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Non-Pokémon Grounded: Project Spac.r

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
I've done a play through of Grounded when it was fully released, and I'll say, it works great for fic/book material!

(Spoilers for Main story of Grounded)
 
The dark side of Ominent

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Now... can anyone tell me what the true name of Genghis Khan really was?" Mr. Bradley asked.

Many of us had seemed stumped, but there was a handful of us that had raised their hands, me included. Bradley had looked to me, seemingly about to call on me.

"Yes? What's your answer Peter?"

"I think that it was Temujin sir. From what I know, that's what he was named before he managed to unite all the tribes on the Mongolian steppe."

"Good Pete good. Is anyone willing to answer why he was named Genghis instead of keeping his original name?"

Many of us raised our hands, and he called on me again.

"Do you think you can answer again Mr. Boggs?"

"Yeah, I think I know. Genghis Khan means: Universal Ruler. He gained that title after he managed to Unite all the mongol Clans. I'd say it sounds similar to something you would hear in fiction, but here we are, learning about a guy in history with a cool name."

From what I know, names in English can sound kinda lame compared to those in other languages. Fenrir with the people of northern Europe, who weren't just vikings! Then there is also Surtr, a Fire Giant also in norse Mythology. Come to think of it, the names of the characters in that Mythology sound pretty badass in general.

Odin, jörmungandr, yggdrasil, Valhalla, Jotenheim, Ymir... I might want to get some inspiration from this mythology for a DnD campaign. What should it be about though? No time to think about that now, I can come up with that when I get home. Maybe a plot about stopping Ragnarok with the help of some Jötnar? Oh my god that would be awesome. I've just gotta plan it out when I get home. But planning a campaign surely would probably take a few hours though, I've at least got the Foundation for it.

Suddenly and seemingly without warning though, the bell rang. It made me jump, but you surely can't say that it was bad, after all it was just loud.

"Alright kids, remember we have a test on the history of the Mongol Empire on Monday! Make sure you study, and follow the curfew the police set up!"

I sometimes forget about that curfew, since it doesn't really effect me much, but I understand the need. People, folks around my age specifically, have been going missing over the past few months. When the disappearances had started to pile up, my school held a presentation for the missing people. I don't really remember just how many people went missing, but I think it was around, 10 to 15, I'm not sure.

Whatever has been happening to those missing people, I probably don't wanna know, but I absolutely do at the same time. Might be a serial killer, it could possibly be some cryptid, But thats impossible. I mean, cryptids aren't real, right? They're just imaginary beings!

"Yeah, like that could be the case." I mumbled to myself as I exited the school. Folks were just spilling out the exits, some of them running, and others talking about their weekend plans. Also some couples holding hands, walking out the school and some onto the bus. There was someone who seemed to look off though, as if they weren't from around here. There was a bit of a shifty look to him, he was looking everyone up and down. Might be a creep, I'm not sure. I just hope this guy Isn't what I think he could be. Oh well, someone else might notice him and report him to the school.


I sighed to myself, wondering if I would ever find my special other someday. Perhaps it's just not my time yet? Yeah, thats probably it.


There was a sign rolled up next to the main sign outside the entrance of the school. "Remember the curfew, 8PM!" It said. But I have to say, if more people keep going missing, the curfew will probably be changed to an earlier time. Does it work like that? I don't know, but I do know it might effect what I do with my friends. Let's just hope that all this could blow over soon.

As I was walking home, I was trying to pass the time by watching cars go by, as I had nothing better to do at the time. Trying to read while walking would probably cause me to run into someone, or possibly into traffic. That's an idea that goes into, and stays in the trash if I have anything to say about it, which I do.

Nevermind that, I need to get home and arrange my plans. Get home, Relax, study, then go and plan my campaign with a hint of norse Mythology.

Yet, everything started to feel... different. Past few weeks less and less people have been going down the route I use to go home. But there's always been at least a few people. Sometimes a small group, some times just a single person. Now that I'm alone, this street is just eerie. No birds, no insects chirping, just nothing. To add to that, it felt like there was something watching me.

Like there was an unseen force, staring into my soul. I started to walk faster, hoping that whatever was watching me, I would be able to get away from it. Then I heard footsteps, that were quite, and coming in my direction. I began to run, trying to flee from whatever was chasing me, all the while not looking behind me. Looking behind me will slow me down, slowing down won't be good for me.

Just
Keep
Running

I've never ran the way I am now in my life. Presumably from never being in a possibly life or death situation like this, but I don't care about that right now.

Home was so close now, as I was on the street my house was on, yet I was almost out of breath. I was trying as hard as I could to keep going at the speed I was at, but was gradually slowing down.

But then, I could see it in the distance. My home, white picket fence, wind vane on top... safety. Safety that was so close, it was as if you could taste it. A taste that would be so sweet... but I would never get to taste
It.

I reached out for the door knob, yet just before I grabbed it, I was pulled away. A gloved hand was placed over my mouth as I started to scream. The glove had started to muffle my screams, but I couldn't do anything else, as I was held in a tight grip. I had managed to get a good look at who was after me. A man in a jumpsuit with stripes down the arms, wearing some kind of mask.

"You were much easier to catch than I first thought kid. Don't worry about what will happen to you, you'll just need this."

He pulled a syringe from somewhere out of view, and I felt a pinch on my neck as he injected me with it.

"There we go, now sleep..."

Sleep had sounded drawn out, as my mind started to become foggier, and it was getting harder to think. Soon I couldn't do that altogether, or see as my vision had gone dark from whatever he gave me as well.


Everything was dark and quiet for who knows how long. Minutes, hours, days? I couldn't tell, as the passage of time felt different. How do I put it? It was as if time had stopped completely while I was out. But I had been certain that I was being brought somewhere. My gut tells me that this place isn't good. Maybe these are all the people behind the other disappearances? That's gotta be the case!

But eventually, after who knows how long, I could see light. Light that was coming through my eyelids. My eyes felt heavy, but as I tried my best to open them, the first thing I saw was a logo. A logo that I have seen since I was little, one I could recognize anywhere:

Ominent
Practical Technologies

Hold on! Are the people at Ominent behind all of the disappearances? Oh my God... what're they gonna do to me?

I looked to my side, and noticed that I was held to a bench with some kind of electrical restraint. It was literally held there by some kind of chain made of electricity. Is this a kind of magnet? How is something like this even possible? I then looked down, to see another Ominent logo, but thays not all. My clothes were gone! Now I wasn't naked mind you, I was wearing something else. Some kind of white and light blue jumpsuit? It looks like I'm wearing a tube of toothpaste. You could also hear what had sounded like a heart monitor somewhere nearby.


"Please don't move, and look straight ahead." A voice said.

I looked ahead, and there was a ton of people behind a pane of glass. A bunch of scientists working on some kind of technology. One stood out though, a man in a suit. Had combed hair which I presume has gel in it. I think he had sunglasses too, though with how foggy the glass was, I couldn't tell.


"...Sir?" I asked weakly. My voice had been dry and hoarse, like I hadn't had a drop of water in hours.

"Who... are you?"

"That, is unimportant. What is important however, what is about to happen actually is."

"What.. d-do you want with me?"

"We don't really want you. We want to change the world."

"Why did you need to bring me here then? I was brought here by force!"

"Look above you. What do you see?"

Harsh fluorescent lights were beating down on me, but lit up 3 mechanical arms, with what looked like guns on the end of them.

"Are those... guns?

"In a way yes. But those are what we plan to use to change the world. But their potential you could say is behind a locked door. You are the key to unlock that door."

"What're you going to do? Shoot me with them? How does a gun change the world?

"You shall see soon enough.... Mr. Boggs.
Sheldon. Activate the Spac.r"

I heard a click, and the bench I was on started to recline, and I faced the ceiling. The lights were hurting my eyes, but I couldn't do anything to get away from them!

"It's a go for molecular reduction. Spac.r is primed"

Spac.r?

The arms lowered, and the gun like appendages started to point at me. I started to struggle, trying to get free of my restraints. Whatever they're planning to do to me, it can't be good! The lights got even brighter, and the ends of the appendages lit up. Sparks were starting to fly out of them.

"Oh don't worry boy, I promise you won't feel a thing."

"where you are going, all your worries will seem so... small."

The appendages activated, shooting arcs of pink and blue energy down at me. Sparks were raining down, some landing and burning on my face, but I didn't care about those at the moment due to the energy. I was trying to pull out of my restraints even more this time, but with no use. I was just squirming while this energy did God knows what to me. Though suddenly, everything had started to look bigger. Much bigger, and it was getting worse. It looks like everything is growing, am I shrinking? I can't tell!

The energy stopped blasting me, and everything seemed to be spinning for a few seconds, with my ears ringing too. But the dizziness cleared up a small amount, I took in my surroundings. I was astonished yet terrified at the same time. Everything looked a thousand times bigger now? Even the scientists in the other room!
Wait. does that mean, I was shrunk, or was everything made bigger?


"Molecular Reduction is a success!"

Chapters end
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A change in perspective

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"You shall see soon enough.... Mr. Boggs.
Sheldon. Activate the Spac.r"

I heard a click, and the bench I was on started to recline, and I faced the ceiling. The lights were hurting my eyes, but I couldn't do anything to get away from them!

"It's a go for molecular reduction. Spac.r is primed"

Spac.r?

The arms lowered, and the gun like appendages started to point at me. I started to struggle, trying to get free of my restraints. Whatever they're planning to do to me, it can't be good! The lights got even brighter, and the ends of the appendages lit up. Sparks were starting to fly out of them.

"Oh don't worry boy, I promise you won't feel a thing."

"where you are going, all your worries will seem so... small."

The devices at the ends of the arms activated, shooting arcs of pink and blue energy down at me. Sparks were raining down, some landing and burning on my face, but I didn't care about those at the moment due to the energy. I was trying pull out of my restraints even more this time, but with no use. I was just squirming while this energy did God knows what to me. Though suddenly, everything had started to look bigger. Much bigger, and it was getting worse. It looks like everything is growing, am I shrinking? I can't tell!

The energy stopped blasting me as soon as it began, but I was left in a daze. I couldn't see correctly, but from what I could make out, everything had looked so much bigger. As if I was now the side of an insect, and a giant room was spinning around me.


"Molecular Reduction is a success!"

I could hear chearing coming from the other room, something about another successful use of the "Spac.r." They seemed to be paying little attention to me, all distracted by their success. The room looked like it was spinning rapidly, as if the room was being held in the air by a tornado, while I was in the same position. It felt as if I was going to be sick, and there's a large chance that I did! I couldn't tell, as I was tired, dizzy, and thirsty. Could this possibly be what going through a hangover is like? I'd guess that it probably what it is like, though I'd rather not think about that.

"Alright men, party is over. We need to collect Data on the side effects. Whoever is willing to go and collect our new lab rat raise your hand."

"Director, may I ask?"

"Yes Amelia. Go collect the boy, but go grab something to carry him in, we don't want to crush him like one of our last subjects. I'd say a petri dish might work."

Everyone in the other room went silent for a few minutes, only sounds being that of fans and what was possibly a heart monitor. It sounded as if it was disconnected, or someone had flat-lined. Just a single, long beep. It went on and on, yet those scientists didn't seem to be bothered by it at all! Just made me feel even worse! First the spinning, the nausea, and now a very loud annoying sound that just seemed like it wouldn't end!

"Alright, I've gotten a petri dish and a lid for it. Just put the kid in it then?"

"Yes yes, just don't keep him in there for too long, don't worry about him getting oxygen. The lid is vented, he'll still get plenty of air inside."

"Yes sir."

I heard a click, and I saw a figure walk into the room. I couldn't make out who, as the room still looked like it was spinning, but I assumed that this was that woman sent to "Collect" me.

"Poor little thing..." I heard her mumble, and I was scooped into a clear object. Probably that Petri dish they talked about?

She seemed to be gentle with the Petri dish, and brought me into the other room, where I could make out many spinning faces. The spinning seemed as if it was starting to slow down, though I'm not sure how long that's gonna take.

"Alright, Schmector. Here he is, where do I put him?"

"I'd advise the lab, since we can record data easier that way, but put him on the table. I wanna get a good look at him."

I was placed on the table, and the way it was placed almost caused me to hit the wall of the dish. The lid was removed, and many faces were now staring at me.

"Sheldon, pass me a magnifying glass." The suited man was handed a magnifying glass, and put it right up to me.

"Yes...yes. he's quite a specimen, how old did you say he was?"

"From the records we got from the school, he's 15 sir."

"I see... he'll make a fine lab rat for the raising cure. I explained that he would be the key to unlock the spac.rs potential, and I have a feeling that saying was true. Imagine, how much people would pay for a technology like this. A revolutionary invention like this, people would pay an arm and a leg just for a taste of it. I could be a billionaire, a trillionare!"

"Schmector, can we not talk about your dreams of cash? Seriously, it doesn't feel appropriate right now." One man said.

"Ah alright then. Get him ready for the lab."


The lid was put back on the dish, and I thought that I would be brought to this "lab" that they were talking about.

"Wait!" The suited man held his hand up.

"Now now Amelia, before you go... why not have a little fun? Let me talk to him quick, get something across.

"Please don't tell me you plan to do what I think you're planning Schmector."

"Oh my dear I'm afraid that what you think I'm planning is correct."

"Schmector" placed a finger on the lid, and brought his face close to the dish. I backed up into a wall to keep away from him,

"Mr. Boggs, say goodbye to your old life, as you will never see the sun AGAIN. You are now the property of Ominent now, so don't you even think of escaping! How could you even do that? You're so small, we won't notice you if you do escape. Do you know what that means?"

I shook my head no.

"We could crush you just by walking. Do you see why escaping isn't a good idea?"

I didn't respond in any way, just to spite Schmector. Believe me, I really wanted to flip him off, but I quickly realized that it wasn't a good idea. I'm probably less than an inch tall now, and the scientists are like skyscrapers now. See why this isn't a good idea now? Yeah, I might be killed for it.

"What is it? Cat got your tongue? Answer me boy!!" Schmector yelled, slamming his fist on the table. The quake from the impact flung me into the air, causing me to hit my head on the lid of my dish. I'd say, if by dizziness was bad before, it was made even worse.

"Look at what you've done Schmector!You've hurt the poor kid!"

"I'll do whatever I Goddamn want! I'm the director!"

While they were all bickering, my vision had started to fade into darkness. The voices became muffled, as all I could do was wait to return to consciousness. Still couldn't tell how long I was out, and frankly I don't care for finding out at this point.

When I woke, my vision was slightly cloudy, and I couldn't tell if it was from me being in a container or not. It looked like I was on a table, as there was a pencil and lots of paperwork infront of me.

Seriously, if a pencil looks like its the size of a log, just how small am I?

I tried to move, only to find I that I was restrained to a bench once again. How did they do this when I'm this small? All the more confusing things that had happened since I've been brought to Ominent.

There was a bunch of people in the room this time, but I couldn't make out what two of them were saying, as it sounded all muffled. Yet you could still hear the whir and beeping of unseen machines.

"Body mass readout is an acceptable range. Skin fold degradation is minimal."

Oh, apparently that woman from earlier is one of the folks in here, but that's not what I'm concerned about. Skin fold degradation? What does that mean, is it bad? If so, just how bad is it?

A man in a swivel chair came right towards me quickly, causing me to wince. It looked like he was writing something in a notebook, possibly the side effects of what they've done to me?

"Specimen vitals are stable and holding. Looks like we've done it!" He said.

The woman then came walking up to me as well.

"Good job everyone. Let's setup three more trials for replication."

Three more trials? Hold on! Do they mean shrinking more people? I have to do something, I may not be able to do much, but I can still speak! Noone should have to experience this!

"Don't do it! Please, you can't!" My voice was raspy, as I hadn't had anything to drink for a long time, and from a lack of use. I heard those unseen machines starting to beep faster, and I realized they might be monitoring my vitals.

"What the hell? His vitals have spiked!"

The woman then glanced at me, looking surprised.

"Hey Glenn? I'm not sure if you should be alarmed, but the kid is awake. I think he might have heard me."

"Amelia, are you serious?"

She grabbed a magnifying glass next to me. I was able to make out her eye color, was how close she got.

"I stand correct, he's wide awake. I think he might be stressed out. Are you, little one?"

"Yes..." I said weakly.

"It looks like he said something. Could you hear what he said?"

"No."

"Just as I thought. Could you nod yes or no?"

I nodded yes.

"This is what I've been talking about. We should have tested this on animals or at least volunteers! If the molecular reduction didn't take its course on his body, the stress is going to! First he was kidnapped, forcefully put through molecular reduction, and now we're experimenting on him!"

"What should we do about it then?"

"Why don't we just put him where we put our specimens when we aren't experimenting on them."

I then heard a door opening, and another scientist walked inside.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your party. The Defense department has arrived early to discuss project O.R.C. The director needs you to be present at the meeting."

She sighed. "Not sure what is worse. Our director, or a three hour meeting with the military."

She looked back to me.

"Great, I'll have to bring him with me to the meeting won't I?"

"I'll make sure you get more space then, alright little one? I might need to bring you to this meeting then, but I promise you will get more then. I'm sorry you haven't gotten much space."

Yeah, like the amount of space is what you should be sorry for. Three more trials? By that I'm pretty sure you mean to use the "Spac.r" on more innocent people. Kidnapped, experimented on, and who knows what else. Clearly these kidnappings are going to keep happening. More people search, more people could go missing, and it won't stop until whatever this is gets revealed to the government.
Hold on, they mentioned a meeting with the Defense department.

The Department of defense? That means that the government could probably be in on this! Maybe they aren't, there's a chance they don't know about what Ominent is doing to get their information. But then again, there's a chance that the government does know, and doesn't care if people are experimented on. We might just be a means to an end to them. The director. what was his name, Schmector?

He called me a "key to unlock the potential of the Spac.r." that surley sounds like I'm a means to an end, doesn't it?

Let's just hope that if others come, we might be able to come up with something. Maybe find a way to get back to normal size? Schmectors threats though, I don't think that he was being satire about it, and what he said makes sense. I could be crushed without even being noticed. All that I can do, is see what they have planned.

Chapters end
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Project O.R.C

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
He called me a "key to unlock the potential of the Spac.r." that surley sounds like I'm a means to an end, doesn't it?

Let's just hope that if others come, we might be able to come up with something. Maybe find a way to get back to normal size? Schmectors threats though, I don't think that he was being satire about it, and what he said makes sense. I could be crushed without even being noticed. All that I can do, is see what they have planned.

I was left alone in the room, and all that I could do was ponder about my situation, and what the director had told me. If I'm the key to unlock the spac.rs potential, what is that potential? Maybe it could be a future of building civilization? Think about it, let's say in the future humanity is colonizing a new world. Lets say one of the moons of Jupiter or the surface of Mars, being this small could bring benefits. Less resources will be needed for smaller people, as they will also need much less space. You could probably fit millions of people in a tiny city that's just a few miles long, but for them it seems much longer than that. But there would still be a threat of normal sized people, as there is now. Not to mention

A normal human is like godzilla at this size, you could be crushed with ease, same with everything that you have built. Unless you have made a tiny shack out of concrete or metal, there's no way that building is going to last.

But I don't think this project was meant for that, even if it could be used for that. Schmector isn't benevolent it seems, in his eyes, why would he do that when he could make billions? Seems like he doesn't care what he has to do in order to get what he wants, why else would I be in this situation? I was drugged and experimented on, now they're probably recording the results and side effects, what will they do with me after? Toss me into the biohazard bin like trash? I'm not the first one here, and I don't think I'll be the last, so they probably have a specific plan for getting rid of their test subjects. Maybe giving them a new life in the facility? No no, I don't think Schmector would do that, and I don't think they would just make them normal size again.

They probably couldn't even make me normal size again. besides, even if they you big again what makes you think they would? They'll be too cautious about it, they don't want word of the experiments to get out, surley. If I was made big again, they would wanna keep me quiet. I don't know if it would be better or for worse if they do know how to fix my situation. Frankly, I don't think I want to know. I probably won't even be able to if Schmector has anything to say about it.


As I was pondering though, I heard a door open, and that woman walked in. what was her name? Amelia? I'm pretty sure that's her name, my memory has been worse ever since I was shrunk. You know how it is when you're trying to remember something, but can only remember parts of it? Its like trying to remember something from when you were a little kid, and the memory seems like its covered in a cloud of fog? You can remember, though you are having trouble remembering every specific thing from that event because of the mist.

It looked like she was carrying some kind of case, though I couldn't really make out exactly what it was, as I was still restrained on the table. She placed the case on the table, and I found out what it was. It looked like an insect terrarium, with the colored lid with slits in it, and the clear bottom. There was also a couple of small holes in the clear part as well

"Alright kid, my superior says that I need to bring you to our meeting with the Defense department, but I'm going to give you a choice here. Can you nod so I know you're listening to me?"

I nodded yes, as asked.

"OK, ok... good. Now, while you're at the meeting, do you want to stay in your restraints, or walk around freely? You might be tossed around in there, that's why I'm asking."

I was sitting there in silence for a moment, remembering that she wouldn't be able to hear me.

"Oh yeah I can't hear you. Could you nod no for restraints, and yes for me to free you?"


I nodded yes again.

"Alright then, just let me grab you and put you in there, I'll deactivate your restraints."

"She grabbed my bench, and placed me in the terrarium. I heard a beep, and I was free of my restraints, yet when I tried to stand, my legs gave way. I luckily caught myself, but it seems like days of not walking made me a little rusty at that. Almost lost my glasses when I fell, as they almost flew right off my face. Amelia then took the bench out of the Terrarium, and placed the lid over it.

"There we go, that should do it. We should get going now, shouldn't we? By the way, I don't think I ever got your name."

She put her hand next to her hear, seemingly hoping to hear me say something.

"My name is Peter!"

"I can't tell if you said anything, but I think I've got my own name for you. Do you know how reflective your hair is?"

I nodded no.

"Well I'm surprised that you don't know, I would have thought your loved ones would tell you about that. You're hair reflects the light very well, I'm sure that in the right angle, sunlight would make it look like gold! So thanks to how sunlilght could affect your hair, how does Sunny sound?"

Sunny? Seriously? My face felt warm after hearing that, but I couldn't do anything about it. But really, Sunny? She then chuckled to herself a bit.

"You should see the look on your face right now. But nevermind that for now, we need to meet with the Defense department. I'd advise you hang onto one of those holes on that thing."

I went and held onto one of the holes, which was almost high enough that I couldn't grab it, and the terrarium was lifted back up. I saw the sights of the facility, seeing multiple men and women in labcoats. Some of them held clipboards, writing something unseen. But eventually, I was brought into what looked like an office meeting room with a projector. There was also a handful of men in the room too, including Schmector. The other men that were in there were seemingly military, as they wore forest colored clothing, with what looked like badges on the left of his chest. What were those colored squares on military uniforms called? I think they might be a substitute for medals, I'm not sure.

"Welcome Amelia, I can see you have brought our little guest. I have brought guests too, and they show interest in Project O.R.C. would you do the honors of turning on the projector, Or should I do it?" Schmector asked.

Amelia glanced at me, then back to Schmector.

"I'd say that you should do it sir."

"Yes yes. Since this is MY work, I should be the one to present our entire project."

"Yes director, I'm getting rather impatient here." One of the men said.

One of them looked back at me.

"I'm guessing this one is one your labrats?"

"Yes, he is. But he's just a cog in the clockwork of project O.R.C. all of our subjects have been. Though I'd say he is a more important cog, as our last subjects will possibly bring more success than our last batch. But nevermind that, I'll show you Ominents work."

He turned on the projector, the fan inside it booming, and showed a display on the wall.

A picture of what looked like the "Spac.r" actively shooting its bolts of pink and blue energy at someone. Looking closer and squinting, I realized that it was a picture of me. The lighr of the energy was reflecting off of my glasses, seemingly distracting from the distress shown on my face. I looked about half my normal size in the photo, as from what I remembered, I took up the entire bench I was restrained on.

"Back in 96, one of our employees... my former colleague, Wendell... created something incredible."

The photo changed to that of the Spac.r itself, in its fully glory.

"He created a device that could possibly change the course of human history... a shrink ray, which he dubbed... The Spac.r.

Unfortunately, Wendell never saw the true potential of his creation. Said that it would change the world by making transportation so much easier. He was right about that, but his Spac.r... it could do so much more. I realized it had so much more potential left to be unlocked. So much more..."

He changed the projection to that of a pink slip.

"We fired him months after he presented it to us, and we started our own project on the Spac.r. the molecular reduction of... organic beings, humans."

The projection then changed, to a group of people. I'd say 10 people, wearing the same kind of jumpsuit as me.

"We offered money for volunteers, and we got what we needed. Though after we out them through molecular reduction we discovered a... side effect."

The projection changed again, to one of the volunteers, now presumably tiny. He looked different to when he was at normal size. You know how your finger looks when you keep it under water for too long? That's how he looked, but it was his face and possibly entire body. Not old age, but more like a prune, as his hair was still completely normal.

"We call this side effect, Rasining. Some of us think it is cellular dehydration, but I know the truth. It was advanced cellular decay, and there was a pattern that I had noticed. The younger subjects experienced much less rasining than the older ones. That led me to form a hypothesis."

He changed the projection again, to a picture of the high school.

"I hypothesized that adolescents would be resistant to the side effects of rasining. After all, they do have impressive immune systems. Not to mention the... intense hormonal growth. We have the perfect source of them. The local high school."

The projection changed once again, that to of a class picture in the high school.

"We have been taking these high-schoolers from the streets on their way home from school, and using the spac.r on them over the past few months. From these experiments, we have discovered that these teenagers are not just resistant against the effects of rasining, but completely immune to it!"

"Get to the point Dalton! What benefits could we use in project O.R.C?"

