"Where are we going?" I asked as Ernie dragged me out of the lab in barely contained excitement.
"Before you become a part of this project, I need to introduce you to the basics." Kay said as he paused near a door and swiped his key card near a small metal frame and pressed his fingers on a blue square disk nearby.
'Identity Confirmed. Authorised personnel. Access granted. Doctor Ernestine Schrader. Time of entry recorded 7 : 30 pm.'
a mechanical voice answered and the door clicked open.
I gasped as I peeked inside the room.
It was an utter mess.
Absolute chaos.
Unlike the other rooms which were spotlessly clean, everything was covered in dust.
Heaps of papers were scattered on the floor, the bright computer screens had programs running and multiple icons open, wires were tangled and piles of useless junk lay near the trashcan.
The only thing that was somewhat organised was the bookshelf.
"What is this....chaos?" I asked with horror.
Ernie just started laughing on seeing my disgusted expression.
"Sorry! Heh...I almost forgot about how obsessed you are with everything being in order. This my friend....is my personal workspace." he said with obvious pride.
"Hmm... Is that so?" I asked glancing around the room.
It wasn't anything special.... I still couldn't figure out what he was trying to show me.
"It's ordinary... I don't see why you specifically brought me here... There is nothing significant about it regarding the project...unless you just want to show me what a lazy slob you had become..." I said cringing as I glared at the clattered table.
"It's just too bothersome to clean up all the time....besides I remember where I put my things." Ernie pouted.
He gave me a lopsided grin and tilted his head towards the bookshelf.
"Pick a book." he said with a mischievous grin.
"A book?" I asked walking carefully towards the bookshelf trying not to step on the important looking papers scattered on the floor.
"Yes. Choose one that stands out from the rest."
All the books were regarding robotics, chemistry, computers and informatics.
But nothing really stood out to me.
"Hm...whats that?" I found a book that looked too thin between the books titled 'quantum mechanics - An elaborate study' and 'Parametric equations differenciation.'
I looked at the book in my hands in horror.
"What in the world is this atrocity?" I asked with distaste.
The brightly colored cover was scalding my eyes....and the title itself made me feel like a fool.
"My...awesome alphabet book? Really?" I asked rolling my eyes as Ernie was literally rolling around laughing.
A child's alphabet book was so out of place here.
I couldn't help but laugh too.
"You haven't seen the best part yet! Look at the place you took the book from!" Ernie grinned eagerly.
I saw a small red button at the empty space on the bookshelf where this book had been.
"You know what the say about pushing random red buttons..." I said narrowing my eyes at it but pushed the button anyway.
The bookshelf creaked and slowly sank to the ground with a thud.
"Whoa!" I exclaimed startled.
There was another secret room inside which had computer screens and various tools lying about.
I whistled appreciatively as I glanced at the codes which was logical and organised....a complete contrast to the messy room.
"These codes! Brilliant.....to think that something like this could be possible...." I was mesmerized and enchanted by the possibility of what I read.
"I knew you would understand. Most people aren't that quick." Ernie stood at a distance and seemed to be studying me.
There was something strange about his tone that I found mildly disconcerting.
I ignored his piercing gaze as I scrolled through the codes.
I paused and frowned midway.
No.
This....cant be.
I can't make this obvious....if that was really the case then....I can't let Ernie know about this.
I tried to hide my trembling hands in my pocket and forced a smile as I turned around and faced Ernie.
"I really don't believe something like that could even be possible Ernie! But if we could do something like that then...then..." I fumbled at a loss of words.
"You really think it's good?" Ernie asked shyly fidgeting nervously with the hem of his lab coat.
"Good?! It's absolutely brilliant!" I exclaimed.
He looked relieved for some reason and almost whispered with an embarrassed smile.
"I am really glad that you liked it..."
"Hm...a chip?" I asked curiously holding the tiny chip on the table.
"Is it that physical object designed to be the simulation processor that was sent as a base inductor from the program?"
He looked at me with an unreadable expression that was quickly replaced with a smile.
"You are really quick to catch on. This makes things much easier."
"Follow me." he ordered and simply walked out.
"Hey! Wait up!" I said frantically going after him trying to match his fast pace.
"Another door? Don't you ever get lost in here....seriously its like a maze!" I groaned as he took me to another door.
"Med lab 04...not bad!" I said looking around.
He kept on walking ahead in silence as I glanced nervously around the scanners.
This room was strange....I had a strange feeling....an unearthly... foreboding...chilling feeling course through my spine.
Despite being empty, I knew someone was here sometime ago.
It was a gut feeling.
I tried to suppress my shudder.
I tried to control my expression and not let my fear show as I followed Ernie quietly.
Something was definitely wrong here. Something caught my eye near the gates floor.
Bloodstains.
I froze as I saw it but I couldn't let anyone know....I couldn't let Ernie know that I had seen...hastily wiped bloodstains near the gate's floor.
Like something.....or someone was dragged.....
"B...lood?" I didn't realize I had spoken aloud.
Ernie however heard the barely spoken whisper and saw me looking at it.
He quickly went towards the desk and came back towards me.
"Oh! I hurt my hand earlier. Must have been from my hand." He exclaimed.
He showed me a cut on his hand that was bleeding.
"Ernie! Gosh why didn't you do anything about it earlier!? Where's the med kit?!" I panicked as I saw the blood drip from between his thumb and index finger and fall to the ground.
"Relax it's just a cut Kay! Nothing too serious." He said in a calm soothing voice as I hastily tried to stop the blood loss by using my handkerchief as a gauze for the wound with trembling fingers that wouldn't stop shaking.
