Trinisent

Team

"Ouch!"

Someone just stepped on my foot. Chiro mumbles an apology as he moves to stand next to me, waiting for Po, Niklaus and Q to climb down the rungs of the rope ladder. We're in a chilly, semi dark corridor leading to THEM's underground labs. You'd think with the other states funding THEM, they'd be able to afford lights. Apparently not. 

I hear a soft thud as Niklaus lands on his feet neatly, and I can hear Po climbing down the rungs while Q urgently asks him to move faster. I tap my foot impatiently turning around to see the exit to find it being blocked by a silhouette which can only be Tyler's. 

I walk silently towards him slipping my freezing hand into his warm one. He gives me a small smile before turning back to face the corridor whose end is tenebrous. I close my eyes sighing. Under different circumstances holding Tyler's hand would've been the most exciting thing going on in my life.

 Tyler gives my hand a squeeze, and leans down to whisper something into my ear. When the others along with Q walk up to where we're standing, Tyler straightens up letting go off my hand as Q begins to speak. The air seems even more colder now. 

"This is where it all began." Q looks lost in thought as he begins to shuffle forward into the dark. We all follow him. The air is stale and smells like rust, blood and hidden secrets, ready to be discovered. We move silently, not caring about mindless chatter to pass time. I think about Lynn and Jeremiah who're trying to find out the details of the extortion process, while trying to keep Judith busy. We've planned to meet them in the labs.

We stop suddenly and I squint in the darkness, trying to see something. Maybe night vision would be a little more helpful? The resonating sound of what sounds like a door being removed from its hinges suddenly surrounds us and I hear a successive crash of it being thrown aside. The room beyond the doorway is dimly lit and I can see Q enter it. I follow the others into the shallow room, I can barely make out the outlines of tables and chairs arranged haphazardly, papers scattered on the tables, the walls are covered with charts with equations and numerical figures. There's another door in the corner leading out of this room.
Q points towards it,"That's the entrance to the labs. You guys see if you can get your hands on  anything important here, I'll find a way to open this lock "

Tyler mumbles something about how it would be more helpful if we had some light or if Q had reminded us to bring a flashlight and Jenna's tracing her fingertips across the walls, searching for a light switch. After a few moments the room is filled with bright florescent light, and after adjusting to the light we start looking through the scattered papers, while Q uses a pin of some sorts to open the door.

I pick up a random sheet of paper. 

Manick Doyle, extortion process complete. 

The next sheet reads Teresa Elizabeth, extortion process complete. 

I give Jenna a wary look. 

"Trinisents." She whispers. 

I nod. But why have they been left here?

"Let's go guys." Q says urgently and we quickly run out, leaving the papers behind. "Brace yourselves. You're finally going to see what THEM truly is."

                                                          --------------------------------------------

It smells like rot in here.
But at least its lighted. We're standing in a large hall divided into rooms with walls of glass, it looks like a residential area. Each cubicle is numbered, and is filled with eight people each. They're all doing everyday mundane things, eating, sleeping or just sitting around. They don't seem to be able to see or hear us, a one way, and soundproof glass. I edge towards the first door reaching for the handle. I feel a hand on my shoulder, its Q. He shakes his head silently. I turn back to see the people apathetically eating their meal and turn away unable to hide my resentment towards THEM.