Oriehn

Chapter 33- Alice

Chapter 33- Alice

I pushed open the vent and moved aside for Sin to jump down first. Impatiently, he held a hand out for me and we moved quickly along the hallway, making the most out of the little time we had.

Rounding the corner, I quickly scanned the hallway, and seeing no one, I ran across, Sin following. "We will have to take different routes." I said grimly.

Sin nodded, standing erect as he stared intently at me. "Tell me where to go and what to do."

"You will take the longer but less traveled route. You will probably reach the shuttle first, so get it ready for take-off. I shall take the second route and meet you there." I offered a slight smile when Sin looked worried.

He nodded again. "All right. What are the directions?"

"Go down to the end of the hall and turn left into the fire stairs. These are small and precarious, so it will be harder, though shorter. Once you get to the ground floor, open the door, take a right after two doors. After that, walk straight until the end, turn right and then there will be another door. Take that, round the corner towards the left, and run."

"How about you?" Sin asked.

"I will be fine, and I will take a longer route. Do not worry about me. As far as they know, I am one of them," I muttered sadly and ran down the hall before Sin could say anything else. I turned around once and gave him a curt nod as he turned the other direction.

I walked down the halls at a brisk, moderate pace, wanting to go faster but didn't want to arouse suspicion. I gave a small smile to the wardens as well as waves to the other scientists all while trying to maintain a normal face.

I rushed out of the building and ran across the grass lawns toward the shuttles in the back. I fell down and frustratedly tossed my high heeled shoes behind me. Stumbling a bit, I made my way across and scanned the place for Sin, who was not anywhere to be found.

Panicking, I yelled, "Sin!" He did not answer, and I quickly rushed into the shuttle. Frowning at the controls, I pushed a red button which ignited the engine. I tried to remember what Sin always did, and I pushed up the throttle, and the shuttle rumbled as it came to life.

My hands shook as I fumbled around, pressing random controls while hoping that it would work. I grasped the steering wheel tightly and pressed a lever close to the floor. Raising the throttle again, the shuttle rose into the air, albeit shakily.

I breathed a sigh of relief and drove into the next building, right next to the window where most prisoners were kept. Pushing another button, the shuttle became suspended in midair, and I reached out, unlatching the window.

"Over here," I called, and all of the Oriehns turned to me. Many flinched, probably knowing what I had done, and I sighed. "Look, I made a mistake. I regret it, and now I am here to let you all out. If you do not believe me, then you all will rot here for the rest of your life until you die." I deadpanned.

Putting my hand onto the window ledge, I hoisted myself in, tumbling onto the floor. Cheeks flushing at my less than graceful entrance, I held up a key. "The minute I let you out, go to the window and step inside the shuttle." The Oriehns all nodded in unison.

I unlocked the first one, who immediately ran— or tried to. She coughed and then fell to the ground. I groaned and helped here up. "Try to help each other. You can do this!" I encouraged as I let more out.

They seemed to be all in different conditions. Some were fine, but weak, like Sin. More of them were collapsed on the floor, coughing and trying to get their breath. "Quickly!" I shouted, my breath catching as I watched all of them lumped on the floor.

Thankfully, this floor was always locked and you needed a master key to enter, which wardens didn't even have access to. Only select scientists, like me, had them. When I finally unlocked all of the cages, I ran around helping everyone into the shuttle.

The door rattled, and my eyes grew wide. "Doctor Proctor! What are you doing?" I heard a warden's voice. "I am calling Doctor Prose." He said in a matter of factly voice. I cursed my bad luck, especially since Doctor Prose had a master key.

"Hurry, hurry. All squeeze in, I am sorry that it is tight," I yelled. "Yes, that's right. Pack in, we still have more to come." I helped as many as I could into the shuttle, but I could tell that for many, even if they were brought out, they would not survive long.

The door shook again and opened. "Why, Alice, I did not fancy seeing you here," Doctor Prose entered calmly, with two wardens behind him that were holding a sagging figure.

Sin. "Taliesin," I whispered, eyes wide at his condition. He was battered and bruised up, weakly hanging in the wardens' arms.

He looked upwards, his eyes flickering as recognition crept in. "Alice..." He whispered lightly, and then coughed, his body shaking with every sound.

"Why, yes, Alice. Captain Graile here was found trying to escape through the fire emergency exits. I do not suppose you had anything with this?"

"N-No, Doctor. Of course not. You know how hard I tried to get the Oriehns here," I gulped, hoping that Sin could see through my lie. He didn't, and he looked up at me, glaring, anger rising as his mouth formed the words 'another lie'.

He did not trust me anymore.

The thought threatened to break my heart, but I stayed strong, putting on a masked calm face. "Then, why, Alice, are you helping the Oriehns out of the window? Are you truly that two-faced, you can not even pick a side and stay with it?" Doctor Prose sneered.

"I-I..." I said, staring at the ground.

"Of course you can't. You're just a little traitor. And if your little friend here really means so much to you as you said he does, I will make you a deal," Doctor Prose tilted his head.

I did not hesitate. "Of course, anything, Doctor." Sin stared up at me with hooded lids, his mouth parting but no sound came out.

"Then keep all of the prisoners here. We will let him go," Doctor Prose offered. "Otherwise he will be subjected to treatment even worse than he has ever faced before." And as if to prove his point, he turned to the wardens, nodding at them. They immediately struck Sin, and he collapsed to the floor, bleeding an inky midnight blue.

I gasped, "I..." I looked back at Sin and at the Oriehns waiting expectantly in the shuttle, huddled together, frightened. It was then I made my choice. "I'm sorry, Sin."