Snippet #2389030

Claire felt sick to her stomach as she followed Chris out of her apartment and into the hallway. It was bizarre and unsettling just how empty Claire's apartment floor was now, not that it being quiet was out of the norm, but the fact that screaming and other horrific scenarios could be heard from the street still and the fact Claire's apartment was apparently not safe meant that her neighbours weren't too; which just added to the insecure and wrong feeling that accompanied this silence. Claire turned around to watch where Chris was going and was the first to press the button to summon the elevator to her floor, "If it doesn't come, we'll have to take the stairs..." Claire said with a matter-of-fact voice, "In fact, maybe we should take them.. in case there are more.. people in the elevator.."

Claire had only just finished her sentence when the doors to her floor dinged and the elevator opened up. Claire felt another hit of panic fill her entire body and she breathed easy as the elevator opened and it was empty. "Thank god..." She said in relief as she and Chris shuffled in, "Hit the SL-1" Claire commanded, "We might as well avoid the streets if we can..." As the doors closed Claire swallowed hard and began to suss out her's and Chris's plans out loud. "SL-1 in this building doesn't go far, but it will at least allow us to avoid two or three blocks.. It's mainly just the apartments communal facilities down there - pool, gym.. and I think there might be the power system for this building down there too" Claire stated, "If we can get through those facilities, I think they lead back to the surface about three block away near one those transport trams; that should take us to that safe room.." Claire listened as Chris gave his idea of an escape route from the building and nodded in agreement, "Either way will work... I don't really care which one we take, lets try-" Claire was cut short as the elevator stopped.

"You are outside of protocol demands. Please ascend to floor SL+14 and return to your living quarters until further notice" Claire felt the elevator shift and looked as they began to return to SL+14 from level 5. "What the hell?" she said astonished as she looked to Chris, "is that GM? I thought the power went out?" Claire then began to become nervous as the buttons for SL+12 and 13 became highlighted indicating someone wanted to access this elevator. Claire became even more nervous as the elevator slowed as it reached +12 and the muffled sounds of snarling could be heard through the doors. "Shit.. I don't think they need help!" Claire said with a raised voice, "Quick, press the halt button!" she yelled. The doors began to open but the button was pressed fast enough that only about two inches of the door was opened.

Claire was against the far side of the wall when two hands greedily shoved themselves inwards with the guttural sounds of coughing accompanied with specks of blood that were hitting the white floor of the elevator. "Fuck, what do we do?" Claire asked, "I've got nothing to help defend ourselves." Suddenly GM's voice echoed in the elevator again "You are breaching lockdown protocol for this building. Failure to resume ascendance will result in prosecution in accordance to-" Claire began to shout mid-speech from GM as the doors budged slightly, "Fuck the protocol GM, can't you see there's been a contamination! We need to get out of this building!" Claire's interruption had caused GM to go silent for a few minutes, and Claire worriedly looked towards Chris for any sign of what to do as their potential murderers angrily became more violent the longer they were kept from Chris and Claire. "I am aware of the contamination. Please return to your apartment Claire Hartford with Chris Galloway and remain in lockdown until further notice." GM spoke with emotionless technological logic and Claire sighed in frustration feeling a sense of dread.

The elevator suddenly kicked back into life and the doors closed, "My apologies, I have recognised contamination on level SL+12 and 13, and am returning you to 14." Claire looked to Chris in disbelief, "GM! There is contamination everywhere... including fourteen! We need to get to the street." "Impossible" was all GM replied with and Claire grew tired of her impassable attitude, "Screw this" she grunted as she banged her fist against the door of the elevator nearly falling out when they reached her level again. Claire stumbled to stay on her feet and turned back to Chris as he exited the elevator, "We'll have to take the stairs." Claire said angrily, "Because god knows GM is fucking us over." A few moments passed and silence resettled in the hallway as Claire tried to drown out the screams resonating from the streets still.

Chris grabbed Claire's arm, pulling her towards the stairs, saying something to her about wasting time worrying about GM. They entered the stairwell as one of Claire's neighbour's door flew off it's hinges and into the wall opposite. "Oh shit." Claire hissed as she removed herself from Chris, walking back through the stairwell door to see if her neighbour needed help, "Mr. Tsu, are you alright?" nothing. "Mr. Tsu, there's been some sort of leak on the Ark, a friend and I are going to a safe place..." suddenly Claire's neighbour stumbled through his doorway, out into the hallway and threw his fist violently and erratically at the wall his door had hit. His fist hit the wall with a loud crack and Claire jumped back as Mr. Tsu stood upright and caught sight of Claire. "Oh god. Mr. Tsu are you alright?" Claire's response was a gurgled growl as Mr. Tsu spewed blood across the building's floor and Claire remembered Mr. Tsu had augmented hands and arms as a result of an incurable cancer nearly 40 years ago. Claire heard Chris hypothesize that Mr. Tsu must have been infected and when she was moved again followed without hesitation as Mr. Tsu made his way towards the two of them.

They entered the stairwell and turning behind herself Claire quickly moved the bolts on the inside of the door so they were locked; not that they did much. Mr. Tsu was stronger in his arms than a normal person. His thrusts against the door were denting it, soon it would be caved in, nothing prohibiting him from Claire and Chris. "Fuck, move Chris!" Claire shouted as the two steadily made their way down the stairs. Claire was about three floors down when Mr. Tsu managed to break through. "Faster!" she yelled as they two began to double time their descent. They reached an impasse however when they were on SL+7. This stairwell was designed so as to prevent intruders to the 'VIPs' on level's 7 and higher, that there was a coded door. "Here, I have the code" Claire said moving past Chris to enter her six digit code.

Mr. Tsu was erratically moving downwards, falling and getting stuck within the railing of the stairs, but he was only four level up and his bloodied vomit was falling periodically down the middle of the stairs causing Claire to panic more as she tried to recall the number. It was the fourth try that Claire conceded defeat, "I can't remember it..!" Chris tried something, but still no amount of force seemed to budge the door. "For safety purposes, i've changed the coding systems on the buildings doors and access terminals, please return to your home immediately and await further instructions." Claire nearly lost it when GM echoed through a speaker on the side of the door. "FUCK YOU." she hissed. "What is her problem? She's supposed to help us!"

Claire began to well with tears, her usual calm collected attitude was more than frazzled as she and Chris seemed to be trapped. She quietly supposed it was her attempt at a detox that was causing the Boost to not work as well today; but for that information did her it was no good when a hostile person was coming down to them, and one that was augmented too. Claire sat down, trying to collect herself, blocking out the screams that came in through the stairwell doors, why hadn't anyone else tried this route yet? Were they all dead; stop thinking about that Claire. Then it came to her. "We'll use Mr.Tsu!" Claire exclaimed, Chris gave her a look like she was insance, probably, she shrugged but continued to explain her idea, "his arms are augmented.. he packs a stronger punch... If we duck out of the way before he attacks us, he might just break the door..." Chris seemed hesitant, but Claire didn't see any other option. The couldn't just climb over the railing and pass the door.. This part of the staircase had metal meshing to prevent climbing over it and her plan was as close to controlling this scenario as possible; wait! Control, Claire looked down to her belt to see the small device she'd attached earlier, "Wait! I might be able to control him!"

The two didn't have time to debate however and Claire barely had time to move out of the way as Mr. Tsu flew past the two and into the door, breaking it clean off it's hinges and slammed himself into the wall causing his own skull to break and render him dead. "Well. That worked out better than I could have imagined." Claire pulled her hand from the device on her belt and moved after Chris down to the ground floor. "Lets do you your plan Chris... I think mine has run its course."