Allan pushed through the doors of N.E.I. engineering wing, trying to steady his breathing. He kept his eyes down, avoiding curious glances from coworkers already at their stations. The hum of machinery, the clicking of keyboards, the chim the chime of automated arms assembling micro components - usually this was comforting however, today it felt it distant.
Muted. Wrong.
He slipped into the locker room, bracing a hand on the cool metal as he swayed. He opened his locker and grabbed his lab coat - the weight of it somehow grounding him - and shrugged it on. His hands shook as he buttoned it. Sweat prickled along his spine despite the chill.
"Hey man."
Allan Stiffened at The familiar voice behind him. He turned to find Darius Coleman, one of the senior tech engineers and one of the few people Allan considered a friend at work.
Darius was taller, broader and clean-cut, a white guy in his let late late twenties with short ash-blonde hair and bright blue eyes that always held a spark of confidence. Today, though, those eyes were narrowed with concern.
"You look like someone reward your brain in your sleep," Darius joked lightly. "Rough night?"
Alan forced a laugh that came out too thin.
"Why's everybody asking if I'm okay? I am, aren't I?"
Darius Leaned against the rows of a lockers, folding his arms. "Uh-huh, those who asked probably noticed... say a change in your usual behavior."
"What change? And just what do you mean by that?"
"Well...you are very readable."
"Readable!?"
"You've never walked past like five people on your way in without saying hi. And you never do that. Unless somethings up."
"Urg! I guess you now know me better than I know me. Everybody now seems to know me."
"So you're telling me you're fine?"
Allan looked away, quickly, pretending to adjust his coat. "Yes D, I'm fine. I'm absolutely fine."
Darius stared at him for a moment, clearly unconvinced.
"Mmmh. Your definition of 'fine' is garbage and if you're lying at least lie better. C'mon - you're with me today. We've got diagnostics to run on the new Energy Core prototypes."
"There up and running already?"
"Yep. Got em started last night. Took a little elbow grease..."
"Sick..."
"Brag about me to the boss upstairs. I really need that raise." He said as they started toward the lab.
The meeting dragged on longer than expected. Numbers, projections, tables, client models - it all swirled together in a haze. When Daniel finally dismissed them for a short break, she stepped out into the quiet hallway and exhaled. She pulled out her phone and quickly scrolled through her contacts.
She tapped the name Celeste Avery.
The call connected on the second ring.
"Shells?"
"Hey Avery."
"You calling me during work hours? Did someone finally blow up the lab again?"
Celeste's warm playful voice answered accompanied by faint background music.
Aria let out a breathy laugh despite herself.
"No lab explosions today I just... Needed to talk."
"Oof. That sounds serious. Que más?"
"It's Allan," she softly said, leaning her back against the wall. "Something's seriously up with him. He's looking restless even though he's been trying to hide it. For the past two weeks he's been distant and when Mike tried to ask about it he got defensive and bolted."
"Bolted?" Celeste paused. "That doesn't sound like him at all."
"I know that's why I was wondering if you could swing by later and you know... Get him to fess up or something?"
Celeste sighed heavily. "Oh shells I wish I could. Really, I do. Pero - "
Aria heard an airport announcement in the background.
"Wait... Are you at the airport?"
"Soy culpable," Celeste said. "I got called in late. I'm flying out to Chicago for a design show and Marcus - well..."
Aria perked up. "Is he home. Could he check on Allan?"
Another sigh. This one almost a groan.
"Marcus's in France," Celeste replied.
"A music production. Live play for Repunzel I think. You know how he is - tell him it's an opportunity and he's already on the plane."
Aria rubbed her temple. "Damn, I was hoping..."
"Yeah I know."
"It's okay Celeste. Thanks anyway."
"And shells?"
"Yeah?"
"If he's really in trouble... Call me. I'll ditch the show and come back."
She smiled slightly. "Thanks. And good luck in Chicago."
