Chapter 23

Their footsteps echoed down the empty hall as they approached a door, their hands still clasped.

"This is creepy," Kristie whispered and looked behind her. "There's nothing here. If it wants something from us, shouldn't it say something?"

"Who knows?" Jae opened the next door to reveal a long room with a monochrome tiled floor. "Maybe they just want to send us in circles and watch us go mad."

"Trials and tribulations."

"Let's hope it doesn't go that far."

"I don't trust that floor. It looks different than the previous one." Kristie poked the floor through the door with the tip of her foot.

"Rush to the other side? There's no other place to go to if we turn back."

"What else is there to do?" Kristie nodded, and they both stepped in.

Slam. The door closed behind them.

"Totally a trap." Kristie swallowed hard.

"An unavoidable one."

They both took a deep breath. Jae held his hand out to count down. His hand in a fist, they took off running together.

The tiles on the floor shook.

"Ah!" Kristie yelped and stumbled back a step.

Jae kept his grip on her and pulled her into his arm, hoping the shaking would stop.

It got worse. The tiles began to rise and fall underneath them.

"We'll have to be more careful." He kept her with him on one tile as he tried to find a pattern.

"Uh, Jae?"

"Yes?"

"Some of the tiles behind us are going down and not coming back up."

Jae glanced back. "Crap. There's no time to waste. Try to move with me."

They stepped to the next tile, and Kristie cringed. Dammit. My ankle. Pain spiked each time they hopped onto the next time. I must've hurt it when I stumbled.

"Ah..." she gasped, unable to hold back from crying out any longer.

Jae stopped immediately. "You're hurt?"

"I'm fine. Keep going."

"You should've told me," he huffed and checked how close the falling ground was getting. "I'm sorry about this, but you're in no condition to move around." Jae leaned down and pulled her over his shoulder.

"Oh my gosh! What are you doing?" Kristie clung to him, now watching the falling tiles creep closer to them.

"You need help to move, and it's easier to see carrying you like this. Hold on, this is going to be a bumpy ride." Jae jumped from one raised tile to another, avoiding low ones as he rushed towards the door.

"Go, go, go," Kristie screamed and patted his back as the tiles fell faster. "They definitely want to kill us!"

Thud. Jae landed hard at the next door, huffing as he fumbled with the door. "Open, dammit." The doorknob jiggled and turned, opening to reveal another room. Empty, other than a pedestal in the middle.

The door slammed shut behind them.

"Enough of this," Jae growled and set Kristie down. "Quit your testing and come out with it. What do you want from us?"

No response.

"What's the point in all this? And why won't they tell us anything?" This is insane.

While Jae paced around, controlling his breathing to calm himself, Kristie took dainty steps on her injured ankle up to the pedestal.

A vial? Well, a needle. What's in this? It can't be good. Kristie picked up the needle to examine the blue contents. Such an unusually bright blue.

Sirens went off and vents at the top of the room opened. Grey smoke erupted from the vents, filling the room.

"What the hell?" Jae used his shirt to cover his face and hurried over to Kristie. "Cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve; we don't know what that smoke is."

"Does it matter? It's not like there's a way out."

"We'll last longer, and hopefully, figure out how to get through this trial. What is that?" Jae coughed as his lungs burned. A creeping numbness ran through his limbs.

"That is the antidote. There is only one," AI's voice rang through the room.

"Only one?" Jae coughed again and sat on the floor beside her. "You should take it, then."

He seems to be doing worse than me, though. A small tickle formed at the back of her throat and a prickly feeling in the tips of her fingers. Our immunities are different.

"What are you waiting for?" He heaved and glanced up at her. "Hurry."

Without another moment, she plunged the needle into his arm.

Jae reached up to stop her, but was too late. The liquid whooshed into him, and he gasped. "Kristie! No... Why did you do that?"

"Because I wanted to save you for once." She knelt down beside him and caressed his cheek. Wish I had more time to gaze upon his handsome visage. Actually, his eyes are more entrancing than anything I've ever seen.

"You've been saving me since we met."

All I've done is cause trouble.

The vents clicked, and some sucked out the smoke, while others filtered in clean air.

Oh... Kristie wobbled as dizziness kicked in.

"Kristie? Are you okay? I don't know what that was... but if there was an antidote, that means..."

"That I'm likely poisoned right now? Yeah..."

Jae pulled her over into his lap as he sat on the floor and wrapped his arms around her. "Give her an antidote, too!" he yelled, his arms shaking. "How could anyone do something like this? I thought AI had made a peaceful utopian society. I thought they worked for the betterment of humans. How is poisoning her for the better?"

"Jae, I don't feel that bad; just a little off. I must have a strong immune system."

"Really? In this anti-dirty society? How does your immune system grow if it isn't subject—"

"We have more vaccines that actually work. Our immune systems are boosted while we're babies, and it stays in effect as long as we get a booster shot once every twenty years."

"Wow." Jae's eyes widened. "Glad to hear about some of the advances we've made, but I can't help but worry. And just because you're not as affected doesn't mean it won't kill you. We're in an empty – probably locked – room, and there's nothing I can do from here. Elias might be able to..."

"He's a genius, but it's not like he can magically conjure an antidote out of thin air. You should leave me here and try to find a door. There has to be one; it's probably hidden."

"Leave you here? That's a crazy idea."

"I am sorry to scare you, but it was required for the test," AI said, its voice echoing in the empty room. "She is not in danger, though it will take a little bit of time for it to pass through her system. If her immune system is strong, it won't last long at all."

Jae sighed and leaned back, still keeping his grip on her. "So you're going to be okay?"

Kristie rubbed her fingers and thumb together. "Slightly dizzy and a bit of numbness, but I guess so." Thank goodness.

"What was the point of this test?" Jae asked.

AI was silent for a moment, calculating if it should respond. "To see how you two would react in a perceived life or death situation. So far, both of you have exceeded my expectations."

"Does that mean we've passed and can leave?"