Bridge of Dreams

Chapter 17

Sirens above ring out in alarm. Flashing lights emits from the sensors as it blinks repeatedly. Microphone feedback escapes from the overhead speaker as a female speaks into it.

"Subject 293 escapes the meeting with the boss. If found, detain her and bring her to him immediately. Bring her to the boss alive. I repeat. Bring her alive," her message repeats as more guards march across our hiding spot.

I look at Mallory. "Because you are from this world, you have no power to change clothes like disguise right?"

He shakes his head. "Yeah. I am just an average guy in this dimension. I am just a guy who dreams. We should travel first to the locker rooms. There might be some extra guard uniforms available," he proposes.

As guards patrol around the complex, we open the bars to go into vents. We knew we could never walk around undetected. We must travel sneakily.

I crawl after Mallory as silent as possible. Wearing only the hospital gown while crawling in a cold metal air vent, goosebumps rise across my skin, and I shiver every so often.

"Blaire?" Mallory calls from ahead of me. "Are you okay? We are almost there. Hang on," he motivates.

Our movements quicken as we crawl our way throughout the vents. "You seem to know where we are going," I note as I follow him. "You've been here before?"

"Many times," he replies. "This is the same layout as in the dimension you found me in with the rebel group. If we take left, we will go near the kitchen, laundry and garbage chute area. The right vents lead to the executive offices. Going straight is where we need to go to."

I nod, even though he can't see me. "Do you think the guards would check the locker rooms for two teens?"

"Maybe, but I believe that disguising ourselves would give us a better chance to explore throughout the complex undetected."

Silently, Mallory removes the vent bars and peer down inside the room. He looks around for any cameras moving. He points to the right corner of the room with his head. "We will get spotted if the camera on the right finds us. We have to try and stay under the radar."

I nod in response. Mallory slides down as nimbly as a cat. Grabbing my waist, he helps me down.

"The best way to find items that are not needed is the fantastic lost and found area," he points across the locker maze.

This whole place stinks of men's body odor, cologne and other scents. I try not to breathe deeply or I could pass out from the mixture of toxic scents.

We crouch low and crawl near the lost and found. Scavenging throughout, we could only find one pair of top and bottom uniform.

Mallory hands it to me. "You should wear this. I can just be myself in this fight." He smiles. "There's a bathroom right there for you to quickly change in. I know that there are no cameras present in that room."

I quickly went there and changed. Time is of the essence, and we know there is not time to dillydally or frolicking in the complex.

As I wear the uniform, it feels like a winter cost to me than a soldier uniform. I roll the sleeves of the top as best as I can. I even rolled the pant legs so it will not drag on the floor. The giant hood, blocks my eyes as well as the bottom part of my face. I do look like a guard in disguise.

I came out and nod at Mallory. "I'm ready," I said.

He step towards me and adjusts the hood. I could feel him, smiling.

"Why are you happy? We might get caught and I will be stuck as an experiment. We have to be serious!" I remind him.

"I know that... It's just that you look cute right now, wearing big clothes. Like playing dress up." He shakes his head. "Right, gotta be serious."

We travel back to the vents and near the control room. Guards situate themselves in front of the metal doors even more than the last time I saw it.

"How can we get in?" I whisper to Mallory as I observe the scene.

"I have an idea. Hope this works," he said. He calmly walks from our hiding spot. I take a deep breath and follow him.

"Excuse me, with my father's orders, he said for me to help with the control room technicians. I heard they are trying to find a savage subject, correct?"

I watch in awe as Mallory's persona changes before me. His eyed are set and his back erect. his arms coil to the back as he stares the guards down.

The two guards look at each other. "Sorry we didn't get any information about the boss's son to go to the control room. We are strictly ordered that no one shall get in or out that room."

Mallory raises a brow. "My father did allow me. Are you questioning my credibility? Would you like me to talk to my father about firing incompetent guards?" he challenges.

Their faces grow pale. "We are sorry, you may come in and assist the technicians. Standing beside him, I exhale a sigh of relief. We both step inside the room, only for me to blocked by a massive arm.

"And who is this guard? I don't recognize him,"
the guard leans closer to me.

Mallory steps between them. He clears his throat. "He is my personal handpicked bodyguard.  My father still wants to protect me after all. Now stand aside and allow him to follow me inside!" Mallory orders.

The guard's arm instantly went down. I quickly follow Mallory like a lost sheep and he is my sheppard.

The door closes behind us. We survey the room to see three men looks at the front of hundreds of camera footage. Multiple buttons lay in front of them like some kind of desk.

Mallory steps forward. "Excuse me, all of you," he addresses the men.

They all turn around and went back to work, ignoring Mallory.

He clears his throat. "Excuse me!" He calls again.

They gave Mallory full attention at the sound of his tone. I did too, and he wasn't addressing me.

"You are all relieve of your duties due to my father's, Professor Garrison's, orders. He states how terrible you fulfilled your jobs and allowed a subject to escape without detection. You all do not even know where it went. Pack your stuff and leave in the next ten minutes," Mallory states calmly.

I stare in wonder at the smooth delivery. There was no hitch in his voice. No change in tone. No uncertain phrases. No hesistant or unclear action. It was like he programmed himself to say it.

The three men look at him with fear. "N-No... I-I need this job. I have a family to feed and bills to pay. It was a small mistake! We will find the subject!"

Mallory shakes his head. "What part of my message did you knuckle head don't understand?! You are all fired!"

The men hangs their head low. A part of me feels bad we deprive people from a change to do better, but why did they apply to do work in this place where orphaned children are treated nothing but mindless experimental lab rats.

They left the room, leaving only Mallory and me to handle the control board. I grab the microphone and wire it straight inside the the subject cells while Mallory disables all the cameras.

I take a deep breath and speak our plan to the subjects, hoping we can convince and recruit the three loyal people we know would love to bring justice and freedom.