The meeting room was slightly more empty now, the head of security had left on a personal request from Newfort to talk to his high subordinates and the head of relations was going to check out what was going on in the observation tower. Currently the head of engineering, a middle-aged man, head of research, Hawthorne and Newfort were gathered around the table, before the head of the facility broke the silence.
"Alright...First of all, where is the head of medical?"
Hawthorne rubbed the bridge of her nose and raised her hand,
"She's still in medical, I don't know what could be so important to restrict her when things are heading from bad to worse-"
"I'd thank you to hold your tongue, Ms. Hawthorne... This is nothing beyond our control. If we all do our part, everything will be restored to Status Quo before you know it."
"...If you're sure sir...Look, we need to be honest with the residents about what's happeni-"
"For lack of better term, what they don't know, won't hurt them."
"...Are you being serious, sir?"
"We're prepared for this and the last thing we need is for our residents to be panicked." He said matter-of-factly before the conversation was interrupted by Engineering's cellphone. The three others stared at him as he flushed slightly,
"Apologies. I think that's Cross from the observation tower, should I answer it?"
"By all means." Newfort nodded, looking to his wife who she herself looked far away in her own mind, but somehow like she was listening. Something about that woman made Hawthorne very uncomfortable.
Engineering spoke for a few minutes in the hall, the conversation getting more and more quick and serious. The call ended and he turned to the group.
"He can't get into the observation. Something is going on, no PRACC guards can get up to the broadcast room and no one is answering calls, not Strauss, not Cambrough, not even the damn intern."
[hr]
Sara looked nervously at the arm, this being the first time she was up-close with another Changed. She caught herself staring and gave a small smile,
"S-Sorry... I'd like to avoid the business there as much as possible...Let's just get out of here the way that he went." She found herself standing slightly behind him, avoiding eye contact from the mob.
"I don't know how I can thank you but...really, thank you. I...this is like a nightmare... ... ...Is...this...uh, are you new here?"
[hr]
Having opened the locked door, the fog seemed to follow David Gold, thick white sheets blurring the hallways, the lights were low and flickered. If outside was eerie, inside the detention center was almost scary. Sounds seemed to be eaten by the fog, making everything far away and faint, hard to make out. Listening closely it sounded like hushed whispers, what they were saying however was almost impossible to understand, aside from the occasional clear word among the twisted background noise.
"[sub][sub][sub]whyisthishappeningwhatdidIdothisplaceisnotlikeanyothericantbreatheohgodhelpmeicanitbreatheshutupshutupshutupyouretalkingtoomuchhecanhearyouwhatareyoudoingstopthatstopthat[/sub][/sub][/sub]...up to you..[sub][sub][sub]distortionsomuchdistortionwhereareyouwhatdoidowhatdoido[/sub][/sub][/sub]....you out...[sub][sub][sub]hahahadidyouhearthatisntthatgrandwhereamiwhereareyouwhereisanybodyicantseeanythingdontsitinthedarkdontsitinthelightwhereshouldigothen[/sub][/sub][/sub]"
The noise was almost deafening in spite of how quiet it was, with seemingly no source for it in the deserted hallway.
[hr]
A young looking guard with glasses looked to Karen and gave unsure but faux-reassuring smile,
"Ah...The PRACC have it all under control, ma'am, sometimes they have trouble deciding on where they want emergency meet-up spots to be, in all likeliness, the higher ups just decided that the park was the best place for everyone to congregate. We'll move everyone out in just a moment, we're just trying to get confirmation from our higher ups on if that's the final order. No sense in running back and forth, ya know?"
He then turned back to talking to the other guard on the range who seemed to be concentrating on using some kind of high-tech walkie-talkie, his face returning to unsure.
The small amount of guards seemed busy and paid little attention to the few Changed at the range. It was then that the strangest noise yet came over the announcement speakers, very faintly.
Music.
"...Is that...It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To...?" The bespectacled guard said aloud, commenting on the music, folding his arms and looking puzzled. Sure enough he was right, very quietly, Lesley Gore crooned, gentle humming could be heard underneath the words.
"It's official, Strauss has lost it. I knew she'd crack one day but this is just sad."
