Chapter 4 - Intruder

“Hey, congrats, you made it to the next floor!”

The doors open and I walk out into what seems like an entirely new place. Old metal walls, old metal flooring, and bright fluorescent lights overhead. This place is much cleaner compared to the last floor…

There appears to be some side doors up ahead, but other than that, there’s no signs that direct you where things are.

“This place already looks like a maze.”

“Sorry about that, but you’ve got a lot more ahead of you…”

I take a moment to observe my surroundings, but before I can say anything else, I hear something walking in the distance, the strange sound of metal stomping upon metal.

“Hey, do you hear that? I hear weird footsteps in the distance. I think they’re getting closer?”

There’s silence for a moment.

“Hazel.”

“Yeah?”

“You need to hide. Right now.”

Something about her tone of voice sends chills down my spine, and I run to hide in one of the side rooms, only to discover that the doors are all locked. The metal footsteps in the distance get louder, the pace of a steady march echoing down the hallways.

I look around in a panic.

“So!! Big problem!! I don’t have anywhere to hide!! What do I do!!”

“Hazel, you need to get out of there, right now. I was wrong. Apparently they did leave the security systems operational, even after all these years.”

“If it catches you, you are not going to make it out alive.”

“Start. Running.”

“I- I’m backed into a corner! I don’t have anywhere to run, what am I supposed to do?”

“I… I… I don’t know.”

“Hazel, I’m sorry. I let you down.”

“I…”

The footsteps get closer and closer until a strange, tall robotic figure walks out, stopping their rhythmic march to stare at me. It stands there for a second before walking over with the same smiling expression on its face, towering over me.

“HIYA.”

“H. Holy shit I MEAN Hiiiii Heyyyyy.... soooo, I’m just. Walking through here. Trying to find an exit. Dont mind me really. If you could maybe direct me to one that would be SO GREAT Haha”

I sweat profusely, panicked thoughts running through my brain, giving the robot an anxious smile. It gives me a judging look, raising its nonexistent eyebrow as it stares me down.

“WHERE’S YOUR EMPLOYEE ID CARD. UNAUTHORIZED GUESTS ARE NOT WELCOME HERE AND WILL BE [ELIMINATED].”

“Oh Do Not Worry I have it right here. Haha. heh. Yeah”

I dig through my pocket and grab the employee ID card I found on the top floor before I fell down here. There’s a picture of a middle aged man on it and a bunch of numbers I don’t recognize. I anxiously hand it to the strange robot.

“Soo yeah, that should be good! It has been a great time talking with you, but I’m a really busy guy and all that. I’m just going to…”

I slowly start to sneak away–

“WAIT.”

I turn back around in an instant.

“Huh what yeah um What’s up?”

“THIS DOESN’T LOOK LIKE YOU.”

Using one of his sharp, metal fingers, he points to the unfamiliar face on the ID card, tapping it as he glares me down.

“What a strange coincidence!! Aw man, I must have grabbed my coworker’s! Simple mistake, happens all the time. Let me just go back and grab i-”

He forcefully grabs my arm, digging his metal claws into my skin, and I flinch in pain.

“YOU’RE NOT FOOLING ME.”

“Owhhhh ow ow ow haha What!! I wasn’t trying to do that! I really just forgot–”

“IN FACT, YOU LOOK NOTHING LIKE ANY OF THE EMPLOYEES LISTED IN THE DATABASE. I’M SERIOUS, I JUST LOOKED THROUGH IT. THERE IS A 0% MATCH.”

“...Okay, okay, you got me there. But listen to me! I didn’t mean to get stuck down here! I- I mean… One of the elevators broke, and”

He lets out a robotic laugh.

“DO YOU REALLY THINK I’M GOING TO FALL FOR THAT STUPID STORY?? YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF STUPID STORIES I’VE HEARD FROM INTRUDERS.”

“YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO EM’ ALL?”

“What happened”

“I WASN’T ASKING YOU.”

One of his arms makes a series of strange mechanical noises as it transforms itself into a turret, and to emphasize his point, he makes a shot at the wall in the distance, and it fires through the metal, the loud sound piercing through my ears and sending my head into a state of panic, the feeling of imminent danger setting in.

“I’D USUALLY SHOOT MY PREY ON THE SPOT, BUT…”

He lets go of my arm, leaving behind stinging red marks.

“IT’S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I’VE SEEN AN INTRUDER HERE. LET’S MAKE THIS AN INTERESTING LITTLE GAME!”

“H- huh? A game?”

“A GAME! HERE’S HOW YOU PLAY.”

“YOU RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN, AND TRY TO DODGE THE BULLETS FLYING AT YOU!”

He points his gun at me and smiles, the interface of his screen glitching sinisterly.

Just then, Calliope’s voice rings out from my walkie-talkie again.

“H- hazel! Are you there? Are you still alive?”

“OH, I SEE. THERE’S ANOTHER INTRUDER HELPING YOU AS WELL. HOW BOTHERSOME…”

He snatches my walkie-talkie and crushes it in his hands, the various parts crumbling to the ground as I watch in horror.

“NOW… I’LL BE GENEROUS AND GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS TO START! DON’T WASTE THEM. OR DO. IT DOESN’T MATTER ANYWAYS. I’VE GOT A PERFECT RECORD OF NOT LETTING ANYONE GET AWAY AND I’D LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.”

My body screams at me to move, the panic ringing throughout my head. I can’t fight him. If I run, there’s no way I can make it far before it’s game over.

Without thinking any longer, I dash throughout the halls, hoping to create plenty of distance between me and the strange robot. I run until I’m out of breath and my throat tastes like blood, already having used up my energy.

It’s no use. I really am going to die down here, aren’t I?

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