Project Zero Labs

The clock on my tablet jumps from 6:30 to 6:35, then back again. Must be because of the poor signal down here.

“Oh, would you look at this! Do my eyes deceive me? Is that you, Calla?”

Professor Katz merrily shouts from the top of a pole, pen and notepad in hand. His eyes look ridiculous with the massive goggles he’s wearing. He presses a bottom, lowering the platform to the metal walkway, his shoes echoing in the cave each step he takes. The other scientists clear his path, until he greets me with his signature overly-aggressive handshake.

“Haha! I haven’t seen you since you were— well, you’re the same height, but what does it matter!” He shifts his attention to the IPU symbol on my jacket, his face beaming up with excitement. “Don’t tell me, you’re the Admin they sent for inspection?”

“Mhm,” I say with a small, forced smile.

“Excellent – excellent, excellent!” He throws an arm over my shoulder. “Come now, we have much to discuss!”

All researchers are covered in protective wear from head to toe, we’re at least a thousand feet underground, a barrier is around us… I type these notes into the tablet. When Katz proposed to establish Project Zero Labs, the IPU wanted to ensure that Ezrite would be kept securely. That’s why I’m here, to make sure Katz is following protocol.

“Where is it?” I ask, interrupting a long rigmarole about his “historic” discovery of Ezrite and how “amazing” his findings have been since then. I didn’t come here to listen to him gloat.

“Ah, yes, of course! Right this way, Miss Admin.”

It still doesn’t feel right, being called an Admin, or wearing this badge. Even though I worked so hard to get it.

The entryway is encased with steel. Katz enters a passcode of 10 digits into the keypad, and the doors open into a short corridor that leads into a wider room. A long desk is along the wall, layered with items that are reminiscent of his old laboratory at the Institute of Laws and Sciences – papers upon papers, microscopes, mineral samples… His team is seated and working diligently, not even looking up with how consumed they are.

A window takes up most of the wall, which separates us from it – the crystal I was told about all those years ago. It’s contained in a glass sphere, and smoke surrounds it. The jagged edges almost touch the cave’s roof, the stalactites resembling a reversed view of them. It’s overall color is pale and transparent, yet each face reflects tints of green and aqua.

Ezrite. The Liberation’s downfall.

“Which form is this?”

“The one that’ll make you go all…” He wraps his arms around himself and pretends to squirm in agony as a demonstration. “But I assure you, we’re being super, duper, extra careful! You see all that smoke?”

I nod.

“That’s the ‘poison,’ as we’re referring to it right now. It’s released from Ezrite continuously, but when it’s enclosed, we can study it safely.”

I raise one eyebrow, looking at him suspiciously.

“Oh, come on, don’t give me that look!”

When they first began experimenting with “Form 2” back in the old lab, it was also enclosed, just for storage purposes – but as a result, it’s how they discovered Ezrite’s true deadly potential. The container exploded from the inner pressure created by Ezrite’s force, releasing the fumes and killing everyone in the lab that day.

Tapping a fingernail against the tablet, I inquire, “What did you change to make sure that doesn’t happen again?”

Katz points to the doors that go out into the other end of the cave, where the Ezrite lies. “Those doors are connected to the sphere, you see. When they’re open, it’s an indication that people are in the area. Buuut, after we’ve wrapped up for the day, the doors shut at 7 P.M. on the dot,” he dramatically spreads out his arms and says like some supervillain, “the sphere will drop, and the poison shall disperse!”

“ … And that helps how, exactly?”

“Why, because it prevents the thing from blowing up, of course! And before the next day starts, the sphere will shut up the Ezrite again, while the poison dissipates.”

I sigh. “That isn’t good enough, Katz. Why not install a ventilation system? Attach it to the glass to reduce the pressure instead?”

He laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his hair. “Money, money we don’t have since President Connell has cut off our funding. But don’t worry! It’ll be a future addition for sure!”

Even after seven years, Professor Katz is still the same.

I step out to get a closer look at the Ezrite’s vessel. Seems secure enough, no obvious flaws like cracks or holes. The sheer size of it is intimidating, I’m an ant in comparison. It’s definitely majestic, museum-worthy even, but it’s also one of the most lethal objects known to mankind.

I wonder how easy it’d be to break the glass and kill everyone in here.

All these dirty IPU bastards.

