I exited the final sewer tunnel which led me to this large warehouse-sized room. Still completely underground, just as under-lit as all the passage ways, and even more damp. In the center of the space was an exposed sewage line.
The line was exposed by collapsed rock that crashed down on it over the years, making huge dents that quickly eroded. The sewage, mostly used water, flowed through and over this water line’s carcass like a hose the size of a creek. It wasn’t just humid in the room, it was misting.
The water line was loud, which made it hard to talk without shouting. The water filled the air with a foul odor, perhaps even poisonous, so there was no chance I was taking my goggles or face mask off while I was down here. However, the water pressure being what it was, the room was windy. It was loud, smelly, and cold in this room.
The creek was the centerpiece. So much so that it was easy to forget the cage walls that lined the other raised platform opposite the one I had entered onto. Shrouded by the mist, I could barely make out that there were two layers of cage. One flesh up against the creek that crossed over to my platform on the right side. Beyond that were additional cage walls for each exhibit, some larger I assumed based on need.
The large cage wall had two exits. One on the left side, the upstream side of the creek, and the other nearest me on the right which opened on the platform here. I was guided to the right door. Over the rage of the water, the guide shouted to me what I heard as, “Take a lap.” I entered the cage.
I ascended a few stairs and now was standing over the creek’s path. Despite the extra elevation, everything was slick from the mist and the cage mesh otherwise caked in sludge. The sludge was the contributing factor to my previous lack of visibility. It had masked the makeshift nature of the inner cages and what they contained.
There was no rhyme or reason to the layout of the inner cages. The collection seemed to be ad-hoc, new cages tossed on to the other cages over time. Each had a tarp lined base, but yes most of these cages were boxes. Some were smaller than dog crates, others larger. Some cages had thick bars, but most were wrapped in a few layers of cage mesh.
The cages that sat just above the creek seemed the least fortunate as the wind was whipping beads of water constantly into these cages. I could barely hear myself think. I couldn’t understand how anything could survive just a constant pounding of the senses days on end. I hoped the situation wasn’t so, but the realization, seeing the conditions in person, left me rattled.
I descended the stairs which led me over to the other raised platform. Past the gully of the creek, the noise and misting had tampered down. I was finally feeling like I was no longer going to slip at every step. At this corner turn of the warehouse, I caught my breath and tried to process everything I had seen in these past few minutes.
Most of these mutants are ghastly. Few are discernible from their above ground counterparts. Most look rotting away: missing limbs or chunks of their bodies, shrunken or shriveled appendages, plague-like welts and discolorations. This is no cradle of accelerated evolution. This is a bimolecular firing squad taken to DNA. And I’m in the firing squad’s home base.
Being in this man-made cesspit is making me sick. The morals of anyone who can stand to be here make me know this is a dangerous, lawless place. I need to get out of here now.
I don’t want to draw attention to myself, to show I’ve been defeated by this place with two thirds more of the tour to go. I stiffen up my back upright and relax my arms and shoulders. I’ll keep pace with the group and just avoid looking into the cages to spare myself any more trauma.
The cages on the raised platform were in less disarray, and of more consistent size. I was befuddled that any one of us in the group had an interest in peering anymore into this world. However, most people appeared to look on with interest. I hoped that they were feigning like myself, doing an even better job to not arouse suspicion in their fortitudes.
I walked a line equidistant between the perimeter cage wall and the individual exhibit cages lined up the row. While it seemed disorganized at first, the cage placement seemed to progress from smallest to largest mutants. The creatures grew larger as I walked by, keeping myself far enough that none could grab at me through the mesh or bars. I made it another third of the way out.
An audible, curdling scream made my body involuntarily turn to see just what it was behind me. I saw one of the group had jumped back and was clinging to the perimeter mesh for dear life. One of the creatures had gotten into a tantrum of sorts and was wailing incessantly. It captured the entire group’s attention, but once I knew what it was and that it hadn’t broken free I turned away. I didn’t want to both see and hear it’s agonizing pain.
That’s when I noticed it. A two legged creature, half my height, had poked out its head from in between two of the cages. It was horrific to think about but we as guests were only seeing some of the story. The room definitely extended beyond this curated line of cages. I had a panic flash realizing some of these creatures are on the loose within this perimeter cage.
I froze, waiting for it to make a move. It looked to me. I made eye contact, but it probably couldn’t see my eyes through my goggles in the poor lighting. I’m not sure why but I stepped forward and this was enough to spook it back between the cages, and that spooked me to take two steps back.
It didn’t seem anyone else in the group noticed that creature, but I was on high alert now. With some of these mutants on free rein in here, we were in more danger than I realized. I could now longer glaze over my eyes and muddle through the final third of the tour. Everything in my heart was telling me to cut and run, sprint to the exit door right now. I reigned my emotions back in with a few wheezing breaths.
As the exit door came into view, I was completely fatigued. By comparison, it felt like when I had first entered the warehouse I was in the greatest condition of my life–even though I hardly was. But the mental and physical fatigue of the tour was so stark it did feel that way.
I had been walking along the perimeter wall. Especially with the creatures getting larger, surpassing human size, somehow the whirring sounds of the toxic creek below became my mind’s only refuge from the thought that these cages were and could be compromised by any of these colossal beasts at any moment. Based on body language, some of the group members were in awe of the size of these things. I envied their perverted blissfulness in the face of this tragedy.
