Oompa Loompa Takeover

Chapter 10

  Chapter X

He stepped out of the elevator and found himself in a gigantic circular room. The walls were high and painted a light blue, and there were hundreds of machines scattered throughout. The entryway that housed the elevators was sheltered by a walkway on the second floor that encircled the whole room. This area, in which Miles and Gerald crouched, was therefore protected from the bright lights of the central dais, making it shadowy and dim. They hadn't been spotted. Yet.

"Hey, what's going on?" Wonka demanded from their earpieces. "Are you guys gonna blow the place or what?"

"Negative. There...there are people down here Wonka." Miles managed.

"What did you just say?"

"There are people down here." There was at least a hundred people in the room. And they were being used like slaves. They were working with the machines, grinding, pounding, cranking, making weapons of every sort. And they were all in a terrible state. Sickly and pale faces abounded.

Oompa Loompas stood around and watched the workers, their rifles and weapons holstered but within easy reach should one of the workers put up a fuss. Thankfully the room was so noisy and busy with work that Miles and Gerald's arrival had gone unnoticed.

"People?" Wonka repeated in Miles's earpiece, sounding completely dumbfounded.

"This mission's changed to reconnaissance and rescue. We're going to try to find a place to hide before we're noticed." Miles whispered.

They hurriedly dragged the unconscious O.L. behind a few empty boxes that lay under the entry way. Miles made to get down and try to cram himself next to them but Gerald pulled him back.

"No, I say we stash our weapons and blend. We need to find out what's going on."

"What? Blend? You don't think they'll recognize us?" Miles asked incredulously. "You're nuts! If we put down our guns we'll be just as screwed and powerless as these people!"

"No, trust me, I feel like this is what we should do." Gerald said. "If we sit here, we won't be gaining anything!"

"No way." Miles said firmly. "We'll just be getting ourselves killed!"

"Hey, morons!" Wonka's static voice came through their earpieces. "To each his own. If Gerald wants to blend, let him. You can be his backup in case something goes wrong."

Miles nodded. "I agree. Gerald, if you want to go out there and blend, then do it. I'm staying here."

Gerald glanced quickly at the rest of the room before nodding. "Fine, I will." He slid his special rifle that Wonka had given him off and handed it to Miles along with his regular handgun. "I'll try to find a way to get these people out of here if I can."

"I've got your back if anything happens, okay?" Miles said anxiously, upset that Gerald was going it alone. Miles figured he was either not brave enough or not dumb enough to do what Gerald was about to do.

Gerald merely nodded before turning and striding out into the harsh light. He was completely unarmed and surrounded by the enemy...

***

And scared shitless. Without his ammo and weapons Gerald felt naked, merely trusting in Miles and his own half baked idea that the O.L. would not notice another crummy human entering the throng.

Immediately he was proved wrong. An Oompa Loompa pointed at him and within seconds he was confronted with the barrel of a rifle. He froze, his eyes going wide.