The Company [Ongoing]

Ch.2 - 41 Experimentation, prt 2

What was that?
James and Dakarai set the axle down and tried to see out the doorway. Bill walked out and looked fearlessly down the corridor.

'It's just a hygrodere,' he commented after a moment. 'Nothing to worry about. As long as you don't touch it.'

'Oh! Eww,' Rebecca said as she exited the room.

'What is that thing?' James said, following them.

'A slime!' Dakarai shouted.

Seemed like a decent description. A large greenish blob, as wide as the corridor and about a hand thick slowly edged towards them on the concrete floor, leaving a slimy wet trail behind it. Like a large snail. Very weird. Making a face, James stepped a little closer to it. Harmless, eh? 'What happens if you touch it?'

'You get eaten,' Bill said offhandedly.

'Wha?' He back-pedalled. 'Why's it here? It's disgusting.'

Rebecca whimpered and scuttled further away from it.

'They are attracted to anything living in its vicinity. It'll keep following us until we leave it far enough behind, or it gets to us.' He glared at the blob. 'Let's go, take the stuff with you.'

'Wait.' Dakarai held up the scanner towards the blob. It was getting dangerously close to his feet.

James had totally forgotten about the scanner the moment he'd spotted the weird creature. Feeling stupid, he decided to get a move on. 'Here, help me with the axle,' he told Rebecca.

Reluctantly she came back to them, and grabbed one end of the heavy piece of metal. Bill had his hands full.

Where had he found those things? When? I have to be more attentive, James thought.

Keeping their eyes on the slime, they put all their stuff outside the entrance door. Ready to leave, James was caught off guard when Bill told them to get back inside.

'Are you crazy,' Rebecca spat. 'There's a slimy thing in there. Following us! I'm not going back in there.'

'Girl, if you're this afraid of a slime, you won't make it. There are much worse things out there. Just get a move on. But don't stand still and stare at them. You gotta be fast in this job,' Bill snapped. 'The slime is slow and easy to get away from.' He went back inside.

'Wow, what a douche-bag,' Rebecca grumbled.

'Yeah, but maybe he's right. It's slow. We can get away from it easily, right?' James patted her shoulder. Though unease crawled though him like he'd become an anthill. This was nothing? What more was there. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

'I thought it was pretty cool,' Dakarai said and entered again. 'I mean, I've never seen anything like that, have you? Maybe it could be a cool pet? But then...' He kept babbling to himself as he moved further into the large complex after Bill.

James shook his head. Totally crazy. A pet? 'Come on, let's get going. We're working, remember? And we have to stick together.'

'Yeah.' She smiled and came with him back into the dark.

They turned left this time. But James closed the door and glanced back every few minutes to make sure the slime didn't creep up on them, unawares.

They went through room after room, corridor after corridor. James wasn't even sure where they were anymore. Or how to get back out. He hoped dearly Bill or Dakarai were better at remembering directions. This place was a maze. Besides, his pockets and arms were full of scrap.

'Bill?'

'Yeah?' Bill stopped in a doorway, his face hidden behind the reflective visor.

'I can't carry anything more. Rebecca needs to help me open the doors. Maybe we should get back?' His arms shook, and his back hurt from all the walking, reaching and carrying heavy things.