Children of the Virus

6: Prison Escape

Toshiro's heart raced as he crept down the dimly lit corridor. His breath was shallow and uneven. Wearing his tinfoil hat, he tiptoed across the wine-colored concrete. He was in an off-limits red zone.

He had been planning this escape for just over a week now. The first step, getting escorted from his cell for leisure time, had been relatively easy. Now that he was free of the guard, all that remained was to break into the ground-floor vault in front of him, rescue Luna, then sprint to freedom via the central exit. Simple, right?

But nothing about this place was simple.

The vault's entry glowed ahead, promising a reunion with his precious Luna. Each step brought him closer to her, but he was careful not to make a sound. The red zone was unusually still, and any noise he made would likely be heard immediately.

Just then, metal footsteps shattered the silence. Toshiro lunged behind a nearby trash bin, gritting his teeth as a robotic guard glided past. Its scanner beam swept over the bin, inches from Toshiro's face. He squeezed his eyes shut, willing his heartbeat to slow.

Just a little longer. Stay focused. You can do this.

The guard paused, rotating in place. Toshiro flattened himself against the wall, scarcely daring to breathe. After an agonizing moment, the robot continued onward.

Toshiro sagged with relief. That was too close. He couldn't let anything stop him from getting to Luna. Bracing himself, he abandoned his hiding spot and raced toward the vault door. His hand shook as he reached for the entry pad.

You're almost there. Luna's waiting. Stay strong for her.

Connecting his mind to the door, Toshiro submitted the memorized code. For a moment, the door didn't budge. His pulse quickened with panic. Then suddenly, the LED lights flared a bright green, and the door opened with an electronic whoosh. Toshiro glanced nervously from side to side, then peered into the darkness of the vault.

"I'm coming, Luna," he whispered. "Just hold on a little longer."

He threw himself through the entrance and jolted as the door shut tightly behind him.

What welcomed him on the other side of that door was not at all expected—a vast maze of lockers. Before him, there were aisles upon aisles leading in all directions. He would never find Luna in this tangled mess. His gaze darted frantically, searching for some method to the madness. There had to be a system. Some way to narrow down where she could be.

But the only hint of where to look was the collection of virtual nametags marking the drawers, which seemed to be in no logical order. Toshiro began searching for his nametag, but fear gripped his heart. He knew a bot could enter the vault at any moment. He was running out of time.

Toshiro banged his head against a random metal panel—the locker of Kim Dae Seong. Squinting through the virtual lettering, he could see a faint inscription: 837881. Toshiro blinked. That's an inmate number. He looked to the next locker over and saw: 837882. With dawning realization, Toshiro understood—these lockers were sorted by inmate number!

"Luna, I've nearly got you. Don't worry."

Toshiro remembered his number: 838347. It was about 500 more than Kim Dae Seong's. He walked over to the third aisle from where he stood.

Just as he was regaining hope, the loud creak of the vault door filled the air. Fear struck Toshiro as he heard the heavy thud of robot footsteps. Holding his breath, he dared not move, until the noise faded away and the door shut with a deafening bang. Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew he had to hurry.