Celeste chuckled. "You know I'll kill it. Text me if the universe collapses or if Allan does something stupid. Adios."
"Will do."
Aria hung up and pressed the phone against her forehead. She took a deep breath, pushed off the wall, and headed back into the chaos of Nexus Engineering ngineering Industries.
Nightfall.
The night dragged on inside the engineering wing. Most of the building had emptied, but the lower Labs were still alive with buzzing lights, clicking consoles and exhausted engineers. Allan was hunched beside Darius and the others, hands deep in wiring diagrams and schematics. For the first time all day he felt almost normal. No noises in his head, no halucinations. No nothing.
Just... Work.
And it was strangely calming.
He exhaled slowly as he adjusted a conductor node. Darius nudged him lightly.
"See? Now you can say you're doing fine."
Allan tried to smile. It came out weak, but it was something. Before he could reply -
BEEEEEEP!!!
BEEEEEEP!!!I
The Klaxons exploded through the department. The overhead lights flashed crimson.
Engineer Simon span around.
"What in the - why is the core of a heating!?"
"It wasn't you an active!" Another yelled from across the console pit. "I just ran diagnostics five minutes ago!"
Panic spread. People rushed to stations. Hands flying over controls.
Darius swore under his breath.
"Fuck! It's spiking too fast!"
Allan stared at the main monitor. The Core's temperature graph wasn't climbing.
It was skyrocketing!
"This can't be happening!"
"Shut down the auxiliary feeds!"
"It's not responding!"
"Then get the manual override key dammit!"
"It's with the head of the company."
"Who's Brian idea was that?" Screamed Gordon as moved over the console.
"It doesn't matter G! He's on the topfloor - there's no way he'll get here in time."
The room felt smaller with every passing second.
"That temperature hits critical...it won't matter. Get him here and get him now!" Roared Simon.
Fear and tension have never blended so intensely as they did now.
"I've contacted 911."
"Great. At least something's right"
"But fire fighting team is 12 minutes out..."
"Twelve minutes out!" Flared Simon. "That's insane! we've got seven minutes top. And if it doesn't give us an explosion - we're all vaporized!"
As Allan stood there, something stir in him.
Something reckless.
Something ancient.
He's stepped forward.
"What if we shot circuit the car from the inside junction room," he said. "Shut it all down at once."
"We could. But who we sending? You know damn well that's suicide mission."
"I'll go." volunteered Allan
Darius let out a chuckle. "Now I know you sick in the head for real."
"Well I'm open to any other suggestions anyone..."
"Kids got a point." Cut in Gordon.
"G, Be serious right now, there has to be another way."
"It's the only option and I'm ready," Alan push back. "The switch from inside. If I melt the conduits the overlord collapses."
"Yeah - along with you."
"I'm not asking for your permission." He turned to Simon and Gordon. "I'm asking them. Gorden, Simon you know darm well it's the only way. Send me in there I got this. We can't wait for either the firefighters or the boss in the next six minutes."
Simon looked up, slammed one of the panels. "He's right. It's the only way."
"No!" Tried to argue out Darius.
"If we don't get him or anyone else in there soon... There won't be anyone left to argue about it! Let the boy go Dary."
The room when silent.
One minute gone.
Five left.
Tired of waiting for permission he bolted.
"Al - ALLAN!" Darius shouted, chasing after him. "Stop - don't - "
But Allan already reached the core room. He slammed the heavy door shut behind him sealing out the shouts and alarms.
Inside, the noise cut off instantly.
Allan stepped forward, chest rising and falling sharply. The core chamber glowed with blinding white light. The prototype pulsed widely, like a heartbeat trapped inside glass - brightening and dimming, in slow steady thumps.
The temperature display on the wall suddenly froze and began dropping.
Rapidly.
Allan frowned, stepping closer.
"What the - "
The core stopped humming entirely yet, shone brighter than before - too bright, too alive.
I realization kept into him.
Cold.
Dread-filled.
"Fuck. Not another - "