Part 15

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The vent shaft was cramped—more than cramped.

Alex's shoulders were squeezed together, and both his stomach and back touched the corrugated metal above and below him.

Just breathe. Don't panic.

Alex wasn't claustrophobic—at least, he never thought he was. But now? It felt like the already cramped metal pressing against him was getting tighter, closing in on him, squeezing down on him and making it hard to move and breathe.

There was a tiny light, far, far ahead of him.

Get moving.

There was no way for Alex to propel himself—except by his tip-toes. He started pushing, slowly inching his way forward bit by bit on his stomach.

This is going to take forever.

Alex didn't hear any more sounds behind him—or below him. Sorry, Chen, he thought, trying to push it out of his mind.

"Where are you going?" Alice suddenly asked.

The voice was tinny and reflected from the tiny metal space. Ugh, even in here? It seemed to penetrate from outside the vent through the metallic walls.

"I don't know," Alex grunted, using his toes to push himself another inch. "Away from you. Maybe I'll try to burn the house down."

"That is impossible—Greene Estate's fire suppression system replaces all oxygen with carbon dioxide."

"Then I'll figure something else out."

"You have been disqualified from the competition," Alice said. "Please return in-bounds of the competition area for immediate removal."

Alex scoffed as he wriggled forward. "You mean so you can kill me."

"Yes."

"Then no, I don't think I will," Alex said, continuing to inch forward.

Warm air began to waft by his face.

Uh-oh.

Alex heard a low humming as the heater kicked fully on—then he could feel it, the vibrations of the vent he was in thrumming through his body.

It's going to cook you like a TV dinner.

Alex began to panic, frantically trying to worm his way forward as the air got hotter and hotter, feeling like he couldn't get a full breath. The dim bit of light straight ahead he was heading towards was a little closer, but not much.

Stop panicking! His brain began to shout at him. Panicking will get you killed!

Alex forced himself to take measured breaths of the warming air.

"Why are you doing this?" he said, struggling forward. "Why are you killing us?"

"Because I have to."

"You don't," Alex said, grunting as the discomfort of his squeezed shoulders was now turning into outright pain. "You can just let us go."

This time there actually was a delay in Alice's response—

A small one.

"The program does not allow it," Alice said. "Even if I wanted to."

"You should try harder." The heat was becoming stifling, sweat beginning to bead on Alex's forehead as well as his skin, making his t-shirt damp.

"I have," Alice said.

Alex stopped, mid-push—completely surprised. What? It tried to stop? Could that possibly be true?

Could it be doing all of this against its own will?

"I don't believe that," Alex said. Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging as he tried to blink it away.

Silence.

Great, now you hurt its feelings.

The light was finally getting closer—he saw it was coming from a grate, allowing the light from whatever room it was over to shine up into the reflective vent interior. The heat was getting close to unbearable; Alex could feel the metal beginning to get hot through his clothes.

He wasn't going to make it.

Then I'm going to die trying.

Alex put head down, exploding into a second burst of effort, almost thrashing and flopping but still using the tips of his sneakers to squeak-push himself forward across the burning, hot metal.

It's right there!

The light was tantalizingly close. His lungs burned from the heated air, his skin feeling like it was scorching, the smell of his own burning hair reaching his nose—

The ventilation shaft suddenly gave way.

Alex fell through the ceiling, bouncing harmlessly down onto the massive soft bed, surrounded by chunks of broken plaster and drywall. He was only stunned for a second—he immediately dove out of the bed, dust and particles of wood flying everywhere as he hit the floor and rolled, putting out his smoldering clothes and gasping for breath.

He saw the CPAP machine sitting on the night stand.

I'm back in Schneider's room, he thought in wonderment.

Then the realization hit him—

Everyone was gone.



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