The music carried around the dome but it seemed that very few could hear it or simply didn't pay attention in the ensuing migration to the park. Patrol vans had already started to lead groups of residents towards the parks along with some finally heading towards residential.
"Alright...First of all, where is the head of medical?"
Hawthorne rubbed the bridge of her nose and raised her hand,
"She's still in medical, I don't know what could be so important to restrict her when things are heading from bad to worse-"
"I'd thank you to hold your tongue, Ms. Hawthorne... This is nothing beyond our control. If we all do our part, everything will be restored to Status Quo before you know it."
"...If you're sure sir...Look, we need to be honest with the residents about what's happeni-"
"For lack of better term, what they don't know, won't hurt them."
"...Are you being serious, sir?"
"We're prepared for this and the last thing we need is for our residents to be panicked." He said matter-of-factly before the conversation was interrupted by Engineering's cellphone. The three others stared at him as he flushed slightly,
"Apologies. I think that's Cross from the observation tower, should I answer it?"
"By all means." Newfort nodded, looking to his wife who she herself looked far away in her own mind, but somehow like she was listening. Something about that woman made Hawthorne very uncomfortable.
Engineering spoke for a few minutes in the hall, the conversation getting more and more quick and serious. The call ended and he turned to the group.
"He can't get into the observation. Something is going on, no PRACC guards can get up to the broadcast room and no one is answering calls, not Strauss, not Cambrough, not even the damn intern."
[hr]
Sara looked nervously at the arm, this being the first time she was up-close with another Changed. She caught herself staring and gave a small smile,
"S-Sorry... I'd like to avoid the business there as much as possible...Let's just get out of here the way that he went." She found herself standing slightly behind him, avoiding eye contact from the mob.
"I don't know how I can thank you but...really, thank you. I...this is like a nightmare... ... ...Is...this...uh, are you new here?"
[hr]
Having opened the locked door, the fog seemed to follow David Gold, thick white sheets blurring the hallways, the lights were low and flickered. If outside was eerie, inside the detention center was almost scary. Sounds seemed to be eaten by the fog, making everything far away and faint, hard to make out. Listening closely it sounded like hushed whispers, what they were saying however was almost impossible to understand, aside from the occasional clear word among the twisted background noise.
"[sub][sub][sub]whyisthishappeningwhatdidIdothisplaceisnotlikeanyothericantbreatheohgodhelpmeicanitbreatheshutupshutupshutupyouretalkingtoomuchhecanhearyouwhatareyoudoingstopthatstopthat[/sub][/sub][/sub]...up to you..[sub][sub][sub]distortionsomuchdistortionwhereareyouwhatdoidowhatdoido[/sub][/sub][/sub]....you out...[sub][sub][sub]hahahadidyouhearthatisntthatgrandwhereamiwhereareyouwhereisanybodyicantseeanythingdontsitinthedarkdontsitinthelightwhereshouldigothen[/sub][/sub][/sub]"
The noise was almost deafening in spite of how quiet it was, with seemingly no source for it in the deserted hallway.
[hr]
A young looking guard with glasses looked to Karen and gave unsure but faux-reassuring smile,
"Ah...The PRACC have it all under control, ma'am, sometimes they have trouble deciding on where they want emergency meet-up spots to be, in all likeliness, the higher ups just decided that the park was the best place for everyone to congregate. We'll move everyone out in just a moment, we're just trying to get confirmation from our higher ups on if that's the final order. No sense in running back and forth, ya know?"
He then turned back to talking to the other guard on the range who seemed to be concentrating on using some kind of high-tech walkie-talkie, his face returning to unsure.
The small amount of guards seemed busy and paid little attention to the few Changed at the range. It was then that the strangest noise yet came over the announcement speakers, very faintly.
Music.
"...Is that...It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To...?" The bespectacled guard said aloud, commenting on the music, folding his arms and looking puzzled. Sure enough he was right, very quietly, Lesley Gore crooned, gentle humming could be heard underneath the words.
"It's official, Strauss has lost it. I knew she'd crack one day but this is just sad."
The music carried around the dome but it seemed that very few could hear it or simply didn't pay attention in the ensuing migration to the park. Patrol vans had already started to lead groups of residents towards the parks along with some finally heading towards residential.