Vending Machine Lunch (15 page)

Johnston
internally chucked as he coughed. Thank goodness his side of the
facility was running fine.

"Uh... yeah, Sierra Bravo Jaiden here. I believe it may be
due to the lack of lubrication on the unit. Things are drying up
pretty fast here. I don't think the engineers put enough lubricant
on the units."

There was a
pause, as everyone thought their own thoughts in their own brains
in their own positions.

"Sierra Echo Jemma to all Sierra Bravo staff and Sierra
Alpha Jacob. We have put plenty of lubricant on all the equipment
requiring it. I refuse to let myself and my team get scapegoated
again. Every maintenance job was completed today and- and were
double checked. Might I ask which optical amplification unit you
are having trouble with? Over."

"Never mind that Jemma,"
Johnston could tell Jacob was getting annoyed, he
was disregarding any sort of formal radio speak and his voice was
in a fast and irritated manner. He just seemed desperate to get to
the target for the trial as soon as possible,
"Sierra Bravo Jaiden, is it
possible it continue? Over."

"I confirm that it is. It's just going to take a little
while longer over."

"Do we have an E.T.A on that?"
the irritable voice just got a bit more
irritable.

"Half. One at most. Over."

"Sustain
sequence. Jacob out."

There was
another pause, as everyone waited for Josh's side to reach sixty
percent resonance. It didn't take long, as Jaiden had
estimated.

"Sierra Bravo Josh to Sierra Alpha Jacob, the Bravo unit is
now at sixty over."

"Understood Sierra Bravo Josh. Sierra Alpha Jacob to all
interior staff. We shall now increase the resonance level to one
hundred and ten. Over and out."

"Sierra Charlie
Johnston to Sierra Alpha Jacob. Are you sure that is wise
considering the situation in Josh's unit?" said Johnston into his
com-link ear piece, not quite understanding why Jacob was wanting
to continue so eagerly, "Should we not resume stasis mode and
resume the trial when the equipment has been correctly serviced?
Over."

"I assume by Josh's unit you mean the Bravo unit. Negative
Johnston. Over and out,"
was the answer.

"Sierra Bravo Josh to Sierra Alpha Jacob, looking at our
equipment readings I don't feel that it is-"

"I don't care. Everyone sustain the sequence to one hundred
percent."

There was an
oppressive pause. Johnston saw his staff begin to work. He had no
idea whether Josh's staff were following suit.

"Sierra Bravo Jeb to Sierra Bravo Josh and Sierra Alpha
Jacob. I personally do not recommend sustaining the
sequence-"

"Listen! Listen to me! If we sustain the sequence, will we
have a meltdown? Huh? Tell me Jeb."

"Sierra Bravo
Jeb to Sierra Alpha Jacob. That is unlikely, however we could-"

"Exactly.
Thank you. We shall be sustaining sequence. Over and out."

Johnston paused
and then spoke, "Sierra Charlie Johnston to Sierra Charlie and
Bravo staff members. Disregard any previous orders and keep
resonance at sixty percent. I repeat, disregard previous orders and
sustain the sixty percent resonance. Over."

"Sierra Alpha Jacob to Sierra Charlie Johnston. You are
disobeying a direct order. I suggest you take that command back
over."

"Negative
Sierra Alpha Jacob. You are not above me and neither am I below
you. We are both regulators and I don't deem it suitable to
continue. The chance of a meltdown is very unlikely, but it could
result in some serious damage to the equipment resulting in money
we don't have being spent on repairs. We need to take care of our
equipment. The trial can continue at sixty percent over and out,"
said Johnston through the com-link, not really feeling anything in
regards to Jacob.

"Sierra Charlie Johnston, might I remind you that this
order not only comes from me, but this land's highest authority.
Since continuing with the planned trial will not cause any imminent
danger to anyone, I suggest we continue."

"Negative,"
said Johnston again, "Unless our land's highest priority fancies
pumping more money into this facility thanks to something that
could easily be avoided, which I doubt very much, I suggest you
tell him to go and suck it. We take this trial at sixty percent
resonance, which is higher than our last trial. We commence one
hundred and twenty in the next trial. We will still be advancing
faster than the original trial schedule like our leader wishes,
without pointlessly breaking equipment. Over and out."