Two years I spent hiding in an outer territory with Jasper. When the Queen was restored, power was given back to humans. But only 20% of the Capital’s population remained from Ezri’s aftermath. Within that small fraction, many were in facilities. The city was a shell of its former glory, and beyond the verge of collapse.

To fix it, there was only one, extremely controversial decision – free the inmates, even those sentenced to sleep. That extended to me, and it was then Jasper and I returned to the Capital. Three years in university, and another two years building my way up to an Admin, in spite of my “criminal” past. Even now, my colleagues still give me looks – including Lux, especially after that little incident he and Miss Gray had with me.

Ever since I got this position, and even before then, I’ve been using the IPU’s desperate leniency to my advantage – by advocating change.

Making the MMEs less restrictive and no longer monthly, improving facility conditions, removing the “sleep” penalty for the most minor errors… Just a few ideas of mine, good ideas. But what were they met with?

Mockery, scorn, and instant denial.

No matter how hard I push, how much I make sense, the IPU refuses to listen. Almost lost my job on multiple occasions, but even though it’s been so long, the majority of the country still doesn’t reach the IPU’s definition of “stable.” They need all the employees they can get.

6:54. According to Katz, the doors will close soon. Can’t stay here long. A notification pops in the corner of the screen – a message from Jasper. Unread ones are from Mom and Anthony. I ignore both and block Anthony’s new number. Jasper’s text reads,

“Dinner tonight, beautiful?”

I smirk and reply with a simple, “Sure.”

Four years strong. I still remember when I cringed at the idea of us being a “thing,” but being together in the outer territories with only the two of us relying on each other – that made it possible for me to see him in a different light.

I tap off the messenger. Shiloh’s smile greets me on the background cover, her arms around me and Jasper on our first day of university. Every day, I don’t forget her. Every day, I try to make her death mean something by making this a country worth dying for.

But all of my attempts have led to nothing.

“Um, hellooo, Calla! What are you still doing out there?” Professor Katz says, sounding slightly panicked.

Yeah, yeah, the door is going to close. I still have a few minutes—

The clock jumps ahead 5 minutes. 6:59.

Almost dropping the tablet out of shock, I bolt to the doors – the closing doors. One of Katz’s team members reaches to grab my hand, but it’s too late. My body slams into the doors at the exact second they shut.

7:00 on the dot.

The sphere surrounding the Ezrite recedes downward, the deadly fog escaping as the clamor inside grows. The smoke hasn’t even grazed my skin, yet the effects in the atmosphere are immediate. Falling onto the rocky surface, I experience the pressure of a Re:Pill multiplied by a thousand. My body is afflicted with excruciating, teeth-grinding pain, while the air is squeezed out of my lungs. The more I’m exposed, even by seconds, the worse it gets.

I’m dying.

Oh my gosh, I’m dying.

I’m going to die!

A bright light shines into my eyes as consciousness slips from me. Briefly, I see the doors starting to open – but what happens next is unknown, as my life departs from me.

…

“Calla, Calla…”

I’m woken by the sound of Jasper’s worried voice. He stares at me with startled eyes. I touch my face to confirm I’m actually alive. For a small moment, the peace from knowing that fact comforts me, only to be followed by a feeling of disappointment.

Is there really a point in living in such a pathetic, hopeless world?

“What happened? How did I survive?” I ask.

“They…” He clears his throat. “They got the doors open at the last minute… Any later, and you would’ve been gone.”

What “luck.”

I nod slowly, resting my head back on the pillow. Then while stretching out my hand to touch his, I say, “Don’t look at me like that, like you’ve seen a ghost. I lived, didn’t I—”

“Calla,” he says rather intensely, his hand holding mine tightly.

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“It seems that the Ezrite has… Really affected you.”

Of course it did. It nearly killed me.

He sees that I’m not understanding his obvious statement, so he grabs his phone and opens the camera. After a shallow breath, he gives it to me so I can look.

And what I see, is a nightmare.

My hair has turned white. Fresh tears cover every inch of my skin, which will form into scars. I’m not blinded, yet my eyes are hazed over. While trembling, I cover half my face with my hand as if it were a mask.

Shiloh— Oh, Shiloh. This is why you were protecting me.

“Jasper… I did it.”

He gulps, then asks, “Did what?”

A small yet deranged laugh is broken free, as tears stream down my face. A twitchy smile spreads. I stand on the cliff of sorrow and dread.

“I found Ezri.”

                                                                THE END.