Neither Alice nor Jake knew how long they’d been stuck to the floor when their next visitor came. They only knew it had been long enough for them to lose most of the feeling in their body due to the unnatural angle they lay crumpled in. They also knew it was long enough for them to give up any talk or cries for help. Instead, they lay in messy heaps, silent bundles of lifeless hopelessness.

  The arrival of their next guest was the first sign of life either of the two had given in hours. Hearing his arrival at their cell, his echoing footsteps stopped outside their holding pen, they craned their necks as best they could hoping to get a glimpse. From what they could see, it was not Simon who had returned but rather a guard, decked in armor. His face was covered, a blank mask that offered no emotion, yet his voice came out clear and crisp.

  “Emergency Elite Risk Detainees One and Two, you are to be transferred effective immediately to government lab 458 to begin your sentencing. You do not have the right to contest this sentencing. We request you stand by as transport is prepared.”

  The guard fell silent after that, simply staring faceless and unmoving at the pair. Both could feel their stomachs drop as dread took hold of their body, their already sore and tired limbs growing heavier as the long-worried fear they’d wrestled with came to pass.

  “No please, listen…” Jake began his voice weak and shaky.

  “You do not have the right to contest this sentencing. This will be your last warning. It is advisable that you do not attempt similar action.” The guard said, hostile intent clear in his tone as he unsheathed a baton, smooth and silver, from his belt. Jake heard a small whimper next to him and could see Alice shaking, trembling in terror at the sight of the weapon. Biting his tongue, Jake held back any further complaints or questions. It wouldn’t do them any good to test the guard’s patience.

  Silence descended on the prison again, interrupted only by the hum of the cell’s electronics and the whimpers of uncontested panic that escaped Alice’s shaking form. Eventually, though, the corridor erupted into sound as dozens of footsteps flooded the chamber. Before long the area in front of the cell swarmed with guards, each armored and ready for anything as they paced the front of the holding cell.

  “It is advised you do not attempt to resist. Lethal force has been authorized.” A faceless guard said, identity unclear in the sea of similarly faceless soldiers, before a series of beeps rang out. All at once the pair collapsed forward as the shackles that bound them gave way, falling free of their skin and allowing the two to finally fall out of the uncomfortable pose they’d been locked in for hours.

  Doing so was but a momentary joy. As the two fell forward on weak and sore muscles, rubbing the marks the shackles carved onto their skin, the opaque wall of the cell disappeared.

  The guards swarmed into the holding cell in droves, wordlessly and forcefully taking hold of the duo who could do little but scream in terror as they were dragged out of the cell. Led by several pairs of hands, the pair screamed and pleaded with every fiber of their being to the uncaring unwavering corps of guards, till at last they reached what looked like two flat metallic plates.

  The plates hovered soundlessly in the air, smooth and shiny in their construction save for the metallic coils. Those hung thick and heavy from the plate's frame waiting for a signal to activate. That signal would come courtesy of the guard tasked with escorting the two prisoners away from the holding cell, who pushed a button built into the side of the plates, sparking the arms to life. They snaked forward fast, grasping at the air in front of them blind and hungry, only stopping when they managed to latch onto the flesh of the duo.

  Jake and Alice, now bound tight to the hovering plate after being forced into the metallic coils by the faceless guards, hung in silent shock a moment before continuing their pleas. Desperation took hold of both as they realized they had no way to escape their binding, no way to possibly resist anymore.

  Before when they’d been locked away in their cell, they’d both conclude that if it really came down to being taken away to a lab, whatever escape they attempted would have to happen there. They’d have to find some way to escape their shackles, or worse comes to worse cut their losses and just reach one another so they could escape before the sun rose. Now though, they were completely immobile, even more so than in the cell. Now any hope of escape seemed impossible.

  “We should gag them.” A guard said, walking up to one of his colleagues who was prepping the prisoner transports for movement, “They're pretty loud. Where begging even in the cell before you guys showed up.”

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  “Don’t worry, it's standard protocol for detainees this severe. I’ll slap it on as soon as I’m done here.” True to his words, as the transport plates moved to lay flat and began their glide out the halls of the detention center the transporting guard slapped two metallic shells over the mouths of the screaming pair. Silent now, tears stinging their eyes, they could only watch the lights embedded in the ceiling fly by as their silent screams for mercy went ignored.

  “Don’t worry Dr. Lewis…” Simon said into his communicator, standing beside the Justice Sector shuttle he’d been provided to escort the prisoners to Lab 458, “They should be out soon. We’ll be at the Lab in less than an hour.”