"Fine general... fine. Well we are working on a cure for rasining. If we find this cure, the benefits will be bottomless. Imagine, being able to transport hundreds, if not thousands of soldiers at a time in the future with the spac.r! We could even save resources on a future colony out in the solar system! Say the moon, Mars, or Mercury. Less space will be needed to store our colonists, much less food, and much less resources! We could make huge advancements in technology without needing to use so much resources! Less power will be needed, we can save resources on technology, and transport humans into space with ease!"

"Do you think there's any other way we can use project O.R.C?" The general asked.

"Hmmm... there are theoretically endless possibilities to what we can do with the spac.r."

"You know how to change objects back to their normal size, correct?"

"Well yes, we can do that. But only to a certain extent, there are... issues when it comes to the human trials."

"Why is that Dalton?"

"Any animal or human we attempt to change back to normal size has a tendency to... explode. We just haven't been able to create the correct formula."

"And when you do manage to create the formula? It might be possible to make things that are originally small bigger!"

"That is a possibility... what do you suggest we could do if that was possible?"

"Possibly changing the size of insects? We could possibly weaponize certain species, and use resources from them? Have you ever heard the possibilities of spider silk?"

"Hmmm... I'll have to look into that. Seems like one of the greatest possibilities of our project."

"Great! I'll bring in all the funding Ominent needs for this project."


The general got up, and shook hands with Schmector.

"You've got a deal general. Amelia, take the boy back to the labs, might help to keep him in that box too, I've got more subjects inbound."

Amelia grabbed the terrarium, and I was brought back to the room that I was in for who knows how long, and got placed back on the table.

"Stay here Sunny, I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Could you please not call me Sunny?"

I asked, though I didn't get an answer, presumably because she couldn't hear me.

I didn't have much to do, so I was just left to myself. All I did, was listen to the ticks of a clock, which basically felt like the audio version of watching paint dry.
I think I was in that plastic box presumably all night, as the lights went out a while later, and were off for hours on end.

I woke up to the sound of the door opening, and Amelia walked in with another Petri dish? She placed it in the terrarium, and then unscrewed it.

"Hey Sunny, you've got company."
Please stop calling me that.

I approached the Petri dish cautiously, as she said that someone was inside. Suddenly though, I saw an arm pop out of the dish, then a person!

This person was a girl, wearing the same kind of toothpaste jumpsuit that I wore. A girl that I could recognize immediately.

"Willow?"

Chapters end
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Friends in small places

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Hey Sunny, you've got company."
Please stop calling me that.

I approached the Petri dish cautiously, as she said that someone was inside. Suddenly though, I saw an arm pop out of the dish, then a person!

This person was a girl, wearing the same kind of toothpaste jumpsuit that I wore. A girl that I could recognize immediately.

"Willow?"

She seemed to be incoherently mumbling something I couldn't really understand. But if there was anything I knew, it was that she wasn't in the greatest shape at the moment, and that I had to help. I grabbed her arms, trying to pull her out of the Petri dish.

"Hold on Willow, I'll get you out!"

She had a blank look on her face, so I presumed that the Spac.r, because if my experience says anything, she would be dizzy as hell. The world would be spinning really quickly, and you wouldn't be able to stand properly before it wears off.

I managed to pull her out finally, and I placed her against the wall of the Terrarium. Surely she'd be able to recover from what I suspect is vertigo without harm this way.

"Are you okay Willow?"

She went quiet, and stared right at me.

"Peter?"

"Yes, I'm Pete. Are you okay?"

"I... I don't know. What happened?"

"I think we were shrunk?"

"What? That's... insane!"

"I think I might be able to explain it, but I don't know everything. What do you remember? How were you brought here?"

"I... I was going to spend the night at my friends house... we were gonna head out of town to go to a concert. I went by an alleyway, but a man grabbed me before I could pass by it completely. He injected something into my neck, and everything went black. I woke up here, strapped to a table, and was shot with what looked like lasers, and ended up extremely dizzy. I haven't felt this had in the longest time."

"Can you tell me how you feel right now?"

"Well, you, and everything around us looks like its spinning. There... there is also the fact that my throat is parched. I was already thirsty when I was going to my friends house, but now my throat feels like a desert."

"Everything is spinning huh? That means you're dizzy. How many fingers am I holding up?" I held up my entire hand.

Willow squinted. "Five?"
"Good, you can still see properly. Do you think you can stand?"

"I'm not sure."

"Give it a try, take my hand. I won't let you fall." I held out my hand, and she took it. She started to get up, but seemed to loose her balance for a moment. Just as it seemed like she was going to fall, she managed to regain her balance and let go of my hand.

She started looking around the terrarium, and I could see the shock in her eyes as they completely opened.

"What did you say you think happened to us again?"

"I think that we were shrunk. Look around you, those computers, those desks, those pencils, look how big they are. The pencils are the size of logs, the computers look like the size of houses. Whatever that... Spac.r did to us, it made us the size of insects. I think they did this for some kind of project with the military.

"Welp. I guess we know where all those missing people went. Question is, what happened to them after they were expereimeed on?" Willow asked.

I went silent for a moment, thinking about what could have happened to those other people. But then I went dead silent at the last thought of what could have happened. They were disposed of. I don't know when, I don't know how, but I have a feeling that all those other people met their end.

"Are you okay Pete? You look upset."

"Oh, really? Sorry, I don't know what took hold on me."

I do know though, I'm just scared to bring it up. I have no idea how she would react to my theory that all the other missing people were terminated, but there could be a chance that isn't what happened. Maybe we won't be terminated, they could possibly give us a better life while small? I don't think that Schmector would have that happen, but Amelia might want that to happen. Could she get her way over the director? It's probably best not for me to think about it.

"Do you have any idea why they're doing this to us? Who even are these people?"

"I don't think you're ready for the answer. Do you really want to know?"

"If I didn't want to know would I have asked?"

"No, I guess you wouldn't. But I think you might have to mentally prepare yourself for my answer."


"I'm already mentally prepared for anything, I have nightmares daily. Hell, I might be having a nightmare right now for all I know. Lay it on me, I'm sure that I can handle it."

"Alright then, if you say so."

I breathed in, preparing myself to reveal the revelation.

"Ominent did this to us."

"Wait hold on! Ominent? Seriously?!"

"Yeah, I know. It shocked me as well."

How the hell could they do this? They help the public with their technology often! May be expensive, but they still help the public!"

"I don't know why they're doing this, but it's clear that they've set their morals aside for this project."

"What would be so important that Ominent would be willing to kidnap people and experiment on them? What could be their endgoal?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling that Ominent is going to bring more people here. Maybe just a few, maybe a whole class, I don't know. But more people will be shrunk, I'm sure of it."

"What if people find out what's been done to us? There's always a chance that the government will find out!"

"I'm afraid that the government won't come Willow. This project is being funded by the military. Even if we do somehow get big again, I don't think that the government will respond kindly to it."

"Maybe we could get the people and Media on our side? That sounds like our best option if we get back to normal size!"

"That might be our only chance at getting justice for what's been done, that's if we even get out of here."

I heard the door open, Amelia walked back in, and came over to the terrarium.

"I'm back Sunny, have you two gotten acquainted with eachother? I hope you did, as someone else is arriving soon. The director expects you to greet him surprisingly, so I'll have to bring you two into the theater."

"Wait, she calls you Sunny? That's adorable!" She started to chuckle to herself from that thought of that seemingly.

"Yeah... she didn't know my name, but she noticed how reflective my hair is. Well she says my hair is reflective, I can't really take her word for it unless I look in a mirror. But we don't have a tiny mirror unfortunately." I could feel my cheeks become warmer after I said that.

"Oh look at you, you're blushing!"

"Can you stop please?"

"Oh alright. You're cute when you're embarrassed though."

"I-"

The terrarium was lifted, almost causing me to hit my tongue from the sudden shift.

"I think you should hold on to something!" I yelled as I latched onto one of the air holes. Willow did the same with one of the others.

We were brought through the facility once again, but taken down a route I different recognize. But the room we were brought, I recognized it immediately. It was the theater room, where all those people watched the Spac.r being used on me.

"Welcome back Amelia, I presume you've brought our little guests?"

"Yes sir, they're in the terrarium, as they have been."

"Good good. We need someone to keep our next lab rat company. He's in the facility, we're just not ready for molecular reduction."

"Why's that sir?"

"The boy was brought in earlier than we thought he would. We needed to prepare the Spac.r for activation shortly after it was already used. We don't want years of work to go down the drain now, do we Amelia?"

"No sir, we certainly don't want that."

"Thats what I thought."

"Director! The Spac.r is ready for molecular reduction! Should we bring the boy in?"

"If you say that it's ready, I'd believe so. Yes, bring him in."

"As you command Schmector." The man pulled a lever and started speaking into a microphone. "Bring subject Maxwell to the Spac.r for molecular reduction."

"Who's Maxwell?" Willow asked.

"I think we're about to find out."

Two men entered the room, one of them holding a body, which I couldn't tell if it was alive or not. Wait a moment, is that who I think it is? Oh my God... it is!


"Let go of Max you monsters! Why do you have to do this to us!?" I started banging on the wall, unconsciously trying to break out, or ac t least distracted these scientists. I have a feeling that I did that a bit too well.

Schmector and a bunch of the other scientists looked at the terrarium after I stopped banging on the wall.

A look of disdain spread across his face, and he walked over to the terrarium.

"Can you help not to be so obnoxious rat? Even when you're this small, you are still loud. Though I'm sure you wanted something, so what is it?"

Willow and I were in complete silence. We couldn't run, we couldn't hide either, we could only wait to see what he would do.


"Right, I can't hear you at this size. Hold on, I know what to do!" He opened the terrarium, and reached down for me. I tried to keep away, but he grabbed the back collar of the jumpsuit, and I was lifted into the air. I was squirming to get free from his grasp, but then I quickly realized that wouldn't be a good idea. Mainly the distance between me and the floor.

Schmector held me up close to his face.

"There we go, much better now? What did you want now, huh? Tell me boy... what was it?"

I mustered up all the courage I had, and gave Schmector my demand right to his face.

"Keep Max away from that thing you Monster! Why did you have to do this to us!?"

"I'm sorry, can you repeat your request?"

"Why did you have to do this to us?! You don't have to do this to my friend either, let him go!"

"Let him go? Let him go!?" He started to laugh maniacally, while the others stared at him all confused.

"My little rat, we aren't letting him go, you aren't going anywhere either, none of you little brats aren't leaving this place. Don't you remember what I told you when you first went through molecular reduction?
You. Are. Ominent. Property! I should drop you for what you said to me."

"No! Please don't, I'm a human being! You can't just do this!"

"What are you going to do about it? Look at what the Spac.r did to you. You're small, weak, and pathetic. Pathetic like that exuse for a scientist Tully, but he's not hear to watch me use his invention to change the world, is he?"


"Sir, the subject is ready for the Spac.r!"

"Alright, but don't activate the Spac.r yet Sheldon. I have something I want to do."

Schmector turned me towards the Spac.r, with Max strapped into the same bench I was on.

"Maybe you should see the Spac.r work in its full glory? That seems like a fitting punishment for you. Seeing your little friend go through the same terrible thing you did. He's so close, yet so far out of reach. Tragic isn't it?"

"Should we go through with molecular reduction sir?"

"Yes yes go through with it. I want to make sure this little rat watches every little bit of it."

"Sheldon" pulled a lever, and the bench Max was on reclined, and sparks began to fly.

"Spac.r is primed sir."

I held out my arm, reaching out for the window, but it was way too far.

"No!!"

The Spac.r activated, shooting bolts of pink and blue energy down on Max. He seemed to stir a bit, but it didn't wake him up. Sparks continued to fly, some landing on the bench, some onto Max, but that didn't compare to what was being done to him. He was getting smaller, fast.

Each second he was being hit with those bolts, he was gradually getting smaller. Schmector seemed to be very intrigued by the process, which I'd expect since I'm pretty sure this was his goal in the first place, being able to shrink humans. As soon as it had begun though, it was over, Max was barely visible on the bench he had practically taken up a few minutes earlier. It serious seems like though he was completely unaware of what was going on. Was he drugged like me and Willow, or did they take him in his sleep?

"Molecular reduction was successful!"

Chapters end
_________________
 
Bad news

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Where did the Imperium of man come from Trevor?"

"Oh boy." I said.

"That's a whole can of worms that needed opening eventually, it was inevitable. Thankfully for you guys, I'm willing to rip that can open with my bare hands. It's quite complicated, so I'll simplify it to an extent, but not completely."

I went silent for a moment to gather my thoughts before I spoke.

"You see, thousands of years from now, the human race had been in a golden age that it would never enter again, yet they did not know that. Technology had been more advanced than in any period of human history, even during the 40 first millennium."

"Why didn't this golden age last?"

"We get there when we get there! You see, the start of the shitstorm that caused the fall from our golden age was from one of the things that made us so successful. Records from these times called them the Men of Iron, robots built for labour as well as combat. For reasons unknown, these machines turned on mankind. Though I suppose that they deemed that their creators were inferior to themselves, and tried to wipe them out so they wouldn't be slaves to inferior beings. Fortunately for humanity, we had survived this war with the machines, and even eliminated them from what I know. Even though we had won the war, even though our empire had been decimated.

To add on to the list of problems, the Eldar, or as I call them, space elves, their empire had been dying. They had caused warp storms to appear around the galaxy due to... how do I put it? Their hedonism?"

"Do you mean what we think you mean?"

"I sure do. Decadence and hedonism over countless years from the space elves effected the warp greatly, causing the warp storms and making light speed travel impossible thanks to those storms. Not only that, but the ruinous powers now had a new member, Slaanesh. The newest Chaos god.

Then to add fuel to the fire, psykers started appearing en mass on the human worlds. Since these folks were inexperienced, and since they have a connection to the warp to use their powers, daemons flooded almost all of the human worlds. The only worlds that managed to be mostly unscathed were the worlds that had hunted these psykers down until almost none or none of them were left. The solar system was affected too, as Earth, or Terra as it was called then, had been isolated by these storms for thousands of years, and there was always a power struggle to control the solar system between Terra and Mars during the first portion of years after the fall. This fall was now known as the age of strife."

"Where was the Emperor during all this?"

"I was just about to get to that actually. You see the emperor basically was pulling the strings of history from behind the scenes for thousands of years. It was only during the age of strife, and at the end no less when the warp storms were fading, did he reveal himself. He brou-"

The phone on the other side of the room started to ring.

"I'll get it! Kyle said, and went over and answered the phone.

"Hello?"
I could only hear gibberish coming from the phone since I was so far away.

"What happened to your son? Seriously? My condolences Mrs. Boggs. Trevor! Its your mom, says she needs to talk to you!"

What would my mom need at this time of day?

I went and took the phone from Kyle's hand.

"Yes mom?"
"Trevor? Oh thank God, you're still on the campus."

"What do you mean? Yes I'm still on the campus, but you're acting like something happened. "

"It's your brother, he didn't come home on Friday and he hasn't been back since!"

"Seriously? Pete's missing?"

"Yes! I called the school and he said that he wasn't there!"

"Hang on, I'm coming home. Explain everything there."

"Alright Trevor."

She hung up the phone.

I put the phone back on the wall and started rummaging around looking for my car keys.

"Shit! Why haven't we cleaned the dorm this month?"

I checked the table in the living room, and there was just an ash-tray, 40k miniatures, and plates of unfinished food. I searched through the rest of the house and eventually found my keys on the kitchen counter.

"Kyle! Take care of the place while I'm gone, I need to go home. Family business!"

"What kind of family business?"


"Do you really need to know? Something happened to my little brother!"

"What happened?"

"I seriously can't talk dude!" I took the stairs down to the parking lot, as the stairs are alot faster than the elevator, and booked to my car. It felt like a blur going down those stairs and putting the key in the ignition, though that's possibly from adrenaline.

All that I could think of on the drive home was Peter. What could have happened to my baby brother? I think I know what might have happened. I've heard on the radio and talk around campus that teenagers had been going missing around town for a while. Some people were saying that their younger brother or sister never came home on their way home from Scholl or a friends house. I never really knew what to say to people loosing their family member like this. I mainly say that they have my condolences, but now my brother is missing?

I'm not going to stand for this, that's why I need to get home. I might be able to lend a hand in the police investigation even! What could it have been though? Maybe he just got lost? No no, thats being to optimistic. Caught by some kind of serial killer? Of course not! I've heard him say that some people made fun of him for looking like Dahmer, but surely this isn't the case! Besides, Dahmer was caught years ago, and I think died in prison just a few years ago.

Maybe he was kidnapped? No no, there's a chance that he could have ran away so he wouldn't have to come home. I don't know how Mom and Dad have been treating him and Liam, but if he ran away so he wouldn't have to come home, it can't be good. Seems that I'll have to talk to my folks about it then, since that is certainly a possibility. Feels very unlikely though.

Minutes passed, and I was finally back since the summer ended. Didn't look any different than when I had left. White picket fence, bright red paint, and a wind vane in the shape of a rooster on top. Only difference now being the multi-colored leaves on the roof and all over the lawn.
Not to mention the crisp fall air.

Something felt off though, and I couldn't really put my finger on it. How would you say it? Like you can feel something is wrong somewhere, but you can't really tell what it is.

I exited and locked the door, then went and rung the doorbell. Dad was the one that answered the door instead of mom, which felt unusual.

"Trevor? What're you doing home?"

"Mom called and told me Pete was missing. I came home as soon as I could since I figured you'd want me home."

"Yes, your mother. She's not in the best state right now. She hasn't really gotten out of bed much since Pete went missing, she's worried sick. Liam doesn't even know what's going on, all he knows is that Pete didn't come home."

"Have you talked to the little guy yet?"

"No, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't understand."

"Nevermind that. Can I talk to Mom?"

"If she called you, then I'm sure she wanted to talk to you. Go ahead."

Dad went back to the living room, seemingly doing some kind of paperwork. I couldn't tell what it said, but then again I didn't pay much attention to it.

When I opened the door to the master bedroom, I couldn't see much due to how dark the room was. I had almost tripped on a laundry basket it was that dark. There was also the fact that the closer I had gotten to the bed, the faint smell of alcohol had become stronger. Like the smell of a party on the campus, but without the smell of pizza and body odor.

"Mom?"

"..." Silence.

"Mom, it's me." I gently shook her shoulder.

She started to groan.
"Peter?"

"No, its Trevor."

"Oh... I didn't expect you to be home this early."
I turned on the lamp next to the bed.

"I came home as soon as I could, and I see how Pete's disappearance had affected you."

I grabbed the can and read the logo
"Victory Prima Pils" it said

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, not like I'm going anywhere at the moment."

"Why didn't you call me sooner? I have as much of a right to know this kind of thing as the rest of you."

"I... I don't know. We had been panicking that he disappeared, and we had gotten all caughten up in the chaos, we didn't get the time to call and tell you the news. But let me ask you a question."

"I don't see why you couldn't ask."

"Why did you come home so quickly?"

"Mom, you know how I am with Pete and Liam, I try my best to keep them safe and happy. You remember what I did when someone said that Pete looked like Jeffrey Dahmer?"

"You slapped them across the face?"

"Exactly."

"What does this have to do with Peter going missing?"

"What I was trying to say was that I'm protective of my brothers. I don't want to just stand by and let my baby brother never be seen again. How are the police handling it? There's a chance I might not need to get involved in this."

"I've been following the cases ever since they started. The police have been stretched thin ever since the disappearances started, and the number of missing kids only continues to grow."

"Well shit, I guess that means that they might not find Pete?"

"Most likely really. None of the other missing teenagers have ever turned up. But there's a common theme to them."

"What's that?"

"Nothing is found in the presumed area they went missing. Sometimes there's a sign of a struggle, but no blood, no weapons, nothing. These have to be some kind of kidnappings."

"I see... where was the last place Pete was seen?"

"Remember the route you used to use to come home from school? Peter uses the same route as you did."

"Alright. I better head out then."

"Wait! What're you doing?"

"Don't you see mom? The police aren't going to be able to find him if they are stretched thin. I have to get to the bottom of this!"

"You can't! You might be seen as a vigilante!"

"I do what I must do. I feel obligated to do so."

"What if you get arrested?"

I stayed silent, as I didn't have an answer for that. But as she said, the police are stretched thin. There's a large chance that they won't have the time for a vigilante investigating his brothers disappearance. Speaking of that, I know where my next destination is supposed to be. My old school Route home.

After I exited the house, I checked if I had everything I needed. Lighter? Check. Pack of Cigarettes? Check. Survival knife for self defense? Check. Nokia? Check. Keys? Check.

"Alright, where do we begin? Oh yeah, the old route home. I should probably check the high school grounds after."

Chapters end
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The path to the truth.

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"I do what I must do. I feel obligated to do so."

"What if you get arrested?"

I stayed silent, as I didn't have an answer for that. But as she said, the police are stretched thin. There's a large chance that they won't have the time for a vigilante investigating his brothers disappearance. Speaking of that, I know where my next destination is supposed to be. My old school Route home.

After I exited the house, I checked if I had everything I needed. Lighter? Check. Pack of Cigarettes? Check. Survival knife for self defense? Check. Nokia? Check. Keys? Check.

"Alright, where do we begin? Oh yeah, the old route home. I should probably check the high school grounds after."


I double checked if I had my keys in my pocket, and thankfully I still had them. After I made sure I still had them, which I did mind you, I immediately jumped back into my car and put it in drive.

As I went up the old road, I was wondering why mom or dad would never pick us up after school or even have us take the bus home? From what I can remember, we weren't really that poor. Hell, I'm pretty sure we're middle class, so why didn't we get to take a ride home? I'm pretty sure if Pete was able to take a bus home, I'm pretty sure this WOULDN'T have happened! He wouldn't be missing, and would still be living a good life. If I was there when he went missing, there's a chance I probably could have prevented it!

I should probably stop thinking of what it scenarios, I'm probably just going to end up getting upset and blame myself for my brothers possibly death. Could he be dead? No, if he was kidnapped, I don't think there would be an intent to just kill. That feels like it would just over complicate things. Maybe some kind of Pedophile serial kidnapper? Feels the most realistic, considering how the dark the Criminal underworld of New York is, its a possibility. Lets try not to imagine Pete imagine something like that, I'd rather not think about that.

I have another theory on where all of these missing teens could be going, though nobody would believe this. There could be a chance that Ominent could be behind this, let me explain. Ominent has always come up with technologies that seem to be to advanced for our decade. Studies of Robots, a watch that could show your vitals as well as watch if you need to eat or drink. I don't know how they do it, but they do it. But I haven't gotten to my point yet.

One of my professors back at the University once worked for Ominent, claimed that he was the inventor of that vitals watch. What did he call it? The SCA.Bs? Nevermind the name, I should say what he claimed Ominent had done. "Ominent is a parasite" he claimed. "I put my blood, sweat, and tears into the invention of the SCA.B, and then the director of the division I was in at the time took all the credit for it! They even fired me soon after, the bastards!" I assume that is why he came to work at the university. He could do his work in peace, without others claiming it for themselves. Ominent seems shady enough to steal credit for other people's work, who's to say they wouldn't be shady enough to kidnap people?

If he's telling the truth, I guess that's a company I could put on the list of ones that are controversial. Along with Nestlé, and the million company's ran by that Rockefeller guy. Ominent would be just a drop in a bucket compared to what happened in the early 1900s. Rats in meat and all that, gross.


As I was driving, I noticed something in the corner of my eye. Some kind of grey blip in the shadows you could say. I slowed down the car, and turned to face where I had seen the grey blip, which seemed to have gone into an alleyway. I pulled the key out of the ignition and stopped the car.

After I got out of my car and went towards the alleyway, I made sure to keep my hand on the hilt of my knife, as I might be dealing with a literal kidnapper here, I'd need to be prepared if someone were to try and lay their hands on me.

The alleyway was dark and quiet, seemingly even more creepy than the old route had become. The shadows felt like they were watching me, about to pounce on me at any moment. Honestly, it felt like I made a mistake coming into the alley.

"Another subject for the tests..." I heard behind me.

"Who's th-" a hand when over my mouth, and my arms being restrained.

"You related to that little four eyed blond? You look alot like him. Nevermind that, you serve a new purpose now." I saw a syringe in a hand next to my neck. I was squirming to get my hand free while the syringe had gotten closer. I thought for a moment if I should let this happen, but that thought had vanished as I managed to get my hand free and gripped the hilt of my knife.

"What the he-" He did not get to finish his sentence, as I swung the knife in his direction. I felt the impact of the knife, and I was freed from his grip. I heard a thud just as I turned around, and the man was on the ground, with the knife in his neck. Blood was sleeping from the wound. He was pawing at the wound, trying to get the knife out, but not being able to do so.

Even though the man had tried to drug me, I felt a bit of pity for him, but also felt nauseous from the blood. But then I noticed something. There was some kind of red patch on his shoulder. I crouched down to get a closer look, and when I saw what it actually said, time felt like it had come to a stand still.

Ominent
Practical Technologies

"Oh my God..."

Ominent has been behind all these disappearances? They have to be, why else would this random guy that tried to drug me have a jumpsuit on with an Ominent logo on it? They have to be the ones behind this! This can't be a coincidence!

Ominent HQ is over in Manhattan, that has to be where they're being taken. I think I Should probably check the place out, but they don't just let anyone in there. Could I use this guy's jumpsuit? That's probably my only way in. But if Pete's being held captive in there, what choice do I have? Besides, even if I showed the police this, they probably wouldn't believe me. Not to mention the guy is dead, that's not going to look good for me, isn't it? Sneaking into Ominent is probably the best option, for both me and Pete.

"Welp. You aren't going to need this anymore."

It felt very wrong to take the jumpsuit off of him, but I knew it was necessary for me to achieve my goal. I had to be careful where I placed my hands too, didn't want the authorities to track me from my fingerprints. I know this was self defense, but with me taking his jumpsuit, would it really look like that? No, it wouldn't. I stuffed the jumpsuit into my trunk and turned back in the direction of home.

