Legends Of The Multiverse #9 - The Facility

dber (66)in #fiction • 6 years ago (edited)

Freshness rode the wind, scaling the protective mountains, brushing past the wide forest, and racing into Alexandra's nostrils.

She inhaled greedily and felt a warm blanket of calm drape over her. There was promise in that scent, of possibility and change. Promise called to her from beyond the grass covered yard, out there past the mountain mist.

A minder noticed Alex's stillness and yelled from across the yard. "Alexandra! Come and join the game!" The minder's warm, inviting voice boomed with inhuman volume over the length of grass. The nearby children did not notice and continued to play.

Alexandra allowed herself one more look at the pristine outside world, the open blue sky, past the ten story guard towers, through the electrified links of a half dozen steel fences.

Then she ran to join the game.

Minder George interfaced with the classroom white board and a large map was projected showing the entire facility. Minder George's white head spun around 180 degrees and addressed the class.

Like all minders, George's voice was unique, but also the same somehow. "Class, before we begin today's studies, we have an announcement regarding recent increased security measures."

The white board's image began to move, zooming in on several locations along the outer perimeter of the facility. "Due to an increase in Growler activity, the fences at the North, South, and Western ends of the facility have been reinforced. Growler assaults have nearly doubled in recent months. This defensive action was deemed necessary by the superintendent."

The classroom full of 40 ten year-olds stared back at Minder George in fear. One small boy raised his hand.

George's white head swiveled instantly to face the upraised arm. "Question, Young Mr. Kay?"

Timothy Kay mustered his courage, swallowed his fear, and spoke with the poorest approximation of great bravery. "But Minder George, we will be safe from the Growlers, right?"

The rectangular aperture through which Minder George emoted lit up a jovial green, displaying a broad, reassuring smiley face. "Yes, young Mr. Kay, the superintendent has assured our safety!"

This put Timmy Kay at great ease. He sat back down, but not before glancing around the room to assess the other student's opinions of his tenacity.

Alexandra was not impressed - either by Minder George or Tim Kay. However, she knew not to express her doubt, nor ask the question that lingered on her tongue.

But Minder George's emotional feedback sensors saw through her efforts at restraint. George's head swiveled toward her, his aperture glowing yellow with a pensive blue question mark. "Alexandra, is something wrong?"

There was no hiding it now. Alexandra stood up defiantly. "Why have we never seen a Growler?"

The other children became restless and Minder George's aperture turned slate gray. "Class?"

In unison the rest of the class responded with the practiced verbiage. "To see a Growler is to be killed by a Growler!"

Alexandra sat back down. In spite of herself, she had also spoken the words out loud. Apparently satisfied, George blanked the white board and began the day's lesson.

Periodically the sky near the external fence would pop.

There might be a small flash, but usually just a sharp popping sound, seemingly at random. This was totally normal and paid no heed by anyone.

One clear skied day Alexandra was working on a puzzle by herself. It was a puzzle of the dormitory, with her entire class posing together for a picture. Alexandra knew the puzzle well and was putting it together with the pieces upside down.

There was a pop out near the farthest fence. Alexandra took almost unconscious notice and continued her puzzle.

But then there was a second pop soon thereafter. And then a third in quick succession. Alexandra looked up in time to see the object hurtle over the final fence and land in the grass by her table.

She knew she should call a minder, but curiosity got the best of her. She went over to the spot where it landed and saw a strange, large creature writhing in the grass. Alexandra had seen a feather before in science class, but this animal was covered in them. In three places the feathers were scorched away in tight circular marks that cut into the animals body.

Alexandra felt sorry for the thing. She leaned toward it and was reaching out to touch it when the alarm went off. A high pitched warble that echoed across the facility. Three minders rolled over at top speed, their apertures a fearsome red.

"Contaminant identified." Their pleasant voices had morphed into deep, non-human tones of command. The effect was immediate and Alexandra recoiled from the injured goose. "Subject Alexandra, return to your dormitory immediately."

One of the minders broke away from the other two and placed a firm padded claw on Alexandra's shoulder, urging her back to the dorms. "What was that thing?" Alexandra asked.

The minder did not respond. As she was ushered away, Alexandra looked back and saw the other two minders bathing the strange beast in fire emanating from two apertures in their chests.

A small awful sound could be heard for a moment, but it was quickly drowned out by the roar of the flames.

"Alexandra, did you touch the contaminant?"

"What was it?

"Please answer my question. Did you touch the contaminant?"

"No, I didn't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Have you encountered any other contaminants, Alexandra?"

"No."

"..."

"No!"

"....good. Thank you Alexandra."

An extraordinarily hot day in the yard.

The grass was yellowing from the extended heatwave and most of the children were inside. But not Alexandra. The sunlight was too precious to her.

For awhile the minders had kept extra tabs on her, but days became weeks became months and things had returned to normal. One minder now stood at the far end of yard.

Alexandra sat on the grass under the shade of a willow tree near the Southern fence. She was reading a book entitled "The Superintendent's History of The Growler Menace." She had read it before.

She put the book face down on the grass and leaned back against the tree. She was looking through the fencing, out into the waves of heat, into the lush forest, when movement caught her eye.

It was just a slight rustle of the grass a few feet ahead of her. Instinct drove her to investigate. She got up and walked over. The rustling moved in her direction, but she overcame her fear and continued. At last she met the invader.

A tiny little creature, furry and tailed. It was the cutest thing Alexandra had ever seen. It stopped there in the grass and seemed to look up at her. The field mouse stood on its hind legs and beckoned.

Alexandra bent over and with the tip of her pointer finger touched the small creature gently on the top of its head.
She would cherish that moment, the creature's warmth and softness, until the morning of her 15th birthday, when the incubation period would be complete, her experiment terminated, and the virus harvested from her blood.

The small mouse ran off then, back through the yellowed grass and under the fences.

Alexandra wished it well.

"McCallister's hardware store has agreed to refund Ms. Daisy for the shoddy cleaning job, as well as pay her $1000 to reupholster the ruined couch. New York 9, problem solved."

"Good for Ms. Daisy, Jim. Now to darker news. A small town in upstate New York has come down with the flu, and doctor's are saying it's one of the deadliest strains in recent history. 58 of the towns 80 residents have been diagnosed already, and nearly half of the infected have died. A CDC spokeperson commented on the situation reassuring the public that it was under control;

This is an extraordinarily virulent strain of the flu virus. However the town of Petersburg has been fully quarantined and the residents are receiving the best treatments available. We believe we have the outbreak contained.