Ren

Firefly

Chaos erupted everywhere. 

People were running in every direction; yelling to one another and straining to hear above the loud ringing of an alarm. 

No one paid attention to me, as I had changed into one of the generic uniforms hanging in the closet.  I had been contemplating going to sleep when it occurred to me Ren had promised to be back.  If I was going to be alone with him again, I didn't want it to be in the threadbare night dress, or the form fitting grey ensemble. 

So, when the door to my room opened automatically to the sounding of the alarm, I did not hesitate.  Once I stepped foot into the busy hallway, I simply followed the people dressed in my similarly colored uniform.

I strained to hear the conversations around me, but the most I could catch were words like, "losing control" and "again". 

I went to one of the open elevators and shoved in with a group of people. They were all either deep in conversation or urgently typing on their wrist monitors.  No one seemed to notice me. 

Maybe I can escape...

As soon as the thought occurred to me, I felt a jolt of adrenaline and purpose.  I didn't belong here with these people.  The photos were tucked safely back in my boot and I had the small bags that had been in the metal box. 

All the other questions, the stuff about Nan and my parents... It didn't really matter.  They were all gone anyways, and information wasn't going to help me survive.  I looked at the faces of the people in the elevator and knew I didn't fit in with any of them.  Everyone of them, because of their powers, had chosen to be here.

I didn't belong.

The elevator slowed to a stop on level 5. 

I just need to follow the evacuation in place, stay away from anyone in black helmets and I should be able to slip away.   

As I stepped out of the elevator with everyone else, the concrete floor beneath us shook.  I was prepared to run at any second, should the floor give way from beneath me.  I shuddered to think of what was powerful enough to send shockwaves through the concrete, stone, and steel. 

From further down the hall I could hear people shouting over the wailing sirens to get clear of level 5, immediately.  The group began to run.

I was about to run with them when something tugged against me.  I looked down at my hands and they shook, involuntarily.  I tried again to move towards the exit, but an unseen rope tugged in the pit of my stomach. 

I'd only felt this pull once before, and had elected to ignore it. 

Considering how different things might've turned out then, had I followed the alien instinct, I couldn't ignore it again.  I closed my eyes, squared my shoulders, and turned towards the pull.

I went slowly down the empty corridor and allowed the pull to guide me.  After rounding a few more vacated hallways, and feeling hopelessly lost in the labyrinth, I felt the tug disappear. 

The sirens weren't as loud here. 

Not sure where I was, I looked around the vestibule, realizing this area was far more elegant than any others I'd seen.  The walls were still a mixture of stone and concrete, but in them were carved the most intricate reliefs.  The floor was a dark marble grey and I was surrounded by black, double blast doors. 

My appreciation for the room was cut short as a massive cracking noise dramatically worsened the tremors I had grown accustomed to.  I hurried to the middle door, away from the center of the room, then the trembling floor calmed.