  “Ok then…” Dr. Lewis’s voice, clearly anxious with excitement responded, the cheap communicator leaking the private conversation, “I’ll come out to greet them when you…”

  “NO!” Simon hissed back, knowing he’d forgotten something, “No… I told the council you were ill, practically dying. Just stay in the lab and get things ready, if anyone peaks their head in try and look unwell, ok? Just… I got to go, their coming out now.”

  “Sim…” Dr. Lewis began, his reply cut off as Simon hung the communicator up, stepping forward to shake the hand of the approaching prison guard and collect his precious cargo. “Hello there, I’m Simon a researcher at lab 458, here to collect the… volatile prisoners…” Simon said with a smile as the approaching guard grasped his hand.

  “Oh I was expecting you, you’re the intern right?” The guard asked back, causing Simon to internally grimace. Yet he didn’t show this disdain outwardly, only smiling back and nodding.

  “Well ok then, here they are. Had to gag them, they kept complaining during the transport process. Might be roughed up a bit, but we didn’t kill them. Any damages to them, send an invoice to the Justice Sector you should get appropriate compensation in two to three weeks.”

  “Does this compensation include their value to our project?” Simon asked, clearly annoyed to hear the prisoners could be damaged.

  “Look man, I don’t know, I’m just reading the script. If you have any complaints tell my boss. I just do transfers and pickups, ok?”

  “Fine, fine, please continue.”

  “Thank you. Now as you understand Lab 458 takes legal ownership of these two detainees. In the event of prisoner breakout, injury, or death the Justice Sector claims no fault. Any fault for future crimes that may occur as a result of said hypothetical breakout will be the responsibility of Lab 458. In the event of prisoner death or injury, it will be up to Lab 458 to explain the destruction of government property to the council. If you understand and accept these basic risks, please sign here, here, and here.”

  Simon took the offered datapad and quickly scribbled his name on the surface. He was impatient to get back to the lab as soon as possible. Handing the datapad back to the guard, the officer looked over the electronic forms for a quick minute, before nodding satisfied. Stepping aside, he made a sweeping gesture with his arms toward the prone figures of the prisoners, now helpless on the transport plates. A smile broke across Simon's face as he moved forward to guide the two into the shuttle, before quickly he stopped and turned toward the guard.

  “Where are their belongings?”

  “Pardon?” The guard asked, confused.

  “Their belongings, you all collected them when you arrested these two. It was broadcast live, I saw it! Where are they!”

  “Ummm, I’m not certain but likely they’re scheduled to be processed. Anything worthless will be incinerated.”

  “Unacceptable!” Simon roared, catching the guard by surprise and causing him to drop the datapad to the floor. “Do you even know why Lab 458 wants these two? They are valuable, irreplaceable test subjects, and you’re going to burn their belongings? Unacceptable! GO! Everything, every scrap they owned, is priceless! Lab 458 owns these two now, which means we own their belongings! We’ll decide what’s worthless, not you, got it?”

  Simon bellowed at the guard, continuing to scream at him long after he’d run off in a panic, sprinting into the halls of the Justice Sector. Nodding satisfied, Simon gripped the sides of the transport plate and continued guiding it forward to the waiting maw of the transport shuttle.

  “Don’t worry,” he said in a whisper, bending low to the sheet white faces of the transport’s human cargo, “I promise you; we won’t be near as rough as the Justice Sector. Much more Humane. Though we may own you now, my boss is much less interested in a relationship like that. He’s more interested in… a partnership if you will. Has a few questions for you two to start with. Questions about how you got here.” Seeing confusion being to replace some of the blind panic in their eyes, he smiled coyly and said,

  “Oh, you know what I’m talking about. You're not from around here, are you? And I don’t mean the city. No, I mean this reality. He’s dying to ask you about it…” As surprise filled the eyes of the gagged duo, Simon shut the door to the transport, turning around to find the same guard from before running toward him lugging a massive plastic container. Simon laughed to himself, marveling at how scared he must have made this man if he couldn’t even wait for a dolly.

  “Here… here it all is sir. Every scrap of fabric, just like you asked…” The guard was panting now, clearly out of breath.

  “Thank you, toss it in the trunk. I’m in a bit of a hurry here.” He walked away without another word, leaving the exhausted guard to wrestle with both the heavy box and the trunk to the transport. He probably could help if he wanted to, but why should he? He was a researcher, not a dam intern.

  “Certainly no taxi driver…” He muttered to himself as climbed into the shuttles driver seat.