Contest Entries

Containment | Round 7 • Write to Rank 2

Kate jumped to her feet, the worn faces of her family fluttering to the floor when the wailing alarm reached her ears. She winced at the piercing sound, her chest constricting with fear.

Prison break.

The radio on her belt crackled. It was Kelsey, her fellow guard. "Kate?"

"On my way."

She scooped the photos off the floor and tucked them into her pocket, then snatched her jacket and gun and ran, heading down the corridor that led from the residence module to the containment facility. She could see the rectangular structure rising up ahead of her through the clear panels of the connecting corridor. Mars Containment Facility was the most secure prison facility in the galaxy, mainly because it was on Mars and there was nowhere to go. In all the years the facility had existed, Kate couldn't recall a single time when more than one inmate managed to escape.

"I'm on Level Two," Kelsey said over the radio. "My radio's almost dead, though."

"I'm on Three," Aiden, their third and final fellow guard, chimed in. "Think someone's got out?"

"I hope not." Having one of Earth's most dangerous persons roaming around the containment facility was not what Kate had in mind for the day. Then again, with every day the same as the last—though that should be a good thing—it was almost a relief to see something new.

She entered the facility after completing the proper identification scans. Cool air blasted her face as the doors slid open, and at the same time the alarms shut off, leaving her in silence that was more eerie than comforting. The lights above the alcoves blinked green, meaning all inmates were secure in their pods and in stasis. Still, she walked down the hall, the suffocating quiet seeming to press down on her chest.

And then, a sound.

Kate swung her gun around, her heart jumping inside her chest. Her forehead beaded with sweat, even though they kept the internal temperature low to save energy. Her cheeks stung slightly from the cold.

Her radio made a sound. "Kate?"

She snatched it up. "Aiden. Anything?"

"No. All pods are occupied. I'm on the second level now, but I can't find Kelsey. She's not answering her radio."

"Maybe it died. She said she was on low charge." She didn't want to consider the alternative, but she knew there was no avoiding the truth, not in a place as isolated as this. "Aiden, she might—"

Aiden cut her off. "I know. I'll keep looking."

"I'm almost done with ground level. Nothing so far." She inspected each pod until she reached the place where she began. She grabbed her radio. "Aiden, there's no sign of trouble down here."

Feet pounded the floor.

Kate whirled, her throat tightening. "Kelsey, is that you?" She thought she saw a shadow disappear around the corner. The footsteps faded, leaving her in silence once more. "Aiden, have you found Kelsey yet?"

"No." His voice was grim.

"I just heard someone running. I don't know if it was her—"

"All the pods seem to be intact," Aiden said. "I don't understand why the alarm went off. If the ground level's clear—"

"Aiden?"

Silence.

"Aiden, are you there? Aiden, please answer!"

She was alone.

• • •

What next?