"Sierra Charlie Johnston, I'm declaring you unfit to work.
After this trial you will commence paid leave. Sustain sequence for
one hundred and sixty percent. Over and out."

"Sierra Charlie
Johnston to all interior staff, disregard last order and sustain
sequence at sixty percent," said Johnston furiously, "Sierra Alpha
Jacob, I'm declaring you unfit to work. After this trial you will
commence paid leave. See, Jacob? I have perfect authority to do it
as well."

"Since you have just been declared unfit to work, your
orders are nullified. Sierra Alpha Jacob to all interior staff,
disregard any orders from Regulator Johnston. Sustain sequence at
one hundred and ten percent. Over and out."

"Sierra Bravo Josh to Sierra Alpha Jacob. Negative, we
shall be sustaining sequence at sixty percent over. Sierra Bravo
Josh to all Sierra Bravo staff members, disregard Sierra Alpha
Jacob's orders and sustain sequence at sixty percent
over."

"Sierra Alpha
Jacob to Sierra Bravo Josh, you have no authority for such an
order. To all Sierra Bravo staff members, you are to disregard any
order from Maintainer Josh. Sierra Bravo Josh, I'm declaring you
unfit to work. After this trial you will commence paid leave."

"What!?"

"Sierra Charlie
Johnston to Sierra Alpha Jacob," said an annoyed Johnston, "What
you gonna do? Declare every staff member unfit to work? Because
no-one is listening to you. No-one cares about what you have to
say. Now we can either do the trial on how it was meant to be run
before the stupid reschedule, and reduce the risk of damaging
equipment and still get some trial results. Or we can do what
you're wanting to do, but it is entirely on your head be it. No-one
else but you, Jacob, will be held responsible for anything that
occurs. Agreed?"

"Agreed,"
Jacob's voiced sounded sullen and partially
upset.

Johnston
breathed deeply. Whatever happened now, it wasn't his fault.

"Sierra Charlie
Johnston to all interior staff. We shall be sustaining the
resonance sequence to one hundred and ten percent. Let's hope for
Jacob's sake that nothing goes massively wrong. Personally, I'm
disgusted by such folly. Over and out."

Everyone
Johnston could see got to work. The argument was now over, but he
still had to let Jacob win. He was annoyed at his own weakness,
however, still the fact remained that if something went wrong, it
would be entirely on Jacob's head now.

He watched the
figures slowly rise on his CRT screens. They were getting higher
than he'd ever seen them before, it just didn't feel right doing
such a courageous trial. It left an uneasy taste in his throat.
Johnston coughed. He wanted some tobacco, however, it was not
permitted in the interior of the facility.

Slowly,
something shuddered, making a metal creaking sound. Johnston looked
around him. It was the entire facility shuddering.

Josh had
heard it too.
"Sierra Bravo Josh to all interior staff, did you just hear
that? Over."

"Sierra Charlie
Johnston to Sierra Bravo Josh, I did over."

“Sierra Alpha Jacob to all interior staff, I’m certain that
was just the metal expanding as it cools over.”

Nobody argued
back. Johnston tried to think back to when it had happened before.
After several minutes he come to the conclusion it hadn’t. Why
would metal be cooling in the first place? Perhaps due to the misty
rain outside? The coolness of the night? Johnston had no idea. The
uneasy taste he had, hit his stomach as the facility creaked
again.

He checked the
statistics and data on his CRT screens. Everything looked fine,
well within acceptable levels for the increasing resonance. He
trusted Josh felt the same.

Coughing,
Johnston blamed his nerves on tobacco addiction. He himself had
noticed a rise in his consumption, well above the government’s
advisory intake. Not that he cared less what the government said.
He wondered if anyone did.

Another creak
shuddered its way through the facility, actually causing a
significant tremor that time. Johnston looked around nervously,
waiting for someone to say something over the com-link. No-one did.
The resonance level was now displayed at one hundred percent on the
CRT screens.

