Cyanide

Eight

Via was the most promising trainee in the Lab, with Finn a close second. With the pills, Astoria had become one of the highest-ranked Experimental trainees. Oliver had resigned himself to the life he now had to endure. It seemed like the order of the Lab was secure.

And then everything changed.

The trainee Keepers and Experimentals were allowed to go home for the first time since coming to the Lab over six months ago. Most of the trainees were incredibly happy, but Via didn't feel like celebrating. Her parents would praise her, give her presents, tell her how the Birchall legacy was in good hands, and they would ignore Oliver. It would be like he never existed.

The Rats that had been in their class, who had been someone's child, someone's sibling, were a forbidden topic, both in the Lab and outside it. They were a necessary part of life that was just there, not to be talked about. Although Via has always accepted that as a child, actually coming to the Lab and seeing how harshly the Rats were treated, how many of them died from the experiments they were forced to undergo, it changed her perception. She saw that her parents were wrong, and the Birchall legacy was not something she wanted.

Going home was just like Via had anticipated. Her parents told her everything they thought she'd want to hear, about how perfect she was as a Keeper, how much self-control she had with her emotions, how her Birchall ancestors would be proud. Via endured it for a week, the trainees' allocated visiting time, and then gratefully went back to the Lab, though that was no better. Everyone was full of pride about the things their family had said to them, talking about graduating and becoming fully-fledged Keepers. Even Finn got caught up in the excitement, telling Via almost everything her parents had said.

Astoria's visiting week was supposed to take place two weeks after the trainee Keepers'. Astoria was looking forward to visiting week, as were most of her class. They had all packed their bags and were awaiting the order to go, when one of the Experimentals who trained them walked into the dorm room.
"I am sorry to say that visiting week is cancelled for your class," the Experimental, Sara, said.
A hum of mutinous chatter exploded in the room. Sara let them talk for a minute before she spoke again.
"We need all the younger Experimentals, including all of you, to look after the Keepers. All of the trainees have fallen very ill, as has anyone whose come into contact with them since they retired from their own visiting week. We are working on a cure now, but they need care that you will have to provide." Sara said.
She looked at them all, compassion making her previously cold expression soften slightly. She seemed about to say something when several more of the older Experimentals came into the room, ordering the younger Experimentals to follow them.

When Astoria's class reached the Keepers' dorm, they were handed masks to put on. They were told it was just a precaution, but the action set off alarm bells in Astoria's head. Since taking the pills that numbed every emotion she had, Astoria had felt like she was living in a fog most of the time. It had cleared slightly and now it had vanished completely. All she could think about was Finn, so sick that even just seeing her would require wearing a filtration mask. Then the door was opening and Astoria was going inside.

As soon as Astoria saw the Keepers, she knew why they needed filtration masks.  She could almost see the sickness in the air. Scanning the room, her eyes landed on a blonde-haired girl, barely even recognisable. Ignoring Sara, Astoria rushed towards her friend.

Finn was lying on a bed, her short blonde hair tangled. Blisters covered all the parts of her skin that Astoria could see. As Astoria watched, Finn murmured restlessly in her sleep and shifted in the bed. Her eyes were moving under her eyelids and her face was scrunched with pain. Astoria pulled her eyes away from Finn to see Via on the bed next to her. Via didn't look as bad as Finn but she was clearly suffering. Feeling a strange sense of foreboding suddenly, Astoria turned away from her friend and walked back to her fellow Experimentals.

Oliver looked around him uneasily. He was standing in the middle of a long line of Rats, all of whom were chained. Many bore the marks of recent experiments - scars and bruises that Oliver knew he had too. In front of the Rats were Keepers, silent and menacing, with their guns pointed directly at the Rats' heads. No-one has bothered to tell them what was going on. That was, until the door at the end of the room they were in burst open and Maria Birchall stormed in. Oliver drew in a sharp gasp, unable to help himself. He hadn't seen either of his parents since the morning of the Assignments. Maria waved her hand in a signal to the Keepers and, as one, they lowered their guns. The Rats visibly relaxed, chains clanking as they did. Maria swept cold eyes over them all, ignoring Oliver entirely.
"A state of emergency has been declared." Maria announced.
The Rats burst into chatter, but for once nobody stopped them. The Keepers seemed almost as shocked as they were. The Rat next to Oliver turned and looked at him with wide, almost deranged eyes.
"They're in for it now," he hissed. "This is their punishment for what they have done to us!"
His words were repeated quietly again along the line, until someone turned to face the Keepers, smiled, and said:
"Your reckoning has come."
Maria Birchall's lips thinned and she gave a signal to one of the Keepers. The Keeper raised their gun, aimed at the Rat who'd spoken and fired.