Order of Magnitude

V. No Escape

      It was day 5 in the glass tank. The prisoners knew this because the 5th parv had just been taken into the unknown. Jacques still paced around like he had always done, but his steps were becoming shorter and heavier. There were moments when he contemplated joining the others in their eternal resignation. But those thoughts were few and far between. He still had fight left in him. Yesterday he noticed a parv hole in the wall of the lab, and it slightly revitalized his passion. However, he still had no way to get to it. His associates had been no help, either, offering nothing but grunts and moans whenever he tossed ideas their way. But at least he had a destination, and that was more than he had two days ago.

      Guy was the one who was taken today. Afterward, Jacques wondered how much longer he could avoid the meaty hands of the scientist. He wasn't sure which fate would be worse, dying early or living long enough to watch all his friends be killed, knowing he had failed them. If he was only given a chance, he would never allow something like this to happen again...

      Sudden movement outside of the tank caught his eye. It was the scientist. Jacques began to panic. They had already been fed and one of them was abducted. So why would he be coming to them now? Was he going to take another test subject? Two in one day; is that what the parvs could expect from now on?

      Jacques backed up as the scientist approached the tank. He was wearing his rubber gloves, as per usual, but this time something was different. He was gingerly carrying an object in his hand. As he got closer, Jacques could make it out. It was Guy!

      The tank opened above them, and Guy was dropped in. The fall didn't hurt him, it never hurt parvs, they were too small for that, but Guy still didn't look well. He was shaking all over, and the top of his head was stained green. His left arm was bright red, and getting redder by the minute.

      "Are you okay?" Jacques asked after the scientist closed the lid and sat at his desk.

      "No," Guy answered truthfully. "I feel like death warmed over."

      "What happened in there?" Edison chimed in.

      "I don't really... listen, all I know is that they're not trying to killing us," Guy said. "The scientist told me everything. They're doing these experiments so they don't have to kill us."

      "What are you talking about?" Jacques spat. "Look around, half of us haven't come back."

      "That's because they're dead."

      "You are not making any sense."

      Guy swallowed and fought to catch his breath. "The new human Prime Minister, Antony, this is all his doing," he explained. "He doesn't want parvs to be crushed or poisoned anymore."

      "Sounds like an alright dude," said Edison.

      "Yeah, I guess. Instead, he's been looking to more humane methods of pest control."

      "Hmph," Jacques grunted. "Sounds like a jerk to me."

      "At any rate, that's what Dr. Moon is doing here. He's trying to find a way to control us without resorting to mass killings."

      "Doesn't seem to be working," Jacques said. "Especially since almost half of us are dead already."

      "Yeah, it's not going great so far. I'm the first test subject to live through... the injection phase." Guy was shaking even more fiercely now. Each word was a struggle to him, and his arm had begun to turn purple. "If... if I survive... the day... then we will... all be getting... this... injection. It's a... lot of... pressure... to... have... on... my... shoulders... I... guess..."

      Guy began seizing uncontrollably in Jacques' arms. The others looked on in horror as Guy violently convulsed, then all at once stopped.

      "Guy?" Jacques asked, shaking his friend. "Guy?" There was no response. Guy was dead. From his desk, Dr. Moon noticed what was happening, and stood up forlornly. He walked over to the tank, removed Guy from the group, then with little fanfare he walked the dearly departed over to a hazardous waste bucket and tossed him inside.

      Jacques sat down, and hugged his knees to his chest. It was day 5. He wasn't sure if he could take another week in this tank.