Where is everyone? (Josu_T and Amaria)

Mark Benson was led down the hall slowly. He looked around. There were a lot of monitors next to various doors, showing different things. He didn't understand any of it, he was no scientist. He didn't have much knowledge at all about physics or chemistry. That wasn't why he was there though. No, he was there because he had nowhere else to go. He was taken into a room at the end of the hall. He looked around and saw a large, somewhat clunky tube in the middle of the small room. He knew this would be where he was going to be for the next ten years, not that he would notice it, or so they told him.

He sighed and looked down at the hospital gown he'd been given to wear. He took it off as instructed and then put on the specially designed suit. It was skin tight and not very comfortable at all. He made a comment about it and was told that it would not matter in a few minutes. He sighed again and let the man in the white lab coat take him to the tube. He stepped inside and allowed himself to be hooked up to numerous tubes and wires. "All safety precautions" he'd been told. He had been told a lot of things by the scientists. The reality was, they were not even sure this would work. He knew that, they knew that, and they knew that he knew. Yet everyone was putting on a face that was trying to tell him it would be alright. He could see the uncertainty in their eyes.

The tube closed and he looked out the small window as final preparations were being made. He saw a couple of people pressing buttons and suddenly he felt drowsy. A loud hiss didn't snap him out of it. Even the feeling of liquid around his feet did not register in his mind as he fell asleep. As his eyes drifted shut he had one final thought, hoping that he would come out of it ok and could start his life fresh.

The scientists pressed the final buttons and watched the tube fill completely with liquid. They looked into the window and saw the subject just as he should be. They had done all they needed to. It had all gone smoothly. Now it was up to the computer programs to keep the young man alive. When he woke they would check up on him and see how it went, if their were any side effects, but they were confident that their latest attempt at creating long term stasis pods would work successfully.

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Mark had found out about the experiment when he was doing a final desperate search for money. He was running out of funds to be able to survive. His wellfare checks were not enough for him to survive. He needed more cash or else he would soon find himself in a place he never wanted to be. He had seen the dark side of the world and didn't like it. Now, because of a misunderstanding, he was doomed to a third rate life.

Five years ago he had been studying english at university. He was not the best student, but he worked hard. He was getting decent grades, had good friends, a girlfriend, and he was not having much money trouble. That was when disaster struck. One night he was walking home after a night with his friends. He decided to take the long route. That was his first mistake. His second mistake was cutting through the park. His third and final mistake was not taking a good look at someone who bumped into him as he ran past. This one was crucial, because minutes later the police arrived at the park.

The police took him to the station and asked him a few questions about anything he may have seen at the park that night. He told them all he could, not sure what had happened. He went home, but a day later the police asked him to come to the station again. This time he was sent into a room with a mirror in it. A few minutes later an officer entered and put handcuffs on Mark. They told him he was under arrest for rape. Mark was shocked and did not understand why this was happening to him.

At the trial he had no support from anyone. He had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had no information about the real rapist, who he was sure was the man that had run into him. Mark was found guilty and sentenced to jail. He tried to convince his friends it had not been him, but for some reason none of them believed him.

He spent five years of his life in the prison. He worked hard on trying to get pardoned, but no new evidence was ever found. He asked them for a DNA test, but was simply told it was not possible. Mark started to lose hope. His friends stopped visiting and every attempt to contact them failed. It seemed they had come to believe in his guilt. Even his family was unwilling to help. Mark did not know what to do. He had no one left in the world willing to believe him and help him.

After two years he gave up and just tried to get by in jail. He started working out to become more fit. He studied a little in the library, hoping he would get a chance at a job once he got out. He developed his writing skills and his physique. He was soon pleased with himself and became a little hopefull that when he got out he would have a chance at life. The hope grew as his first hearing came up. He was granted parole.

He went and found an apartment. He began looking for a job. He tried contacting friends again, but none of them wanted anything to do with him. He tried making new friends, but once they found out about his jail time and rape sentence, they avoided him. Prisoners were supposed to be able to get jobs once they got out, but Mark had no luck. No one would hire him. He started losing hope again. He kept fit and continued to study as best as he could, but was desperate for work and money.

He finally found an advertisement for a science experiment that would pay very well. He applied right away. They asked him to come in and gave him a basic explaination of what they wanted to do. He listened to them explain about stasis and its future benefits. They also told him he would be in there for years and when he came out everyone else would have lived ten years while he would be the same. He had no objections and felt it would be perfect for him. When he was done with it they would give him a large amount of money and help him get back on his feet in the new world. It sounded perfect to him. He agreed and they started the testing.

