Extensis Vitae - By Gregory Mattix Page 0,4
he didn’t press her on it.
“Well, Administrator Swanson wanted me to show you to your quarters and find you something to wear. I’ll take you there.”
Reznik nodded and followed her as she went into the hallway. The security duo fell into step behind them. A long, dim corridor led past numbered rooms. The walls and ceiling were all made out of the same dull gray metal. Pipes and ductwork were exposed along the ceiling, and LED lights were interspersed at regular intervals. Soft elevator music was piped through a speaker system. The place reminded Reznik of a bunker. He couldn’t specifically recall having been in a bunker before, but somehow, he knew he had.
He found himself trying to take in every detail of his surroundings without being obvious about it. Whatever past training he had received was apparently so ingrained, that he noticed all the details without any conscious effort. He noted security cameras at the intersection of the hallway facing every direction. They took a set of stairs up one level. A sign marked “DINING ROOM, COMMON AREA” had an area pointing up. Another sign that said “LIVING QUARTERS” designated the level they entered. He didn’t see any signs for an exit anywhere, though.
They passed by a number of identical rooms marked by numbers on the doors. After a few moments of silence, Myrna spoke up. “I’m sorry that I can’t tell you anything. This must be terrible for you—waking up in a strange place and nobody willing to tell you what is going on or anything.”
“Believe it or not, I’ve had less cordial treatment before,” Reznik replied with a half-smile. “You’ve treated me well, and I don’t want to get you in trouble by pressing you for answers. I appreciate you taking care of me, not being a doctor and all.”
She gave a sad smile. “Hopefully you still feel kindly toward me once you talk to Swanson. I just hope this turns out well for all of us.”
Myrna stopped abruptly in front of a door that was identical to the others. It was marked ‘56C.’ A motion sensor activated, and the door slid silently open. She gestured for him to enter.
Inside was an austere chamber with a couple of chairs, a desk, and a small sofa. Reznik stepped inside and could see a small bedroom off to one side and a tiny kitchenette on the other. He was surprised to see a large picture window opposite the door. He looked around and saw that Myrna was waiting outside the door.
“Well, this is where you will be staying. Clean clothes are in the wardrobe. If you feel like a shower or anything, help yourself.” She pointed to an intercom device near the door. “If you need anything, just call me. Swanson will send for you soon, I’m sure.”
“I can hardly wait. Thanks.”
She smiled and left, the door sliding shut quietly behind her. He decided he liked her—she had an honest face. Pretty, too, he thought.
He walked over to the picture window, amazed that there could be such a view from what seemed like a bunker. A scenic landscape stretched out before him: deep blue skies overhead and a sunlit green meadow below an imposing mountain range. As he moved closer to the window, he realized there wasn’t any glass. In fact, the mountain scene was a clever projection on the wall. The image distorted as he passed his hand through the projection and touched the metal wall behind it.
Reznik walked into the bedroom and saw a neatly made bed and a large wardrobe against the wall. Inside the wardrobe hung a couple of the navy blue utility uniforms, nicely pressed. I guess this is the dress code, then, he thought.
He was going to poke his head out into the hallway and see if the guards were posted outside, but the door wouldn’t open. He ran his fingers around the frame, but couldn’t find a handle or any buttons to release it. Apparently, he wasn’t going anywhere unless they invited him.
With a sigh, he decided he would take a shower and freshen up before they summoned him. He stepped into the shower, surprised that the water came out hot almost instantly. As he soaked up the warmth, his mind began to wander.
***
“Down the hatch!” yelled a clearly drunken Nash. The others howled in agreement and they all downed a shot of whiskey. Reznik felt the burn as it went down, but it felt great. There were four of them in