"Sierra Bravo Jeb to Sierra Bravo Josh, our troublesome
optical amplification unit has totally seized up. We are unable
raise the levels any higher. Might I also add that there is a fire
risk over."

"Sierra Bravo Josh to Sierra Bravo Jeb, understood. Sierra
Alpha Jacob, please advise on next course of action
over."

"Sierra Alpha
Jacob to Sierra Bravo Josh and Sierra Bravo Jeb, sustain sequence
at the highest level possible. Sierra Charlie Johnston, sustain
sequence at one hundred and ten percent over."

"I hope you
know what you're doing here Jacob," said Johnston down the
com-link, totally disregarding the com-link etiquette.

"Remember the com-link rules Sierra Charlie Johnston
over,"
came the
predictable reply.

Johnston
coughed irritably. He was far from happy. He just wished to get out
of the place and have a stick of rolled tobacco.

“Sierra Charlie
Johnston to Sierra Alpha Jacob,” said Johnston, fear beginning to
rise in his voice, “Charlie unit at one hundred and ten percent
over.”

As soon as
Johnston said the word ‘over’, the entire facility seemed to just
die. Everything seemed to power down, lights, CRT screens,
everything which relied on power turned off.

“What the-?”
someone said over the com-link.

Johnston was
both confused about the abundant lack of power, but relieved that
the com-links were still online. Without reaction, he sat in his
chair.

“Sierra Delta-”

The facility
shuddered, power flickered back on with a bang, the CRT screens
sparked making Johnston jump out of his chair. The facility
interior glowed red.

“Oh boy! We have a problem here! Sierra Charlie Unit
to-”

The com-link
fuzzed out, like it had just gone out of range. Johnston made his
way backwards, slowly. His CRT monitors were flickering crazy
statistics, the entire facility still red. His back made contact
with the metal cupboard. He slid down it into a crouching position,
coughing as he did so.

“-....valve leak in sector six. Appears to be caused by- OH
MY GOD!”

Screams of pain
made their way down the com-link.

“Oh, Christ! What the hell is this!? They’re alive! They’re
alive!”

Another person
interrupted the com-link with a series of bangs and screams of
pain.

“Sierra blah blah to anyone out there! Delta labs have been
compromised! We’re- aaaaaghhh!”

The red light
flickered. The entire facility banged and shuddered again.
Terrified, Johnston forced himself to breathe. He inhaled oxygen in
and out like a wheezy old vacuum cleaner that had never been
emptied.

There was
another bang, louder than the rest, and Johnston’s office was
plunged into darkness. Only the flickering and sparking CRT
monitors were to be seen.

“...awww! What the hell is going on-”

Another bang,
Johnston's office trembled, many shelf items falling to the ground.
The CRT monitors flickered surveillance camera images of the staff
in the resonance chamber. Johnston distinctly saw one employee
violently attacking another with his teeth and hands, clawing and
maiming him like a wild dog.

“-we have no access to control! I repeat, we have no access
to control-”

“-my God!
Please help me! Please help me- aggghhhh!!”

“-Urthgurl has
still not yet left cyberspace-”

“-It’s
insanity down here! We need backup now! I repeat, we- oh God-”

The com-link
was screaming into Johnston’s ear as he sat by the shelf, terrified
and in darkness. He had literally no idea what had just hit
him.

BANG! A third
bang and tremble made him almost wet himself. A figure, something,
slammed up against the window of his office from the outside. It
looked like a person, blood dripping from their hands and clothes.
Terrified, Johnston scrambled up, and searched the metal shelf
cabinet for the emergency weapon.

“Make it stop! Someone for Christ’s sake make it
stop!”

“-some...
sort... of... invasion-”

A fourth bang,
and Johnston’s office was reintroduced with the red light that
previously possessed it. Johnston ripped books, manuals, bits of
machinery and files of logs from his shelf to access the emergency
weapon attached to the back. His heart was pumping, his veins
pulsating as though they had never been used before. Adrenaline
surged around his body for the first time in a long time.

Behind him, he
heard the door slip open, the hydraulics making the usual whine.
Red light poured into the room, Johnston felt it refracting off his
back. He grabbed the weapon, a shotgun like thing.