They ran him through a physical test and he passed easily. They said he would be great for stasis since he was in good shape and that meant a better response to the procedure and to reawakening. So then he went on to the psychological evaluation. He was able to pass that and they agreed to start preparation on him. They ran him through what would happen and taught him all they could about the procedure. Then came the day to enter the tube.

There he was now, in the stasis tube, all vital signs looking good, all parts of the machine functioning perfectly. This was the most promising start the scientists had ever seen. It was also the most hope that Mark had felt since before that fateful night. It seemed that eveything was going to turn out ok, and it would, depending on how one defines the word "ok".

Nothing was the same anymore since the accident. How could one event make everything seem so pointless, useless and dull. Two years before Lynn Harrington would be spending her days chasing her little boy around the back yard and digging in the dirt at the park, maybe even driving him up to the hospital to meet daddy for lunch at work. All that was gone now. In a few seconds two lives were taken form her. While she lay on a massage table at a spa getting the Mother's Day treatment, her husband and son lay in a ditch dieing on the side of the road. A hit an run she wouldn't learn about until the next day when she returned to an empty house.

His family was never really fond of her they didn't even want 'someone like her' marrying into the family. She had met him at the hospital during her first days as a registered nurse. While she was an only child who was adopted by her elderly neighbors after her mother died of an overdose, he was doctor from a family of medical professionals with loads of MD, PhD.D and any other title you can toss at the end of a name. The prince and the peasant girl, he had always joked not caring what his family thought. Things were better when they had a son, they kept in touch often with his family. Grandparents spoiled him with junk from the day he was born and visited often. Lynn's parents died soon after he was born but the small family she had started kept her going. Not any more though.

Since that day two years ago she had been coming home to the same empty house. His family stopped calling as soon as the estate was settled, satisfied that all she 'got' was the house. She slowly pulled within herself, falling into a deep depression and shying away from the few friends she had. Quitting her job she looked for work in another town, she couldn't stand to go to the hospital everyday anymore, or any of the places they went together. Everything moved on with out her. Friends stopped calling and because of the settlement bill collectors did even call. It was almost like she didn't exist without them anymore.

An add in a medical journal, the last issue of a subscription he had renewed before his death, described the stasis testing. An experiment on healthy people interested in helping scientist test a scientific break through. The money did not interest her at all, it was the idea of disappearing from it all for ten whole years. By then no one would even remember the tragic widow of the prominent doctor and maybe she could start a new life, start fresh and if it shouldn't work, well, she wouldn't be a loss to anyone at all.

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It was disturbing being able to recognize a few of the monitors and instruments being used to maintain her life while in the stasis tube. She had dealt with them often at work, but many were still very odd. The tight suit she wore was more embarrassing than uncomfortable, she hadn't worn anything this revealing since before her husband died, but these scientists were all business. The physical test she took was a simple thing and they seemed to be pleased that she had given birth to a child. She was thankful they didn't ask any more questions, although all of her history was in the form she had filled out prior to the fitness test.

An odd peace came over her as the drugs took effect and the tube filled, for once she was leaving something else behind.

Inside the small room with the large tube at the center, things started to happen where things had not happened for a long time. Screens lit up and information started to stream in a lot faster. A soft whirring started up as the stasis period was coming to an end. It had been ten long years and the computers had done their duty with complete precision. According to the screens, the tube's precious cargo of life was in perfect condition. Alarms sounded outside the room to tell scientists that the waking process had begun. It would still be a day before the person inside would be conscious, but their vitals were being slowly brought back to normal. It seemed that the experiment had worked. Now the final step would be to look for any possible side effects of the process.

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A day later Mark slowly woke from what seemed to him to only have been a short nap. He was a little disoriented as he looked out a small window at an empty room with many flashing screens. He soon remembered where he was and what had happened. That was when he realised it had worked. He was alive. He had either been asleep for ten years, or there had been a problem and he had been revived early. Either way, he felt fine and there was no sign of a panic as if something had gone wrong.

A few minutes later, tubes and wires released themselves automatically, freeing him. With a loud hiss, the door of the tube opened up. Mark stepped out slowly and had to grab onto the tube to hold himself up. He held on tight until his legs felt stong enough to keep his body up. He then started to walk around and stretch his muscles. A few minutes later he felt normal. He started to think about what to do next. He was a little confused as to why the scientists were not there to greet him though. He figured they would have been there to help him and tell him what had happened. He decided to go find them.

