The Exterminated

She sprinted through the long, winding tunnels. Moss stretched along the top of the tunnels and trailed down the gray, stone walls. The tunnels were dimly lit, as if someone thought that would keep people from seeing what happens down there. The air felt humid and damp, as if it were trying to suffocate her. Her heart threatened to pound out of her chest, as her feet pounded even harder against the gray tile on the floor.

She could hear the guards chasing after her, the Warden barking commands at them. Too late to turn back now, she thought to herself. Clutching the flash drive in her palm, she ran as fast as she could. A bullet shot past her head, and more followed as she dashed around the corners. The shots echoed through the tunnels.

She had memorized the map of the tunnels, and knew exactly how to get there. Almost she thought as she saw the glow underneath the large, stone door.

"You don't want to do this!" The Warden shouted from behind her. "You'll only make things worse!"

She gave no thought to his words as she reached for the crude metal handle on the door. A ricocheted off her hand and hit the wall, making her stop.

"There's nowhere to run now, come back and we can finish what we started, Kate," the Warden said, his eyes pleading with her to understand. He stood at the end of the tunnel, his arm outstretched, beckoning her to return. Behind him six guards stood with their guns aimed at her.

"We both know this isn't right," she responded sternly, her hands clenched in fists at her sides. Her eyes burned with rage. "It's not worth it, none of it is."

The Warden lowered his hand, a grim expression spreading across his face. His eyes narrowed into angry slits. "Come with us and no one gets hurt."

Kate stood straight, her expression turning to cold determination. "I will not go back. And that is a fact as certain as your death will be if you do not stand down." She stared down the Warden, daring him to try her.

The Warden straightened and took a few steps back, so that his guards were in front of him. Good, she thought. He knew she wasn't bluffing. The guards tightened their grip on their guns. Their faces were masked, but their fear was evident, one was even trembling.

"I have my orders, Kate." The Warden raised a fist in the air, a signal, and the guards tensed, ready to fire. "One last chance. There's more guards coming. You know what he will do if you go through with this."

"And I know what he will do if I don't." Kate's voice was even, and as hard as the stone tunnel surrounding them. Smoothly, she moved her arms in front of her, ready to use them. "Very well then," the Warden threw his fist down. "Fire!"

***

Kate shoved the great stone door shut behind her and locked it. She breathed heavily and tried to wipe the blood on her hands off on her white uniform. She didn't think about what she had just done.

The room was huge and the walls were made of the same stone as the rest of the tunnels. Moss didn't grow across these walls. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a single computer screen in the front of the room. The room was filled with desks covered in computers and wires. All the desks were facing the same wall. Fifty feet in front of them was a large rectangular frame of shining metal. The metal frame stretched the whole length of the wall, and almost reached the ceiling.

Still clutching the flash drive, she strided across the room to the lit computer and typed in a passcode. The other computers began to turn on, flashing various locations equations. She typed in something on the main computer. The large metal frame began to hum with energy. The empty area in the middle of the frame began to be filled with a green and white light. It stretched across the frame, replacing the empty air with a mesmerizing green and white screen of energy.