To Be A Rebel

Chapter 16: All About That Base

"Okay, Five, you're nearly in position. Now, you see that door ahead of you? The one with the uh, picture of a wheelchair on it?" Sam lets out a disgruntled noise. "Uh, Janine, is that a disabled toilet?"

"I believe so, yes."

"And why are we making Five start running in the loo? Are you like, worried about runners getting caught short during the drill?"

"The disabled toilet is the furthest point in Noah Base from any exit. If we're going to practice our evacuation procedures, we need to assume a worst-case scenario, which you'd be aware of if you'd spent some time reading the briefing rather than decorating your room in this ridiculous manner."

Sam chokes in offense. "It's not ridiculous! It's an exact replica of the Broom Cupboard!"

"It's not a broom cupboard. It's a coms center. These children's drawings and stuffed animals are hardly appropriate."

"No, I mean it's THE Broom Cupboard. Well, you know, BBC kid's TV. I used to watch it all on YouTube. Andi Peters, Phillip Schofield, Gordon the Gopher. I actually found a Gordon the Gopher puppet in one the bedrooms. You couldn't honestly expect me to find Gordon the Gopher and not decorate this place like the Broom Cupboard."

I'm so confused as to what they're talking about, but I've learned not to ask what Sam might possibly mean when he talks about television.

"That's very well and good, but this stuffed animal is a rat," Janine says.

"Uh, yeah?"

"In fact, I believe it's Roland Rat, who was the star of ITV's TV-am. He's an anachronism, Mr. Yao."

"Wait, what?"

She sighs. "Hard as you may find it to believe, I was once a child. Now, Five, in ten seconds, I'll be sounding the alarm, it will be your mission to ensure all residents of Noah Base are evacuated. Failure to do so will result in their death."

"Or, you know, not really, because this is just a drill," Sam says, and I smile at his attempt to help take some of the pressure off me.

"But one day, it may not be, and our lives will depend on your speed and efficiency, Runner Five. Time to move."

The alarm goes off.

"Run!"

And I do. I'm supposed to go to the southwest wing. I'm supposed to go in each room, give directions to the exit, and escort everyone out. It's on the third floor, and I have to get them to take the stairs to the first and then take the elevator to ground level. They then climb the stairs up the to the bunker door, and then get out. There are stairs that also go up to ground level, but Janine decided we're not going to use those since one gave way yesterday when Tom was trying to go down them. We won't use those until he gets them fixed, which he might be working on at this very moment, actually.

I go down the hallway, opening all the doors as I do so, since I know in a real situation with an alarm going off, people would be coming out to see what's going on. Makes things easier for me, actually, since I don't have to go into each individual room to give out these instructions. I put two fingers in my mouth and blow loudly, a high pitched whistle piercing the air.

"Hey, you don't have to be so loud," Sam winces, and I chuckle.

"Have to make it realistic, right? Everyone, listen up! Head to the staircase at the end of the hall! I'm going to lead you out! We're evacuating right now! Leave your possessions, do not hesitate! Go! Now!"

Of course, no one heeds my instructions, because no one's here, but I still double check every room to... make sure everyone's gotten out of the rooms and has heard my instructions. Then I run for the stairway.