Dr. Victoria Lazlo was alone in the elevator as it approached the ground floor. She wore a tailored, gray dress suit with sensible heels and no ornamentation beyond a pair of slim, designer glasses. Her auburn blonde hair was bound in a bun, secured with a pair of hairpins. Every element of her attire and stance was collected, professional and cold.
She was the Facility’s top exophysicist and the administrator of level 20: high-energy Anomalous research. In an environment dominated by men who were either hidebound intellectuals or ex-military roughnecks, she had risen through the ranks by maintaining strict professionalism and a no-nonsense attitude. Of course, her education and intellect should have helped but she found those attributes to be strictly secondary when climbing the company ladder. Even here, connections and reputation mattered more than qualifications.
Not that office politics mattered anymore. Despite her outward calm, Dr. Lazlo was barely containing her excitement. Her entire body felt stretched taut, like an over-tuned guitar string. She allowed herself a deep breath and tightened her grip on the briefcase she carried, keeping her mask of indifference firmly in place. She couldn’t afford to allow any sign of her true intentions to show in her face or posture. Fortunately, this was a skill she had mastered long ago.
The elevator stopped, announcing her arrival on the ground floor. A normal elevator would open right away, but Facility security was far too tight for that. Dr. Lazlo retrieved her ID card and held it to the security camera for several seconds before swiping it through the nearby card-reader. Silent approval was granted by an unseen observer and the elevator’s doors opened with a quiet whoosh as the pressure equalized. Even oxygen didn’t leave the Facility without permission.
Waiting outside was a man dressed in the armored uniform of the ACS, the backbone of the Facility’s security. Without being asked she displayed her card again. He examined it before plugging it into another reader by his belt. A green light flashed, indicating her Emerald clearance and he returned her card with a nod.
“Heading home, ma’am?” He didn't care but asked anyway.
“Yes, finally. Anything happening upstairs, Private Leeds?” She glanced at his badge to confirm his name and kept her eyes from lingering on the boxy carbine slung by his side.
“All quiet up here.”
“Good. Carry on.”
As Dr. Lazlo walked down the hall, the guitar strings in her heart tightened another octave. She was almost out, but she couldn’t allow herself to relax. Thankfully, rank has its privileges and she was exempt from many of the lengthier security screenings. Back when she first joined the Facility as a lowly Ruby-level researcher she had gone months at a time without ever setting foot outside of the Facility’s walls.
Her heels clicked as she walked briskly towards the exit. A security team loitered by the gate, waiting for her to approach. The roof was studded with round metal blisters which concealed automated gun turrets. She vividly recalled being present when a mid-level researcher was caught trying to smuggle out an ounce of red mercury. The next morning the bloodstains and bullet-holes had been completely erased, as though the whole thing never happened.
Her heart was hammering, but she maintained a steady, casual pace and her mask of calm remained in place. She had passed this checkpoint hundreds of times and, as far they knew, this time was no different.
She nodded to the soldiers as she approached and stopped at the dotted line painted on the floor and set her briefcase on a nearby conveyor belt, although it took an act of will to let go. Her hand ached from the effort of prying it free of the handle. Fortunately, no-one else noticed the slight hesitation.
“Any big plans for the weekend, doc?” A thick-bodied guard named Kate approached. She had worked the evening shift for the past eight months and the two had become casual acquaintances.
“No, nothing special. You?” As she spoke, Dr. Lazlo lifted her arms, allowing Kate to perform a pat-down. This was a familiar invasion.
While Kate nattered about some barbeque in the dorms, Dr. Lazlo had to suppress the urge to burst out laughing. She had never told a bigger lie in her life. While Kate checked her pockets she struggled to keep her face steady. If she broke now then everything would be lost.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched her briefcase rolling into the scanner. There was nothing to worry about. He was completely transparent to X-rays and undetectable by magnetic screening.
“All clear, doc.” Kate stepped back, waving Dr. Lazlo towards the next step: the millimeter-wave scanner.
Dr. Lazlo obediently stepped into the pod and waited. As a scientist, she knew the electromagnetic waves were imperceptible but she still fancied that she could feel the beams crossing the surface of her skin. It could “see” completely through clothing and she imagined the leer of the technician as he reviewed her nude body. She knew they saved images of the more attractive female staff. The brutish, primate lust disgusted her but she knew better than to make a fuss.
She comforted herself, knowing she would never have to face these indignities again. Let them look. Let them drool, leer and fantasize about what they would never have. She belonged only to Him.
“Move through.”
“Thank you.” Dr. Lazlo stepped out of the pod and approached the final stage of the checkpoint. Despite her best efforts, her steps quickened as she caught sight of her briefcase rolling out of the scanner. When the guard picked up the briefcase in his pudgy hands her fingers curled slightly, resisting the urge to claw at his fat face with her manicured nails. This was fine. This was all according to plan.
“How are the kids, Frank?” She managed not to gag on the inane small talk.
