Against Her Programming [SHELLVISION]

Floor One [1]

 *Ding!*


 ..And so it began. 

 A low rumble hushed the crowded concerns and complaints in the elevator, drawing their attention from one another to the large heavy door in front of them. It was still for a moment before shooting off the ground, revealing the empty, lifeless floor ahead.

 Everyone was quiet, under a silent spell that cursed them from stepping out. Nobody dared to inch closer to whatever lurked out there, a clear uncertainty of the dangers present.

 ..Until one of them broke the curse, stepping foot on the barren floor as the shrimp glanced left and right, checking the coast was clear. To his relief, there was nobody. As he took the opportunity to leave, some followed his lead, others split ways. 

 There was no stated objective, no ultimatum, and no clear instructions. 

Through more investigation, some of the cartoony figures found few items scattered about. Although they didn't quite compare to the intimidating machinery, equipped with large tanks and massive valves. Many ignored it, shrugging it off as another mechanism the toons were prohibited from touching. 

 It seemed aimless, walking about with no sole purpose or goal. This was odd and unfamiliar to these relatively sheltered toons, who were left in the dark about the facility and its hazards. They spread out as they tried to understand their situation, observing their environment. 

 However, among the group of toons was an old-fashioned style TV, taking careful note of the machine. Placing her hands around the valve, she tested to see if it would budge, and to her surprise it followed the motion of her hands. Black substance trickled down the bottom, splashing as it piled up. It quickly filled, halfway full after a second or two. 

 Just then, she heard a voice behind her, "Wow, way to go, Vee!" 

 It was odd, but the encouragement sped her extraction, immediately filling it to the brim. Whipping her head backwards, she saw the shell.. hm, what was her name again? 
 Vee thought for a second, her hands mindlessly circling the wheel as she pondered, quietly tapping her foot as she tried to recognize her. She'd seen her before, but from where?

 It hit her after a moment, her name was Shelly, and by the looks of it she admired Vee's handiwork. "..Thanks, Shelly," Vee quickly commented before returning to her task at focus. These machines obviously did something, as the blaring red light at the top flashed green once full. 

 Vee glanced to her side, pausing. What were these machines doing? What would happen if they all turned on? 
 That didn't matter anymore, as other toons already caught on and started to extract the other few machines. There didn't seem to be any threat.. yet, and there weren't any problems extracting the machines. 

 However, their work was short-lived as an alarm played, ringing throughout the rooms as the seconds ticked by. A heavy, metal creak signaled that the elevator opened once more, causing the crowd of toons to rush towards the only place they thought was safe. 

 Following the crowd's panic, Vee hurried along with them till the elevator was in sight. Using the last bit of her energy, she was able to beeline it to the elevator. Shortly after her entry, the elevator door shut close, and she began to count the toons present. 

 Just as she counted 19, she heard loud machinery behind her, presenting a little shop as a flowery toon jumped outwards. One glance and she knew who it was, immediately concluding her dislike towards this particular toon, Dandy. He presented items, neatly placed on his table over gray plates. "Welcome, Welcome! Need any items? I'll exchange 'em for tapes!" 

 It was so odd, nothing seemed right, and his tone was way to bubbly for a serious situation such as this. Nobody dared to step forward to make a purchase, making the room uncomfortably silent as awkward stares were exchanged among one another. It seemed like an eternity before Dandy read the room, finally pulling the lever to his side, "Ah- no worries, I'll be back with more items next time!" 

 Nobody said a word, standing close to one another as they tried to figure out whatever the hell was going on. 

 Vee stood isolated from the group, silently calibrating her microphone. How long was this going to be?

.. 

*Ding!*