This is probably going to need one hell of an explanation of why I have a jumpsuit that has blood on it. Might be able to explain what happened though, and what I had seen on the jumpsuit.

It was dark out by the time I had gotten back home. I made sure that nobody was around when I grabbed the jumpsuit, but Dad was still in the living room when I came through the door.

"Trevor? What is that? Is that blood?"

"Uh... I can explain... the guy wearing this attacked me. He was trying to drug me, I was merely defending myself!"

"Do you care to explain why you had the need to take his clothes? That's awfully weird!"

"That I can explain too. Come and look at this part of the shoulder. But don't touch it, if the police come after me, I don't want you to get arrested with me."

He came over to inspect it, but seemed nervous, as his eyes were shifting from me to the jumpsuit over and over again.

"Ominent Practical Technologies? Why did a man from Ominent attack you?"

"I went on our old route to school to see if I could find any clues as to what happened to Pete, and I saw something run into an alleyway. I followed it into the alley, and the guy wearing this grabbed me and tried to drug me. I managed to get my hand free, and I shanked him, and when he was on the ground, I noticed the logo on his shoulder.

"What does that have to do with Pete?"

"How the hell do you not see the connection here? This guy was on the same route Pete uses to go home and to school. He even asked if I was related to that, and I quote: that little four eyed blond. Ominent is behind all the missing teenagers!"

"Why did you bring the jumpsuit here though?"

"Mom said that the police are way too stretched thin, and they would probably arrest and not believe me if I brought this to the station. Besides, Ominent HQ is on the other side of town. If they really took Pete, this is our only way of saving him."

"So you know where Pete possibly is, and that we only have one option to get him home? How did you figure this out that quickly?"

"Well I guess since the guy that took Pete tried to take me. If these guys haven't been caught, they're bound to send them out again, right?"

"I'd guess so."

Dad went silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating.

"Go toss the jumpsuit in the washer, and dryer after. I'll take you to Ominent when it's dry, they're surely going to know something is up if one of their employees goes missing."

"Right."

I went down into the basement and tossed the jumpsuit into the washer, then poured in Clorox as well as detergent. We'd need to get the blood off to a void suspicion, wouldn't we? If I'm to sneak into Ominent HQ, I need to look convincing, and surley a bloody jumpsuit won't be that convincing. There's still a chance I might need some kind of ID card, but there's always the chance I can get inside through dumb luck. I don't think I should rely on that though, I've gotta be smart about this.

Hang in there a little longer Pete, I'm coming.

Chapters end
_________________
 
A lab with no exit.

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
I went down into the basement and tossed the jumpsuit into the washer, then poured in Clorox as well as detergent. We'd need to get the blood off to avoid suspicion, wouldn't we? If I'm to sneak into Ominent HQ, I need to look convincing, and surley a bloody jumpsuit won't be that convincing. There's still a chance I might need some kind of ID card, but there's always the chance I can get inside through dumb luck. I don't think I should rely on that though, I've gotta be smart about this.

I have to say, the wait for the washer to complete its job had felt even longer than it usually would. It already took a while before all this happened with Pete and Ominent, but this felt ridiculous! My guess for why it had taken so long was because I hadn't had anything on me to keep me occupied, not to mention being unable to keep my mind off of what could be happening to Pete, as time wasted away with the cleaning of the jumpsuit. What could they be doing to him? Exposing him to some kind of chemical weapon? Augmenting him into some kind of Terminator robot?

Would it be more realistic to say Terminator or Robo-cop? Some kind of super soldier that doesn't feel emotion, with little remaining of what was once a living creature? Or just some kind of robot skeleton made of metal? No no, this feels too advanced, even for what Ominent is capable of creating. Sure, I've seen them create some robots, but ones like in the Terminator se-

Suddenly my thought process had been interrupted by the washer beeping.

"About damn time." I mumbled to myself as I switched the jumpsuit into the dryer.
I made sure that there was a sheet tossed in with it. Then pulled out the filter to get all that excess lint out. Gotta keep that thing clean you know? Ominent kidnapping Pete is one problem, but the house burning down is another. If that happens, even if we did get Pete back, he won't have a home to go back to!

Suddenly, a bright light filled the basement as the door to the ground floor opened, and dad walked down into the basement. It looked like he had some kind of sash on his back.

"Hey Trevor, you mind if I show you something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

He pulled at the sash, and it was revealed to be a shotgun

"Have I ever shown you this old beauty?"

"No, not that I remember."

"This old Beauty belonged to my Grandpappy during the first world war. A shotgun he brought to the Western Front. A trusty Winchester M1897. Girl may be old, but she's still functional. He passed it down to his son, and he passed it down to me, yet I've never had a reason to use it. Today might be the day. Now, do you want me to come with you? You might need a little fire power, wouldn't you?

"Dad, I don't think that's going to be necessary here. I'm sneaking in remember? That isn't needed."

"Do you still want me to come with you though? Peter is my son after all, I feel like I should be involved in this."

"No Dad, you don't need to use your shotgun here. If anything you'll have to use it to protect our home. If I fail, they might come after you and the rest of our family. We know too much probably. It might work for you to drive me though."

"Alright then. I'm going to keep this old girl on me, just in case. Come get me when you're ready to go." He slung the shotgun back over his back, and went back up to the ground floor. Meanwhile I was just left to wait for the jumpsuit to dry. But as that was happening, I was trying to formulate a plan on just how to get Pete back.

Sneaking in is one thing, how should I get him out? My knife might come in handy, as would that shotgun, but that would be way too obvious. You know how big guns like that are? Look at a pump action shotgun and tell me that you can conceal it. You can't? That's my point. You could probably try to hide it under your clothes but that would be obvious. Only way you could sneak a gun into Ominent is a small concealed pistol. My bet is that even being able to sneak in a knife or pistol would be lady luck being generous. I can't go in and fight my way through God knows what is in there. I gotta get in there, find out what they're doing, find Pete, then get the fuck out of there. Plain and simple, no car chases, gun fights, or explosions, this isn't a movie.

The dryer then went off, and I pulled out the jumpsuit. Warm and clean, without the blood from that guy that tried to drug me. I went and checked the size of the jumpsuit, and it felt oddly convenient. Convenient since it was just the right size for me, XXL. I'm not fat or anything, I'm just tall. Tallest in my family I'm pretty sure. I put it on, and it was tighter than I expected it to be, but I'll have to put up with that. Besides, I've dealt with minor inconveniences like this before.

"Welp. Time to head out."

I went back up the stairs, and dad was sitting on the couch with grandpa's shotgun still in his hands.

"That jumpsuit fits you. Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Lets be quiet about it though, don't wanna wake the others.

"Should I leave the shotgun in the car? Just in case?"

"No. You'll probably have to leave when I get out of the car. You sticking around in the car and with a shotgun in the backseat will surley say: hey! Something is going on here!"

"Fair enough. Let me go put it back in the safe."

He did so, and we went outside and got into my car. For a moment I wondered if we should put something over the license plate, so incase things go sour Ominent can't track us. But then I realized that I might be over thinking things again, and went back to the task at hand.

"I feel like I should drive. Might make it quicker for you to get in right?" Dad asked.

"I'd guess so."

We both got into the car.

"You know the way to Ominent Head quarters right?

"Yeah, I pass by it everyday on my way to work. I know where it is."

He stepped on the gas, and we made our way towards Ominent HQ.

"Whats the plan for when we get Pete out of there?"

"We find out what they did to Pete, and we sue Ominent to Kingdom come. But we should leak the information to the press. The families of the other kidnapped teenagers will surely sue Ominent and bring them to court. Then we make sure whoever ordered the kidnappings and possible experimentation rots in prison for the rest of his life!"

"Hell of a plan. I love it."

He turned on the radio, trying to find at least something to listen to. Nothing good was on at the time, but he did find something. A news report saying that there was a man found dead in an alleyway, in nothing but his underwear. He had a wound on his neck, but the killer was nowhere in the area. Yet he had a syringe in his hands.

"Damn. That's your handiwork?

"Yeah. He tried to kidnap me remember? I barely got my hand free to shank him before he could use that syringe on me. This jumpsuit I got from him is our only way in."


"Whatever you say Trevor."


We pulled up to Ominent HQ directly on the road instead of the parking lot to not draw suspicion.

"Good luck Trevor, Godspeed."

"Goodbye Dad."

He pulled away just as I got out, and I was left on my own.

"Alright. Here goes nothing."

The building was unironically, Ominous. Might have been due to the sheer size of the building, or from what you can call the forbidden knowledge that I had. The fact that these people are kidnapping teenagers, children no less, and possibly experimenting on them? It made me sick to my stomach. But the fact that my little brother was in there? It was almost too much for me.

"Hang in there Pete. I'm coming."

I made a beeline for the main entrance, and already there were precautions with security. Two cameras were watching over the entrance. They both changed their angles to stare at me, and I heard a beep. After the beep, the main doors opened. Seems like employees are automatically allowed to enter the facility. Even supposed "Employees" like me.

The area at the entrance just looked like the main lobby of an office building, but it just had a more sterile look to it. Is sterile the right word for this? It was all grey, white and shiny. It was deadly quiet, with the only sounds being that of whirring machinery somewhere unseen. Those sounds cut through the air like a hot knife through a stick of butter.

Obviously though, Pete isn't just going to be at the entrance, I need to go deeper. Maybe he's at the center of the facility?
That would make the most sense to me.
As I went further in, more and more people could be seen. Men in lab coats writing something on clipboards, folks in jumpsuits that looked just like the one I was wearing. But there were some things that just weren't human at all. Floating robots that were carrying some kind of large metal box on its back, the robots even looked like they had a tazer on one of their arms. Other arm looked like some kind of gun, but the barrel wasn't anything I've seen before.


A group of people seemed to be going to a certain area, so I decided to follow them, as the majority were also wearing jumpsuits, so I figured they were some of the folks that were kidnapping people. Wherever they're heading could be where Pete is being held. Welp, only one way to find out right? We entered an elevator, which seemed to take a while to get to its destination. Probably the longest I've been on elevator I'll say.

The doors opened, and there was a sign a few feet ahead of it. Looked digital, and in Red glowing letters said "Science Division." Seems like this is where all the cool shit gets invented, but why would Pete be held here? Could they be experimenting on him? Sounds most likely, I should continue to follow them.
Multiple rooms caught my attention thanks to the signs above their doors.
Software, O.R.C, bio science, robotics, atomics, all sorts of stuff. We didn't go into any of these rooms though, nothing like that. We had entered a room at the end of the hall, which forked into two more halls.

A room that had "Theater" on the sign above its doors. This room felt different, even with its doors. The doors were larger and seemingly foreboding, as was the room behind it. More people were in here than I had seen in the halls, and they seemed more important as well. Whiteboards with mathematics I hadn't seen before, and seemed to be talking about some kind of physics and chemistry. Something about Bosuns and quarks. Some of the other boards had writing on them about something called SNPI-42Z? Questions about it littered the board about what it could be. God Particles, ions, electrons, and more quarks and bosuns.

"Sheldon, is the Spac.r primed for Molecular Reduction?" A suited man said.

"Yes sir its a go for molecular reduction."

Molecular reduction? The hell are they talking about?

"Good. Amelia, go get the container with our lab rats, we'll need a place to put the new one."

"Yes sir, I'll do it right away." A woman left the room, and another man entered the room in her stead, carrying someone. I looked closer, and I realized that this was a kid! Seemingly someone from the high school, that was knocked out cold. She was wearing some kind of jumpsuit like a bunch of the folks in the room, except the one on her had looked different. Light blue and white, like some kind of mint or toothpaste.

"Director, I've brought our newest test subject."

"Well done. Get her ready for molecular reduction, the Spac.r is ready for activation."

"Yes sir."

The guy holding the girl went through a door next to a window which I had only just now noticed, and placed her on some kind of table. She was strapped into it, and then he left the room. That room seemed to stand out the most out of everything in this facility. Barrels of what looked like guns were pointed down at her, with tubes of purplish pink energy were running through it. Harsh fluorescent lights had been shining down on the girl and the rest of the room.

I then heard the door to the theater open again, and a woman walked in with some kind of clear container.

"I've brought the terrarium sir!"

"Good, place it down, the Spac.r is ready."

I then heard a faint groan, and I noticed that the girl had started to stir.

"Sir? I'm afraid she's waking up!"

"Oh really? Don't activate the Spac.r yet, let me talk to her. This should be interesting."

The suited man stepped alot closer to the window.

"Please don't move, and look straight ahead."

The girl did as said.

"Who are you? Wh... where am I?" The girl asked.

"Where you are or who I am doesn't matter I'm afraid. But with what's about to happen to you, you won't feel a thing. I promise."

"What's going on?"

"Look above, do you see what is above you? That is what is about to happen."

"I can't see anything."

"Sucks for you I'm afraid. You have my permission to activate the Spac.r now Sheldon."

The Sheldon guy pulled some kind of lever, and the sound of whirring appeared. Not only that, but you could also hear what sounded like beeping. The arms above the girl came to life, and they took began to glow with that purple light. Purple or pink, could you say it's Magenta?

"What the hell is going on here!?" The girl yelled.

"Mankind's future!" Bolts of Magenta and blue colored energy rained down on Ominents so called "Lab-rat."

She was trying to get free of her restraints, but her attempts proved to be futile.

"Somebody! Help me!!"

Something seemed off for a moment, but then I quickly realized what was happening. Somehow, she was shrinking! I just stood there, practically jaw agape, watching what was happening. I wanted to help, but I knew I couldn't. Even if I did try, I might be caught and have that thing used on me too!

It felt like hours it was happening, but in reality it was only like 30 seconds, but a revelation like this was staggering. If they were kidnapping teenagers to do this to them, that possibly means that this was done to Peter too! Feels like its a guarantee that is what happened to him. I need to find where he's being kept!

"Molecular Reduction completed Director."

"Amelia, go collect the girl and put her in the container with the others."

"Yes sir... I've already got the Petri dish."

She went into the room where the girl was, and came out keeping her hand still. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a Petri dish with the now shrunken kid inside.

She placed the Petri dish in the clear container, and seemingly removed the girl from it. I went over to inspect the container, and when I saw what was inside, my heart practically stopped. I don't know how I didn't have a full on heart attack from this.

4 shrunken kids were in this container, Pete was among them. It was difficult to see his face, but from what I could make out, his expression said all I needed to know. We were both shocked to the core to see eachother in this place. He was wearing the same blue and white jumpsuit that the girl was wearing, as were the others around him. He was pointing at me, and seemingly saying something, but I couldn't hear something. Too bad I can't read lips.

"Hey is something wrong? You look pale."

"No! I'm alright!"

"It looks like its your first time witnessing molecular reduction. We were all like that at some point."

"Is it necessary to do it to children though? Even kidnapping them?"

"What is this about using children as test subjects?" The suited man asked.

He stepped real close to me.

"Let me tell you now boy, because I won't tell you this again. Its not a good idea to question my methods. Do you want me to toss you in there with them?"

"No Doctor..."

"Director, its Director!"

"Yes Director."

"Bring the brats back to the lab Amelia. I've got some tests planned for them."

"Yes sir..."

She put a lid over the container, and walked out of the room with it in hand. I followed her out, as I wasn't just going to leave my brother in this situation! I followed her to what looked like a laboratory room, and I waited until she left to go to my brother.

I took the lid off of the tank, and they all looked shocked to see me again, especially Pete.

"Oh my God Pete! I'm so glad I found you, but look at you! I don't even know what to say, you're so tiny! Did they hurt you? I swear if they hurt you I'll make sure they regret they were ever born!"

Pete shook his head no.

"Alright, that's great. I'm gonna get you out of here, all of you! We gotta leak this to the press!"

I went to pick up the terrarium when I heard the same woman from earlier clear her throat. I turned around to see her with her arms crossed, and an annoyed look on her face.

"Seems clear to me now that you aren't an Ominent employee. Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"I... uh...."

"Go on, don't be shy, I won't tell."

"How I got in here is a long story, but the reason isn't. You see the blond boy in here?"

"Who, Sunny? Yeah he was the first one to go through molecular reduction out of this bunch."

She calls Pete Sunny? Oh my god that's fucking hysterical. I'll have to ask about that later.

"Yeah. He's... my brother."

Chapters end.
___________________
 
Last edited:
An escape plan

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Wait, are you serious? Sunny is your brother?"

"Yes, and it would be good for you to know that his name is Peter, Not Sunny."

"Nevermind that, how did you even get in here?"

"I just said that's a long story, but it would be good for me to explain. Can you close the door?"

She went and closed the door.

"Now, are there any cameras in here?"

"I work in here alot, and I haven't seen any cameras. You're good I guess."

"Alright, so I was talking to my friends on the campus of the university we go to about Warhammer 40k, when I got a call from my mom. Pete, or Sunny as you've been calling him, had gone missing. My guess is that the Director of this little project had ordered for innocent people, teenagers, to be kidnapped for... whatever this is. My little brother was among them. I went and investigated the route he uses to go home from school, and I almost got roped into this project since one of the Directors cronies tried to kidnap me! I was luckily able to defend myself since I had a knife on me, but then I noticed the Ominent logo on his suit."

"I'm guessing the reason you got in here was because you took his suit?"

"Yep, pretty much what happened."

"And that guy found dead in an alleyway on the other side of town was your doing?"

"Yes, didn't I tell you? I was defending myself! Besides, this was my only way in."

"You're clever, I'll say that."

"So what are you going to do? Report me to security or something?"

"Of course not! My co-workers might, but I actually care about these kids! Why do you think I've been the one caring for them?"

"My bet is that the others don't treat them as human beings?"

"Yes. Believe me, you don't wanna know what they've been put through, especially Sun- I mean Peter."

I felt my heart skip a beat.

"What did they do to my brother?"

"Well you can already see Ominents handiwork right here. He's the first one out of this bunch to be put through molecular reduction. In laymans terms, he's been shrunk."

"Is there any way to reverse it?"

"Yes, but there's a catch."

*sigh* "there's always a catch, tell me, what is it?"

"We can't produce the right kind of embiggening formula, and whatever we try causes over expansion."

"Mind explaining that in English please?"

"They explode."

"Well shit, there's one route out the window."

"I do know a solution though, though it might require work on their end." She pointed to Pete and the other 3.

"How so?"

"There's a man that I'm sure knows the correct recipe for the embiggening formula. Dr. Tully, the inventor of the Spac.r. Our field agents proved that after the Director fired him, he built a functional Spac.r, the name of that shrink ray, and successfully performed covalent Space expansion on himself multiple times. If anyone knows how to get your brother and the rest of these kids back to normal size, its going to be him."

"You said there's a catch though?"

"He's been missing for months, and we haven't gotten any reports from the field agents."

"What does that mean for my baby bro?"

"He and the others are going to have to find him. That possibly means going into his backyard and trudging through a miniature world to find him."


"Can't we send someone to watch over them? How are we even going to get them out of here?"

"I've actually been planning on working on something just for that. Hold on, let me go grab it."

"She went over to a drawer, and pulled out a suitcase. Well it at least looked like a suitcase. Much too small to be a suitcase, but looked a bit smaller than a VHS tape. It had the Ominent logo on it as well.

"Are you going to carry them out in that?"

"Thats the plan, yes. But it isn't completed, it needs water and nutrients for how long they might be in there, and foam to support them."

"Where are we gonna get foam?"

"That might be where you come in. Folks with jumpsuits like what you're wearing do the labor and transport resources. Mainly the stuff that the robots aren't able to do. Mainly their since they can't use elevators and the such."

"Alright then, where is the storage room then?"

"Up on the first floor, you'll see it, the executives have signs placed over all the doors."

"Right then."

"By the way kid, I've never caught your name."

"I'm Trevor. Trevor Boggs."

"Amelia Brady."

She held out her hand, signaling for a hand shake, and we did so. Afterwards, I left the room and headed back toward the elevator. Not that many people were walking around were walking around at this time, so I figured that it was getting late. It was already dark out when I arrived here, so it might have been around 11pm to midnight. I passed by more security robots, and the odd scientist here and there. When I arrived at the elevator though, there was someone who I would never want to be in the same room with. The director of this project.

When I had stepped into the elevator, he had asked me to hold the elevator door. I did so, as seeing how this man was with me earlier, I don't wanna see him when he is angry.

"You seem new at Ominent boy. Tell me, you enjoying the sites of the science division?"

"Uh, yes Director... it sure is interesting."

"I noticed how you reacted to the recent molecular reduction. We've all reacted like that when we first see it. You can never get used to that, I've learned that myself during this project."

Yeah and you've surely been there to witness my brother be forcefully shrunk. How did you react to that? Him possibly screaming for help, for our family, while watching the world get bigger? What were you doing during that? You were watching. Merely observing this terrible event.

And where was I? I was probably at a costume party back at campus, getting hammered while dressed as Freddy Kreuger. If only I could have been here sooner, I would have taken Pete's place infront of the shrink Ray in a heartbeat. By the emperor, I swear, when all of this is over, I'm making sure you rot in prison.

"You look unwell boy. Need to go to the infirmary?"

"I'm alright but could you say the same for those kids? I mean, who knows what kind of side effects the Spac.r could have on the human body!"

The Director just laughed in my face.

"Oh my boy, we already know most if not all the health effects of molecular reduction, we don't need to worry about our little lab-rats! But if you're so concerned, maybe bring this to the Ethics Committee?"

"There's an Ethics Committee?"

"Of course not, I was just messing with you! Here at Ominent Practical Technologies, we must put our morals aside. Sacrifices must be made for the future of our people."

Do these sacrifices have to be innocent kids who did nothing to deserve what's been done to them?

The rest of the elevator ride was silent, other than the casual music that always plays in elevators no matter where you go, and we both stepped off on different floors. The Director on the 2nd floor, and me on the first floor.

"Alright, what direction is the storage room?" I walked around for a little while until I found a map of the facility. It was like one of those maps you'd see on the walls of the University or back at the
High school, showing all the numbers of the rooms and such. Different floors were on different parts of the map and everything. Conveniently though, storage was right down the hall of the elevator! I guess that explains all the robots going up and down the hall carrying certain objects.

When I made it to storage, I realized that it wasn't anything special. After all, it is just a storage room, but what was in it seemed special. A couple of weapons that looked like toy guns, weren't? They were blue and white, like the jumpsuit Pete was wearing, and had D batteries sticking out of the back. I didn't want to risk breaking something, so I did mess with those things, but turns out they actually had a name too. A Bolt.r? Maybe it shoots electricity? Ominent invented a shrink ray, so I don't think it would be too far fetched for them to basically create a laser gun. After all, I thought a shrink ray would be impossible, but it is. If that's possible, what other invention could be possible? A time machine? If Ominent can create a shrink ray, I'm sure they can make a time machine. Most of the stuff inside the room wasn't that out of the ordinary. There was another vhs sized suitcase, with foam included inside it. How did Amelia not notice this earlier? Surley this is where she got her case from!

I exited the storage room, and followed the route I took back to where my brother was held. I had been alone in the elevator this time around, and thankfully didn't see the Director on my way back. Why would anyone want to work with this man? He seems like an asshole!

When I made it back to where Pete was held, and Amelia was typing what I presumed to be a log on the computer, presumably about what Spac.r. She turned around when I came in too.

"Did you get what I asked for?"

"Sure did, killed two birds with one stone by bringing this too." I held up the VHS case and opened it to show its foam.

"Less work for us I guess, now what we need to do is carve space out for the little ones, and install an IV drip inside it."

"Do I need to gather anything else?"

"That Boggs, is where your job ends and mine begins. I can carve out the space needed in the foam to place the IV and human shaped holes. I carve soap in my free time, this doesn't seem any different."

"Well is there anything I can do in the meantime?"

"Well, this is if you're willing to do it, this is a dangerous operation."

"What is it? You don't know if I'll be willing until you say what it is."

"You came this far to save your brother, would you be willing to accompany him into Tullys backyard?"

"Wait, do you mean what I think you mean?"

"I'm afraid yes. The Spac.r must be used on you."

I took a moment to think about it, and I made my decision.

"I'm willing to go through with it.

"Wait a minute Trevor, are you being serious? What if Tully doesn't know the embiggening formula, or is dead?"

"I've come this far haven't I? Besides, I don't want to just throw him into some scientists backyard, and have him survive against who knows what critters are in there? I know there is a chance that Tully might still be alive, but I couldn't live with myself if he went in there alone without me to protect him. I know he wouldn't really be alone but still, I want to come with him."

"If you say so, but do you really want to do this? Once you go through molecular reduction, there's a big chance you can't go back."

"Yes god damn it! Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Oh well, it's your funeral. Let me grab a Petri dish to carry you in then."

I looked back at the container Pete was in. He was sleeping now, as were the others on the cold plastic floor. It looked very uncomfortable, and I was surprised that he could even sleep like that.

"Sleep well Pete. I'll be with you soon."

"Before you undergo molecular reduction, you will need to be equipped with a SCA.B. You know what that is?"

"Yeah, one of my professors at the university said he invented the SCA.B. and Ominent took credit for his invention."

"Yeah, that happens alot here. But you'll need a SCA.B if you wanna be down in a miniature world like that.

"Do you have any SCA.Bs in this room? Besides, how are we gonna get SCA.Bs on these four?"

"I'll handle that, the Spac.r can handle objects without issue. I'll handle their clothes and backpacks too, but let me go get them. The room where the SCA.Bs are produced isn't that far from here."

I sat down in the swivel chair she was in while she went and grabbed the SCA.Bs. I wonder, what would being in someone's backyard at that size be like? My guess is that it would probably be horrific, due to all of the insects down there. Do you know what spiders do to their prey? They inject their prey with venom once they catch them themselves or their webs, and the Venom digests the inside of the prey and it basically becomes soup. A Gruesome fate, I'll say that.