He went toward the door and looked at some of the screens. They had a lot of information about his status that he didn't understand, only that it looked normal. He looked in a blank screen and saw that his appearance was only slightly changed. His blue eyes were the same, so was his facial structure. He had a very light stubble on his face. His hair was slightly longer and a bit messy. He then turned and left the small room. He looked around and didn't see any signs of anyone. Maybe it was a long weekend and everyone was home. Perhaps the company had gone out of business and they had forgotten about him. He hoped not. He needed the money for his second chance at life.

A loud hiss awakened her from her sleep, it was a light sleep for the machines had been going through the process of slowly reviving her for a whole day. Lynn jumped a little and watched the tube open just as she opened her eyes. She laid there staring at the open hatch for a moment not sure if she wanted to leave the cocoon like bed. For sometime she waited, expecting a doctor or technician to come through the door, even expecting it to be a new face. Maybe after all this time someone else was monitoring her.

After what seemed like an hour or so she decided to get up and find someone to help her. Stretching for a few seconds she tested her strength and then slid carefully from the bed. The floor was cold on her bare feet and the thin body suit was not much protection, that was the first thing she wanted, real clothes. Her reflection in the glass of the door startled her. Had it really been ten years? They had said she would age very little and her face did not seem to be any different, though her hair was an angry mess, its curly layers escaping from the loose elastic that had held it in place...ten years ago. Pulling the ends of her hair around to the front she noted it did seem a few inches longer. "Huh, whatdaya know." The sound of her own voiced seemed odd and the empty room swallowed it up. She moved through the doorway and down a narrow hall.

Soon she came upon another room similar to the one she was just in. At first she thought she had some how looped back, but she hadn't made enough turns to do that. Looking closely she could see the room was the exact opposite of hers and in the center was an open stasis tube. So someone else was here? With no signs of a scientist or anyone she left the room and continued searching, now a little scared of being alone in this strange place.

Mark slowly walked down the hallway, looking around. There were closed rooms, all with blank screens outside. Things seemed to be collecting dust. He started to have a bad feeling about it. It looked more and more like the company had gone out of business. and somehow forgotten about them. He still had hope that someone would know he was awake and would come help, and pay him.

He entered a larger room at the end of the hall. There were many computers and monitors inside this room. It seemed to be the hub of the company. It was silent. Only two monitors were activated. He looked at one. It had his name on the screen with some info about his status. The other one had someone else's name on it. He was a little confused. Did this mean there was someone else around? He looked around and listened for a minute, but did not pick up any signs of life.

He sat down at what seemed like the main computer. He hoped there would be some info for them on it. He turned it on and luckily it started up right away. It entered the interface without needing a password. He started to look at the contents of the computer, all the documents. He started to open things at random, hoping to find any info about what had happened and why there was no one around.

She had checked every door she came across and still no sign of people. Room after room, storage, more monitors, some filled with nothing but files of data, but all empty of people. Even on a holiday someone should still be monitoring at least wouldn't they? Lynn hoped they wouldn't shut things down if the experiment went wrong, maybe they had slept too long and had been abandoned. Trying to squelch the rising panic she continue looking, there were still a few more room up ahead if she hadn't gotten herself lost again.

Finally turning down a hallway she heard signs of activity. The familiar clicking of a keyboard could be heard from a room at the end of the hall. Either that or mice, but even they would be welcome to her now. For some reason she crept quietly up to the door, not sure i fit was people who worked there or..what? It just felt safer to take a peek first before she let her presence be known to whoever it was. The door was a jar so she stuck her head in slowly. Another room full of monitors but these were all on. Peering closely into one monitor was a man, dressed in the same skin suit as she was. Another volunteer? She didn't know there was someone besides her, but it only made sense to test both male and female in such an experiment.

Lynn cleared her throat and spoke from the doorway, "Um..is there anyone else here?"

Mark continued searching files at random for a little while before he started attempting to use key words to search for possibilities. However, he couldn't find anything about why the place might be silent. There were no recent memos about a vacation, the financial statements he'd found showed no decline in funding for the project, and he saw no mention of abnormalities in subjects of the studies that might cause the study to fail. He was not sure what to look at next. He opened up a large file of videos that seemed to be a journal of some sort, possibly used by the project head. He wondered if something might be said in there that could give some clues.

