After tightening your belt and double knotting your boots, you check yourself over in the mirror set in the closet door. There are another three sharp raps on your door and the sound of a muffled voice coming from the other side. You approach it, picking up your ID badge as you pass the bedside table and clipping it into place. You punch in the combination to unlock your door and it slides open.
A blast of hot air hits you, the eastern hallway of the topside dormitories getting the full brunt of the morning sun. Standing outside your door, sweat already beading on his forehead, is your neighbor and fellow security officer, McKenzie. An older member of the team, his dark brown hair is beginning to grey at the sides, his gaunt, angular face adorned with a couple days worth of stubble. He meets your gaze with his steel grey eyes as he taps his watch, “Two minutes to eight, Carlisle. Keep trying and you might just miss the tram one day.â€
You step out into the corridor, squinting your eyes as they adjust to the brightness, and keying in the combination again to lock your quarters. You give a nod to McKenzie and you both start walking to the exit.
Stepping out onto the tram platform, McKenzie grabs a copy of the Mesa Times as he passes a magazine rack. The automatic doors seal behind you just as the 08:00 tram trundles around the corner towards the platform.
You sit opposite one another in the central bay, a couple other guards and a maintenance worker shuffle in and take their seats, clutching coffee cups and magazines. The tram shudders as it prepares to leave, the sound of gears whir as the door slides shut. For a moment, nothing seems to happen. McKenzie looks up from his paper, glances to a couple of the other passengers, before the tram lurches forwards violently and begins to move.
“Piece of junk,†one of the guards groans, tapping the maintenance worker on the shoulder, “What do you guys even do all day? You sure as shit don’t fix anything around here.â€
The worker doesn’t look up from his magazine, simply extending a middle finger over his shoulder
The air begins to feel stale and grows considerably colder as the tram descends into the depths of the facility. The warm glow of the sun replaced by cool blue from the fluorescent lights, the sound of birds and the gentle breeze replaced by humming air ducts and droning machinery. McKenzie shudders as you pass a couple of large fans.
“Looks like it’s gonna be a busy one for us today,†he says, still fixated on The Mesa Times, “Big experiment over in Sector C apparently. Lot’s of eggheads getting lost on the transit system, no doubt.â€
You smirk in response as the tram begins to slow, the announcement system crackling to life, “Now arriving at: Area 7. Security and Control Facilities.â€
You disembark from the tram and walk along the grated platform towards the large security doors, McKenzie in toe with the paper tucked under his arm. You nod to the guard in the booth as you approach and he opens up the doors, another blast of cold, musty air hitting you both in the face. McKenzie plants a hand on your shoulder and smiles sympathetically, “Still not gotten used to it?â€
You shake your head as you step into the airlock.
“Well,†McKenzie stretches “The hours are long and it’s mind numbing work at times, but the pay makes it all worth it.â€
You raise a single eyebrow and he can’t help but smile.
Stepping into the security complex, you head over to the main desk. Sgt. Laurey, is sat at the main desk, hammering away at a keyboard, clearly already getting irate. He is a rotund, balding man with a thick black moustache, you often wonder how he came to be a member of the security force, let alone head of Area 7 Security.
“Ah, there you are boys,†he swivels towards you in his seat and dabs at his brow with a paper towel, “I got a couple jobs that need seeing to, pronto. First off, there’s nobody manning the lab access doors in the north wing. We’ve left the doors open for now but the administrator would have my head if he found out nobody was checking IDs. Secondly, we’ve got issues with a tram on the lower level. The door won’t close and the damn thing won’t leave the platform until it’s safe. I’ve called maintenance who told me they were sending somebody over but Hell if I know where he’s gotten to. So… not exactly our job but I need a couple guys to take a look at that.â€
“So,†McKenzie pipes up, “By my count, you need three guys, not two.â€
“Ah, yes,†Laurey snaps his fingers a couple of times and gestures to a scrawny kid with scruffy blond hair, sat on a bench behind you. He jumps to his feet and enthusiastically marching to the desk and lining up with the two of you. “This is Davis. New kid. Ran the training course a couple of days ago and got his first shift this morning. You three decide amongst yourselves who's doing what.â€
He goes back to working on his computer and the three of you turn to one another, Davis beaming at you both.
“You kidding me with this?†McKenzie jabs a thumb towards Davis, “What are you, twelve?â€
“I’m… I’m twenty one, sir.†Davis stammers, and he turns to you “I didn’t get your name-â€
“Alright,†McKenzie starts “Carlisle, what do you want to do? Guard duty or picking up the grease monkey’s job with the tram?â€
A) Fix the tram with McKenzie, leave the rookie to guard the lab doors
B) Send Davis with McKenzie to fix the tram and watch the doors yourself
C) Take the rookie down to the tram and put McKenzie on watch
Alright guys. I didn't proof read this as much as I would have liked but it's now 01:40 and I'm up for work at 06:00.
Enjoy!