Laurentian

Data Recovery/Video Surveillance Entry Six Thousand Four Hundred And Ninety Nine (6499)/DSIL/Deep Sea Installation: Laurentian/Laurentian Abyss/June 8^th/Parties Involved: One [1] – Ronald King, Two [2] – Omar Carmine, Three [3] – Doctor Danielle Hussein, Four [4] – Camilla Webb, Five [5] – Victor Flynn/Location: Labs

Lab cam three is pointed across the wide space that is the sectionable lab of Dsil. It’s white floor and walls are an unbroken mass that perfectly reflects the dull light strips that keep the space partially illuminated even when not in use.

Suddenly there is a flash of light followed shortly after by flames. The camera shakes angrily as a dark shadowy silhouette can be seen vaguely passing by at the very periphery of the camera’s lens.

The camera, fixed, and affixed up in the corner of the room watches as the flames quickly grow and spread across the space, flaring the surveillance cameras lens here and there.

This continues for roughly five minutes, which have been truncated down by one of the data recovery techs to just thirty seconds.

As normal playback speed resumes the fire alert siren can be heard blaring noisily, filling the in-built speaker of the camera, overwhelming it.

The siren blots out the pops and bangs as countless flammable containers and vials detonate all around the open lab area. The flames having swallowed almost half the lab, along with all the equipment that had been laid out neatly on the metal topped counters.

Suddenly a stocky man with a shaved head rushes in with a fire suppression unit in his hands, ready to douse the flames liberally. He pauses as he sees the size of the flames and curses. Then a few seconds later activates the suppression unit and begins to spray the closest collective of flames with the oxygen depriving foam.

Within seconds the front row of flames begins to die down. The stocky man, Sergei, smiles as he takes a step forward advancing on the flames to make sure the most focused burst of the jet is kept close to the roaring menace.

This continues for more than a minute before all of a sudden Sergei then turns. It seems he’s heard something. He pauses for a while, staring away from the camera. As he does the silhouette slithers up behind him. Sergei turns back just in time to showcase to the camera that he recognises the face before him instantly. Then he is cut down, viciously.

Sergei falls backward, toppling to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Blood, which looks decidedly black on the security camera, spews from the wound to the stocky man’s throat. His hands clasping at the artery as he attempts, too late, to stem the pumping of the blood from his body.

The siren, at that moment, stops blaring. A gurgling sound replaces the siren. It’s much quieter than the blaring noise that came before it. But the gargling, drowning sounds last only a dozen seconds before distant and growing shouts overwhelm it.

[1] We should have listened to Omar. We should have left.

Ronald is wearing a wide insane grin across his otherwise gaunt, wrinkled and pale face. His eyes stare maddeningly at Sergei, who is writhing at his feet, fighting to hang onto his fading life.

[4] Oh my…

[5] Holy shit.

[3] Ron, what have you done?

Ronald turns toward the quartet that has just arrived. They are all stood paralysed by shock because of the sight before them of the smouldering lab, blood splattered scientist with a scalpel bathed in red in his hand and the now still Sergei.

[2] Put the scalpel down Ron. We don’t mean you any harm, but you’ve got to put the scalpel down. We can talk about this.

[1] Talk. I don’t want to talk.

[3] Come on Ron, listen to Omar. I’m sure there’s a valid explanation for this.

[4] How the fuck can there be? He’s killed Sergei.

[5] Camilla is right.

[4] Damn fucking right I’m right.

[2] Not helping Cam.

Omar spits through gritted teeth in the moments after he’s turned his attention toward her.

[3] Ron, don’t… NOOO!!!!

Omar turns back just in time to see Ronald drag the bloody scalpel across his throat. A fountain of blood sprays out. Everyone exclaims in shock and horror as they witness the event and then watch as his body crumbles to the formerly pristine white floor of the lab, which the flames never reached.

Victor and Cam rush over to Sergei, but it’s too late. He’s dead.

Doctor Hussein and Omar on the other hand rush over to Ronald. He coughs a few times and reaches upward before his life ends and his arm drops, unceremoniously, out of the air and across his chest with a thump.

[5] They’re both dead.

Victor says a couple minutes later to confirm what the five of them already know.

[2] We’re leaving.

[3] What? What do you mean we’re leaving?

[4] What he said Doc. We’re leaving.

[3] We can’t just leave. What about the data, the research?

[2] We’re lost five people. We’re not staying here and losing anymore.

[3] But we don’t even know what happened here!

[4] Ron killed Sergei. That’s what happened!

[3] There has to be a reason.

[4] A reason! Are you on something?

[5] Someone did set the lab on fire.

[3] That could have been Sergei.

[2] It wasn’t.

[3] How can you be so sure?

[2] Cause I knew man. He wouldn’t do that. Plus, that’s a fire suppression unit.

[3] So?

[5] Sergei used to work as a fire-fighter.

There is a pause as everyone looks at Victor.

[5] We got talking one day and exchanged a few stories about our pasts. That was one of the things he shared with me.

[3] That doesn’t mean he didn’t start the fire!

[2] It does, but you believe what you want cause it doesn’t change the fact that we’re leaving.

[3] Give us some time.

[2] No. I did that before and this is what happened. I’m not risking it again. We leave. Now.

[3] No!

Doctor Hussein spits before turning and marching off.

[5] Dani, come on. Listen to reason.

It’s already too late and Doctor Hussein has stormed off and out of view.

[5] Huh…

[5] I’ll go talk to her. See if I can bring her round.

[4] You don’t want to stay and collect your data?

[5] No. It’s not worth anymore lives.

Victor stands and then walks out of shot of Lab cam three.