"Alright, I've got the SCA.Bs." Amelia said, arms filled with SCA.Bs. 5 of them, one for me, 4 for the others. I randomly grabbed one, and placed it on my wrist. I immediately felt a sharp pinch afterwards, which made me yelp a bit.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention. They kinda have to get access to your vitals by, honestly I'm not sure. I've never been too invested in these little gadgets, maybe they just bite you?"

"Right, I've got an idea for what to do with the SCA.Bs. put me under the Spac.r first, then the SCA.Bs. I can try to collect them afterwards."


"Sounds like a plan. I'll make sure the coast is clear."

"Should we bring the container?"

"No, I've got a Petri dish, that's all we need for you."

She opened the door a bit and stuck her head out for a moment.

"Coast is clear, lets go. We need to be quick about this, they're going to find us out soon, surley."

We took the route we first used coming to her sector of the Science division, and we arrived back at the Theater. Nobody was in the theater at the time, but surely there was a security camera in here.

"Alright. Are you ready for this?"

"Ready as the day I was born, yes.

"Head inside, I'll calibrate the Spac.r."

I entered the room, and sat on the table that changed the lives of countless people.

"Alright, the Spac.r has been primed! Just say when!"

I sat there, twiddling my thumbs for a moment making my final decision. It was a yes.

"When!"

I heard Amelia pull the lever, and the whirring noise started up again. The arms of the Spac.r began to move into position, and I have to admit, I felt anxious for what was about to happen. Sparks began to rain down from the arms, and I could see them charging up their beams. I held my arms out, practically welcoming what was about to go down.

"And... now!!" Amelia yelled as the Spac.r released its energy. It was hitting me straight on the head, blinding me with light as it spread over the rest of my body.
I couldn't see what was being done to me or how the environment was changing, due to being practically blind to what was going on. I did see and feel the end results though, because as the energy dissipated, a wave of vertigo overcame me, and I fell completely.

The world looked so much bigger now, it looked as if I was in some kind of movie set!

I heard Amelia enter the room, and she scooped me into the Petri dish she had mentioned.

"Alright Trevor, the first step of our plan is complete. Now I just need to get the case ready."

I wonder, how long would that take? Hours? Days? I can't be too sure about it. What I am sure about is that I'll be able to interact with Pete properly again, as I guess you could say we're on the same level now. What would happen if we get caught though? I don't want to imagine what would be done to me or Amelia if that happens.

Let's just hope for the best, and hope Lady Luck is still on our side.

Something else happened to me though. I don't know what it was, but the world had been spinning for who knows how long, and my vision faded to black. No thoughts, no vision, no sounds, pure silence.

Chapters end.
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Last edited:
The Backyard Exodus

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Trevor..."

"Trevor..."

My eyes opened to a dark void with different objects floating around within it. Pencils, old assignments from the University, as well as erasers and sharpeners. There were also a bunch of miniatures for Warhammer floating about, both for Fantasy as well as 40k. Miniatures for Tyranids, the Mechanicus, Eldar, Brettonia, even Chaos from all ends of the warp.

"Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?

"You aren't finished with your work Trevor..."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Your brother, he's in need of someone to keep him safe. The government proved that they can't keep him safe, but you?"

"What about me?"

"You made your way into this hell hole, for you suspected he was being held here. You made a plan with a woman from this place who mutinied against her employers, and willingly went through what so many were forced to go through. It was suspected you might not even return to normal, but still you endured."

"What does that make me?"

"The protector of these... children. Through your work they will be able to escape from the clutches of this... corporation."

"Great, thats great! What do I need to do now?"

"That is for you to figure out... now wake up. Wake up and taste the fruits of your labor."

The room was quiet as I awoke, only sound being the hum of machinery and the lights, which were harsh like the ones above the Spac.r. I looked around at my surroundings, and soon realized that I was in the container with Pete and the others! I have to say, from this point of view, it seemed like the size of a house!

I looked to my side, to see a girl leaning against the wall. Pete's talked about her before, what was her name? Willow?

"Morning sleeping Beauty. Seems coming down to our level is exhausting huh?"

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. How do you know its Morning though?"

Willow pointed to a digital clock on the other side of the room.

"Seems I'm the first one to notice it."

"Nevermind that, how has my brother been?"

"Who, Sunny?" She chuckled to herself a bit.

"Oh haha. But yes, Pete's my brother."


"Oh, you're like that. He's over there sleeping. None of us have been able to sleep well here, I have no idea how you were able to sleep like that."

"How long was I out by the way?"

"I'm not sure to be be honest with you. You appeared before any of is woke up, so my guess is as good as yours really."

I looked to my side, and Pete was just sleeping. The others seemed to be as well, Willow and I seemed to be the only ones awake. I gently shook his shoulder so I didn't startle him.

"Pete, hey Pete, wake up."

I nudged a little harder.

"Cmon Pete, get up. We might be able to get out of this shithole soon.

"Mom please... five more minutes."

Oh my god don't tell me he's going to pull a stunt like this.

"Hold on buddy, I have experience waking up my siblings for school."

She grabbed the collar of Pete's jumpsuit and got right in his face.

"WAKE UP YOU'RE LATE FOR SCHOOL!!"

"Not if I'm fast eno-wait, what?" Pete had woken up immediately from that.

"Damn, talk about a rude awakening."

"Ugh... you're telling me. Willow, you need to be so loud?" A familiar voice said.

I turned around and was surprised to see who it was. Pete's friend Max! Best buddies since they were little, I'd say its a hell of a coincidence they're in here together.

"Wait, Trevor? How did you get down here?"

"I worked with Amelia to get like this. We've got a plan to escape this place and get back to normal size."

"Amelia is that Scientist lady, right?"

"Yeah, seems she's the only o-" Pete had suddenly caught me in an embrace.

"Here I thought nobody was going to come for us! But someone actually did, and who would have thought that it would have been you?" Pete asked exitedly.

"Yeah, who would have thought it would have been me?"

We were all silent for a moment, and I broke the silence.

"How's the girl? The one that arrived yesterday I mean."

"Who, you mean Ally? She's not in the best of shape, like all of us when we were put under that... thing. But there's a guarantee that she'll recover, I mean we all did, didn't we?"

"I guess that's a sign of good things to come. But I have good news for you all."

"What is it?" Everyone asked, other than Ally, who was still asleep.

"We're going to escape!"

"Wait, is your bro serious? He can't be, they shrunk him too!"

"That's part of our plan, Ominent didn't do this to me. Amelia asked if I wanted to do this, I said yes, and she used the Spac.r on me."

"Why would she use it on you though? Seems pointless to me." Willow asked.

"We kinda wanted you to be accompanied by someone. Since Pete's my little brother, I put myself to the task, and under the Spac.r."

"Enough with your story pal, how do we get out of here?" Willow said.

"Wow, rude. Guess I should get straight to the point then. We'll be put in a vhs sized suitcase with an IV drip stuck in our arms, with our clothes and backpacks. Then we'll be taken into the backyard of the man that invented this thing."

"The hell is that gonna do?"

"Ominents field agents must have been spying on him, and say he built his own Spac.r in his backyard, and was able to make himself normal size again multiple size, but went missing a few months ago.

"Can't Amelia make us normal size again?"

"Actually, Ominent is incapable of doing that."

"Why's that Sunny?"

Pete turned red in the face from being called that

"Peters actually right about this. Ominent can't make us big again, they don't have the right formula. Look I know that doesn't seem like much, but its drastic. A slip up in the formula could cause the Spac.r to kill us. Care to explain Pete?"

"We'd basically exolode."

Both Max and Willow gasped.

"I know, its crazy. If this scientist is still alive, he'd know the correct formula to make us normal size again. If we wanna live normal lives again, we need to go to his backyard and find him."

"What's his name by the way?" Max asked.

"Tully I'm pretty sure."

"I think I recognize that name, me and Pete had him when one of our teachers were out sick before I'm pretty sure."

"Yeah, didn't he have dark curly hair?"

"Pretty sure. Who would have guessed that our substitute invented a damn shrink ray?"

Suddenly though, I could hear the doorknob of the labs door shaking.

"Someones coming!"

"Could it be Amelia?"

"Do they have food? Like real food, not that slop these people have been giving us!"

"Calm down everybody! We're about to see who!"

Three people had walked in for once, but it wasn't really who I hoped it would believe. Amelia was there, sure but that bastard director was there too, why is he here? Another guy was there too, who was carrying something. For a moment I thought he had a stack of pizza boxes, but then I realized that it was just alot of binders.

"Dr. Schmector, these-"

"Director!"

"Uh, Director... Schmector. These specimens are the breakthrough we've been looking for, just like you predicted.
We're close to eliminating the rasining problem, our Team was up all night recalibrating the Spac.r."

"I see, of course my hypothesis was correct. I hope all of you remember this moment the next time you question my methods. Now then, what progress has been made on Covalent Space Expansion? How did Dr. Wendell Tully, a lifetime failure best the brightest minds at Ominent?"

Pete approached one of the windows in the wall, seemingly to get a better look, and placed his hand in the wall.

"Yes sir, uh, we are still working on that formula. I know its been months, but the embiggen process is far more complicated, and dangerous than we predicted."

Schmector groaned, and shined a desk lamp right towards us.

"Holy shit!" I yelled. The light had practically blinded us all for a moment. Pete had fallen on his back, and was trying to scoot back away from the light.

"Well too bad for you little ones. Prepare the Specimens... for Termination."

Amelia sighed. "This isn't what I signed up for." She turned off the light afterwards.

Pete seemed practically frozen in place, just staring at Amelia. That look in his eyes said it all, fear, shock, what else should I say?

"God, I need to get the case done. I can't bring myself to see these kids killed in cold blood. I've stood by and let this happen too many times, I can't let Schmector murder a group of children again."

"Wait, he says Termination. Does that mean they'll kill us?"

"I think that's what Termination means Max." Willow said.

I crouched down beside Pete, and rest my arm on his shoulders.

"Hey buddy, you feeling alright?"

He was just silent, and continued to stare blankly.

"You heard what she said right? She's gonna try and be fast with the case. There's still a chance that we can get out of here."

He glanced at me, but didn't say anything still.

"We'll get through this together, I promise."

I didn't want to make a promise that I possibly won't be able to keep, but at this time what else can I do? We might be killed in cold blood soon, I should at least give him something good to feel about, right? Could you say that false hope is better than no hope at all? Am I a bad person for giving him false hope? I'm not sure how to feel about this, but we might just have to wait and see. Could you call it false hope if there's a chance for freedom though? I'm not sure really. But if its bad to give false hope, what does that make me? Am I a bad person for giving it? Am I a monster? Would I be a monster if I was trying to provide my little brother security in what could possibly be his final moments?

That Schmector guy, how could he do this? Realizes that he can't make us normal size again and goes: oh fuckin well, guess we should just kill them then! How does ones thought process go straight to Termination like that? Only folks with no humanity left would have a decision making process like that, not hesitating to kill us? I mean he didn't even bat an eye? Though he's wearing sunglasses so I can't really tell.

Amelia came over to the container we were in.

"Everyone, I'm afraid there is a change in plans. Termination usually happens a few hours after Schmector commands it. The Case is just about done, but I don't think it would be comfortable to be in. I still need to grab your clothes and belongings, and then we can go. I'll have to hurry, we don't have much time."

She then pointed to me.

"Trevor, I'm going to need your help."

How can I help when I'm this small?

"I'm sure you're confused on how you can help, but I'll need you to help gather their belongings once they're tiny. I might break them if I tried to collect them."

I nodded, and said my farewells to everyone else. Amelia opened the container, and placed her hand in for me to climb onto. Yet when I did so, Pete seemed confused.

"How are you able to do that when I couldn't?"

"I guess I'm just better at climbing than you."

She held her hand next to her ear, presumably so she could hear me.

"So where are their belongings at? They have to be in storage right?"

"Not exactly, the belongings of the people we bring in are brought to contraband. Whenever they're terminated, the belongings are burned. Seems we don't have much time to collect them."

"Well let's go get them!"

"Alright, let me go grab a Petri dish. Not a good idea for to to hold you out in the open like this you know? A petri dish in my pocket would work better."

She grabbed a petri dish off the table, and slipped me into it. The lid was placed on, and she placed it in her pocket. I was sitting in darkness for a little while, but I could hear the footsteps of many different people, including Amelia. Indistinct chatter could be heard, as well as the hum of machinery, and the beeps and chirps of the robot labor force. Is this what being blind is like? Living in darkness, but relying on sound? Possibly, though I'm not the one to know things like this.

I heard a door open, and the Petri dish was taken out of the pocket, and was back in Amelia's palm. All sorts of junk had been laying around. Most of it looked as if it was from employees around the facility. Weapons, such as knives and pistols, a couple thermoses. You wouldn't expect those to be considered as contraband, but fluids could probably cause different devices to short circuit or something like that.

There was a collection of items that looked out of place in this room though, yet it was what we needed to collect. Four piles of neatly folded articles of clothing, sitting behind four backpacks.

"Seems thats what we need."

She put the Petri dish back in a pocket, and seemingly collected the belongings of Pete and the others, and soon I could hear the Spac.r being activated, even seeing the Magenta light coming through the fabric. Question is, why didn't we do this earlier? Did she put the SCA.Bs under the Spac.r after me?

Amelia then pulled the Petri dish out, and took me out of it. What was before me was that pile of clothes and bags, and they had Particles of that same Magenta color floating around for a moment.

"Alright. Grab those and I'll put you in the Petri dish. When you put them there, I'll take you back out to collect more, rinse and repeat until you get them all. Then we can give Pete and the others back their belongings. Then we get out of here, simple as that."

I nodded in response, and we did what she said exactly as planned. Two piles of clothes at a time, with a backpack on my back and an arm. Only two trips were required thankfully, so we could get all of this done quickly.
I was put back in the Petri dish, and we made our way back to the room with Pete, and Amelia seemed to be going quicker than she has been. Perhaps since there is practically a deadline where all of us will be killed if she isn't quick enough? That's probably the answer here. But time is of the essence, and we have to hurry.

Amelia made it back, and haphazardly placed the Petri dish on its size in the container, and quickly took the lid off. I then took everything out of it, and everyone else had looked confused. Ally was actually awake now.

"Alright everyone, get your belongings on and get in that dish! Time is money, and we need that money! Give eachother privacy too, try not to look at eachother, I don't want to see any of you being creepy!"

Amelia was looking away, and they all turned to face a corner. I turned to the Petri dish so I didn't have to watch.

"Ready!" They all cried. They all approached the Petri dish, and we all got into it, with it being much easier considering it was on its side. Amelia gently put it back to its normal position. Amelia pulled the case out, opened it, and placed a book at its side as a sort of ramp. We got dumped out, and I was motioning for everyone to get into their spots.

"Time is money people! Time is life!"

At this point I noticed that everyone else already had a SCA.B on, so I relaxed a little knowing they already had them. Amelia hook up their arms to the IV, and the 4 were in the case and ready.

I was walking up the Ramp to get in as well, but then I could hear the door opening.

It was Schmector, with one of those robots that had a large box on its back.

"What the hell are you doing Amelia!? Stealing company property?! My property!?"

"You're a bastard Dalton! These children aren't your property!" She suddenly closed the case, causing the book to fall and me with it. She almost Tackled Schmector as she bolted past him, and then the robot went after her.

"Don't leave me here Amelia! Please! You can't do this!" I yelled, but got no response. I was left behind... she left me here, to die? She has Pete though, I should be thankful that he was saved. They've been all saved, by my hand. My brother will live on, thanks to me. They all will.

Peter.
Max.
Willow.
Ally.

Their lives will not be ended abruptly, but what of me? What's to become of me? Schmector is staring at me, I think I'm about to find out.

"You..."

He came right up to me, and yanked me into the air by the collar of my jumpsuit.

"I should have known that something was off about you. A random boy that appears one day, and is going around my facility all willy nilly? Now you been an accomplice in the theft of Ominent property? You even know what we've been doing. What were you thinking were you trying to be a hero?"

"I did what I had to do, and I succeeded at my task. Your whole operation is going to crumble Schmector. The world will know, the government, the press, the people... all of them."

"I'm afraid I will not allow that. You must be silenced."

Schmector kept his grip on my jumpsuit, and made a beeline towards the theater.

"I know just the way to silence you, and this way I can kill two birds with one stone. Testing the formula for Covalent Space Expansion. If it succeeds, I can use it on you again, if not... one less voice to worry about."

At this point, I had resigned myself to fate. If I am to die, then so be it. I've achieved my goal, Peter is going to be free, so why worry? I can't do anything now, so I should just accept my death.

Schmector was shouting for everyone he encountered to follow him, to see "what happens to traitors," Even though I wasn't a traitor? If anyone were to be a traitor, it would be Amelia.

I was brought into the theater again, and almost thrown onto the bench below the Spac.r. I couldn't tell if i had broken any limbs or bones, but in my position, should I really care?

Schmector quickly left the room, and presumably stood where the lever would be as many scientists and other employees flooded in. I heard a button click, and Schmector started to monolog.

"Everyone, today Ominent has been betrayed. Luckily for us, I have gathered one I of her accomplices, and I'm sure that there is more among you. Let this be known that today, you shall see what happens to TRAITORS like Amelia. I shall deliver her accomplices punishment personally, through Covalent Space Expansion.

"We haven't gotten the formula correct though, this will kill him!"

"That is the point of this. Now, witness justice be delivered, to the little RAT."

I heard a lever being pulled, and sparks began to rain down almost immediately. The Spac.r this time began to glow a purple color. It activated quicker than I've ever seen it do, and purple bolts engulfed me. It had felt like my skin was burning, and I think it was bubbling all over my body. My view began to get smaller, but then again it was hurting even more, like my entire body was on fire.

"You fancy yourself a hero boy? Then I have news for you, you'll DIE LIKE ONE!!"

It felt as if pressure was building up through my entire body, and it was steadily increasing, but I manage to speak my last few words.

"Take me Schmector, for I become a Martyr."

I could hear what sounded like an explosion, and everything went white, with a glimpse of a man that looked like he wore a metallic mask and many eyes.

Arcs end.
_____________________
 
A brave new world, and a Mysterious machine

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
A new dawn had begun to rise over New York city, and for most folks, the day would start as it usually would. Men and women got out of their beds and started getting ready for work, and some folks were coming home from the night shift. Students had been getting ready for a seven hour session for school on a Monday morning, with some dreading a quiz or test. Some people were even beginning to set decorations around their homes and work places to get ready for Halloween, with some trying to compete against their neighbors, some just for the hell of it. Others were even stocking up on Halloween candy for Trick or Treat night.

For a Select group of people though, over the past week and the foreseeable future, their lives would be changed forever, and mostly not for the better. Shall we see what this news reporter has to say about it?

"Good morning New York. Today is October 20, 1998. This is your news. We have a special breaking report, the police department has released information that more local teenagers have gone missing, as well as a college student related to one of these teenagers. They were last scene earlier this week, with the college student being seen just two days ago. The only connection between these Teenagers is that they are all students at Townsend Harris High school. These disappearances could be linked to the disturbing trend of other possible abductions and missing teenagers from our otherwise Beautiful city. If anyone has seen the Teenagers, or has any other information, please contact the police department. Mayor Giuliani has placed the curfew already in affect at an even earlier time for anyone under eighteen starting tonight. Now to other news... in the business world, Ominent Practical Technologies signs a new deal with..."

We don't need to listen to this business mumbo jumbo now do we? No? Thats what I thought. Out the window, you could see something floating out thw window. Not exactly floating, but slowly falling thanksnto a parachute. A small box that looked slightly like a suitcase, but about the size of a vhs tape, slowly falling into the yard of the Tully Residence.

Could you really call it a residence though? Trudy has left with her kids and Wendell went missing months ago. Could you say it was linked to all these disappearances? Well yes and no really, but we'll find that out on our own time.
The box had fallen to the ground, and landed in a small ravine, and the parachute had been blown away. Soon though, the case opened, and the beings inside would be in for one hell of a surprise.

Peter
___________________________________________

"Ugh... my head. Wh... what happened? Where am I?"

I felt small specks of what felt like dust on my face. I was staring up, but instead of the sky or the roof of my home, was the roof of what looked like a cave, with tree roots all over it.

I got up and dusted myself off.

"Whoa... Pete. Looks like you really stepped in it this time. Just where in the world are you?"

I looked at what I had gotten out of, and there was 3 other people in it! Familiar folks too, including my buddy Max. But Willow and Ally? Where even are we, and why us specifically?

"Hey, guys? Guys! Wake up!" I shook Max's shoulder to get him up.

"What year is it!?" He suddenly yelled as he woke.

"Calm down Max. Its the same year as it's been. I think it's October."

Willow and Ally started to wake up too.

"Do you guys have any idea of what we're doing here?"

"No idea, Pete. And where is here anyway?"

"Can you all not be so loud? I've got a bad headache."

"Hoops is right guys. Where the hell are we?"

"Looks like something from out of ny nightmares." Willow replied.

"I was once a Boy scout. Training for it always said to get our bearings whenever in an environment like this."

Light could be seen from the edge of the cave.

"My gut tells me that we should head that way."

"I guess we'll follow you then." Ally said.

I was the one that led us out of that cave, and what was outside wasn't what we had expected. It looked like we were on another planet entirely! No grass, Judy large green stalks that seemed to be trees in this area. Giant mushrooms the size of a tree dotted around the area were here too, with small mushrooms growing underneath of them.

"Holy shit..."

"I know right? This place looks like its out of one of my books!"

"Wait, I can hear something coming!"

"What is it Willow?"
We could hear the sound of skittering growing closer and closer, until what was making that noise came out of the treeline. It was an... ant? It was just skittering around, seemingly minding its own business, chirping away. It turned to face us for a moment, but then went back to whatever it was doing.

"Oh my God... its a gi-ant!"

"Quite the clever line there Max."

"But seriously, if that's an ant, does that mean we're..." Willow was looking around as she was saying that, and when she faced a certain direction, she went silent.

"What's wrong Wi-. Woah..." Max seemed as dumbstruck as she was. The rest of us turned the direction they were facing, and we were as shocked as them. It was a house! Though it didn't seem ordinary, not at all! It was huge! Like it looked like it could pierce the clouds and continue into the sky, yet it didn't?

"Guys... I don't think we're on a new world. I think we're tiny!"

"I think my buddy's right. I mean, what else could explain this! Some kind of prank of the century or something like that?"

"I don't think that's the case. I mean, who would set this up? It would take so long to set up, it probably wouldn't be worth it!"

"Hey guys, I don't mean to interrupt you, but I think you should see this!" Ally had wandered a bit, and was motioning for us to come to her.

We had all been astonished as to what she had found, it was a baseball! Though it didn't seem normal, as it looked as if it was the size of a small building.

"A giant Chunky Chubbs baseball?" Willow asked. "Now I've seen everything. Whats next, a giant spider?"

"Don't Jinx it Willow!" I said.

Suddenly I could feel a vibration on my wrist. I held my wrist up and I noticed what looked like a watch, with two green and yellow circles on it. A SCA.B?

"Why do I have a SCA.B?"

"Hold on, I've got one too!"

"Same here!"

"How on Earth do we all have SCA.Bs all of a sudden? I asked my mom for my birthday if I could get one but she said no! Is this related to that?"

"No, seems to just be a coincidence that happened." The SCA.B then said something in its cold robotic voice.

"SIGNAL DETECTED..."

"That thing can detect radio signals?" Max asked.

"I guess so, where do you think its coming from?"

"Maybe that white thing over there?" I pointed to a grayish white dome like thing over in the "treeline."

"Maybe it's coming from that?"

"Could be worth checking out. Should we go and look fellas?"

"Sure Willow. Might be interesting?"

Ally picked up a rock as we were walking.

"What'd you pick that up for?" I asked.

"If there's an ant, there's bound to be more. Besides, who knows what could be down here?"

"Good idea Hoops."

The weird dome thing didn't look like anything we've seen in this place so far. Seemed to be of human origin, as it was lit up with a lightbulb, and had a computer monitor in it, as well as some granola bars!

"Friggin sweat! Free food!"

I went and pointed out that there was some kind of file on the table, and I went and read it out while Ally was checking the computer and Max was grabbed the Granola.

"Spac.r safety test. Date: 08.08.09. Time: 1:54 pm. Cell volume: 0.000648524 mL. Spac.r input: 914.32 mW. Subject: a box of SCA.B devices. Location: Tully back yard. Supervising Scientist: Dr. Wendell Tully. Results: Power fluctuations are within and acceptable range. The machine itself continues to operate as expected. Weatherproofing of the platform components is holding up quite well.

The pylons, however, are a finicky trio. Maintaining the beam angles requires regular obstruction removal. The yard is simply too alive for precession instruments. Oh, Euclidean space, you fickle mistress.

Reminder: Check the Embiggening Cell diagnostic before end of day protocols."

"Embiggening cell? Spac.r? What is all this science mumbo jumbo? All this is really damn weird."

"Honestly, I'm not sure. But logic dictates that there could be more of these things around. Maybe this "Spac.r" could be nearby as well? By the way, did we gather everything?"

"Yeah, I got the food. It's good, believe me. Whoever left this stuff has good tastes." Max was munching on one of the granola bars.

"Well save the other for the rest of us. Alright?"

"Cool, cool."

We continued on the path we were on, and we encountered another object that was obviously man made, with ants trying to get into it.

"Are those Ice Cap Mints?" Max asked.

"Yeah, my older brother loves these things. Liam likes Hot Chachas candy, as do I. Seems we both have a love for spicy foods."

"I don't know about you guys, but after a ball game, I prefer Sour wormholes."

"Dudes, can not talk about the candies we like? Besides... look whats up ahead."

"What.. is that?"

We had come across some kind of platform, that seemed to be the size of a scale.

"It almost looks like a bathroom scale?"

"Certainly does look like it. It even has electronics inside it!"

