Sarah's Run

Sarah's Run - Chapter One

Rapid beeps emitted from the timer woke Dr. Anzerbah. Ignoring his throbbing headache, the scientist stood up from the chair at his desk and hurried to the dimly lit tank storage area. Long rows of gleaming, stainless steel tanks stood side-by-side. Yellow monitoring lights shone from the top of each steel vat. Attached to the sides were an assortment of gauges and a small, tablet-sized monitoring screen displaying data.

Above each tank and mounted at regular intervals around the vast room were CCTV cameras. Nothing happened in the tank room without being recorded. Attached to the sealed lids were long, spindly arms suspended from the ceiling. Dim lighting, strange odors, and the utter silence of the room gave it an otherworldly effect.

Spotting three red lights flash in rhythm with the warning beeps, Anzerbah hurried to the offending tank. The scientist detached the tablet hanging on the tank wall and rapidly scanned it.

The beeping transitioned to a single, prolonged klaxon that grated on the scientist. Anzerbah made a mental note to have a technician change the sound.

"Yes, now. Come along. You are keeping your creator waiting longer than is necessary," he whispered. Impatient by nature, Anzerbah had to restrain his impulse to open the tank manually. Green lights replaced the flashing red as a hissing sound escaped from the container.

Fluid began leaking in tiny streams around the lip of the cylindrical stainless steel tank. Large enough to comfortably contain ten average sized humans standing upright, the volume of fluid leaking was considerable. A catch basin underneath the tank kept the fluid, clear in most streamlets, pinkish in a few, from escaping and flooding the area.

Watching the readouts on the dials located on the tank wall next to the control panel, Anzerbah did not notice the pink coloration of some of the fluid. Lights on the board began flickering, recording a change in the status of the contents of the tank.

"This is less than ideal," the scientist muttered in frustration.

Without warning, the lid of the tank lifted several centimeters from the top of the tank to hang in the air for a few brief seconds. A hydraulic lift suspended from the storage area ceiling attached itself and in a slow, controlled process, lifted the lid, exposing the contents of the tank to the open air environment of the tank area.

Anzerbah slipped the tablet into the deep side pocket of his white lab coat and scurried up the half ladder built into the side of the tank to observe the next stage of the unsealing process.

"I've got to do something about the lighting," he mumbled to himself. "Note to self, have the lights increase in intensity at the next hatching."

A burning sensation in his nose caused Anzerbah to sniff several times and rub his nose. "This can't be good," he told himself. "Something is wrong."

The distinct smell of ozone and the coppery scent of blood filtered through the air. Peering into the tank, Anzerbah was unable to detect movement or the bodies he'd hoped to see. Without hesitation, the scientist reached into the other side pocket of his lab coat and produced long, elbow length safety gloves and hurriedly donned them.

Standing on his toes on the top step of the half ladder, Anzerbah leaned over the side of the tank and stirred the liquid with his right hand and forearm. He noticed the change in color of the fluid as the broad areas of clear fluid began to mix with small pockets of pinkish fluid.

Anzerbah's fingers touched a solid mass in the fluid. He felt the object hurriedly, noting the texture was not entirely smooth.

What grabbed his wrist was not only smooth but possessed a commanding grip of its own.