Escape

Adam sprawled back away from the man and assessed his wounds, he probably had a concussion, and maybe a fractured ankle from the man who had helped him. He stood and tested putting weight on it and he could stand without further damaging his leg as he tried to walk around the body of the man who freed him. His thoughts kept dragging back to the man, the one he had killed.

Definitely neurological damage Adam confirmed.

Underneath the terror that still lingered in his mind was another feeling too complex for him to understand. It got worse when he thought about the man so Adam tried to put it out of his mind as he planned his escape. After he had been freed, the man immediately commented on his lack of clothes. Kneeling Adam tugged at the collar and eventually worked out the mechanism on the front of the uniform that made a zip noise as he slid the jumpsuit off. Adam shook it gently and the blood slipped off without absorbing at all, Adam spun the suit around to check for more blood then put the suit and boots on, it fitted poorly, too loose around the waist and ankles but it would do. Adam took one last look at the man's body, then left.

Adam pushed the double doors open slightly and peeked through, making sure there was no one outside. The corridor was brightly lit and long, despite only having 2 doors. Adam crept down the corridor slowly, his heart beating harder with every footstep as the heavy boots thudded and echoed down the hallway. He approached the door he’d come out of earlier and pulled on the handle, but it wouldn’t open. He yanked harder causing the door to rattle as he began to perspire before closing his eyes to calm himself, recalling the actions of the 2 men who tried to dispose of him. When he tried to open the double doors he’d taken a card out of his pocket and tapped it on a small black box by the door, this door had the same thing. Adam looked at his jumpsuit and reached into the pocket on his chest and pulled out a small white card, tapping it. The box chirped and there was a mechanical sound as the door unlocked and Adam entered the lab where he woke up.

The lab was largely empty except for the body, he hadn't noticed it before. There were a couple of lockers he opened but they only contained a couple of items of clothing and some stationary. He picked up a black beanie and his finger rose to the metal connector on his temple, the man who attacked him was friendly until he had seen that, was this connector what made him a thing? He pulled the beanie on and checked his reflection on the glass wall, it covered the metal thing well. With a final glance at the body he left, this room was not an escape.

The next door was unlocked and led into a room Adam somehow recognised as a kitchen. He checked the drawers and found cutlery, bowls and plates, but nothing useful as a weapon or tool so he left.

Exiting the room Adam walked down the corridor to the final door, this door had no box, only a button with an arrow pointing down. He pressed it and after a moment the doors opened, he stepped inside but this room was tiny. The doors closed behind him and he examined his strange surroundings. There was a bar that ran around the room and a series of buttons on a wall he didn’t feel safe pressing. He was about to turn to leave when suddenly the room jerked and began to fall, Adam grabbed the railing tightly in a panic, expecting the room to tip over and for him to go crashing into the ground, but the descent was steady and controlled. After a short time, he felt himself become heavier before the door pinged and opened. Adam was still panting and gripping the railing as a woman walked into the elevator, staring at him before moving to the opposite side of the small room. Adam wasn’t sure if he should move but as the doors began to close he darted through as the woman tutted disapprovingly.

Adam entered a corridor full of doors like the one he just exited, and after panicking he would need to check every door he saw, down the corridor past a small crowd of people, the sky, dark blue in the early dawn light, buildings, people… safety. Adam walked towards it, passing a sign that said “elevators” and walking past men and women sitting at desks who smiled at him as he left. He hid his bloodied hands in his pockets and kept his head down desperately trying to avoid the eyes of the people he passed, but they ignored him. He reached the door as a man opened it, holding it open as Adam waited for him to come through. The man shrugged and entered, letting the door close as he saw Adam and stared in recognition for a moment before passing on. Adam's fists were clenched as he prepared for another attack and he took a moment to calm his mind as he opened the door, as Michael said hello to the receptionist behind him.