"Hey Pete. I dare you to climb onto it."

"I accept the dare."

"Good luck Sunny!"

Wait, Sunny? That sounds oddly familiar.

"Where'd you get that name for me from Willow?"

"I'm not sure really. I know I heard it somewhere, just can't remember where."

I climbed onto the weird tech pad, and noticed that there was a bunch of buttons and dials. One of these buttons had been flashing, and said: Target below it.

"Guys there's a flashing button up here!"

"Probably not a good idea to press it!" Willow yelled.

"To hell with that! Press it!" Max yelled back.

Alright, why not press it. I crouched down to try and press it, but it hadn't moved.

"It won't budge!"

"Jump on it buddy!"

You know what? Fuck it, why not?

"Alright... Curiosity killed the tiny Pete..." I said as I jumped onto the button.

After jumping on the button, the three tesla coil look alike were hit with small blue beams. Not all of them though only one of them was proper. One of them was flashing, and one was blocked seemingly by a blade of grass.

"Huh, looks like this thing hooks up to those lasers. I don't think what I did worked properly though, seems this machine needs all of the lasers hitting the tesla coil to function. Mahbe we could find a way to fix them?"

When I went to jump down, i noticed something at the venter of the platform. When I approached it, I noticed that it looked like a vhs tape, but much smaller than it usually would. About the size of the a Gameboy cartridge?

"Guys, I found a tape!"

I held the tape up to show them.

"I think the SCA.Bs can play tapes like that! Try and find a place to put it in!"

I noticed a small compartment practically on the back of my SCA.B, so I opened it and put the tape in.

"I was a fool to have ever Doubted myself! A fool like Klein, like Kaminski, like Picon, like all of Ominent! I am here in the backyard. Down in the backyard. I mean I am speaking to you from the backyard! I am Tiny! I should gather my thoughts, this is a momentous occasion. Wendell Tully official log. 97.08.05. Recording as I take my first steps into the miniature world. The sights are unbelievable! The textures, the way the light falls upon every surface, the subtle patterns in all the objects that surround me. The grass! Even common lawn grass looks like a structure from an alien world! Wait... what's that sound? The very earth is trembling! Over there! what could it be... an ant! My god... today... the world has changed forever!"

The tape then when silent, and I pulled it out and placed it in my bag.

"Tully? Didn't we have a guy named that as a substitute last year?"

"I'm not sure, I don't remember stuff like that."

"Well Pete? What do we do now?"

"My guess is that we should try to fix the obstructions of those lasers. Maybe if we can fix that, we can get back to normal size?"

"Sounds like a plan! I think we need to make some tools to cut down those grass stalks. Probably some weapons to deal with any hungry insects." Willow said.

"Luckily for us, I think I know a few things for making tools from raw materials. By tools I just mean crude weapons that Neolithic tribes would have used."

"Let's get to work then!"

Chapters end.
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A hobgoblin of Mites

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Well Pete? What do we do now?"

"My guess is that we should try to fix the obstructions of those lasers. Maybe if we can fix that, we can get back to normal size?"

"Sounds like a plan! I think we need to make some tools to cut down those grass stalks. Probably some weapons to deal with any hungry insects." Willow said.

"Luckily for us, I think I know a few things for making tools from raw materials. By tools I just mean crude weapons that Neolithic tribes would have used."

"Let's get to work then!"

We all seemed to split up a bit, but none of us had gone far from one another. Question is, what should I make? What kind of tools would be needed for this kind of situation? Certainly some kind of Axe? Well one of those lasers has been obstructed , so it might be needed.

As I was thinking about this, I had almost tripped over a small rock. Could you even call it a rock? A pebble? No no, a pebblet feels more fitting at our size. Would this be one of those little stones you see in the soil when you grab a handful of it? Yeah, perhaps.

I picked up the rock, and noticed that the right edge of it was particularly sharp. Like the left side was more rounded, with the right being sharp. Say it was the shape of an egg? That's what I think it looks like at least. Seems perfect to go on the edge of a spear, no? I picked sprig from its roots, and tied the sharp pebble to the sprig with the stems of other plants that were in the area.

"Not much, but should keep the ants away if they get any ideas!" I said to myself as I admired my new weapon.

"Maybe I could try to test it?"

I looked around, holding my spear like a walking stick, when I saw what looked like a green football scurrying across the ground. I squinted, and realized exactly what it was, an Aphid! Seems more like a pea Aphid than anything. Hold on, if I can see an Aphid clearly, then just how small are we? Last time I've seen an Aphid, they looked even smaller than ants, like they were almost microscopic.

It noticed me, and tried scurrying away, and I chased after it. As I was running, I held my spear up like those throwing Javelins during the Olympics, held it back, then forward, then released.

The spear twirled through the air, and went straight through the aphid and impacted a blade of grass, staying in place.
I went closer to the grass with my spear, and saw the damage done to the aphid. The head of the spear went straight through! A small amount of green looking blood was on the head on both sides of the aphid too.

"Dang. I'm better at throwing than I thought I was."

I pulled the spear out of the grass, and pulled the Aphid off of the spear afterwards. Then I put the aphid in my bag, as I thought there was a chance we could use it for food, and headed back to where we had split up. I had went back to holding my spear like a walking stick, with the head in the air to prevent it from going dull, and started to smell smoke. Did they manage to make a fire? Well I've got some food that we could hopefully share, the aphid was bigger than my fist after all. Looked about as a rotisserie chicken.

They were all sitting around an actual fire, with a couple tools similar to the spear I made next to them.

"Hey Buddy, where have you been?"

"Seems he was making his own tools!" Ally said.

"Yeah, and seems Sunny found another use for that spear he made."

I felt my cheeks become warmer after she said that.

"Please don't call me that."

"Oh cmon! You gotta admit it's a little funny. Besides, your reaction to that name is adorable!"

"Now Willow... can you leave my friend alone please? He's obviously upset."

"Alright alright, I'm sorry Pete."

"Apology accepted."

I looked back to the strange machine, then to the lasers that were obstructed.

"Do you guys think we should go try and fix this machine now? I mean I think we got the tools for it."

"Yeah, feels like a good idea." Max said as he grabbed the tool next to him. Turns out that it was an axe made out of the local materials. Seemed to be a sprig cut in half with a pebblet sharpened and shoved into the end.

"Say, Where'd you guys learn to make tools like that? I didn't know you had survival skills."

"Oh that's a good question." Max said.

"We realized that if we put something under that weird microscope thing in that dome, it would seemingly analyze it, and the computer would show us what we could make with it. It would also give instructions on how to make those items. You make that yourself?" Max said again.

"Yeah, thanks for asking."

Willow seemed to have a Hammer made from possibly the same procedure, and she went with Max. Ally however seemed to have made something completely different. It looked like a stick with plants wrapped around the top with an orange goo at the top.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Oh its a torch. Me and Willow worked on it with the intention to set it alight with a Bic lighter she had in her bag. She handed me the lighter since I have the torch."

"Oh alright, we should head to the thing with the broken laser then. Might be dark there."

Ally got up and followed me to the part of the machine that had the broken laser. The part with the broken laser didn't seem that far from camp really, and we saw a few interesting things on our way over. We found a small pool of water which I advised Ally not to drink from as it might have cholera in it.

We had passed by another insect too as the grass seemed to start changing color. It was small and black, and looked like it had some kind of snorkel? Thats what it looked like at least.

"Hey Pete, what kind of bug is that?"

"Looks like a Weevil. Vine Weevil specifically."

It started to sound like how a human does when they have a runny nose.

"Are Weevils supposed to sound like that?"

"Dunno, I've never heard one. Poor guys got allergies..."

The grass started to look more and more dead, and eventually we were directly under what was shooting the broken laser.

I could hear small squeaks coming from the wires, and the sounds of sparks. We got closer, and saw what seemed to be Lawn Mites! They seemed to be chewing on the wires, and I have no idea why they were doing so.

"Oi Reindeer nose! Get off the wires!" Ally seemed to have gotten the attention of one of the mites, as it had squeaked and jumped off the wire towards her. I grabbed onto my spear with both hands, and jabbed the head into the mite. The mite had been impaled on the head, and stayed on it when I lifted the spear back up.

"Well that's...gross. can you get that thing off of it please?"

"Yeah, hold on." I pulled the mite off, and when I got it off I whipped my hand around to get off the mite grime.

"More mites inbound!" Ally yelled. More mites had been jumping towards us. I stopped on one of the mites before jabbing another with the spear. Ally had kicked one of them into the dirt.

"Is that all of them?"

I looked back at the laser, it was still flickering

"I don't think so, the laser is still flickering. If the mites are causing it to flicker, there has to be more chewing the wire in that cave. So now might be a good time to light that torch."

"Right."

She pulled out a lighter, pushed its button, and lit the torch.

"Reminds me of something. My mom always says that I light up a room!"

"That's pretty nice Pete."

"Alright, might be a good idea for you to stand behind me since you don't have any weapons. Torch might work as a weapon, though it isn't a good idea to risk our source of light, so you stay behind, I'll handle the mites."

We went into the cave together, and I kept a firm grip on my spear, ready to kill more mites.

It seemed as if there was an entire herd of mites in there! I kicked one the mites into the cave wall, and stomped on another mite. Afterwards impaled more mites with the spear, and tried to make sure that I didn't have to pry a mite off of the spear. We found even more further in the cave chewing on the wires, and we treated these mites the same way we did the other mites. Killing the mites quickly and swiftly. We tried to go further, but couldn't considering that there was a bunch of rocks blocking our way.

"Alright, I think that was all of them."

"Well, at least you don't need to clean that spear constantly now right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

We went back the way we came, and when we left the cave, we looked back at the laser. It wasn't flickering anymore!

"Well I'll be goddamned Pete. It worked!"

"Yeah! Let's go see what the others are doing now!"

We went back to the bathroom scale looking thing, and when we returned, we saw that the others had cut down the grass blade obstructing the other laser!

"Hey guys! We're back!"

"Hey buddy! I see you fixed the other laser?"

"Yeah... we kinda had to get our hands dirty with that."

"Is that green stuff on your spear what I think it is?" Willow asked.

"Yeah... that's Mite blood. There was alot of them."

"Disgusting things." Ally commented.

"You're telling me Ally."

"Should we try to activate that machine now guys?" Max asked.

"Minus well. Might be what made us this size!" I said.

We all went over and climbed onto the machine.

"Alright, you three go stand on that platform. I'll activate this thing." I said.

"Alright, sounds like a plan Pete!" Willow said.

They all jumped onto the platform, and gave me the signal to press the button. I had been hesitant to press it, because something told me that we had done this betore. What would you call this? Deja Vu? Maybe this is a bad idea? Maybe I shouldn't press that button? I'm not sure, but it might get us home, so I gotta try.

I jumped on the button, and could hear the guns on the tripods begin to charge up. It was charging up for around 10 seconds, and I went and jumped on the platform with the others as it did. But then it began to shoot pink and blue energy, and images began to flash through my mind. A suited man, a woman, and a strange machine above me shooting the same energy.

That was enough for me, as I jumped off the platform and onto the dirt below."

"Pete! What the hell are you doing?!" Max yelled

A feeling of dread had washed over me, and I started to feel dizzy. I couldn't do anything but watch as one of the tripods began to short circuit and the beams stopped being produced. Explosions could be heard in the distance as I saw sparks heading towards the oak tree. A larger explosion could then be heard as pink sparks flew overhead.

Max
____________________________________________

"Guys? What happened just now?" I asked.

"Seems that whatever this thing is, it's broken. Sounded like something happened at the oak tree too." Willow said.


"Never mind that, where's Pete? It looked like something was wrong with him!"

"He's on the ground right there." Hoops said.

"He wasn't acting like that earlier, its probably gotta do with this machine."

I jumped down to Pete, and he didn't seem to be in the best shape, mentally at least. His hands were on the sides of his head, and he was almost laying on the ground. Beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead, and his glasses looked a bit foggy.

"Pete? Earth to Peter, are you alright?"

He was mumbling incoherently, something about Ominent and Project O.R.C? What the hell does Ominent have to do with this? Did they cause this?

"Pete, you need to calm down. Everything is going to be alright."

"???"

Well, that's a start. He's actually responding to me now.

"You need to calm down. Breathe in deeply, hold it and breathe out. That's always helped me."

He started doing so.

"Breathe in... breathe out. Breathe in... breathe out."

"I'm... I'm so sorry for what happened just now."

"What was that anyway?"

"I... I had a sense of Deja Vu when we were activating that thing, and images flashed into my head when I was on that platform, and after I jumped off. I have a feeling that Ominent had something to do with this, I saw their logo in one of those memories."

"Well, I'm sure we can all figure this out, this might just be the start. We'll learn the truth buddy, I'm sure of it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

We both got back up, and Pete went and picked his spear back up.

"You see those pink fumes?" Pete asked.

"I think that's where we need to go. But can we be more careful when activating machines we don't know the purpose of?"

"I don't see why not buddy. But is everyone else ready?"

Both Willow and Hoops had said they were ready as they jumped off the machine.

"Alright, who should lead the way?"

"Pete's got the spear, I'd say he should lead the way."

Chapters end.
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The lab in an oak tree

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Alright, who should lead the way?" Willow asked

"My buddy's got the spear, I'd say he should lead the way."

"Are you sure he's a good idea though? I mean he did just have a panic attack."

"Is he now though? Besides, I managed to calm him down."

I should probably get involved in this so we don't stay here for hours arguing over leadership.

"Guys, can we not argue about this? You know how people cam be when it comes to leadership. Why can't we just be careful about where we go? We don't need a leader right now, all we need to do is go to that tree!"

Everyone had gone silent, seemingly lost in thought.

"Pete is right. If we stay here bickering about who should lead us, we'll be here for hours. Whatever we find there, it might provide us with answers for why we're here." Willow said.

"Do we have everything we've collected so far?" I asked.

"I don't think we have much right now, so I'm pretty sure all we need is in our bags right now."

"Alright then. But before we go, I have to ask, is the fire out?" I asked.

"No buddy, I don't remember any of us putting it out."

I looked back at the fire everyone else was sitting around earlier, and saw that we had left it smoldering. Seeing as though we didn't have any water to put it out with, I scooped up a handful of soil, and dumped it on the smoldering pile of ash. Before I did that though, I stared at the soil for a moment as I was wondering if we could see any bacteria crawling around in it at our new size. Unfortunately didn't see any bacteria, which would have been pretty cool if you ask me.

How much smaller must we be to see bacteria I wonder? Perhaps a bit smaller and we'll be able to see tiny specks in the dirt?

Maybe that would be the case, though we'll never know considering we aren't that small.

"Alright Peter, are you done daydreaming? Because we should really start our trek." Willow asked.

"Oh yeah, yeah! Sorry about that, don't know what came over me." I picked my spear back up, and we had finally started to make our way towards the pink plume of smoke at the oak tree.

As we had walked, we had come across something not that far from the strange machine. A juice box, with juice dripping out of its straw. Punch-o! Tropicop!

"Oh boy! I think we hit the jackpot guys! Think its got any juice left?" Ally asked.

"Maybe." Willow said. "It seems to be dripping after all."

"I prefer Lemon Crime." Max replied.

We continued on, and as we got closer to the tree, I was taking in the scenery of this backyard. With the sun setting, it just seemed to make everything extra pretty. The setting sun just seemed to give everything a slight golden hue. Say for example, you could see the sunlight going through the tops of the blades of grass. Could you even call them blades of grass anymore? Well you technically could, but at our size, I'd compare them to trees. Could we use the grass as building materials then if they're technically trees?
That would be an interesting prospect, I'll say that.

Soon we had to start climbing over tree roots, as we were now directly under the tree. We had even found a small tunnel going under the soil to go through so that we wouldn't have to constantly climb over roots.

Suddenly though, as we started to exit that tunnel, we could hear the sound of footsteps, and they weren't like the footsteps coming from us. It was sorta like a group of people, but they all seemed to be separated from each other.

"Does anyone hear hissing?" Max asked.

I put my hand up to my ear to listen, and I actually did hear some kind of hissing, and growling as well? It was like a mix of all of those noises all at once."

"That doesn't sound good."

"Shh! Be quiet Ally!" I whispered.

I got both hands on my spear, ready to fight anything we encounter. But what we saw almost made me drop my weapon.

It was a wolf spider, Dotted wolf spider specifically, and it was huge. Wolf spiders I've seen in my day were already big, but this is freakin ridiculous! It made a weird hissing noise, and then began skittering towards us.

"Run!!" Willow yelled, and everyone else started sprinting for their lives, I wanted to as well, but it felt like I was frozen! I was trying my best to move, but it was like I was paralyzed! It was coming closer and closer and closer, and I could see every individual segment of its legs and body moving like some kind of abomination of angry Chitinous clockwork!

I was bracing myself to be ripped apart when I felt somebody grab my hand.

"C'mon Petey!" I heard Max yell, and I was yanked out of the way of the wolf spiders attack, almost dropping my spear in the process. We were running, no, sprinting
Faster than I ever remember doing in my life. We were jumping over roots, running over acorns and leave, then dove under a leaf into some kind of building where the others were, and we heard an impact behind us. Max had fell to the ground out of breath, and I was leaning on the wall to catch my breath.

I could hear the banging continue, and I turned around to see what was happening at the door. That damn spider was still there! It was headbutting the door trying to get in, but when I started looking at it, it stared right back at me. Purple venom was dripping from its fangs, and those eyes... there was nothing in those eyes. Those soulless black eyes just stared back at me, and I could see my own reflection in them.

"Great Shelob ghost... I already hated spiders, but this!? This is horrific!" I yelled hoarsly, still out of breath.

"Yeah, that's a bit too much spider. Even for me."

"Guys, can we please stop talking about that spider? That thing is freaky!" Max asked.

"Alright, I can stop. But now I've got a new question. What is this place?"

"Dunno Petey, seeks like some kind of building."

"Who built this place though? Willow asked. "Keebler Elves?"


"Seems like it." I said. "I mean we're seemingly in a tree, and this place has an artificial look to it. Either Keebler Elves or Borrowers."

"Aren't Borrowers bigger than us? I mean I don't think we're even an inch tall." Willow asked.

"I'm not sure. We should probably head deeper in."

We headed down through the facility, and we noticed that it seemed to be in ruins. The tiles on the floor were ripped off and scattered around, as well as panels on the wall. They looked as if they were in the beginning stages of being ripped off. There had been scorch marks all around us too, both on the walls and floor. Some of them though were strange, as they were the same color as the fumes being given off outside, pink? What is this stuff? As we went further in, it seemed that the lights were flickering, and that parts of the floor seemed to have been leveled by the explosion.

Weirdly though, this place felt strangely family, and I just couldn't put my finger on it. Have I been in a place similar to this before? Maybe? I'm not sure.

We came into a larger room, and it looked as if it had all sorts of strange machinery in it. Computers, server boxes, and security cameras. There was also some kind of strange eyesore in the center of the room. A glass tube containing pink... energy?

"The hell is that?" Max asked.

"That centerpiece makes this place look like need paradise."

"You called? Seriously though, it looks like that pink thing has idealized geometric shapes floating around inside it. They don't look real!"

"What are they then?" Ally asked.

"No clue Ally. Maybe whoever built this place could explain it?"

I then noticed a whiteboard at the corner of the room with strange ramblings written on it.

"Maybe this can explain?"

Everything written on it felt like gibberish. Raw science? Where, what, Covalent space reduction? Math equations? Quarks and bosons? Which dimension? There was a drawing of that weird container on the right of the board. Contain and cool, can it be cooked? There had also been papers and crumpled up balls of the stuff tossed all over the floor.


"Maybe that pink stuff is pure quarks and bosons?"

"Mind speaking English Pete? I don't understand nerd speech."

"Bosons and quarks aren't atoms. particles that don't make up matter. How do I explain it? They are more like what makes up light. They don't have mass."

I then noticed a door that seemed locked, but then I noticed that there was a button to the left side of it. Should I press it? Oh what could go wrong, it looks like it goes to the door. I pressed the button, which turned green and caused the door to open.

We all went into the room together, and saw that it was some kind of server room? There had been a bunch more server boxes and computers in here, a bunch even around a support pillar! There was also a monitor displaying a different location on its screen every few seconds? It said: Black Anthill, Pond, Haze, and Hedge?

"So you're telling me, this Doc Brown guy or whatever he's called built more places like this around his backyard?" Max asked

"Sure seems like it. Also isn't his name Tully?"

"Tully, Brown, they're both scientists. Even if Doc Brown is from a movie, he's the first guy I think of whenever I think of scientists."

We went further in, and we saw similar containers to what we saw in the other room, but they were broken, and a robot? It was waving its arms at us, like it was trying to get our attention.

"Is that a robot?" Willow asked.

"Sure looks like it. Kinda like the ones Ominent makes, you've ever seen them on TV?"

I approached the robot with the others behind me, with my spear in position for an attack, just in case. But then, the thing spoke!

"I could use a hand here!"

"Oh you can talk?"

"Yes, I can. A l-little help please?"

"Alright then, give me your hand. I'll pull you up." The robot reached out its weird spatula hand... thing, and I grabbed it and pulled the robot to its feet. Treads? Would you say feet or treads in this situation?

"System reboot in progress..." The robot began to make multiple beeping noises, which ended in a musical tune.

"Thanks for the helping hand! I am B-B-BURG.L, acting science manager for this project. I am also a robot!"

"Yes, I think we can all see that."

"I'm sure this all must be very disorienting for you, but hopefully I can explain. I suspect you were miniaturized by Dr. Tully's Spac.r device. Why are you here in the yard? I do not know. In fact, I can not seem to r-r-recall much of anything. A recent power surge has caused a massive Raw science containment explosion. This lab, as you can see, is a disaster. And what's worse, the explosion has disrupted mu computing power. My memory banks are corrupted. Sorry to pile on the bad news my new friends. How can I be of service?

"How come none of us can remember anything?"

"Yeah Robot dude, I can't remember anything since I went to bed on a Monday Night."

"It seems you and I are both a little discom-bob-bobulated. Given my best calculations, your biomass has been subject to covalent spacing reduction via the Electron clouds of your atoms being distorted. In other words, you have been shrunk. It is likely this was achieved by using Dr. Wendell Tully's Spac.r platform... patent pending. Shrinking can be a traumatic experience for tiny human brains, and memory loss is a s-side effect seemingly achieved days after the process. Hopefully your memories will return in time."

"Who's Dr. Wendell Tully?"

"We had him as a substitute one time!" Max said.

"Dr. Tully is a brilliant scientist and inventor. He is also my creator. My initial protocol was to serve as the Short Order Cook of the Future! However, I have been recently been promoted to active science manager to assist with his experiments. No doubt, my previous work experience has been invaluable to Dr. Tully. Although now that I'm processing it, I have not seen him in several weeks. And now I can not recall where he went! It must be my c-c-corrputed memory banks."

"Where are we?"

"You are here, in the Oak Lab. Built and used by Dr. Wendell T- T-Tully to experiment on all things small. This is the of operations for conducting in his yard."

"How do we get home?"

"To return to your prior size, you would need to successfully activate Dr. Tully's Spac.r latform. Unfortunately, my readings indicate it is inoperable. It appears to have suffered several malfunctions from the explosion. I am sorry, but it appears you may be stranded here for some time until we find a solution."

Well great! We're stuck here! Unless we can find a way to fix that shrink ray?

"Can we fix the Spac.r?"

"Haha! That is a great idea! Let me run full diagnostic scan on it and see what we need to do to get it fixed up. Haha! That is a great idea! Let me run full diagnostic scan on it and see what we need to do to get it fixed up."

Burg.l started to whir for a few seconds, then beeped.

"Memory Fault... Code: 408B3000. Ominent OSScript runtime error. Arg! I am sorry again. It appears I have sustained more damage to my memory chips than expected. Without those memories, I do not know how to repair the SPAC.R."

"Can we find a way to get your memories back? I mean you're a robot, you've got to have your data backed up somewhere."

"Oh y-yes! We can use my memory chips!"

"Memory chips?"

"Dr. Tully used two types of chips to back up my memory. Auxiliary Chips are small capacity chips used to store project data. If you find these I should be able to help you learn new survival recipes. Super Chips are special - and they are g-g-gold! They back up full directories of my memory system. If we are going to fix the SPAC.R, that d-data is bound to be on a Super Chip. I suggest exploring the other labs in the backyard and return with any memory chips you find."

"Other labs? You mean those places on that TV over there?"

"Dr. Tully has built many more labs throughout the yard. Each lab is used for various experimental procedures. I can upload their locations to your SCA.B. Stand by. Processing... Processing..."

He started whirring again, and beeped once more.

"Error: Files not found. Code 632C404. Cheese and f-fries! The lab locations are missing from my memory banks too. B-B-But we are in luck! I was able to retrieve the location of one of the facilities, the Hedge Lab."

"Hedge lab?"
The Hedge Lab is the observation center of the yard, and used for research on arachnid webbing. You will find the hedge near the house if you head southeast. The lab is located deep inside the hedge. Sending the coordinates to your SCA.B. Try to find the Hedge Lab first, but there is nothing stopping you from searching the yard for the other labs... except of course thousands of angry, hungry insects! Haha! That reminds me! Dr. Tully locks the important labs with Biometric Scanners. You will need access for any chance of
success. Head over to the ASL Terminal and place your hand on the Biometric Scanner near it. Give it a moment to sync your signature into the mainframe. Once you are registered, you will be granted access to the ASL network of computers too. Have an exponentially great day!"

I looked to the right, and pointed out what looked like a hand scanner on the edge of the room. We all took turns "syncing our signature into the mainframe, and then I pressed a button to unlock another door.

Before we left this place, we had discussed if we should stay the night. Me and Willow argued that we should stay in this... lab, as it was warmer than it was outside, not to mention the spider that chased is in here. It could have still been lingering outside, waiting to kill us.

