Moonlings

Prologue

The man walked down the dark hall, steps resonating. Beads of sweat slid down his face, seeming inappropriate on such a cold face. The walls were bare and gray, lined with doors.

The man stopped and turned at a specific door. It was regular by most standards, normal wood with a silver plaque reading '314A'. But to him it seemed tall and imposing, a challenge that was impossible to overcome.

He stretched out a trembling hand and knocked. The noise echoed down the silent corridor, seeming far too loud.

"Come in." called a scraggly voice.

The man didn't want to go in. He didn't know what horrors lay beyond the wood, and didn't want to find out. But he had to.

He did it quickly, as if afraid the doorknob might bite. A quick lunge and twist, and the door was ajar.

He stepped inside. The room was not at all as he had imagined. It was not dark, with a tall chair faced away from him. The leader did not turn around to face him while stroking a cat. No, the room was bright, and the leader was bent over a table strewn with documents. He looked up, clearly having just finished some paperwork.

"Ah, hello. Lovely weather, no?"

The man immediately notice something was wrong. The leader's gray hair was not smoothed down with its usual gel, and his normally flawlessly pressed coat was rumpled. His smile seemed fake, plastered onto his dark skin. He seemed worried.

"It's wrong. It's all wrong and you know it."

The leader's eyebrow rose. "I see we're going straight to the point. Your silly reluctance. Why can't you see they're just experiments? For the thing's own good."

"They're not right." The man's voice trembled. "That thing is living! Living! And you're hurting it."

The leader waved this off. "Pah. For all we know, it could be fungus. Which is why we need to test: We know nothing about it! Besides, your job will not involve it."

"Do not change the topic. It's wrong. It's illegal."

"Oh, using that word again I see."

"DO NOT call it THAT WORD. I won't do it if this continues."

"Oh? And I thought you needed this." the leader said innocently.

The man went quiet. The leader had gone too far now, he'd stepped into a space that was too personal.

The leader cracked a smile. "Move not going well, I assume?"

"Fine. I'll do it." The man's voice was quiet, but hard.

"Then we have a deal."

The two men shook, then the man turned and stepped outside. As he left, he heard a call.

"Oh, and Adal? Do not, under any circumstances, let it escape."