Future AU (AiJyul Story)

Something Left Unpatched

(Warning: This story includes content that might seem violent and graphic to some audiences. Please be careful if you are sensitive to those topics.) (This is also a Halloween story)

Taps of light gray boots can be heard walking through an abandoned hall. The girl opens each rusted door she finds openable, peek in through rooms that doesn't even have doors, observe the shelves of tools and folders, hospital beds and machines that's been left behind. Some rooms seems like a common room that you can see in a research center or hospital while some has a far darker story to tell, having chains and sharp buzzsaws lefts to rust in those rooms. But throughout all of those, Juliet doesn't see any evidence of the organization's work.

All the folders she can find are either empty or it has been taken of its essential data, or burnt intentionally or accidentally, or its papers has been wilted away due to broken water pipes. She comes across what seems to be a patient's room with a computer that looks to operate rows of screen. She clicks on the keyboard to see if it responses, and even turn on its system unit, but still, no signs of function.

*sigh* "Still nothing." Juliet sighs. "These people must've missed something to give us clues."

Aires and Juliet were assigned a mission to search an abandoned facility that has been left to be devoured by the elements for a decade now. It used to be a home to an organization who researches on finding treatment for diseases, disorders, and impairments that could possibly change the medical field and the lifespan of humans. Unfortunately, the local government has found that in reality they have committed several inhumane crimes, taking advantage of volunteers from poverty to run their curious experiments. Many of the reserchers have been arrested due to their crimes but there are still some in their records that has escaped the consequences of the law, and managed to erase all evidence before abandoning the facility. Aires and Juliet's job is to find evidence of where these remaining researchers could've fled to, in case if they're still continuing their callous agendas.

The two have split to search each side of the facility's second floor. Due it being a huge building, other guild teams assigned to the same mission are also searching the other floors and basements.

The taps of her boots can be heard throughout the empty quiet halls, with no other noise to accompany it rather than water drops in the distance. Even the cold and quiet space is getting to Juliet, having chills on her bare arms as she hugs herself.

"I wonder if Aires has found anything yet. My I should call her." She pulls up her phone from her pocket.

Then suddenly, her ears perks up, making her flinch and stop, and hears a noise in the distance. She looks to her left, only seeing rows of rooms that's either shut or doorless. She doesn't hear another noise. Perhaps she must've misheard --

"Hello? Is..." the rest of it is unintelligible.

She heard that. She can't mistake that as her imagination. She waits once more to verify it, only to hear a faint bang and another cryful hello.

Gasp, there is someone here! But how? It's been a decade since the place has been abandoned. Perhaps someone lives here now? And they need help? No matter, Juliet runs towards the noise to see where those calls came from.

"Hello? Is someone here? Please tell me where you are!" Juliet hollers, hoping that the voice will call again and help her with navigating their location.

She hears another call, still unintelligible, but it's the same voice.

She runs to the right, and hollers onces more.

"I'm here!" A muffled call of a lady can be heard just nearby. She's closer now. She speeds to the next right turn and looks to her left, an end of a hallway with a single closed door. She moves closer to it.