Max and Ally argued however, that there is a chance that the beast had moved on. Think about it, I was talking to Burg.l for quite a while, it has to have moved far enough away for us to be safe now! Besides, this place looks like its falling apart, and it has no beds. In the end though, Max and Allys argument won, and we had to head out. I was chosen to see if I could scout out just where we should make our campsite.

At first, I could make out some promising areas! They were mostly by the pond which looked more like a small lake from this perspective, but its still promising. Easy access to water, and possibly the resources of whatever is in the depths of that pond. There was also a juice box on one of those rocks, so we'd get to taste the sweet sensations from Mouth Town!as I was observing though, I started to hear the sound of skittering again.


That wolf spider, hissing and angry, skittered out from the bottom of the tree going after the others, giving chase.

"HOLY SHIT! RUN!"
They were all running faster than I've seen anyone run in my life, but the spider was catching up to them! I shouldn't just stand here watching, I've gotta help, but how Can I? I'm all the way over here! Suddenly though, I had felt incredibly focused, with my heart practically beating out of my chest, and I was clutching my spear with both hands. Clutching it hard enough that it felt like it would snap like a twig. Is this what adrenaline feels like? Doesn't matter, nothing else matters right now. This. Monster. Must. Die.

I leaped instantly from the position, with my spear over my head, both hands on it. I landed in what you could say was the beasts thorax, and without thought, jumped onto its head and plunged the spear into one of the beasts many eyes.

It stopped skittering and screeched in pain, and started to shake violently, trying to get me off. I however, was clinging to my spear for dear life, still partially standing on the spiders hairy back. I was trying to push the spear deeper and into the spiders brain, but the beast wasn't having it. It just tried harder and harder to shake me off, but it seems as if I was getting into its brain, as it had started to twitch and loose its balance.

With every ounce of the strength I had left, I pushed the spear even further, and I could feel it hit something. But the spider had let out one last screech as it had fallen onto its side, and I lost my grip on the spear, and got flung to the ground. I had felt a sudden pain in my eye, and I didn't have time to register it before everything had gone white.

Willow
____________________________________________

"Oh my God... Peter!" We had ran to where he had landed after seemingly killing the spider. He was laying on his belly with his face in the dirt.

"Did you guys see what he just did!? He literally jumped from one of the tree roots onto the spiders back, and killed it with just that spear!" Max yelled. I looked back the now dead spider. Its eyes still had that cold look to them, but one of the bigger eyes had a spear sticking out of them, with blue blood oozing out of the wound.

"Jesus... you have to be either crazy or crazy brave to do a feat like that. "

"I'd say he's crazy brave." Hoops added.

"He saved our lives, but is my buddy even alive?" Max asked, a worried tone in his voice.

"It didn't sound like he hit the ground that hard. Let me turn him around and check his pulse."

I flipped him onto his back, and we were all taken aback to his appearance. Dirt was all over him, and his shirt had been slightly torn, but that wasn't what we were taken aback by. His eye... there was a rock in the center of his eye. The scene was like how it was with the spider, except Pete doesn't have 7 more working eyes. Only one, if he's even still alive?

I placed my fingers on his carotid artery on his neck to check his pulse. We waited anxiously for a few seconds, and I could feel it. He was breathing, and he had still had a pulse.

"He's still alive! Grab some plant fibers for some makeshift bandages! We need to stop the bleeding!"


Chapters end
___________________
 
One less eye

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
With every ounce of the strength I had left, I pushed the spear even further, and I could feel it hit something. But the spider had let out one last screech as it had fallen onto its side, and I lost my grip on the spear, and got flung to the ground. I had felt a sudden pain in my eye, and I didn't have time to register it before everything had gone white. While I had lost all feeling in my body while my vision was white, I was still able to hear everything that was going on around me. Whatever happened, it seems like the others had been shocked as to what had happened.

"Oh my God... Peter!"

"Did you guys see what he just did!? He literally jumped from one of the tree roots onto the spiders back, and killed it with just that spear!"

"Jesus... you have to be either crazy or crazy brave to do a feat like that."

"I'd say he's crazy brave."

"He saved our lives, but is my buddy even alive?"

"It didn't sound like he hit the ground that hard. Let me turn him around and check his pulse."

Am I dead? Is this what the countless dead throughout history have gone through?

"He's still alive! Grab some plant fibers for some makeshift bandages! We need to stop the bleeding!"

Alright, so I'm not dead, but what will become of me? Am I going to die from blood loss? What the hell is even going on?

I assumed that soon after Willow had said that, I was brought back into the oak lab, as I could hear a conversation with Burg.l taking place. What he and the others had been talking about though, I couldn't make it out. I figured that was thanks to me being far enough away for their voices to sound muffled, so I didn't pay much attention to the voices.

Soon though, my vision had faded from white to black, and i could finally feel everything again. The warm air on my skin, my hands on the floor, and something swaddled over my eyes. It was warm too, but it had felt sticky.

"S-seems you're awake." A voice said.

"Burg.l?"

"Yes. Your friends wanted me to look after y-you for the time being."

Why did they leave me with Burg.l? Did something happen to me?

"I can't see anything! Is that why they left me here?"

"Oh.... that is a long story. Your friends might be able to explain that better than me. Do you w-want me to explain though?"

"Minus well."

"F-first, would you mind telling me what happened before all of this occurred?"

"Well, we had left the oak lab, and I was scouting out where we should make our camp. A wolf spider then started chasing after the others, so I had jumped on its back and plunged my spear into its eye. It was trying to shake me off, while I was driving the spear deeper, trying to get into its brain. It then flung me off, I hit the ground, and everything went white."

"I see... I'll update you on what happened. Do you feel any pain in your left eye?"

"Not really. It hurt whenever I made contact with the ground, but now I can't really feel it. Its like my eye is numb."

"Cheese and fries... this is worse than I thought."

"What're you saying Burg.l?"

"I'm afraid that I'm n-not the one who should explain this. I feel one of your friends would be able to explain this better than me."

"Burg.l, please. I'm not stupid, just give it to me straight."

"A-alright, if you say so. When you fell from the spider, a rock went into your left eye upon impact. Most likely that you'll be blind in that eye permanently from the damage that was d-done."

So I'll be permanently blind in my left eye huh? Great. Just great. My vision is already bad enough without my glasses, now I end up being blind in one of my eyes? This just makes the situation me and the others are in alot worse. I might be a burden to them!
Keep yourself together Pete, stay calm. Keep your cool for now at least.

"Why can't I see at all though?"

"Oh, I can explain that easily, u-unlike why you're here in Dr. Tully's backyard. One of the others, Willow I think h-her name is, swaddled a bandage around your eyes so the damaged one could heal. Can't have one eye exposed since both eyes move at the same time!"

"Did Willow get the rock out?"

"Yes a-actually! She needed a bit of help from yours truly, but we managed to get the rock out!"

"Guess I have you and Willow to thank. Thanks alot!"

"Always Happy to see a satisfied customer!"

Suddenly though, I remembered something Burg.l might be able to answer. All the images that had flashed into my head when we tried to activate the Spac.r. didn't the Logo of Ominent appear in my head after I jumped off the platform?

"Hey Burg.l?"

"Yes Peter?"

"When we attempted to activate the Spac.r, something happened to me before it began to malfunction."

"What was it e-exactly? The others told me about trying to activate the Spac.r, but didn't say anything about you."

"Images appeared in my head when and soon after it activated. There was a suited man and a woman, and a machine that looked similar to the Spac.r on the ceiling of some kind of room. The logo of Ominent also appeared after I jumped off the platform."


"Hmmm. Dr. Tully and by extent, yours truly used to work for Ominent. They had fired after he had given a demonstration of the Spac.r. perhaps they continued Tully's work behind his back by making their own Spac.r?"

"Why would they continue his work if he already made a working Spac.r here?"

"You s-see, Ominent had a knack for taking credit of the inventions their employees and profiting off of it. It seems that my creator was no different in their eyes, and they intend to take credit for his work as well."

We continued on about Ominent and Tully for a while longer, until I started to hear footsteps. It was like hearing footsteps in a pitch black void. Thankfully though, I could hear a familiar voice soon after the footsteps started.

"Hey robot dude, We're back!"

"Evening M-Maxwell!"

"How's Pete doing?" I could hear Willow say.

"Oh! H-hes actually awake!"

"Really? I should check up on him then."

I heard footsteps coming towards me, then heard the floor creaking infront of me.

"How ya feeling Peter?"

"My eye is numb, and I can't see a thing."

"That is to be expected. Your eye is going to be numb for a while. Until your eye fully heals at least."

"How long would that be?"

"I'm not sure. I know that it will be more than a few days though. Also, we need to change your bandages changed daily. Can't just let a dirty bandage sit on your ruined eye you know?"

"Will it hurt?"

"Well your eye probably won't hurt, considering that it's numb. Skin around it might though, considering we had to use adhesive to keep the bandages there."


Willow
____________________________________________

"Can you just be careful on how you remove the bandages then?" Pete asked.

"Yes, I'll be careful, don't you worry."


"D-do you need a hand?" Burg.l asked.

"No robot. My mother is a paramedic, I know a thing or two with patching up wounds. Can't do sickness though, thats not my specialty."

I grabbed the part of the bandages that were hanging, and began to slowly unwrap them. I could see a wince on Peters face, so I was trying my best to make it so it doesn't hurt. Or at least make the pain minimal. When I unwrapped the bandages on his eyes, I could see the fruits of my labor, and his one good eye. I could see a whole well of emotions in it, but it looks as if it saying: why did this happen? His left eye though, was a different story. The skin around his eye was coated in dried blood, and droplets of the sap that was used as adhesive. It was also on his hair. It was like if you dabbed the edge of his hair above his eye in a crimson fluid.

The eye, it seemed clear that something was in it before, but you could tell that it had been removed. Honestly, it looked like a messy plus sign. At least we stopped the bleeding?

"How does it look?" Pete asked.

"Yeah, how does it look? I wanna see!" Max asked.

"Oh damn!"

"Damn it Max! Do you have to be so blunt about everything?

"How bad is it? Please be honest!" Pete said, looking up at Max, then me.

"It isn't as bad as I thought it would look, but still looks pretty bad. Lucky your glasses didn't make things any worse."

Pete still looked upset after I said that.

"Where are my Glasses anyway?"

"Oh, we found them on the ground next to you. Thankfully these weren't on your face when you made impact with the ground, otherwise you might have lost your sight completely."

"That doesn't really make it better. I mean, I've lot half of my vision!"

"I'm sorry that happened Pete. I'm just trying to make you feel better about what happened to your eye."

Everyone had went silent for a few minutes, but Max was the one that broke the silence.

"Hey Petey, you want some water?" Max pulled out a canteen we had made hours earlier from his bag.

"Yeah! My throat is parched!"

Max placed the canteen in Pete's hands, and He immediately began chugging the thing.

"Slow down buddy! You're gonna choke on that!"

Pete stopped chugging, then glanced at the canteen.

"How did you make this thing? The outside looks weird."

"Yeah, we made that out of a grub. We cooked its meat too."

Pete looked a bit grossed out, but that look quickly faded away.

"Did you eat any of it?"

"Yeah, didn't really taste how we expected it to." I said.

"How did it taste then?"

"Oh, it was kinda gamey actually. Pretty oily, kinda like how bacon is."

"Is there anymore left?"

"Yes actually! We divided the grub into four pieces, and saved a chunk for you! You want it?"

"No, not really hungry at the moment."

Peter had gone silent again, as did we, except he was the one that broke the silence.

"Aren't you going to replace the bandages?"

"Yes, just give me a moment."

I went to reach into my bag, when I had a realization. Is his bad eye still able to move? If that rock that went into his eye hit the optic nerve, then it would not only cause him to loose sight in that eye, but possibly make it so he can't move that eye? From what I know, both eyes must be covered so that they can't move. That way, the injured eye can be healed in peace. What would happen if the eye can't move at all! Could it work if we only had to cover that eye? Could make life easier for Peter at least.

"Hey Peter?"

"Yes?"

"Can you move your bad eye?"

"I'm not sure. Why you ask?"

"If you can't move your bad eye, we'll only have to cover that specifically."

"Sure, I can give it a go."

He started moving his eye in a circular motion, yet what stood out was his bad eye. Still as a statue, and completely blank. Seems like we have a winner here. Cover the bad eye, leave his good eye in the open, and give him back his glasses.

"Seems we have a winner."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The eye didn't move. Seems we only need to cover that then."

"Say, Willow, shouldn't we clean the blood off his face first?"

"I don't think so, might be better the next time we clean ourselves." I said. Wrapping the bandages in a way that would only cover the bad eye. After I had finished, Pete had stood up with a bit of trouble, but he managed it!

"How does it look?"

"Makes you look like a dollar store pirate." Ally said.

Chapters end
__________________
 
Into the jungle we go

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
Pete
____________________________________________
How long has it been since we've arrived in this place? To be honest, it's been hard to tell. At first, I would've thought that the days would feel longer, now that I only have one eye. But with what's been happening? The days feel like they've been flying by. I've been trying to help the others with gathering supplies and resources, but frankly I feel like a burden. Would you say that my eye is the burden or me that's the burden? I'm not sure, but I'm trying not to be one.

But doing things, let alone surviving this hellhole, is easier said than done. Thankfully, Wollow gave me something to walk with. I still can walk, it just makes it easier with my now poor depth perception. My old spear! Well not exactly a spear anymore, that, sharp rock I tied to the top was lodged in the spiders eye, so it snapped off when the spear was pulled out. Now I just have a sprig with rope tied around it. Could you say its a walking stick? Because that is basically what it is these days. Or possibly a cane? I'm not sure. But enough about me, I should probably explain whats been going on the past few weeks.

We've been gathering resources from the area around the tree, and bringing them into this lab. Say for example, we've been making cots out of ant parts, sprigs, and plant fiber. It can get kinda cold, but at least Tully left some extra stuff in this lab. Mainly coffee, and mugs for that coffee. We found a half buried room filled with supplies such as that coffee I just talked about! We don't even need to put it in something over a fire to brew it, he's got a coffee machine in here too! Keeps us warm on the cold nights, and I have to say that stuff is a luxury for me. My folks never let me have coffee back home, and let me tell you, the dirty bean water could have saved me on many late night study sessions.

How are the others I hear you ask? Well you ask and I shall answer friend. Ally, or Hoops as my friends sometimes call her, is pretty good with a bow. Honestly, I didn't expect any of us to be good with a bow, I didn't even do any archery as a scout. I gotta admit though, that would be Hella fun. Though we aren't doing archery for fun anymore, we're doing it to survive, though it would be nice if we could find the time to do it for fun. Willow? She made a blade out of one of the fangs of that spider I killed.

She made one for me too, and when I held it, I had to admit that the thing had been intimidating. When I held it, I could feel a shiver going down my spine, possibly from remembering what had happened weeks earlier. I mean, trying to kill the thing caused me to loose my eye. Pretty cool though, I gotta say. I mean, its literally the fang of a bigass spider, reused as a dagger. How cool is that? Allys bow is even made out of the body parts of the spider! I swear, almost all of our gear is made from that spider. Daggers, bows, even our armor!


All that was needed was some cloth made of the local plants, and to made the exoskeleton of the spider into plates, maybe with a bit of help from Burg.l. Turns out that weird fork arm of his could work like the hammer of a blacksmith, making armor and swords for the army of his local lord back in ye olden days. Except instead of body armor made out of iron or bronze, its out of the chitin of an arthropod. Gross, yet effective.



Willow even has a hood to go along with the armor made, with the eyes of the spider on the front. It even has the damaged eye, which looked like it had looked cracked. Didn't look as bad as how bad I've heard my eye looks. Speaking of my eye, it actually lost the numb feeling a few days ago. I guess that means it's fully healed? Probably not, just means it won't be able to get infected anymore. Won't be able to see out of that eye anymore, but I'd rather that than a painful death from infection.

Nevermind that, I should probably see if the others are ready for what we've been getting ready for.

Oh, have I not mentioned that? I should probably explain that. For the past few weeks, the others, and eventually me after p my eye fully "healed" we were gathering supplies to make a trek across the this Backyard. Where to? That berry hedge at the wall of the house. Burg.l said and has been saying that we should head to the lab in that hedge. Whatever we need to fix the Spac.r, the first piece of the puzzle lies in there. I also have a feeling that hedge is going to be filled with nasty things as well.

We had a bush in our backyard too when I was growing up, and my mom always said not to go in it. Why? She always said "don't go in that bush Pete! There are mean snakes and spiders in there, that will bite you for coming into their home!" Clearly she was exaggerating, but surely there would be spiders infesting that thing. I mean, they're dark, and probably have a shitton of prey. So if you're a spider, say both wolf spiders and possibly the actual web making spiders. We know those spiders are here since we've seen webs in higher up areas. And in those webs, we've seen spiders wrapping up bugs in their webs, like Egyptian Mummies with their silk.

I don't wanna know how that would feel, but its probably awful knowing what the spiders do after. But hey, the silk is great for rope, but easier to acquire than I would have thought. Stuff is supposed to be really strong, but we can cut through it pretty easily. Maybe it's because of the tools we use? We can't pull it apart, I've tried to pull it enough to make it thin, feels like it would be impossible. But hey, it at least works great for our equipment right?

I should quit my monolog, and make sure that the others are ready. Willow had been sharpening her fang dagger against one of the many whetstones we had made out Quartzsite while listening to the MP3 player she found was still in her bag. Ally had been packing her bag with Supplies needed to make the trek across the land. Max had been practicing with the weapon he had made out of the mandible of a soldier ant.

The thing looked like some kind of sword, and he was using it like one too. Slashing a mannequin made of clay, and ultimately took its head off.

"Damn, you're getting pretty good at using that thing huh?"

"Yeah, I've been training with this thing for a while now. Makes me wonder, if we get to live normal lives again, will I be good at using blades?"

"I'm sure you would! I'm not sure if we'll ever get back to normal size though. But makes me wonder, what are our families doing right now?"


"My folks are probably worried sick. How about yours?"

"Liam probably took it really badly. Little guy looked up to me, I don't want to think about how he reacted."

An image of Liam appeared in my head, crying while hugging a missing person poster, so I tried to shoved the image down into my mind, out of sight, out of mind.

"You alright buddy?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are. What about the others?"

"Willow was sharpening her weapon, I don't know where Ally is though."

"Hoops? She was doing Target Practice by that cave entrance in the back of the lab. Probably using a dummy like me, except it's filled with arrows."

"Alright, let's go get Ally then."

We went to the back of the lab, passing by Willow who was still sharpening her blade, and Burg.l who was cleaning a chip he took out of his head. Ally when we reached her, was next to the barricade we made drawing the ants passing below. Why is there a barricade there? Oh, seemingly when that explosion happened weeks ago, it made a hole in the wall of the lab, allowing the inhabitants of the cave below the tree to come in. If we're gonna live here, we can't have that happen can we? No, we can't. Max actually managed to make his sword out of the jaw of a soldier ant that came in here before we put the barricades up. But those barricades are just furniture from the room the hole was made in piled up infront of it.

"Hey Ally?"

"Hey Pete! How's your eye feeling?"


"Good, could be worse. You ready to head out?"

"Yeah, I've got all our rations packed, is everyone else ready?"

"Me and Max are ready, we just gotta see if Willow is now."

We all went to Willow to see if Willow was ready, and she was! She had just finished up with sharpening the fang dagger, so we were able to finally leave! As we all had the supplies, so we could all leave the lab. Though when we exited the lab, Max pointed out something we didn't notice.

Some kind of security camera, shaped like an eye with a red pupil. Stared at us for a moment, but then went and continued moving. Could that be Tully watching us? Maybe Burg.l? I'm not sure.

"Never mind that, we need to move."

We went under the leaf infront of the lab, and walked onto the stones surrounding the pond. Looking at that pond makes me wonder, just how deep does it go? At normal size, it certainly wouldn't be all that big, but when we're this small? Looked like a small sea, except it had a stone wall with ferns growing behind it. What could be lying within the depths of this pond? The juice box was still there too, and a couple droplets of juice below the straw."

"Say. Does anyone need a drink?"

"Yeah." Max said. "My canteen is dry."

He went and scooped up parts of the droplets, then plugged his canteen back up.

"There, at least we got something tasty to drink."

"Yeah, Armed-Rasberry is great! Probably my favorite." I said.

We continued on after Max got his drink, and we wandered through a flowerbed filled with Tulips. Petals littered the ground, and Max picked one of them up.

"These things are pretty. You think we could use them like a hang glider?"

"Maybe we could, why don't we all grab one?"

We all grabbed a petal, rolled it up in our bags, and continued on our way. But infront of the flower bed, was a fence that seemed like it was made from stumps with a large gap in between, and we could see a sprinkler behind them, but that was small fry compared to what was behind it. Towering over everything, was the hedge, with the only thing bigger than it being the house. A green behemoth, contrasted by the yellow and red of the house behind it.

"Damn, looks like something you would see in a movie, is it not?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, and we're probably gonna have to climb through it like Tarzan." I said

"Not to mention its bound to be filled with creepy crawlies." Max added

"Alright then, let's go." We made our way towards the hedge, which felt like it would take days to reach, due to how small we were, and how far away the thing looked. There had been so many sights to see, and I'm not just talking about the hedge and the mushrooms. There was a giant milk carton, with a missing persons sign on it, but the peculiar thing about it was... they were folks our age.

"Umm, Yeah... thats not the way I want my face to become famous. My dreams of fortune and celebrity turned to spoiled milk." Max said.

"Heh, you and me both. I wonder, is it our turn on the side of the Squirts Milk Carton? I just hope my mom doesn't use my seventh grade yearbook photo if they do, it looked so awkward." I replied.

"Could they be down here with us?" Willow asked.

"Maybe. We'll find out in time." I replied.

Let's just hope our families are looking for us." Ally added.

Yeah, we should probably hope for the best when it comes to things like this. Though right now, we can only press on. More sights were seen, and we wandered through what seemed like a forest of clovers, some with flowers on the top. But what was on the other side, you could say it was an obstacle. A puddle, which looked like a lake. I could see something splashing around in there.

"Fuck. That. There's no way I'm swimming through that muck. You see that splashing? There's something in there!" Ally yelled.

"I don't think that any of us would want to swim through that. But I'm sure we can go around it!"

I led the way around the puddle, and eventually we made our way to wall of stones, similar to what was at the pond. But eventually we left the sight of the puddle, which took awhile, but in the end, we had made it to the border area of the hedge. We even made it into the hedge proper, by balancing on a twig dotted with sap.

It was dark, with beams of light from the setting sun coming through the foliage. Junk was strewn about, and pieces of a building that looked similar to the lab we came from where on the ground, rusted and covered in Silk. A web from a branch above was connected to one of these compartments too, with what looked like an eggsac on it.

"I don't think its too safe to be out in the open around here. Maybe we could head in there?" Max pointed out to an opening in the rock wall.

Ally pulled out a torch, and Willow then lit it.

"Let's see whats in there then. You wanna lead the way Max? You pointed it out after all."

Ally handed him the torch, and we followed him into the small cave. But we didn't find anything good in there, but we did find something.

Ants... the heads of ants, lost of them. They were all set up on pikes. But that wasn't the worst part of it all. There was a lean to, with something in it. A body.

A. Human. Body. A skeleton wearing armor made from ants, wearing a suit and tie, with a deactivated SCA.B.


"Holy shit..."

"Jesus christ! That's not an insect! That's a person!"

"It seems like we aren't the first people to come here!"

I noticed a notebook the skeleton was clutching. I brushed away the hand, but was still shivering at the fact this was literal human remains, and picked up the book.

"M...maybe this could help us figure out what happened to him?"

Chapters end
________________
 
The overgrown lab

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
"Let's see whats in there then. You wanna lead the way Max? You pointed it out after all."

Ally handed him the torch, and we followed him into the small cave. But we didn't find anything good in there, but we did find something.

Ants... the heads of ants, lost of them. They were all set up on pikes. But that wasn't the worst part of it all. There was a lean to, with something in it. A body.

A. Human. Body. A skeleton wearing armor made from ants, wearing a suit and tie, with a deactivated SCA.B.


"Holy shit..."

"Jesus christ! That's not an insect! That's a person!"

"It seems like we aren't the first people to come here!"

I noticed a notebook the skeleton was clutching. I brushed away the hand, but was still shivering at the fact this was literal human remains, and picked up the book.

"M...maybe this could help us figure out what happened to him?"

I opened the notebook and flipped through it trying to find the last page filled with writing. The book was filled with doodles and ramblings, seemingly about ants. Something about Tully too? I couldn't tell much about what it said about him, as the words were jumbled and sloppy like that of a first grader. What I could make out though, were ramblings about a robot, which I presumed to be Burg.l, Spiders, and something about a Berry monster? Seems like the ramblings of a mad man. We may have been shrunk down to the size of insects, but a berry monster? That feels straight up impossible. Unless Tully knew his way around genetic manipulation. I mean, cloning is possible. You ever heard about Dolly the sheep?

Eventually though, I found the last page with writing, with handwriting that I could actually read! Here's what it said:

Expedition Member: B. Stava
Department: Intern
Date: Nov 25 1997
"This Thanksgiving, I spend with my new friends. They truly understand me. I can see it in their eyes.
They don't make me carry things, or take notes, or yell at me, or talk down to me.
We carry our own weight! We make a feast together, me and the ants. We get along just fine.
If I never see the rest of those other jerks again, it'll be too soon.
Except maybe the military guy, he can join us.
Like a SOLDIER ant, get it?
Now, to find a wishbone..."

"Damn. Seems this guy went crazy down here." I said in shock.

"Why on Earth would he be down here in the first place?!" Willow asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe Tully had assistants shrunk with him?" I said.

"Oh look at that! Seems this guy built a club out of ants!" Max went and picked up a club that was next to the skeleton, but immediately gagged and dropped it.