"I won't relax unless you promise me that you will get it treated. What if it leads to an infection?!" I glared at him sternly.
"I promise Ernie. Now stop frowning show much. You will get more wrinkles than you already have old man." He grinned teasingly as he messed up my hair with his good hand.
I grumbled upset about my messed up hair and him calling me old.
I guess it's not what I thought it was...
Ernie is a good guy. He wouldn't do something like that.
At least that's what I thought at first....
Until I saw the desk Ernie was near before he approached me.
A pen knife near the stationary set with fresh blood on its edge.
It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant.
Ernie deliberately injured his hand to make sure I wouldn't suspect anything about the original reason for the blood stains.
Someone was either injured...or dead and was dragged from the room.
There was not enough time to clean up the blood.
I felt goosebumps on my skin as I came to the conclusion.
I tried to slowly inhale and exhale without making it obvious that I was desperately trying to calm down as I fought the rising panic growing within me.
I was afraid.
Ernie....he knew.
I was frightened by the implications of that.
I can't let Ernie know what I found out.
Even if he was my Ernie....I couldn't trust him anymore.
He wasn't the same child I knew back then.
He had grown up to be something darker...more dangerous...
Evil.
I tried to maintain a neutral expression as I wore a mask of calmness and curiosity.
"Oh? What is this?" I asked Ernie as he paused near some kind of scanner trying to not let my dread show.
I tried to act naturally and looked curiously as the scanner.
It seemed to work and Ernie didn't suspect anything about me.
I know it was wrong to suspect my friend but.....
No way...Ernie mustn't have known about this....right?
I mean it's Ernie....
Could I just be misunderstanding this?
Was it just my imagination?
There must be an innocent explanation for this right?
"Hm....something was scanning." I said pointing to the running program on the screen.
"Oh....that was our last experiment." Ernie shrugged nonchantly.
"Oh? Last experiment? Where is the test subject?" I looked around curiously thinking I might have missed seeing a person nearby.
Ernie was unusually quiet.
"Ernie?" I gulped and turned around to look at him.
His face was blank and he looked right through me.
"The experiment was unfortunately a failure. We will need to make further improvements to make the project a success." He said in a voice that was devoid of any emotion.
....like he was reading from a book.
Plain and unconcerned....cold and uncaring.
"F...failure?! Does that mean the test subject.....is...uh...n..no longer around?" I couldn't hide the look of terror as I realised what it implied.
Was he the one that was dragged?! Did that mean he was dead?!
He simply blinked as he looked at me.
Then he just burst out laughing.
"You have quite a vivid imagination Kay! It just means he didn't meet the necessary conditions required of a good test subject for our experiment so he had to be replaced with another." Ernie explained smiling at me.
However I noticed that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes which had a dangerous gleam in it.
He was doing it again....
Weaeing a mask of deception to throw me off.....
"Where is the test subject now?" I asked hesitantly.
I had to know...
"Hm... He left the facility yesterday. Don't worry he is long gone.....safe at his homeland." Ernie said with a cold tone that indicated that he didn't want to continue the conversation.
"I see." I said trying to hide my unease.
"Hm... Its getting quite late now. How about dinner and rest for now. Tommorow we will work on the program with others?" Ernie suggested glancing at his wrist watch.
"Sure! I am starving right now!" I beamed at him secretly glad that the topic changed.
He grinned back as he led me outside towards the dining room.
I couldn't help but glance at the bloodstains on the ground.
No. I was right.
Those were definitely dried up bloodstains. There was no way it came from Ernie's wound which was much more recent.
Later when I sat down for dinner with Ernie and the other scientists and guards, I couldn't help but think about the bloodstains as I cut my steak.
The red wine along with the red sauce made me feel queasy.
I put aside the steak and just had some of the veggies and potato wedges that came along with it.
I felt really sick and closed my eyes trying to fight off the wave of nausea.
"Kay? Are you alright?" Ernie asked me looking concerned.
"Just feel tired." I nodded as I got up.
"I will have to skip dinner tonight I am afraid. Don't have much of an appetite."
"Very well. Have a good rest Doctor Kaysar. We will begin work tomorrow." Ernie nodded back to me in understanding.
"You have a good rest too Doctor Ernestine. Good night all." I nodded towards the others who had dinner with us before retiring.
I had a fitful sleep that night.
I could see the shadow of the dead test subject begging me to save him as he was dragged leaving a trace of blood on the ground.
The voices in my nightmare were screaming in anguish and begging.... desperately crying blood as they tried to hold me down and drag me along with them with their bruised clawed hands.
My eyes snapped open and I couldn't fall asleep.
I opened the door to my room cautiously and peeked out hoping to find someone who could get me some sleeping medication.
I noticed all the lights of the facility was off leaving only a dim blue night light that traced the corridoor's path.
I sighed.
I need to take a walk.
I put on my slippers and coat before silently walking down the empty eerie corridoors.
It's not like I can get any sleep now.
Might as well explore a bit and find out what secrets this place hides.
I shuddered as I put my hands into my coat pockets.
The cold was something uncanny and unearthly.
I was a scientist. I was a logical man who didn't believe in ghosts.....
...But I had a feeling this place caused a lot of fear, pain and deaths.
The chill I felt despite there being no wind made me feel that way.
I shook my head frowning at my illogical thoughts blaming it to be caused by the nightmare I had.
"Must be my imagination." I said walking unknowingly towards the direction of the jail cells.
I didn't know where I was going or even knew about the layout of this place...
But I knew this.....
Something compelled me to move in that direction and led me towards that place.
And I kept moving forward trying not to make a sound as that thing led me there.