Just before he opened the first video, he heard someone clearing their throat, at least that was what it sounded like. Then there was a voice. It was a woman, asking if there was anyone else there. He turned in his seat slowly, hoping he was not hearing things. When his eyes were met with the vision of another human being, he was relieved. He looked at her for a moment. He noticed she was wearing the same wierd suit that he was. That made sense after seeing the second monitor with someone's data on it.

After he was sure he was not seeing things, he finally responded. "Uh, as far as I can tell, we are the only two people here. I just got out of one of those tubes a little while ago. Because of our matching outfits, I am going to assume the same of you. Anyway, I have no idea where all the scientists are. None of the info on this computer shows anything about them shutting down or it being some sort of holiday. I was about to watch what seems to be the head scientist's video journal. Hopefullly it will tell us something. Come over here and watch with me. Oh, and I'm Mark."

"Yes, I didn't realize there was someone else participating either." she came completely into the room as she spoke, examining all the monitors glancing at the one with her name on it. " I think I've searched the entire place and haven't found anyone not even signs that anyone has been here recently. I'm beginning to think this place has been empty for quite some time." she stood close staring at the screen he was looking at.

"Head scientist huh? Hopefully this will shed some light on things. My name is Lyn, by the way, or female subject number two, as the screen says."

Mark was surprised when she said she had looked at the entire place and it all looked unused. That added to his sense that something bad, or at least strange, had happened. He smiled at her introduction while turning back to the screen. He decided to open the last installment of the journal. As he did, he spoke to Lynn, enjoying the sound of a human voice in a place that seemed devoid of all other signs of life. "Well Lynn, I would like to say that I am happy to meet you, but wish that it could be under better circumstances. Now, let's see what this scientist has to say."

He hit the play button and the image came to life. It was a person sitting in front of a camera, speaking into it. Mark listend intently to what was being said, listening for any hint of why there might not be people around. When it came to the end of the video, there had been no relevant info. It had all been about how the test subjects were doing fine. All the short term subjects had passed all their post stasis tests. Now they were just waiting for the two long term subjects to emerge. The final comment was what struck him. "We are now simply waiting and monitoring the process of our two remaining subjects. However, we still have two years before they are scheduled to emerge from their stasis tubes....." It continued to mention that they were doing well, but Mark didn't hear it. All that mattered was the comment about two years. Without saying anything to Lynn, he quickly started opening files again and looking for one thing.

When he confirmed his theory, he turned to Lynn, a look of pure confusion on his face. "Well, I'm not sure how to put this, but you saw the video. That was the last video ever made by that person, or anyone else. I have looked at all the documents on the computer, and just like that video journal, there is nothing from after that date two years ago. That day is the last one that this computer has any record of. It looks as if after that day, no one ever touched this computer again. I think that the other computers may have more recent info, but I have a bad feeling that any of that info will just be computer produced about our status, nothing writeen by man. Which just leaves me to wonder, what happened to this place?"

Lynn checked the other computers in the room, panic rising in her chest again. Charts, her and Mark's, lists of other subjects that had awakened at other times. She searched further looking at logs and security cameras. "Wait, what's this?" There was a visual record of all the subjects the scientist and staff. Not just logs but security data. It's like time just stopped two years ago. The staff left as normal that day, leaving minimal staff here to watch for errors on the screens and monitor the stasis subjects, but on a day the computer noted as May tenth, the last person just walked out of the building. It made no sense.

Lynn started to hyperventilate her breath came in uncontrolled gasps and she kept repeating "This can't be happening." as she backed away from the screen. She was left again, abandoned, how were they even going to get out of here? Who was going to pay the money promised for her knew life? "No, no!" Lynn fainted.

Mark watched Lynn as she moved around the room, checking numerous computers. He watched everything she watched. It didn't make sense to him. Why had everyone left without any sign of a reason. He had looked at everything he could think of. There was just no possible reason for there to be no one there. He was worried about his second chance, but mostly he just had a bad feeling that something major had gone wrong.

Mark looked up from a screen when he heard Lynn starting to panic. When she cried out he saw her falling to the floor. He thought for a moment of what he should do. He quickly looked at a map of the complex. He ran to a break room and turned on a tap, praying that it would produce fresh water. At first, the stuff coming out of it was brown and gross. After a minute, it started to clear up. Eventually it looked clean enough to drink. He tried some and it tasted fine. He then searched the cupboards for food. There was some packaged food that he felt might still be good to eat. He opened one package of dried fruit, tried it, and felt it was still safe. He took a few cups and filled them, rushing back to Lynn with them and the package of dried fruit.