"Fuckin gross! That thing is all slimy, and smells!"


"Must have belonged to that skeleton before it died. Notebook was last written in on Thanksgiving of 97, so he's clearly been here for a while."


"You think there might be others somewhere out in the yard?"

"Maybe. But let's not get our hopes up for human contact."


"Its still dark outside though, should we wait in here? Even with.... that?" Max asked.

"My guess is yes. Lets just not sleep in that lean to or by any of his... friends." I said, pointing at the endless amounts of pikes with the heads of ants.

Most of us slept sitting against the wall, while Willow was sleeping on the ground with her head resting on her hands. I have a feeling we might need to clean ourselves after this fiasco, considering we might all be covered in dirt after this. Literally. Although honestly, I couldn't sleep that well that night. Might have been the fact that we shared the room with a human skeleton, or the shitton of ant heads perched on sticks. But there is a chance that with one wrong move, we'll end up like him. How he died though, I haven't the foggiest.

We all woke up almost simultaneously from sunlight shining into the cave. The skeleton looked even dryer than when we came in, and when we left, we had been awestruck. Being under the hedge made it look like we were in a whole other world! Light was shining through the foliage and canopy! But that is not all, wreckage of buildings that looked similar to the Oak lab littered the "forest floor" yet above was what we came here for. Where the destroyed buildings came from, was a lab. A lab resting on larger branches, among the leaves and specks of purple from berries next to it

Max gave out an impressed whistle.

"Damn... had to have taken Tully a while to set that up. How the hell we gonna get up there though?"

"Maybe there's a way to get up there?" I replied

We wandered what I suspected was east if the SCA.B map was correct about directions, and we found something special. Well not really special, but it was a way up into the foliage! It was a branch, with a fallen branch lying on it, as well as a paper clip for some reason. Its insane, even something as small as a paperclip is huge at our size. Like its as tall as the ceiling in a building. 9 or 10 feet tall? Seems like its that tall.

We climbed up the branch, and we found another field station! You know, that weird sphere tent thing we found a few weeks back? Burg.l calls these things field stations and there was even a couple granola bars! Max had called Dibs on the bars, but we had all shared them this time. A delicious reminder of the world before, even though that world is still there? We can still hear cars driving by, dogs barking, people walking by the fence to the yard.

We tried to call out to them before, but we stopped doing that a long time ago. We're too small, they're too big, they won't hear us. Besides if they do, they probably won't hear any words, and we might just sound like mice or rats.

Yet again, a reminder of what we lost, but might be able to reclaim? We need to keep our hopes up, no matter what. If you could roll a morale check here, it would probably be a ten. Not that high, yet not too low. We need to continue to press on, until the end.

Next to the granola bars, there was even one of those tapes! Same as the ones we found in the Oak lab, and on the Spac.r.

I went and packed the tape into my SCA.B, and we listened to the ramblings of the Doctor.

"The Kinder science lab Modules have not held up as well as anticipated. I thought hiding these lab units in the hedge, would provide a bit of protection from my rampaging children. But it appears not even the sanctuary of these leaves can protect my work from an errant Flingman disc. The subsequent breaches in the lab structures have invited all manner of arachnid invaders to wander in. My plan is to recalibrate the Tayz.t bots for defensive action. A stopgap solution, to be sure, but I've no time for repairs, not when I'm so close to unlocking the mysteries of Raw Science!"

"Aren't the Tayz.ts security bots or something?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, pretty sure they work well as fry cooks as well. I've even seen a few behind the counter at a Wendy's by my place." Max said.

"Though my guess is that they're pretty expensive. Probably why we don't see them that often." Ally replied.

I glanced to the right, seeing the path we were going to half to walk. Climbing through the trees like a chimp, or Tarzan I guess. I tried to swallow my trepidation, but then the others noticed the look on my face. I guess even with one eye covered, you can still see the emotion on my face. They looked at my face, then looked at the branches, then they seemed upset as well.

"You gotta be shittin me." Ally said, shocked.

"Well I don't hear you saying things like that often Hoops." Max replied.

"Do you blame me though? We'll have to walk on what are basically balance beams to get to that lab! And did you hear that log? There are spiders up here!"

"And what did we do to that last spider hoops? We killed it, and made equipment out of its bits. If we managed to kill such a big spider, we can do it to a couple of smaller spiders."

We started to make our way through the branches, trying our best to balance on them. Yet sometimes we wouldn't have to worry about falling to the ground, as there was a chunk of fungi growing on the branch below. But when we got onto a larger branches, we could see a white dot moving on some fungi, that then jumped onto the branch. It was a baby spider!

"Aww! It's actually kinda cute!"

Then it started to hiss and skitter towards
Max, with its fangs exposed.

"Ahh! Scary Baby!!"

He looked like he was about to run, but then the look of realization appeared on his face.

He started running towards the spiderling, proceeded to yell: Four!! Then kicked the spider off the edge. You know how frogs sound when they scream? Well thats how it sounded as it fell into the abyss below.

"I'm not sure if I should laugh at how that sounded or not. It may have been a spider, but it was a baby! Spiders can be cute too, have you ever seen Jumping Spiders?" Willow asked.

"I guess they are kinda cute." I replied.

Not much further from where that incident occurred, we came across the most unexpected thing. A zipline!

"Huh, seems like Wendell found a way to get around this jungle. Or should I say zip around this jungle?" What? Gotta make the best of a bad situation, right? Why not have a little fun?

"Oh look! There's some reigns there!" Willow pointed out. She approached the thing and started to hook herself up to it.

"I've gone ziplining alot since I was a kid, I know a thing or two about this stuff."

I then noticed what looked like a small motor on the thing, and Willow leaped, zooming through the foliage.

"I forgot to tell! Don't look dow...." her voice faded, but soon we could see her waving at us from the other end, with the reigns coming back towards us, motor purring in the process. We all helped eachother hook ourselves to the zipline the same way Willow did, and we all followed in her footsteps with me being last. I was alone to hook myself up. But I managed to do it from memory, and did my own leap.

"This is moderately terrifying!!" I yelled, as I zipped through the foliage, keeping an iron grip on the reigns. I swear, I never held anything harder in my life, unless you count the time I rode the Great Bear at Hershey Park a few years ago.

When I made it to the end and let go, I had stumbled, but managed to gain back my footing.

"Wow, now that was an Adrenaline rush."

"I know right? Why do you think I love doing that?"

"You're a real thrill seeker aren't you? But yeah, that was awesome!"


Not that long after, we could see a building in the distance nestled in the branches, but had no way to get to it. Then, we had realized the only way to make it was to jump onto the fungi below. We got our petals out to use as parachutes, just in case things went wrong, and we made our leap of faith all at once. You don't want anyone to chicken out you know? Thats why we did it all at once.

When we got to the building, I noticed that it had looked different to that of the Oak lab. If these are all "Kinder Science modules" they can't be all that different can they? There was a large wire on the roof leading somewhere above the canopy, with a green tag with cracks of white at the bottom. There was even a couple eye cameras on the roof! Still makes me wonder, who if anyone, is behind those cameras? Burg.l? Tully? We'll figure that out eventually, I'm sure of it.

The inside though, was different in another way to the Oak lab. The floors and wall were caked in dirt, and the power was almost completely out. There was even condensation on the roof! Documents littered the floor, and in the center of the room was a shattered tank which I presumed was meant to contain Raw Science like back in the oak lab. There was even a storage crate in the corner, not to mention all the monitors on the wall.

We split up around the building, and had found many different things, well not that many. Me and Max found more granola bars, Willow found a random SCA.B on a table, but Ally? She didn't really find anything. We were about to leave as well when I had noticed something on the table where I had found the granola, it was another tape!

"Hey guys! There's another one of the Doctors logs!" I yelled.

"Well buddy, let's hear it!"

I grabbed the log, took the last log out and put it in my bag, and put the new one into my SCA.B.

"For so long I have felt taunted by the spiders of the yard. Climbing, crawling, skittering with the greatest of ease. Oh and how they delight in violating my workspace. I can't take a single step without getting stuck in their confounded Webbing! I'm wasting Daylight running, climbing... surviving. Traversing this broken lab... the entire yard for that matter, has become untenable. But perhaps my spider friends hold the key to my problems."

"Maybe those spiders were the reasons he made the zipline?" Willow asked.

"That might be a good reason to do so."

We exited the building, and took a right on the branch, all while trying to avoid the webs that were seemingly placed at random! But then we found the most peculiar thing, another zipline! There was also a couple orb shaped objects that looked like they were tied up with silk. Please don't tell they're what I think they are.

"Say, what's that?" Max asked.

"Those are spider egg sacs. I've had a couple nightmares about them releasing tons of baby spiders onto my kitchen floor."

"Spider eggs you say? Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Max I swear to God if you-"

"Spider Omlettes!!"

He slashed the thing open with his ant blade, removing the top of the sac with a wet noise happening as he did it. We all looked inside, but instead of eggs, we could only find slop, and a single baby spider."

"Where are the eggs?"

"I think you destroyed them Max." I said.

"Can we eat that spiderling?"

"No I don't think so. Might be poisonous."

"Lets find out."

Max reached his hand towards the spider, and it lurched back, hissing at him. He then brought his hand back.

"Gross! Damn thing is still alive!" Max was pointing at the thing, but Willow lowered his arm.

"Now now Max, let me handle this little guy."

She approached the egg sack, and held her hand out slowly to the spider. It looked like it was about to hiss again, but then started making clicking noises. You know how in that movie Predator, the alien communicated via clicks? Basically sounded like that, but higher pitched.

"Oh! I think it likes me!" I could see it start to skitter onto her arms, and she started to freak out, but then calmed down right quick. The damn thing sat on her shoulder, nuzzling her neck!

"How do we know that thing isn't going to bite into your throat like a vampire?" I asked.

"Do you see it biting my neck? I mean look at how this little guy is acting! Minus well be chirping like a duckling!"

"Yeah, seems to have imprinted on you like one."


"Guys! Can we keep it? If it has imprinted on me, I don't think it'll leave me alone!"

We all seemed to simultaneously agree to keep the spiderling. After all, keeping one of these things and raising it could have its uses. Not only security, but possibly helping with hunts? Maybe even use it as a mount if its big enough at fill size? We just need to come up with a name for it, but we don't have time for that right now. Might be easier when we get back to the Oak tree than when we're traversing this jungle.

One by one, we each hooked ourselves up to the zipline, and rode it across the gap, with Willow being the last to do so to stay with her new spider companion, and it skittered across the rope after her! It then jumped back onto her shoulder, and we continued forward... onto a flingman disk! There were sacs of eggs all around it, with a big silk tunnel nearby? There was a stick leading into it, seemingly acting like a bridge into that deathtrap.

"Yeah... don't go in there?"
"Don't go in there."
"Glad we agree on this."

We went across the disk, to find another zipline, that only led to another abandoned building! Going in there was better than we had expected it to be though, as we found actual proper food in that box! There was also another tape, and a photo but before I put it into the SCA.B, we looked at the photo. Max was the one that picked it up, and observed it intently for a moment before speaking.

"Huh. I gotta be honest, I thought he would look like Doc Brown." Max said, before showing the photo to the rest of us. It was a photo of who I presumed to be Tully with his family, posing infront of a miniature castle with a hamster in one of the towers. Tully had dark curly hair with specks of grey, and a beard. Honestly, he looked kinda like Trevor, except he was blond like me, and didn't have as much facial hair. Trevor did have facial hair, but it was more of a mustache than anything.

"They look so happy!" Ally said

"You think his family is still in the house?" Willow asked

"Maybe, though I'm pretty sure they would turn on the lights during the evening though." I replied.

Before I put in the tape though, I noticed that if had a label written in marker on it.

"Zip it." It said.

I then packed in the tape, and we listened to more of Tully's Ramblings.

"Today, Trudy asked, or rather, insisted I take a break from my work for a day. I'll admit, the Argument that preceded my reluctant agreement was one for the ages. She just doesn't understand how important this work is. But in the end all was not lost! As fate would have it, our little trip to Stormin' Beaches Wavepark has given me fresh inspiration! A particular attraction sported a zipline over an undulating pool filled with sunbaked tubers. Basking in the light of the cruel sun that baked them like red, red Raisins ugh. But I digress. It was the zipline that captured my imagination. Such an elegant solution to my problems in the hedge. When we got home, it was straight back to work ...after another argument of course."

"Dang, sounds like a rough marriage." Max said."

"You think they ever got divorced guys?"

"Sure sounds like they did. Husband dedicated purely to his work sounds like a nightmare."

Max put the photo in his bag, and we went through the exit on the left.

"Look! There's the lab!" Willow yelled, causing the spider to jump slightly.

We were now on level with the lab, which at last wasn't that far away. We went even further, Trudging through moss and climbing onto more fungi, climbing up a branch to find what should be... another Zipline!

We did the usual with these things, and zipped into the lab. And what should the first thing I see be? Another tape!

"Early test runs on the zipline system have produced mixed results. Prices on steel cable are ridiculous, so I have been forced to proceed with my original idea: spider thread. I'm using web samples from my unwanted guests... with a few clever alterations, of course. Things were going well until Sarah threw yet another toy into the hedge! I swear that the lost city of Atlantis might be found beneath the roots of this blasted bush! I told them both. No baseballs, no Flingman disks... no more throwing! I'll need to find a way to strengthen the ziplines. And I've forbidden the children from playing in the yard... temporarily, or course. Dinner will be... I would say, awkward, I suspect."

"Sounds like Tully had some anger issues." Ally said

"Sounds more like his kids misbehaved." Willow then replied.

I noticed a Biometric scanner next to a monitor, so I placed my hand on it for a few seconds. After it went green, nothing seemed to happen at first, but then I noticed the monitor was activated! Door system override, it said, and it seemed to require a password.

"Shit. guys, what's the best password you know?"

"1111? Too simple for anyone to guess that." Max said.

I typed that in, and to our surprise, it worked! I let out a laugh at how simple it was, but it kinda makes sense. Tully wouldn't have to deal with invaders other than spiders, and spiders can't type can they? Password actually did something too, it opened a door in the back of the room!

There was something else to the room though, something unique. Outside, leaning on the wall, was a torn up piece of paper with: "password" written on it.

Speaking of passwords, the computer needed another password, but we couldn't just bruteforce it. Believe me, we tried, it didn't work. Maybe there are more pieces of paper with the password written on them?

We ventured through the newly unlocked doorway, to find a door at the end of the hall, caked in spider silk.

"Well geez, that's gonna be an issue. How the hell are we gonna get through that?" Willow asked. Maxes face seemed to light up.

"Hang on guys, I've got an idea." He pulled out his blade, and began to slash at the webbing. Chunks of silk fell to the floor bit by bit as he swung, until a small pile of webbing was left and the door was picked clean. The room behind this door was also caked in webbing, with a younger spider snoozing away. An orb weaver, yellow one specifically, it was a juvenile too, yet not a spiderling. Willows spider seemed to be clinging to her shoulder, trying to stay away from the juvenile.

I put my finger to my lips, gesturing for the others to be silent, as I crept up behind the juvenile spider. When I got close enough to hear its hiss like snore, I raised my boot above the spiders abdomen. Just as it started to stir, I brought my foot down, crushing its abdomen and killing it instantly.

"Alright guys! All clear!" When I looked back at the others, I noticed another tape on the table. Not having time to listen to Tullys ramblings, I put the tape in my bag for when we get back to the oak tree. Not only was there that tape, we found the first part of the password! A piece of notebook paper with the number 58 written on it! I grabbed the paper, and brought it back to the monitor room, before we went further into the lab.

Afterwards, we went back into that room and went down the hallway on the right. The door at the end was caked in silk once again. Max did his thing and removed the organic blockade, but when we stepped in, we noticed the area looked different. The floor was covered in moss, like the branches outside, with not much webbing.
The lights were still on, albeit they were flickering, and there was something in there with us too. Tayz.t robots! They seemed to be trying to repair the place, but without success. It only took a moment for them to notice us, and we could see those baton arms beginning to spark as they came for us.

"Take up your arms!" I yelled, pulling out my dagger. One of the bots was eliminated by Ally, shooting an arrow through its visor, deactivated by force. I realized that I couldn't use my dagger, as I wasn't fast enough or could hit hard enough to pierce the robots armor, I grabbed my spear turned walking stick, to use as a club. I struck the bot on the side as it was charging its baton, sending it crashing into the wall. It wasn't finished yet, as it came at me, trying to grab my walking stick. It did so, but it didn't keep its grip for long, as I had kicked it away, sending it back into the wall, now tumbling onto the ground. Using this to my advantage, I used the same technique as I did with the spider, stomping on the main body of the robot. Sparks flew, and I had gotten my feet caught in some of the wires, but it was also deactivated.

"Is that all of them?" I asked.

"Yeah, seems like it." Ally replied.

We continued further, and needed to take a zipline down onto another compartment of the lab, and found another part of the password! Another piece of paper with "t19" written on it.

With no way out, we had to jump down a hole in the floor onto some fungi, to find another entrance into the lab! It was like a tunnel, wrapped around one of the branches of the hedge, with a bunch of spider egg sacs on the first floor we came upon. The left hall had seemed to be broken, as there was a compartment that had fallen to the forest floor by it, and the door on the right was locked, so we had to go further up. The further up we went, the more moss and silk coated the walls and floor, and another door coated with silk Max had to deal with.

At the tip was something we didn't expect, a supply room! Shelves were filled with building supplies, planks of grass, stems from weeds, sap to be used as glue, and bits of acorns. No proper supplies though, so we went down the zipline on the exposed part of the room before we did so though, we noticed an opened hatch on top of a building with a light blinking next to it. We all agreed to drop next to it, as it looked too suspicious to not be holding anything. Yet when I went to drop, I almost tumbled to the forest floor below, yet my leg was grabbed by Ally just before I slid off. When we jumped into the hatch, we had found a 3rd piece of the password!
"Y-" was written on it, and we had to tear it away from the branch that it was placed on, as it had been placed there with a hole. But since we can't bring it back, we had to role it up and place it in our bags. Did I not say that's what we did with the 2nd piece?

Another tape was there too, so I had put it in my bag for later. We had gone down another hall, literally as it had went down, to find another jammed door.

After we cleared the door, we realized we had gone in a circle, as we had come where we had first come from, so we placed the rest of the pieces at the monitor, and went in a direction we hadn't gone in yet. We were going to go down a zipline, but there had been a berry in the way, so Ally had taken care of it through her arrows. When we had gone down the zipline, we had found a 4th piece! "Ur" it had said, and I was the one who grabbed it.

"Lets hope that's the last one." I said, as I rolled up the paper.

We cleaned one last jammed door, and made our way back to the minor to type in the password. I typed it in correctly on the first try! We now had access to the power grid, and the door to our right was finally opened!

When we went in, we found two things on the table at the end. What Burg.l seems to be calling "a super chip" and one of Tullys tapes. The chip had a logo similar to Burg.ls mustache on it, and had golden plating on it! I had to admit, it was a sight to behold.

"A super chip! I wonder how we'll get Burg.ls memories off of this. I wonder if I have to blow on it? That usually solves the problem. That or flipping the console upside down. Oh! Or maybe there's some little extraneous plastic tabs I need to snip off."

"You done with your monolog Pete?" Willow asked.

"I wanna listen to that tape! If it was in here with the chip, it's bound to be important!"

"Alright alright hold on." I said, stuffing the tape into my SCA.B.

"It is likely that this will be my last log from the Hedge Lab. Regrettably, the spider infestation has only worsened. Last night, I had a close encounter with a giant Brood Mother that shook me to my core! Couple that with the strange radio signals I've been receiving... and I no longer think this facility is safe."

We could hear numbers on a phone being dialed, ringing, and soon the voice of Burg.l.

"B-burg.l here. Can I start you off with a Double-Charred Barbarian Bacon Burger? It's made the Roby's way."

"Burg.l, initiate evacuation protocols for the Hedge Lab. Make sure any remaining Biometric scanners and pass codes are encrypted in the mainframe."

"Is that really necessary sir?"

"Yes. Oh yes. Absolutely necessary. We're being watched." The log ended there.

"Maybe that skeleton was who was watching Tully?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." Max added. "There might be more."

"Why would they be watching him though? How the hell did they even become small?"

"Perhaps through the Spac.r in the yard!" Max replied.

We made it to the alternate entrance, as we didn't want to risk the fall, even with the petals as parachutes. The trip back though? I'd say it was a piece of cake, we didn't run into much trouble on the way back, but it was dark by the time we got back to the Oak lab.

"Yo robot dude! We're back from the hedge, and got one of the chips you need!"

Burg.l came rushing over.

"E-exellent! Which one of you has the chip? Hand it over and we can see what data Dr. Tully backed up on it."

I reached into my bag, grabbed the chip, and handed it to Burg.l, who proceeded to open up his head compartment, and put the chip in it.

"Processing... processing..." a ding could then be heard.

"This is the Hedge Super Chip! Forgive me, I forgot to mention the nasty s-spiders before I sent you up there. I hope they weren't too much trouble. Haha! Ah, I am feeling much more like myself. Take it from me, there is nothing quite like a reverse lobotomy. T-T-Thank you."

"Anytime Burg.l."

"I understand you know the location of the o-other Super Chips?"

"Pretty sure we do yeah."

"A-alright good. You should probably get some rest, you had a long day after all!"

The others went to relax, but I immediately proceeded to my cot. I don't know about the others, but I felt physically drained from all the activity. I fell asleep just as I hit the cot, but my dreams weren't... so pleasant.

I could see light. Light that was coming through my eyelids. My eyes felt heavy, but as I tried my best to open them, the first thing I saw was a logo. A logo that I have seen since I was little, one I could recognize anywhere:

Ominent
Practical Technologies

Hold on! Are the people at Ominent behind all of the disappearances? Oh my God... what're they gonna do to me?

I looked to my side, and noticed that I was held to a bench with some kind of electrical restraint. It was literally held there by some kind of chain made of electricity. Is this a kind of magnet? How is something like this even possible? I then looked down, to see another Ominent logo, but thays not all. My clothes were gone! Now I wasn't naked mind you, I was wearing something else. Some kind of white and light blue jumpsuit? It looks like I'm wearing a tube of toothpaste. You could also hear what had sounded like a heart monitor somewhere nearby.


"Please don't move, and look straight ahead." A voice said.

I looked ahead, and there was a ton of people behind a pane of glass. A bunch of scientists working on some kind of technology. One stood out though, a man in a suit. Had combed hair which I presume has gel in it. I think he had sunglasses too, though with how foggy the glass was, I couldn't tell.


"...Sir?" I asked weakly. My voice had been dry and hoarse, like I hadn't had a drop of water in hours.

"Who... are you?"

"That, is unimportant. What is important however, what is about to happen actually is."

"What.. d-do you want with me?"

"We don't really want you. We want to change the world."

"Why did you need to bring me here then? I was brought here by force!"

"Look above you. What do you see?"

Harsh fluorescent lights were beating down on me, but lit up 3 mechanical arms, with what looked like guns on the end of them.

"Are those... guns?"

"In a way yes. But those are what we plan to use to change the world. But their potential you could say is behind a locked door. You are the key to unlock that door."

"What're you going to do? Shoot me with them? How does a gun change the world?

"You shall see soon enough.... Mr. Boggs.
Sheldon. Activate the Spac.r"

I heard a click, and the bench I was on started to recline, and I faced the ceiling. The lights were hurting my eyes, but I couldn't do anything to get away from them!

"It's a go for molecular reduction. Spac.r is primed"

Spac.r?

The arms lowered, and the gun like appendages started to point at me. I started to struggle, trying to get free of my restraints. Whatever they're planning to do to me, it can't be good! The lights got even brighter, and the ends of the appendages lit up. Sparks were starting to fly out of them.

"Oh don't worry boy, I promise you won't feel a thing."

"where you are going, all your worries will seem so... small."

The appendages activated, shooting arcs of pink and blue energy down at me. Sparks were raining down, some landing and burning on my face, but I didn't care about those at the moment due to the energy. I was trying pull out of my restraints even more this time, but with no use. I was just squirming while this energy did God knows what to me. Though suddenly, everything had started to look bigger. Much bigger, and it was getting worse. It looks like everything is growing, am I shrinking? I can't tell!

The energy stopped blasting me, and it felt like I was falling to the ground, though I shouldn't be since I was on a bench right?
I made impact, but when I took in my surroundings, I was astonished yet terrified at the same time. Everything looked a thousand times bigger now? Even the scientists in the other room!
Wait. does that mean, I was shrunk, or was everything made bigger?


"Molecular Reduction is a success!"

I had woken up screaming, with the others being rushing in with their weapons, only to see me on my cot.

Arcs end.
__________________
 
An ominous silence

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
It was afternoon on a cold November Sunday in New York. Priests were preaching to their flocks, Catholic or Protestant. Families were watching the latest game in the NFL. Some folks were getting ready for Thanksgiving, either buying a turkey from the local Mouth-Town supermarkets, or prepping a turkey for their families to eat. Some even a Turkducken, for an extremely large gathering. Hell, some people were already getting Christmas decorations up early. But not so many people were having a decent time, they'd probably do anything other than the situation they were forced into. Nevermind that, the news channel is going to play an important broadcast. Shall we tune in?