“Doing good, doc.” He examined the briefcase, looking for any concealed pockets. “Happy to be on summer break.”
Satisfied, Frank turned the briefcase to her. Without being asked, Dr. Lazlo tapped her code into the keypad, feeling a surge of excitement when its lock clicked open.
He turned the case back around and opened it. He opened his mouth but said nothing. He stared into it. He gazed upon Him.
Dr. Lazlo suppressed a surge of jealousy and leaned forward, resting her hand on the table. Her voice was faint, trembling. “See His glory. Know His power. Feel His love.”
Frank’s mouth moved soundlessly, drool beading on his lower lip. Without looking up he finally spoke in a harsh whisper. “Praise Him.”
“Praise Him,” Dr. Lazlo repeated.
“Praise Him,” the other soldiers echoed quietly.
Frank slowly closed the briefcase and handed it to Dr. Lazlo, his eyes flat and glassy. She nodded and walked away, relieved to have His weight in her hand again. No-one made any attempt to stop her. In moments they would barely remember that she had left.
Dr. Lazlo left the Facility for the last time.
Three days earlier, Dr. Lazlo had drilled a small hole in her oil pan. It didn’t take long for the engine to seize, forcing her to get a rental car. The Facility would be able to dig up her rental records with ease, but at least it would be free of any tracking devices.
Her briefcase lay in the passenger seat. Occasionally she would reach over, brushing her fingers over its leather surface to feel His presence. For a moment she wondered if she should secure it with the seatbelt and the image was so ridiculous that she giggled like a schoolgirl.
She didn’t drive back to her townhouse. Nothing there was important anymore. She stopped at a gas station just outside of town and slipped into the bathroom, taking the battery out of her smartphone and putting it and the phone in the cistern of the toilet, along with her Facility credit cards.
She paused in front of the mirror, staring at herself. She pulled her hairpins free and let her dark, ginger hair tumble to her shoulders. She closed her eyes and ran her fingers through her hair, feeling her scalp and neck relax.
She considered opening the briefcase here. But she knew that He would disapprove. He might punish her. That thought was exciting, but she quickly put it from her mind. Privacy was essential.
Dr. Lazlo took the highway and drove well into the night. She rolled down the window, letting the wind whip at her hair as the miles rolled by. She kept the radio off and there was only the sound of her car’s engine and the wind. Neither of them said anything. No words were needed.
It was a long drive. The Facility was, naturally, remote and the small adjoining town was almost entirely under its control. If anything went wrong and His absence was noticed, then the first thing the Facility would do would be to try and locate them.
Fortunately, she had anticipated this and, before leaving, she had disabled several key safeties in her lab’s microreactor. It wouldn’t be enough to cause significant structural damage, but the resulting Compton cascade would cause major damage to the power grid. An effective distraction.
It was nearly midnight and her car was practically on empty when she pulled into the parking lot of a roadside motel. Briefcase in hand, she entered the small office with a sign taped to the window: “NO ID NEEDED”
The only employee was a young woman, dressed in ragged denim and flicking idly at her smartphone. She barely looked up.
“Twenty an hour. Sixty a night,” the girl muttered. There was no mention of a reservation.
“One night.” Dr. Lazlo pulled a hundred out of her wallet and the girl took it without checking for a watermark. She handed Dr. Lazlo two twenties and a room key before wordlessly returning to her phone.
Dr. Lazlo headed towards her assigned room, tossing the two bills on the ground. The place was small but surprisingly clean. It had a bed and a small table with a CRT television. A bathroom was attached.
She closed and locked the door before leaning against it, breathing heavily and clutching the briefcase tightly. She was sweating, causing her hair to cling to her forehead. The anticipation was unbearable.
Overcome by heat and impatience, she ripped at the buttons of her suit, tearing it off and flung it into the corner. She swept the TV off the table, sending it crashing to the floor. She was nearly hyperventilating now, mouth open, chest heaving. With care and reverence, she placed the briefcase on the table.
Her fingers were shaking so badly that she mistyped the code and nearly screamed in frustration when it beeped at her but forced herself to steady her hands and try again. The sound of the lock clicking was the most beautiful noise she’d ever heard.
Dr. Lazlo licked her lips and reached for the lid. She let out a shaky, eager breath as she lifted it. It was only open a crack when she yanked her hands away as though scorched.
She clutched her hands to her breasts, fingers smarting from His admonishment. She blinked tears of shame from her eyes. He was right of course. She was like a wanton whore, no better than any rutting primate. Just like that slut Dr. Brenner from level 13, prancing around in her stockings and flashing her underwear at the staff. He deserved better from her.
There was no need to rush.
“Thank you for teaching me,” she whispered.
Dr. Lazlo forced herself to turn away and entered the adjoining bathroom, closing the door behind her. She stood in front of the mirror for several minutes. Slowly, she removed her glasses and folded the arms down. Gripping them in both hands she twisted until she heard the snapping of plastic and felt the lenses pop out. The world was fuzzier now, but she hardly noticed.