Despite my instincts to gun it out the exit door, by the end I was the final group member to leave. This is how I know I’m fucked up. As the only one to see the freed creature, I felt an obligation to be the group’s look out. I didn’t know any of these people, but knew I was the most on alert. If things were going sideways I would want as many of us to make it out as we could muster. So yeah, I was the last one.
I descended the steps to the perimeter exit. The mesh door was not locked, but it was terribly heavy and the handle needed a whole handed pinch to release open. With the wind speed as well, it was going to take a good amount of force to wedge open. Each of us in the group managed to finagle it open though.
As I pried the door open to take my leave, I sensed a presence behind me. I should have barreled through the door and slammed it shut and just been done with this whole thing. I turned and finally saw the free roamer up close. It had come up near to me and the door, unbeknownst to me thanks to the conditions in this cave warehouse. So much for looking alive.
The creature had the form of a younger human girl. She had these giant welts holed out across her body with skin hanging off of them. They looked like rodent ears sparsely flowering from her body. Her hair and face were covered in the sludge that coated the mesh and floors. Despite all that, she stared at me like a shy, lost, ordinary human girl. She looked into my goggles like she was trying to see into my soul.
I don’t know how I fucked up so bad, but I did. Maybe it was the forever scarring mental fatigue, maybe it was the pure look in her eyes despite her corroded exterior, maybe I wanted to redeem myself for coming here, heck maybe it was my subconscious default of always politely holding doors open for people. She had her chance and she took it. I held the door open and she walked through.
I regretted it instantly. She walked down the stairs and then walked towards the creek. Her body language told me a confusing story as she began climbing around the water line, walking over the fallen rock. She was scared. I had this glimmer of hope that everything was above board and she was let out from time to time but no. She was shaking nervously to be out beyond the cage.
Maybe I thought she’d make a run for it and try to escape this place, but I saw now that didn’t suit her in her condition. She had the ambition to leave but now was scared to take the next step and was roaming just outside the cage in the creek. It dawned on me that for her to try and escape here would probably mean her death. Seeing her helpless like this I wanted to bring her back within the perimeter.
I waved over and shouted for her to return. She noticed me and for a brief moment began walking back to me. I was relieved she had figured out her own limitations and that coming back was the right choice. She came just a few steps from the door and I extended my hand, ready to grab her back in if she got within my reach. However, she changed her mind and turned back towards the creek.
As she walked away I panicked, and got angry. This reaction of mine scared me. Here I had come to this mutant prison, been absolutely wrecked by what I witnessed, attempted to redeem myself in saving this girl, and now I was an angry jailor trying to maintain the status quo of this place I detested. It was such a whirlwind of emotions, and I was scared that letting her go would mean my death as well.
I was legitimately angry with her and went after her to drag her back into the cage. She saw me coming and ran down the creek. I, not wanting to get too intimate with the toxic water, was too cautious to pursue her. She got away from me and made it down to the end of the line. She looked back and we made another round of eye contact. Now she seemed resolved to not ever come back willingly to the cage.
“You won’t catch her,” our guide shouted down to me.
I should have been relieved in some way to show that at least I was trying to fix my mistake, but I was focused on re-imprisoning this girl. I shouted back, “I have to try!”
I continued cautiously down the water line until I slipped and fell. The deed was done. I got most of my clothes dirty and soaked in the stench. This freed me up to pursue more brazenly as getting out of here untouched was now a lost cause.
More than that though, in just this half minute of chasing after her, my reason for doing so had evolved. This mess I had made for myself in such a dangerous place–I pieced together that the only way I might be living this place alive was to embrace that flash of redemption I had when I let her go in the first place.
Even though she looked a fright, and would probably die up there if she made it up anyways, I was now going to bring this girl to the surface. No matter what.
I suppose I won’t get the choice to make a life altering decision. No, instead I’ll just have to try and make the most of my lapse in judgement to set this girl free. In all those steps towards the end of the warehouse, I made peace with that.
Nearly cornered at the end of the warehouse creek, the girl stood against the wall as I approached. How could I juggle my change of heart and body language such that she could ever trust me again? I might be carrying her to the surface past anyone trying to get in my way with her kicking and screaming. The guide had descended half way down to the creek at this point.
She and I caught notice of the same thing on the edge of the creek. A little relief tunnel taking on some of the water. Pitch black, its mouth littered with chunks of rock but otherwise looked like a water slide entrance. I moved to get in between her and this escape route.
She ran towards it and I grabbed her by the arm, but she was too slick. She broke free and jumped down the slide.
Her arm, when I touched, seemed completely human. Skin, bone, and what little muscle she had. Mutant or not, I sensed her humanity as she broke free from me.
The guide was now at creek level with me. I shouted over, “Where’s this go?”
He shouted back, “Deeper.” I took offense to this reply. Now we were at the mouth of the water line and there was so much noise that I may have misheard, but I thought I heard a malicious humor in the guide’s voice. I was angry again.
“Hey, what are you–“ I dove into the hole, leaving the guide behind, diving in head-first for theatrical effect.
I’m saving this girl.