The LAB

Chapter 3

"Welcome to your new home, maggots!"

The old team of laboratory technicians stood in a large empty room, the floor to the ceiling was nothing but panels of metal and cement. A balcony above them held the dark SUV which addressed them all so lowly. His voice echoed in this room, gaining everyone's attention. They had been here for an hour or so already, glad to see the others they worked with, but afraid as to what was to come.

"Listen up! Devan will explain what is going on." The SUV backed away before reappearing with the Honda by his side, both sporting a look of annoyance and something else. All eyes fell to the Honda as he looked down to those he used to call friends in the workplace.

"This is no accident, nor is it a hostage event. This is your new home. You will continue the work you started in that company building, but in this lab. To answer some questions, let me explain where exactly you are." Devan looked down at some of the more panicked faced in the crowd and grinned darkly, causing more to panic.

"You are all my property now, and work for me. Your payment is staying alive. This complex is 5 miles underground and only a few currently know how far it expands. Don't try to escape, you literally won't make it. To the outside world, you all died in a terrible fire that consumed the building. For those that had families, they are deeply saddened and there's nothing you can do. You all will work on my new project, same basics but different outcome." He shot a glare at some cars who dared to gasp too loudly at his words when he spoke, pausing to clear his throat.

"We will create the ultimate weapon of a soldier. A vehicle that can take down entire countries alone and on one tank of fuel. Mostly, one I can control. This is my greater good, and if you refuse..." Devan trailed off, looking to the SUV by his side. The SUV nodded and showed off his side rifles, the guns unfolding from compartments on his fenders.

"I hope you all understand this, and I promise more info will be given to you all soon. For now, regroup with your partners and follow the hallway to your new working stations. Your new life begins here."

Quiet voices, the whine of computer fans and the light hiss of electrical currents was all that filled the room. Some cars held back their emotions, trying to start work as soon as they could, others sobbed at their new empty desks. All their information had been saved, which included some pictures they had saved onto their computers. It was hard for some to know that their loved ones thought they were dead, and even harder to know that if they tried to contact them they would really be dead. Smart minds in a room without natural light, this was a nightmare already and they weren't even near ready to actually start working on the true nightmare. There was just something else weird about this place, something wrong. Nobody could figure it out, but as always, the leader knew and wasn't willing to share with just anyone.

"Sir, how are we going to get subjects for testing?" Devan stopped and glanced to the SUV by his side.

"Have I ever given you something to doubt, old friend?" the green Honda questioned, to which the SUV shook his front with a muffled "Sorry Sir." Devan continued to drive along a different hallway, heading to another room in the large building.

"I made a deal through a friend to take in vehicles that are sentenced to life in prison or the death sentence. Claimed it was to free up cell space and that it would give those with life sentences some way of helping the community without being a risk to those normal citizens." The SUV gave an 'ah' in reply, now understanding how things would work.

"We'd have a steady influx of subjects then. Good call, Sir." Deven chuckled, "We'd also turn a few into breeders." The SUV squeaked to a stop, looking at the Honda in disbelief.

"Sir, you can't be serious about that." Devan slowly turned to face his larger friend.

"Oh I'm serious, dead serious. One of the things I plan to make here is a way to control vehicles easily with a flick of a switch. If they don't produce something willingly, I will just have to assist them. Shouldn't be too hard though, they'll all be willing sooner or later trapped in this box with no light." He smirked and turned away, heading back down the hallway. The SUV gave an unsure frown, but followed. For some reason, killing seemed a lot better than forcing vehicles to be breeders, which he wasn't even sure how that would be possible. Was it even possible?

Air hissed as doors slid open to a large room with a glowing arch out of some SciFi movie. Devan laughed at the sight and exclaimed "YES!" The SUV behind him stood in awe of what was in this room. Not just the machine but the number of cheerful vehicles there too. He had never seen these cars before, and some were missing tires from the axle. What was going on in here?!

"So, is it functional?" Devan asked with a grin, nudging one of the white painted cars.

"Functional he asks. Please, we didn't make a model!" the car stated before motioning to a white Humvee. The Large vehicle flicked some switches, pressed some keys and pulled a lever halfway before all eyes turned to the arch. Light blinked, bolts of electricity shot from side to side before creating a wall of light. Blinding light faded to a wall of blue and purple, the Humvee looking to the car and Devan before saying "She's stable." Devan looked to the wall of color with a sinister smile, the car beside him chuckling.

"There's only one dimension it can travel to sadly, but I doubt it's a problem for you, friend." The car drove to the wall, lifting a tire and poking through it. The colors rippled like water and changed more green where he touched. The car opened his mouth, pushing his front through before backing out completely, turning to show Devan what he had between his teeth. A small human, most likely a child, held by the arm in the vehicle's teeth and dragged across the ground like a toy. Devan couldn't help but laugh at the fear in the being's eyes. The car swung his front, tossing the human back through the portal as it screamed and shortly after the Humvee shut it all down again.

"Another dimension of this planet covered and ruled by lifeless vehicles and those fleshy beings we could easily claim as prey." The car stated and nudged Devan, "Humans, they're not just rumors." Devan looked to his friend, then back at the machine.

"Our machines are going to be more flesh than metal, at least the breeders will. Does that answer your question, old friend?" The SUV stood there in awe as the Honda spoke to him, giving a nod after all he just saw.

"Good, keep this machine working and updated, I'll need subjects from that world as well. Send your best to take notes of what that world holds. I want to make sure I can take the best of it with the worst of this one." Devan barked orders before turning to leave the room.

The SUV slowly drove along hallways, looking into empty rooms that were numbered and were soon to hold their first shipment of vehicles. Killing was so easy to him, but this felt so wrong he was tempted to waste a bullet on himself. He stopped and looked into a room that was still being built, workers building the walls and ceiling without a word. It sounded so easy, to make a weapon, in all honesty he himself was a weapon. Still, this all seemed too wrong, too weird, like a bad dream or even some movie. He had no care for how the workers felt losing their families, but still felt bad for those vehicles sentenced to death being sent here to have tests done to them. Tests he knew would mostly fail, and end up killing the car without them even knowing what it was for. Why was he having such a hard time with this? He had ended the life of so many vehicles with his guns, yet this was troubling? The SUV shook his front, snarling and stomping a tire. It was too much, he wasn't built for this. He was made to be a hitman, a guard, not whatever he was being used for now. He sighed and drove on, growling all the way down the hall and soon found a large door. Opening up to another hallway and a thicker door, which opened to a hidden ramp and shortly after the outside world. He drove out and looked around, taking a sigh in the real air. Nothing. Only GPS coordinates could lead someone out here, as it was far from any city or town, or roads for that matter. Looking down at the old tire tracks from the semi that had dropped off the workers, he broke down and sobbed worse than those cars that had lost family.

"What am I even doing here?!"