Argent Glass

Chapter 38 - Mobilize - Robin

Robin stood in amazement. Jordan had just ripped the schematics from in front of Pierce. Her eyebrows were drawn tightly together and her face was flushed a scarlet hue. Her anger was palpable.

"You need to listen to us!" she screamed. Farmer tried to pull her back, but she wrenched away. "Listen to us! Jinho's bird is dead!"

Everyone turned to look at Jinho. He held Aurum in his cupped hands but stared at the apex of the dome. "They're gassing us."

All eyes turned up. The vents were closed and a light cloud was swirling like a writhing ghost trying to escape through the glass. It was growing larger and heavier and dispersing over their heads.

"Everyone inside!" roared Pierce. "Go to the conference room! Now!"

Chaos erupted. Everyone ran for the doors. Robin moved to round up the scientists who started back toward their labs. Mandy was with them and waved her away. "There are masks in the labs! We'll bring them to the conference rooms!"

She turned to help Andrew but found Pierce had already thrown him over his shoulder and was running after Evan for the inner building. He set Andrew on his feet and held the door while the others filed inside.

Someone was running to the kitchen. "Marybeth! The kitchen is open to the dome. You need to go to the conference room!"

Marybeth veered and ran to the glass of the dome. She waved her badge at the door begging for it to respond. When it didn't, she pounded on it. Pierce started to run after her but Robin waved him off and ran to get her.

Panic made Marybeth blind and she fought against Robin. Rearing back, Robin slapped her in the face. The stinging blow sent her reeling but Robin caught her arm. The wildness went out of her eyes. Robin took her hand and pulled her into a quick hug.

"Come with me, Marybeth. We need to go to the conference room. We all need to stay together."

Marybeth nodded.

Pierce slammed the door shut behind them as they joined the running feet headed to the conference room. Michael was coming down the hall from the opposite direction with an armful of flashlights. They veered out of the darkened hallway and entered the crowded room together. It was lit by the sunlight shining through the thick pane of glass overlooking the dome.

Michael dropped the lights he was carrying onto the table. He pushed buttons on the conference phone and shook his head at Pierce. "Nothing."

"Where's Jinho? Where's Jinho?" Minjun was shaking Jordan. Farmer pushed through the cluster of bodies.

"I–I don't know!" she stuttered. "He was right behind me."

Pierce gently removed Minjun's hands from Jordan and nodded at Robin, who protectively put her arms around Minjun's shoulders. "Don't let him leave. Jordan, tell me about the shaft. How big is it? Can we all fit?"

"I think so. It's in the vegetable cooler under the kitchen."

"You need to take me there to see it. Can you do that?"

Farmer pulled her roughly from Pierce. "No! My daughter is not going anywhere. She's staying here with me until her mother gets back."

"She's the only one who knows where it is," Pierce reasoned. "We need to get everyone out of the dome and we need to do it quickly."

Farmer was shaking his head. "Not until her mother gets here. Then we can all go at the same time."

"I need to find Jinho," Minjun moaned.

Robin hugged him. "We'll find him. I promise you. We won't leave without him. We won't leave anyone behind."

Mandy pushed through the room. She was wearing a gas mask and set a large box filled with more of them on the conference room table. Two more boxes joined it and she passed them into the outstretched hands around her.