The Chaos Insurgency

Sinister Secrets

My bare feet brushed against the cold tiled floor, my eyes fixated on the wall ahead. I was sitting on my bed in my room, waiting for the news. It was the next morning and I had been waiting an hour for the guard to come to my door. I was supposed to be back on the job today but now I wasn't so sure. Had they forgiven my transgressions or had they viewed it as an unspeakable offence? Such thoughts had plagued my mind all night, tearing me from my sleep. And questions lurked just below the murky surface of my thoughts. My feelings toward Dr Tan and what happened to Larry swirled inside, leaving me sick to my stomach. Was Larry alright? But then, why did I care? Dr Lancur had given me orders to protect him but my loyalty to the distinguished doctor was wearing thin. So why the concern? Perhaps I secretly cared for the vile creature. After all, he was the only one that spoke to me. I hadn't seen my colleagues since the morning of my assignment. Word of my failures and supposed lies told to the Foundation would have spread like wildfire, devouring my reputation with its scorching flames.

Finally, when my head felt like it would explode, my door slid open silently. The armoured guard stood in the doorway, gun in hand.

"You are to report for the day's work," the guard spoke in a monotone voice. "Further experimentation will begin at 10:30."

My eyes ripped away from the uninteresting wall to my digital clock which I had resisted the urge to smash to pieces every morning. 9:30. I had an hour to eat breakfast and have a word with Larry. I gave the guard a curt nod and shoved my feet into the shoes. I winced as I put on my lab coat as my wounds ached and burned. Despite a kind nurse had treated them with a foul-smelling ointment and bandages yesterday after my encounter with Dr Tan, the wounds still protested at sudden movements. Ignoring the pain, I dragged my feet as I exited my room, wondering what the day held. As I entered the breakfast hall, a swarm of eyes greeted me. Everyone in the cafeteria stared at me. The news had reached them quicker than expected. Grabbing my food from the serving area, I selected a seat in an unoccupied area, far away from the staring crowds. As I ate, I could still feel their eyes on me. I felt somebody lower themself in the chair next to me and I felt my stomach clench. Let the interrogations begin. I sighed and lifted my eyes from my plate and felt a tinge of relief when I looked into the smiling face of Derek.

"Hey Erikson!" he said brightly. "Heard you got yourself into a spot of trouble."

"My, how word gets around," I muttered. "What did you hear?"

"That Radical Larry went berserk and nearly killed a Class D personnel," Derek answered. "Is that true?"

"Yes, unfortunately," I sighed heavily.

"So, you copped Larry, huh?" Derek's face was sympathetic. "Not an easy SCP to deal with. In my opinion, they should have pardoned you straight away. There's no reason why a new doctor should be assigned to 106. That SCP is completely unstable."

"Well, Dr Lancur doesn't see it that way," I started playing with my food again. "He said I had responsibility and SCP 106's behaviour was the result of my actions. Or lack thereof."

"Because of that smarmy cunt?" Derek was incredulous. "From what I heard, that Class D personnel provoked SCP 106. He should have known better!"

"I tried to warn him," I said. "But that idiot didn't listen. Before I could react, SCP 106 woke from his dormant state and lost it."

"Hey, that Class D personnel will probably die during experimentation anyway," Derek pointed out. "Don't see why they care so much about him."

"It reflects badly on me," I sighed again. "I think I have managed to completely destroy my reputation in the space of a single day."

"I wouldn't say that," Derek cast a nervous look at the onlookers. "Don't worry about them. They'll forget it in a few days."

"I doubt it," I frowned and consulted my watch. "Time for work."