He knelt down next to her and looked at her. She seemed to be breathing just fine, but he felt that the suit might not be the best thing for people who were awake. He decided there was a chance it was making it harder for her to breath, so he ripped it at the front of her neck. It tore easily, a little too easily, ripping down her chest a little, revealing a little cleavage that Mark ignored. It was not the time to admire her body. He took a cup of water and splashed it on her face. He waited to see if she would wake up or if he needed to try something else. He got another cup of water ready for her to drink if she did wake up.

She jumped as the cold water hit her face and gasped for air. A hand went to her head as she struggled to sit up, embarrassed that she had panicked like that. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you its... its just so, unbelievable. Are we really here alone?" It was easier for her to breathe with the top of her suit cut open and she could careless how far. Taking deep breaths she stood up and made her way to a chair on the other side of the room, as far away from the flashing screens as possible.

"I'm normally not this wimpy really." she tried to laugh a little hoping she hadn't made him lose all hope in her. It would be terrible to deal with someone who would pass out or freak at the drop of a hat, but this was really quite a blow. To wake up ten years later and be abandoned by an entire research facility. Would they be able to track them down and possibly sue for the money that was promised? this thought lifted her spirits. Other people outside of this place had to take sympathy for them, no matter how odd it was.

"We really should just get out of here. It would be best if we found some help outside the facility, I'm sure there are people that would jump at a story like ours." Although being in the lime light was not something she wanted to deal with, it was better than staying down here alone and abandoned.

Mark smiled when he saw Lynn waking up. He was glad she was ok. It would be better for the two of them to go through their ordeal together than trying to figure out what happened on his own. He helped her up and walked with her. she tried to assure him she wasn't wimpy. He figured anyone would have a tough time in their situation.

He listened to her suggestion and nodded. That was a great idea. He thought for a moment and then pulled up a map on a computer again. "I think first we should get some food and some proper clothes before we leave. If we look at this map, they may have some clothes in one of the rooms. I found some food in a break room. Once we have eaten and have clothes other than these silly suits, we can find a way out. I don't think it should be too hard though. Hopefully we can just find some people who will listen to us once we get out."

"Let's start with a search for clothes. I can barely breath in this thing. I came across a bunch of lockers for both test subject and the scientist that worked here. I'm sure we can find something in there. It was near the stasis tube I was in, check for it on the map." After looking at the map they made there way to the locker room. This company had a lot of employees at one time. The locker room was large with numerous rows of lockers.

"I don't remember seeing this many people here when we came. I wonder what all of this is for?" Lynn shouted to him as he entered a male section across the hall. She searched for something with her name on it but soon gave up and started randomly opening lockers. A few of them were open controlled by a timed digital lock.

Mark nodded and followed her to the locker rooms. He entered the men's side and started to look around. He didn't care about finding his own clothes, he just wanted something to wear. He heard her yell to him from the other side. He called back. "I guess they expanded a lot during the time we were in stasis. It was a fairly small thing back then, but it was eight years before, well, you know. Anyway, I think I'll use the shower in here too. Oh, but as a warning, if you use the shower too, let the water run for a while before you step into it, the first part comes out a bit dirty."

He went into the shower room and turned one on. He then peeled himself out of the stupid suit. Once it was off, he felt much better already. He felt much more loose and free. Once the water cleared up, he stepped in and had a short shower. After he finished, he found a towel in a locker and dried himself off. Looking through the rest of the lockers he found underwear that fit him, a simple green t-shirt, some jeans, and socks and shoes that also fit him. He left the changeroom and waited in the hall for Lynn to join him.

"Eww." She let the water run like he suggested and stood back as the brown water drained away. Showering quickly she dressed in the first thing that fit her, a white button up short sleeve shirt and some jeans. She gave up on finding a bra and just put a thin t-shirt under the button up, hopefully it would not be too noticeable. The only shoes that she could find were a pair of brown hiking boots, she slid into them and met Mark in the hall.

"Now what? Find some food and then up and out? If all the locks are like the rest of this place it might be hard getting out." The thought just hit her while she was changing, glancing at all the digital gadgets this place was full of. What if there was a computer code or something that was needed to open the doors?

Mark looked at Lynn as she exited the changeroom. It seemed she had found some clothes to wear also. It was an interesting outfit, an unusual mix of different things. It was definitely better than the skin tight suit, even if it didn't show off her body as much as the suit had. He smiled at her. Her suggestion sounded good, but her thought about the possibility of a lock didn't.

