Blood and Thunder

Chapter 31 - The Labyrinth

The tunnels below were just as twisted and consuming as the hallways above. Although they had come to an area of light, it wasn't much help to the boys, they still had no idea exactly where they were. They walked as quietly as they could, their feet wet from the puddles of liquid, both were getting tired but some inner strength kept them going, but after a while Alexander stopped.

"Can you hear that?"

Jathan listened carefully to the sounds around him. Apart from the dripping of water and the two of them breathing, he couldn't hear anything.

"There it was again."

"Honestly Alex, I can't hear -"

The boys looked at each other before running. The footsteps behind them also sped up. Heavy, loud footsteps vibrated through the wet and slippery floor.

They whizzed around corner after corner, not taking note of where they were going. Just as long as it was away from whoever was behind them, neither of them were keen to find out who it was. Alexander gripped Jathan's hand harder, not wanting to let go, not wanting to separate from him. Pulling his friend along behind him, he hoped that they would lose the pursuer soon.

Sweat started to drip from them, they had to stop. Both boys stood hands behind their heads, trying to catch their breath. The footsteps couldn't be heard. Maybe they lost them? Or maybe it was their minds playing tricks on them. Walking on much slower, they continued into the gloom.

Lights flickered on as they turned round the corner into a room, revealing the horrors in front of them. Both of them looked at each other, feeling the exact same thing. Pure fear and dread.

The room had white tiles completely covering the walls and grey laminate flooring covered the room, making it look darker and gloomier. Wet patches covered the floor as if it had just been cleaned and wasn't yet fully dry. Alexander examined the room, disturbing photos of people and doctors, as well as detailed diagrams of the human body were pinned to boards on the wall. Some had detailed, messy handwritten annotations covering them. In the corner of the room there was an old hospital operating table. Alexander walked over to it, the smell of fresh blood was strong and it lingered in the air.

"Jathan, we need to get out of here. Like, now."

Jathan was walking around the edge of the room, looking at preserved organs in jars. Looking closer, he saw some that were dissected, and some that had been sewn back up. He found a chest on the side.

"Don't touch anything!"

But before he finished his warning, Jathan opened the chest.

"Oh My God."

He jumped back. He stared closely at the contents. Half intrigued, half disgusted. A human heart laid in the chest, with tubes going into it, pumping oxygen rich blood through the muscle. The heart was beating inside the box. The heart was still alive, without the body.

"Okay we are getting out of here. Now Alexander."

Alexander held up one hand, while flipping through a book with another.

"Hang on, there's an old notebook here, written by a doctor."

"Now really isn't the time to read something Alexander."

But before Jathan could pull him away he started to read from the book, as he was reading it, Jathan didn't dare interrupt. It was nothing like he was expecting.

'Today has been a productive day, with the progression of the study moving quicker than planned. We have achieved the goal of bringing someone back from the dead. However issues remain. They do not have any memories, they are like a blank canvas, no recognition of their former selves. They know nothing of the world around them. We need to find a way to ensure their memories return when their blood starts pumping in their veins again. Also, more pressingly, they do not seem to have any of their uniques talents. They are just plain.

This did not please the boss, however it is all just a step towards the final goal.

He also commented positively on my little side study. The extraction of one's talent and the replication of it. We hope to be able to extract a sample of a talent from someone and increase the strength and inject it into someone else, meaning that not only can children have multiple talents, but also fully grown adults. It may also decrease the chance of losing one's second talent during early adulthood. The boss commented on how we could combine these studies, so if we cannot achieve the desired outcome for the main study, we can however still give the person a talent that they desire.

Think of the possibilities if we could all share the same talents, the human race would be equal and much stronger. However the amount of willing volunteers has decreased massively during the last decade, as rumors of patients deaths has been spreading around the common areas. The money paid to the volunteer, or their families, is not enough of an incentive anymore. People are worrying about their futures. If we cannot guarantee their lives are safe with us, then they will not risk it. To die, would mean death of their families also. The money won't be enough to sustain them if the main earner dies. The only subjects we are currently getting are those who have nothing left to lose, however, even those are becoming wary.

The boss suggested we take children. The lost ones. The ones that have been in care for many years, or those in jail for various crimes. We offer them a chance of a good life for helping us, a clean slate. He is saying we offer the children the chance of a good life afterwards, by saying that we guarantee to find them a family sooner or to put them in further education.

As much as it pains me to put these poor souls on the table, what else can I do? I need live human subjects to help me or else he will have my head.

I will just increase the pain killers so they feel nothing at all.

I'm so sorry. Lord Forgive me.

Dr J. Canon'

Once Alexander finished reading aloud, he stared at the book in silence, praying what he read wasn't true. He placed the small book back where he found it and turned to his shocked friend. Both of them had never looked so scared.

"Shouldn't we take that with us?"

"No, if the notice that it's missing, they will blame it on us. We can't give them any other reason to arrest us."

"Shit. Fuck. Okay, Alexander we need to move before we end up in a jar."

Jathan's head was racing, he kept stepping to the side, and then changing his direction. His mind was yelling for his body to do too many things at once and his body was trying to listen.

"Crap. Okay. Right. We need to find your sister. Like now. Then we need out of here. I don't care which way we run, as long as we move. I can't stand around in this creepy place. This is bad. Like bad bad. Alexander, we need to move. Now."

Alexander didn't argue. He ran over to Jathan and grabbed his hand. They ran past the table and through the far door. The boys didn't have an idea where to go, but back wasn't an option for them. Rosia could be in more trouble than they thought and leaving this place without her wasn't an option anymore. They couldn't risk leaving her and attempting to rescue her later, they needed to do everything they could to get to her. One way or another.