not attack without Matt’s command, so he could easily sail from this office to the landing. He peeled himself from the window, jumped on his board, and sailed over the previously panicking crowd. There was now a mass transformation occurring, as people began to develop scales and gills, fins and webbing. Shrieks of terror gave way to shouts of awe and understanding – they would survive this catastrophe. Tim had his weapon at the ready, just in case, when he noticed one voice, still shrill, still terrified. It was Victoria (Vickie to her friends). Soaked from head to toe, and bobbing like an apple in a tin bucket at Halloween, Victoria spotted Tim on his board and screamed for help. “I CAN’T SWIM,” she yelled. Tim, by now noticing that she in fact was not transforming to an amphibious creature, swooped down to her and put her atop his board. What the hell was a human doing among the test subjects? Figuring that there was no time for questions now, he headed for the lighted landing. Once he got there, he put Victoria up on her still shaking legs, re-folded his board, and told her to follow him, that everything would be alright. They only got down one corridor when they were stopped dead in their tracks. Someone was blocking the narrow hall.
“So nice to see you again, Tim,” said Matt. “Allow me to congratulate you on making it this far.” He reached out to shake Tim’s hand, which tried to retreat a second too late.
Matt’s grip was firm.
Sensing a trap, Tim avoided the question by saying he was late for a meeting, patting his briefcase, and that it was nice meeting her. He quickly glanced at the control room again and stepped quickly into the nearest building. He got on the working elevator (Matt was meticulous in his planning), and proceeded to the top floors. Tim examined the top three floors for escape routes, put on edge by the conversation with Vickie. An Eradicator test subject would not be aware of the concept of time. Could Matt know that he was here? He didn’t think it likely, mostly because he was still alive and free to roam the test area. Still…better safe than sorry.
It turned out that the lowest of the top three floors provided the best escape route, so he took the elevator back down to that floor, and secured an empty office with a working window (the only one, and he wondered if Matt was aware of this mistake). He put his briefcase on the table and opened it, checking the power level of the folded hover board concealed within. He didn’t quite know what Matt was planning this time, but he was a pro on his board and could get out of any dangerous situation once it was in-air. He was about to take the elevator back down to the ground level when a loud siren went off, accompanied by Matt’s voice giving a one-word command, “fill”. Suddenly, screams from the hundred or so Eradicators filled the test area. Tim ran to the window to witness four walls of water converging on the “town”, with people running in all directions trying to avoid death by drowning. Stupid bio-machines, Tim thought. Didn’t they know that they were designed to survive in water? Of course they didn’t, Tim’s thought process continued. They’re programmed to believe that they’re completely human until they are sent the signal to fight and defend. Satisfied with knowing Matt’s final plan, Tim unfolded his board, cocked his loaded pistol, and set about ascending from the office window. He found his target, a small landing 2 meters away, opposite the control room. He’d be able to make it unharmed, he figured, due to the speed of his board, and the fact that it’d take 2 minutes easy for the armed Eradicators to leave the control room for the test area adequately equipped, even longer to arrive at this only other way out of the test facility, aside from the main doors.
Tim opened the wide window and was about to jump on his board when he decided to check the control room one last time before he took off. A quick glance showed that Matt was no longer there monitoring his army’s progress. He was not in the control room at all. While Tim found this odd, he also found it lucky; the armed Eradicators could not attack without Matt’s command, so he could easily sail from this office to the landing. He peeled himself from the window, jumped on his board, and sailed over the previously panicking crowd. There was now a mass transformation occurring, as people began to develop scales and gills, fins and webbing. Shrieks of terror gave way to shouts of awe and understanding – they would survive this catastrophe. Tim had his weapon at the ready, just in case, when he noticed one voice, still shrill, still terrified. It was Victoria (Vickie to her friends). Soaked from head to toe, and bobbing like an apple in a tin bucket at Halloween, Victoria spotted Tim on his board and screamed for help. “I CAN’T SWIM,” she yelled. Tim, by now noticing that she in fact was not transforming to an amphibious creature, swooped down to her and put her atop his board. What the hell was a human doing among the test subjects? Figuring that there was no time for questions now, he headed for the lighted landing. Once he got there, he put Victoria up on her still shaking legs, re-folded his board, and told her to follow him, that everything would be alright. They only got down one corridor when they were stopped dead in their tracks. Someone was blocking the narrow hall.
“So nice to see you again, Tim,” said Matt. “Allow me to congratulate you on making it this far.” He reached out to shake Tim’s hand, which tried to retreat a second too late.
Matt’s grip was firm.
posted by sosogood313 at 4:27 PM
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