He pushed those worries back for a moment when his stomach grumbled. He nodded to Lynn. "Yes, food now, then we will figure out how to get out. I hope it is not hard to get out, but if it is, I'm sure the codes will be in the computer somewhere, and if not that then we might find the code written down somewhere or a key card possibly in the lockers." He led her to where he'd found the food before and immediately grabbed one of the packaged of dried fruits as well as a nicely sealed package of chopped, mixed nuts. He opened both packages up and offered them to her to eat first.

"I know it looks a little strange but its all I could find in my size. I'm not worried about fashion show." she smiled and winked examining the two packages he held out. "I'll try the fruit. I am so hungry I'll eat anything." she sat down at one of the small tables in the break room.

"Assuming all goes well and we can get someone to listen to our story, what are your plans when you get out?" She tried to start some conversation. The thought of being stuck in here was nagging at her and she needed something to distract her. At least she was not alone, she found herself staring at Mark, examining his features. Not bad. There could be worse people to be stuck in here with, he was...very pleasant on the eyes.

He laughed a little at her comment about the outfit. She must have noticed the way he'd looked at her when he saw her wearing it. Her comment had him taking an even closer look. He noticed, to his surprise, that she wasn't wearing a bra. All she had on under the button-up shirt was an undershirt of some sort. He looked away immediately.

He handed her the fruit and took the nuts. He sat across from her at the table. He started to eat the nuts, glad to have some sort of food. She asked him about his plans. He thought of what he wanted to do. As he thought, his eyes again travelled over her body. For a moment he imagined her back in that suit. She had a nice body. She also seemed like a nice person, at least as far as he knew.

He finally decided what he wanted to really do when he got out. "I really just want to get back on my feet. I want to get a job doing writing of some sort. I was taking a writing degree before..... well, anyway, if I could become a journalist of some sort, that would be great. I also just want somewhere decent to live. What about you? What would you like to do?"

Lynn put her feet in the chair drawing her knees up tight to her chest. Leaning her head back as she chewed on what she hoped was a dried banana she thought for a moment. Maybe she should have done more of that before she agreed to this crazy experiment , because right now she was drawing a blank. At the time she only wanted to hide from the world, going away for a long time just seemed like a good idea. Now she was not so sure.

"A place to stay first, maybe some land in the mountains somewhere, its cliche but I'm tired of city life and conferences. I think I'd like to do the whole horse ranch thing, now that I'll have the money and time I could pour it into my dream of owning horses." she folded the empty packet into a tiny square as she talked. "I just can't see myself getting back into nursing like before. Too much has changed and I have no desire to go back to school now, no way."

Mark watched her and wondered what her plans were. He also was a little curious about her back story. The problem was that he didn't really want to talk about it because of his own. He knew that if he asked her about her life before the stasis, she would ask him about his. He didn't really want to discuss his time in prison. He knew it would scare people away from him. He really just wanted that fresh start.

As she told him what she wanted to do, he smiled and nodded. It sounded quite nice, a good quiet life. He was interested to learn she had been a nurse. He finished eating the package of nuts. He wasn't as hungry anymore, but knew they would need something better. Hopefully they could get out right away without trouble. He put his empty food package aside. He got up from his seat and stretched. He looked toward the door and spoke to Lynn. "Well, time to get out of here. Lets see how hard it is to get to the surface."

"To the surface then. At least that is one thing I remember about this place, now that we've wandered around a bit to jog my memory."

Now that they were on their way she was excited and ready to move. Standing up she threw away her trash and headed out the door. The conversation was getting close to home and she didn't care to start this new life of hers with the first person she met feeling sorry for her. At the same time she was extremely curious as to his reason for being a part of this. His story had to be as horrible as hers, if not worse. The scientist only seemed concerned about physical health and intelligence, she could be a murderer for all he knew.

"Down the main hall and a left into that fancy foyer right?"

Mark nodded and followed Lynn out the door. She asked about the way out and he thought for a moment. "Yes, I am sure that is the way out. Let's go now." He walked quickly. He went along the main hallway with Lynn and then turned into the foyer. He looked around and saw a doorway. He looked at Lynn and shrugged. He walked forward and opened the doorway. There was a small room that had a few elevators He pushed the button and the doors slid open. It was amazing. It seemed they would get out. He pushed a button, the doors slid shut, but the elevator did not move. He took a closer look and realised they needed a card of some sort to get the elevator to move. He sighed. "Well, so much for it being easy."