"Good evening New York. Today is November 23, 1998. This is your news. Now I'm sure that you have all heard about the Teenagers that have gone missing a few months ago. If you have been invested in this case, you'll be in for a treat. the police has gathered more information on how the disappearances had happened. Peter Boggs went Missing on his way home from school on F riday, October 13th. Maxwell Smalls was taken from his home in the middle of the night on October 16th. Willow Branch was taken on her way to visit a friend on October 15th. Ally Nguyen was snatched while walking home on October 18th. Trevor Boggs had disappeared nearby the headquarters of Ominent Practical Technologies. These disappearances all seemed to be linked, other than the fact that these... children went to the same school, was that what little witnesses there were to any of these kidnappings say that whoever took these teenagers said that there was a logo in the shape of a red diamond. The logo of Ominent Practical Technologies is a red diamond. There was also rumors that Ominent had been behind the kidnappings from a source who claims to want to remain anonymous. Using this information, the authorities have started an investigation of Ominent, though they say that they have no leads. Could it be Ominent? Personally, I don't think so. Their reputation isn't that good in the first place, surley they would want to keep whatever good reputation they have left? Now onto other news... John Cena has been chosen to play the Barbarian Yoked Girth in the New live action Yoked Girth..."

A new live action Yoked Girth movie? If the Cartoon and books have anything to say about it, this movie seems like it is going to be great! Nevermind the movie though, we can talk about that later. You know how the news reporter mentioned Ominent HQ? Well something is going on there as we speak. Someone watching that same exact broadcast. Someone that we all know, and hate very much. Can you guess who it is?

Director Dalton Schmector, thr most unpopular employee of Ominent in the companies history. A coffee was being enjoyed by the man in the employee break room, watching the evening news. Something that the news reporter had said had made the bastard named Schmector spit out his coffee.

"rumors that Ominent had been behind the kidnappings from a source who claims to want to remain anonymous."

Rumors about the teenagers going missing being linked to Ominent? That is unacceptable in the eyes of the Director. All of their work, being reduced to nothing. The Spac.r Project, Project O.R.C, reduced to cinders if justice were to come to all those who worked on the Spac.r project. What had been done to make, as Dalton would call it, "the lucrative applications" possible to go through with. Rasining was a problem when organic subjects would be put under the affects of the Spac.r, but Dalton seemed to have a solution for it. The young had incredible immune systems, and during all the growth that happens during their lives, could they perhaps be immune?

Ominent had gone through on testing this hypothesis but it wasn't pretty. All of these missing teenagers, all for what? You could say it was a necessary evil, but I'm sure we all would see it differently. As the Director would say: "The Hypothesis was developed. The experiments were conducted. The results have been analyzed. The conclusion... concluded. All that remains is to take out the trash." That trash was moments from being taken out to the dumpster you could say. It was being counted on for that trash to be disposed of properly, or else the consequences would be dire for everyone involved. But what would you know? It wasn't taken out properly, but Ominent had managed to capture someone involved in this plot.

From hearing that rumors on the news, Dalton had it figured out what had happened. There could be more people involved in this plot, and there is an actual reason now. You see, a man named Trevor Boggs had "disappeared" near Ominent HQ. That is important in this case. One of the test subjects was his little brother, Peter. Trevor was willing to whatever it took to find his missing younger brother, and had succeeded, though he found his brother had looked different. He had worked with a woman to save his brother and his fellows, but in the end, he couldn't save himself. Schmector had made sure of it that he had received "what he deserved." But in the end, it was too late. A plan made from folks on the outside that if he were to fail, to prepare for an attack to tie up loose ends. That is not all that the Boggs had done. Now that both Pete and Trevor were gone, it was clear what had to be done. A man with an itchy trigger finger attempted to spread the truth of Ominents deeds. Since Trevor was gone, it was proven that Ominent was up to something.

Boggs has little success with his "truth" only becoming something one could call a conspiracy theory. Schmector had it figured that it was them, or at least one of them causing these rumors. There was a chance it was the woman. They would handle both the Boggs and her, loose ends that must be silenced. Terminated, like all the little lab rats Ominent got rid of before. Schmector knew what had to be done, and he didn't hesitate in doing it.

He arrived at the office where the head of security resided, A man Reid. Reid was an older man, a veteran of the war in Vietnam, with salt and pepper hair. He had kept his dogtags from the war twenty three years earlier. He didn't like to talk much about his experiences in the war, but let's just say that the man had seen some things in his time. Schmector had given him an order, and order he could not refuse. Go the Boggs Residence, and eliminate those who would bring a stop to his plans. They had known too much, and had to be silenced. Didn't matter who was there, they had to be eliminated. Man, woman, or child. Didn't matter how they did it, loud or quiet, but to make sure it wasn't clear who they were. Ominent employees had been seen wearing the Ominent logo on their clothing, so they would have to go in civilian clothing.

You see, Reid didn't want to do this, but what choice did he have? He knew what happens if you angered or disappointed the Director. But reluctantly, and with faint hope something would be done, he gathered his men. Gathered his men and got them read my to commit a tragedy. His men though, they had all done that before, and were desensitized to it. You'd think Reid would be, but these were innocent people we're talking about. Cold blooded murder, not enemy soldiers like in the war. But soon they were ready, and with hesitation, Reid and his men set out into the now golden city due to the setting sun, towards the Boggs Residence.

At the Boggs Residence however, things were going as they normally would. Well as normally as it could be when two of your children go missing and presumably murdered by a shady super company from a motivation of greed? I'm not sure if you could go back to any semblance of normal after that, not for a while at least. Sarah Boggs, the mother of the boys, had continued in her drink. She had seemingly gotten even worse with it after Trevor went missing, so it might not be best to talk about it.

While Robert, had continued on his paperwork for his missing kids, but after Trevor had traveled to Ominent HQ, he had been trying to keep high spirits. Hope that one day in the near future, his boys would return home unscathed and safe. Though considering what had been done to the two, they were technically unscathed, though you could say that they weren't either. He tried to get the truth of what Ominent was doing. They had kidnapped his son, and he tried to get word of these kidnappings out. Only rumors were made from him spreading the truth, yet it didn't matter. It didn't matter if people didn't believe him, he would make sure his only remaining son wouldn't be taken by those bastards. The boy would be safe, even if Robert were to sacrifice his life. Would he? Who knows, only fate would tell, and you know what many popular Mythologies say?

You can't avoid fate. If you try to evade fate, it will only cause you to possibly meet your fate even sooner.

Robert had been watching the NFL when Schmector had sent his men to eliminate his family. Meanwhile, Little Liam had just been playing on the front porch with a plastic train. He had noticed a black van with no windows except for the ones in the front pull up to his home, and three men jumping out and approaching him.

"Hi!"

"Hey little guy. Where's your mother and father?"

"Oh, my papa? He's inside, watching his game!"

"Oh? Can we see him? We have something we need to tell him."

"My papa tells me to not let strangers in."

"Oh. Well don't worry little one! We're friends of your father, he'll understand!" He passed Liam by, and pounded on the door.

Robert Meanwhile, had heard the commotion going on outside, and the Ominent folks pulling up to his home. He had realized who these people we're, and their intentions. Why? What he had done in the past few days, and their arrival couldn't be a coincidence. He did one last attempt of getting the truth out, and it was actually addressed on the news! That has To be why they're here. They knew he was onto them. After Trevor went missing, it was only a matter of time they came for his family directly. He grabbed his shotgun, and placed it on the couch for the time being to answer the door.

"Hullo?"

"Yes my Goodman, we are but a group of Jehovahs witnesses, here to spread the good word. May we come in?"

"Does the Pope shit in the woods?"

"No, obviously."

"Exactly."

"Now I insist! We have things for you and your son!"

He proceeded to grab his shotgun.

"Liam... get inside, it's getting late anyway."

Robert psused for a moment.

"Yes, I know what you did to my other sons"

"What?"

"You better start explaining why you are here and where they are. If you really are a missionary, then get the fuck off my property."


"Now Boggs..." one of the men said.

"No need for things to get drastic now... or perhaps, there is?" The man said, pulling out a pistol, pointing it at Robert. Robert reached for his shotgun, and pointed back at them in response.

"Don't you see I have a bigger gun? Now back off! Is that even lo-" a deafening gunshot could heard. Robert had fell to the ground, as he had taken a bullet in the shoulder. He had fired his shotgun in response, killing one of the Ominent employees instantly with a shot to the heart. Yet he didn't get to shoot again, as one of the other employees had taken out a gun of his own, taking Robert out instantly.

"Alright! One down, two more to go!" One of the employees said, placing his pistol in the holster and taking the old shotgun, contaminating it with the taint of Ominent.

Sarah had come down to see what the noise was all about.

"Honey? Is everything al-" she went silent upon seeing the now dead Robert. "Bobby!?" She yelled, now shaking his shoulders.

"Wake up! Please!!"

She then looked up at the Ominent employees, one of them now aiming the shotgun at her.

"Who-" she didn't get time to finish, as she had to jump away from where the weapons buckshot would land. She would sprint away as the employee was cocking the shotgun again, and she made her way into Liam's room. She slammed the door behind her, locked it, and shoved a dresser in front of it.

"Mama? What's going on!? Why'd you do that?"

"Bad men are here Liam. We can't stay here."

"What do they want? Why can't we stay here?"

Another gunshot was heard, making a hole in the door. They tried sticking an arm through the door, but couldn't due to the barricade.

"They're coming through!"

"What're we going to do!?" Liam asked.

"You're getting out of here."

"What?"

"I'm not letting my last son go missing or die. I'm getting you out of here."

"How though? The door is blocked!"

She looked to the window, as another blast from the shotgun could be heard.

"You'll go through here, I'll hold them off as long as I can." Sarah said, opening the window. She picked Liam up, and set him on the window Sill, so he could crawl through, and he did so.

"Get away from here!" Was the last thing Sarah would say to her youngest son, as she went to block the door even more with her own body. Wasn't a good idea, as she had been shot from the next blast.nshw had died instantly thanks to it being in a vital area. Her sacrifice wouldn't be in vain, or would it? Liam had been running as fast as he could away from the only home he knew. He would go onto meet someone important. Important in the future of Ominent. Would she and Liam impact Ominent positively or negatively? Only time would tell.

Speaking of Ominent, these men would report back to Reid, and he would proceed to report to Schmector. Lets just say... he wasn't happy.

"We are one of the richest companies at the forefront of modern technology...and we can't...catch...a damn...CHILD?!?"

Chapters end.
_______________________
 
The angel and the raven

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
Amelia
__________________________________________

The room was quiet, with the only noise filling the room being that of my Javamatic brewing my coffee, and the sounds of cars outside. I hadn't had motivation to do much after fleeing from Ominent, because what could I do? They would probably find me if I tried to leave New York. Someine moving out of New York could be suspicious to them. Basically it would say:

"Hey! Someone is trying to get away from your blood covered clutches!" Though I'm afraid I have blood on my hands as well. Those countless "trials" I ordered... who was going to be tested on? Well it certainly wasn't volunteers giving up their lives! All these teenagers have been going missing and I believe I am partially to blame. I have been trying to live up to what I've done, though there's not much I've been able to do. I helped the last batch of "lab-rats" though there was someone I couldn't save.


Trevor... I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have just left you to die like that. I hope Dalton is treating you better than all those... children. But let's admit, Dalton probably murdered him like all the others.


Yet my work isn't done. Far from it. I may have rescued Those children from the bloody hands of Ominent, yet they'd still need to survive in the backyard of the Tully Residence. That's where I come in, I'm not able to help them directly. But I can help from a distance with problems with food. I bought a pack of Donuts from Krispy Kreme, but not for myself. I'm going to toss them in the backyard, and hope Sunnny... er, Peter.


I got my coat on, and grabbed the box of Donuts, and started my drive towards the Tully Residence. It's not that far surprisingly, seemingly alot of the Ominent employees, former or otherwise, live in the same area. When I got there, the sun had fully gone down, and all the houses were lit up from the inside, other than the Tullys. Didn't Tully's wife divorce him and take the kids or something? That's the story I've heard at least. I walked around the house to the northern brick wall of Wendells yard, when I saw something peculiar. A small orange glow, multiple in fact, surrounding the oak tree, with smoke coming from its base!

That means those four are alive and well, as I didn't see any smoke when I first brought them here, so I was clear to go through with my plan.

I opened up one of the Donut boxes, hoping this wasn't a waste of money, and grabbed a donut.

"A gift for the little ones." I said, throwing it into the yard. The first one didn't go that far, as it landed close to the fence, near a toy castle I presumed one of Tullys children had set up. One of them landed near an old rotten stump, and the rest of them had landed in the overgrown areas of the yard. I had run out of donuts, so I knew my job was finished at the moment, so I went to toss the boxes.

Yet when I put the lid back on the trash, something felt off. Like I was being watched from somewhere. Not the teens mind you, they were still around that tiny fire they made. It couldn't be them, and whatever this thing was didn't feel human. That stare felt cold and without emotion.

Soon I could hear skittering in the shadows, and an Ominent Robot came out. One that I hadn't seen before, as it was on four stubby legs.

"What the hell?"

Then it leaped. It had leaped towards my face, with small blades that I had just noticed on its feet.

I knocked it out of the air, and stomped it into scrap metal without much effort. But I sighed, as something here was quite clear. Ominent was coming after me.

*sigh* "shit. Seems I've got a bigger problem on my hands now, Ominent is after me. What next? They gonna try and send people to kill me?"

I'm probably going to need to buy a gun, aren't I? If that robot says anything, I definitely need too. Who or what else are they going to send? More robots? People? I can't be too prepared when it comes to this. Aren't they expensive though? Pretty sure the cheapest 1911 pistol is at least 500 dollars. Besides, I've had no way of making money ever since I left Ominent, and I can't get a new job since Ominent might track me down.


Oh well, I minus well head back home, to figure out what I would do. It was completely dark now, with the only light being from that in the houses and streetlights, no moonlight. Yet when I was almost home, I heard... running? It wasn't that of a man or woman, as it sounded like it had much less weight behind it. Not one of the teens, as they probably don't even weigh a gram, and they're too small for me to hear any sound coming from them. I looked behind me, and it was... a child?

A young boy, less than 10, with hair of that of a raven. He had tears running down his face, and he looked exhausted.

"Hey little guy." I said, crouching down.

"Where's your mom and dad?"

He was exhausted, so he couldn't really speak properly.

"Bad men... came to my house... momma had me jump out my rooms window."

Bad men? Could he mean the mob? No no, it couldn't be them. Everything that's been going on in the past few weeks was done by Ominent, not any crime family.

"Whats your name?"

"Liam... Liam Boggs."

I had gone completely silent upon hearing who this child was.

"We need to go."

"What?"

"Those bad men are after me too. We need to get somewhere safe."

"Mama said that I shouldn't go with strangers."

"We're both in danger! We need to hide!"

"Why?"

"We'll die if we don't hide!"

We both went into my home, and I locked the door behind us.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. Those people that came to your house, they wanted to hurt me. They wanted to hurt me too, they sent something after me to hurt me. I didn't let it, I won't let them hurt you."

"What're we gonna do then?"

"We need to get to the police. I know why those bad men were after you. You had two older brothers, right?"

"Yes? How'd you know?" Liam asked, cocking his head.

"Iets just say I've worked with them before. Those badmen took them, that's why I brought you here. They'll want to tie up loose ends." I said, digging around a dresser drawer.

"Loose ends?"

"Nevermind that, you'll understand its meaning when you're older."

I pulled out a map of the local area, with all the important buildings labeled.

"This is where we are." I said, pointing to the suburbs. Liam was watching attentively.


I pointed to the closest police station.

"This is where we need to go. For eachothers safety."

"What happens then?"

"Those bad men you were talking about will get what they deserve."


"Are we gonna go now?"

"Heavens no my boy! Its too dark out, if those bad men are after us, they could catch us with ease!"

Liam looked over at my couch.

"Since we'll have to wait, can I sleep on your couch tonight?"

"I don't see why you couldn't."

Suddenly we could hear pounding on the door.

"Shit. That was sooner than I thought."

"Language!"

"Calm down kid, let me check who it is."


I looked through the peephole, expecting a group of people in Ominent uniforms, yet I was met by a gray eye staring right back at me.


"She's in here!!" A man yelled. The man began pounding on the door, trying to break it down.

I mouthed "get up stairs." So that these Ominent bastards couldn't hear me speak.

Liam ran upstairs, and I could hear a door slam and lock behind him.

"We know you're in there Amelia! Come out with your hands on your head!!"

"Fuck you Ominent!"

"Oh, really now!?"

I pushed something infront of the door, and then went to grab a knife from the kitchen.

The door had been broken down by the time I had gotten back, and there was this big brute of a man standing there. He had a battering ram.

"There you are!!" He had grabbed me before I had the chance to use the knife.

"Did you really think you could escape from Ominent forever? Nyet. You could never escape us. We have eyes everywhere."


He pulled out a syringe, and injected me with it while I was squirming to get free.

Yet as everything went black, I could hear this man say one last thing.

"Schmector has plans for you..."

Chapters end.
___________________
 
Punishment

Diamondseed345

Pokémon Trainer
Pronouns
He/him
The room was quiet, except for the ambient beeps and whistles of machinery. The room felt as if it was spinning, so I must have still had some of the drug, whatever it is, flowing through my bloodstream. But whatever it may be its making my head feel like it's on fire. I had tried to get up from where I was sitting, yet I couldn't, as I noticed that I was tied down to a chair with belts. Where have I been brought? Back to Ominent HQ? An old warehouse? I can't tell really, I didn't see the entire facility, and considering how dark this place is, you can't tell what this place is. Though considering all the beeps and whistles, I think I might be somewhere at Ominent HQ.

I could then hear a door opening, and footsteps. Footsteps that had sounded all too familiar.

"Well, well, well... its been a while, hasn't it Amelia?"

It was Dalton. Ominents monster in Human skin.

"You've been a thorn in our... no, my side for too long."

I stayed silent, not wanting to say anything to that murderer.

"What, did you miss me?? You sure know I didn't miss you."

More silence from me.

"You've committed too many crimes against Ominent, you know that? Enough for you to be executed."

"Stealing Ominent property, destruction of Ominent property, resisting arrest, then starting a conspiracy against us? What were you thinking?"

I spat in his face, disgusted by what he said.


"Property? Property!? They were human beings! Children!!"


"They may have been people, but do you realize what else they were? Our lab-rats! Their sacrifice would have brought great benefit to all of humanity as a whole!"

"You kidnapped them!! Do you remember basically toying with one of them??"

"You mean Boggs? Him and his family had been a thorn in my side too! Perhaps as much as you. They played a part in that conspiracy formed against us. We had to take care of them."

"So its true... you sent your men to murder an innocent family!"

"Don't you see what we had to do?? To procure a better future for humanity, sacrifices have to be made!! And don't you think you didn't have a hand in it!"

"You forced me to do it!"

"Yet you still gave the orders for those children to be abducted! What does that make you??"

"No better than you Dalton... but at least I'm trying to redeem myself! And what about you? You have not a bit of remorse in your heart!!",

"I have no remorse in my heart, because I've set aside my compassion long ago! I've steeled myself for what had to be done. My forefathers have done the same. Oppenheimer with the Atomic bomb, Arthur Galston with Agent Orange, Alfred Nobel with Dynamite. I am just like those who have come before! Besides, you know why we learned humans are 72% water?"

"You aren't like them because you didn't even invent the Spac.r! Tully was the one that invented it!! If anyone, you're like Edison! Edison if he had much more blood on his hands!"

Schmector had punched me right in the face after I said that.


"Don't you compare me to Edison! I should have you executed just for comparing me to him! You were already supposed to die by the hands of my men, yet that damned brute Aleksei didn't follow my orders and just brought you and that Boggs child here."

"Wait... Liam is here too?"

"Thats his name? Liam?"

"What're your plans for him... for us??"

"I would rather not explain... its a surprise. I believe You'll love it."

I then remembered that Trevor had been left behind when I took his brother and the other 3.

"What did you do to Trevor?? He's still here, I'm sure of it. What are you doing with him?? Where is he??"

"Oh, are you talking about your accomplice?''

"Mhmm."

"Oh he's still here. Maybe looks a bit different than you'd expect but he's still here."

"Don't act like I'm stupid Dalton. I know what the Spac.r is."

"Oh I know you do Amelia. But do you know what we did with him after the Spac.r was used on him?"

"No..."

"Yes... you were in such a hurry to steal our... no my lab-rats, you forgot to save the one who allowed you to go through with your little plan. Don't worry, we've given him the special treatment."

"What might that be Dalton? What do you consider the special treatment?"

"Why don't we show you? You'll love it."

"I highly doubt it."

Schmector had called in a bunch of men, which untied my legs, yet not my arms. I'd be able to walk, but only where the Ominent employees wanted me to go. I couldn't fight back, my hands were tied, besides where could I go? I couldn't open the doors of the exit, only do what was wanted of me.


We traveled to an even lower level of the facility, where it seemed people of what my level once was would be forbidden to go. The light level was low on this floor, making it seem more intimidating than it possibly was.

We came to a door, and Schmector opened the door with a key card, the highest level that I had seen, and the door opened.


"Oh Boggs, you're in luck. Someone is here to see you..."

All that was heard was a groan. I shouldn't be able to hear him, last time I saw him he was less than an inch tall. Did they find a proper formula for Covalent Space Expansion? No no, we weren't close at all. It would take who knows how long we would take to create it? There's no way they just cooked it up in a few weeks.

"I feel like it's time I show you my pet project Amelia."

Dalton turned to one of his men.


"Pull the curtains Sheldon."

"Right on it Director!"

Sheldon pulled a rope next to a crimson red curtain, and it began to rise. What was behind those curtains, looked like a mix of a garage and lab?

Yet in the center of it all was a fallen reclined table facing us, with a humanoid figure strapped to it with those same electric cuffs used to secure those... children to the table under the Spac.r.

The figure looked as if it was made of mostly metal, with not much organics remaining. Mostly on its arms and some parts of its legs. Its head seemed mostly of human origin, as it still had skin and hair. Yet it looked like it was wearing some kind of gas mask, with a large respirator where its mouth would be, with tubes coming from its back onto it. Hell there were tubes on its torso too, with the tubes being connected to a chest plate with an Ominent logo in the center.

Wait, this thing has blond hair, and grey eyes? Like someone I know... WAIT!

"Oh my God... is that who I think it is??"

"Yes... thats your little partner in crime. You like what I did with him?"

"What the hell did you do to him!??"

"Oh... we simply rebuilt him. After your little heist, we put him through Covalent Space expansion, even without the formula. I'm sure you know what happens next, but not after that... he lived, though barely. I saw that he was barely alive, and what choice did I have? We rebuilt him. Stronger. Smarter. Faster. Also we added a little bit of flavor, with his obsession with the Warhammer series, we made him look like one of those... Technophile cultists that literally worship a machine God. Fitting is it not?"

"Why though... why did you do this??"

"Why shouldn't I? After what he did he deserves a punishment. Besides, the military wants new weapons... why else would they be funding Project O.R.C?"

"You're a sick man Dalton! You're a disgrace to Science!"

"I'm afraid you're completely wrong there Amelia. If anyone, you're a disgrace for obstructing our progress. Obstructing progress to the future, which I am the Architect of."

We were all silent for a moment.

"Sheldon. Take her to the cell for all those that have failed and betrayed us."

"Yes sir!"

I was brought back to the same level with the Spac.r, yet it was another area I hadn't seen. I was released from my restraints, and tossed into a room that had a bunch of other people.

I went to run, but I could hear the door lock behind me, so I was forced to stay in this room, which housed someone familiar.

"Glenn?? What're you doing here??"

"I was brought in here thanks to you..."

"What??"

"The Director thought I was another one of your accomplices, due to the fact we were working in the same room."


"Thats why you're in here?? On a false assumption!?"

"Yes... a false assumption you caused."

"I was saving those teenagers! The Director was to have them murdered! My conscience wouldn't let me see it through!"

"I feel like we're all here for similar things..." A man's voice said.

I looked to where the voice came from, and it was one of the people here with a high position. Reid, the head of security.

"Reid? What in God's name are you doing in here?"

"What do you think I'm here for? Same as us all. To get in here you either have to betray or fail the Director. I for one, failed him and was thrown in here. The same with the Russian there."

"Russian?"

Reid pointed to who he was talking about, and it was a man I had seen before. The same man that took me from my home, except now I could get a much better look at him.

Big brute of a man as I remembered, but there were some things I didn't notice. He had a hell of a beard, which was a mix of brown and grey. Marks dotted his arms, and a tattoo on his shoulder with something in the Russian language written below.

"What're you looking at zhenshchina?"

"Best not to bother Aleksei, he's not in the best of moods." Reid said.

"And what might that be?"

"Schmector said that he failed him, so he was thrown in here. But if we're all in here, I think he plans to do the same thing to all of us."

''What'd you mean?"

"You remember the last group of people to defy the Director?"

"No. What happened?"

"They were forced to be on the field team. Made to spy on the inventor of the greatest machine created by mankind. The Spac.r. Ominent could create what was needed for the Spac.r project to be completed. The recipe for a proper embiggening cocktail. With that, the Spac.r can be revealed to the rest of humanity, used by the governments of the world."

"So we'll be forced to survive against insects, just to get some information?"

"Sure seems like it."

"Well." I said.

"This gives me an idea for what's to happen to us. What we can do.

Suddenly, the door opened back up.

"It is time for you lot to join the others that failed Ominent." The man said.

"Whatevers to happen to us, I accept it." I said.

What is this, my punishment? My punishment for what I've done to those children? All those innocent children I ordered to be put under the Spac.r? This must be. What else could it be? The will of God? Fate? It can't be known, but I know I deserve whatever happens.

We were all put in restraints once again, and brought to the room where this had all started. The Spac.r theater. Everyone I knew was there, including the Director.

"How does it feel Amelia? You're about to experience what you put all of our... lab rats under. You caused this to happen, you realize that? You caused all of those de-" I spat in Daltons face.

"We all know who started this story Schmector. I am just a cog in the machine of it."

He wiped it off his face.

"Give them the injections, then activate the Spac.r."

We were all given what seemed like a Vaccine, a syringe with what looked like a blue fluid inside it, and one by one, put through molecular reduction.

I was the last one to go under it, and the last thing I saw was... the sickly smile of the Director, before being engulfed. By energy.

Am I really the one who caused this?

Arcs end.
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