A Bad Day at Work

[Radium_Angel]

(Note: I will be posting one page a day, until the story is done. Each page ends on a cliffhanger)

 

There comes a point in every person’s life where their next decision will mean the difference between life, and death. My next decision was going to be just like that, and I wasn’t looking forward to making it. Nonetheless, by not making a decision, a decision would be made for me, and the outcome would most likely not be in my favour.

 

It’s funny how in times like these, times of life and death struggles, that the mind wanders off into long forgotten territories and dredges up totally useless trivia. Like the lyrics from a Rush song for example:

 

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice.

If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.

You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill;

I will choose a path that's clear

I will choose Free Will.

 

The Free Will to decide, in the next very moment, whether you will live to see tomorrow…or be a crazed monster’s midnight snack.

 

 

Let me back up my story for a moment, and give you a framework of reference. It’s not every day you read about hairy monsters stalking high rise offices at the stroke of midnight. Well, I’ve never read anything in the news about this, so it’s probably safe to say this is a unique event. At least I hope it’s unique. Can you imagine the conversations between co-workers if this sort of thing became commonplace?

 

“Did you hear about Freddy last night?”

“No, and I didn’t see him this morning either, what’s up?”

“Blaine from accounting ate him.”

“….shame that. Don’t suppose that opens up his office for taking now?”

 

But there I go again, my mind wandering off exactly at the point in time when it should be most focused on the task at hand.

 

Right, where was I?

 

Yes, framework: My name is Nathaniel Cartier. I’m 24 and fresh from the University. I majored in Partying with a minor in Slacking…no, scratch that, I should be honest here…well, not honest, but informative. This way, if anyone reads this, they’ll know what kind of person I was, and the rest they can sort of infer. My Major was in Industrial Psychology with a Minor in Informatics. I’m lucky to have landed a job with my grades and attendance. Not in my chosen field mind you, but at least in my area of interest. This is my first day on the job, and I’m terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought, which is why my mind keeps wandering. 

[Lord Mirdalan]

Be calm. I seriously doubt any of your coworkers want to eat you.

[wasab]

Do you need someone to hold your hand at work? 

[Radium_Angel]

You can see the problem already can’t you? New guy, big office, lots of rules to learn and people to meet. And really, no idea what’s in store for me job-wise, career-wise, or anything of that sort. I don’t even remember the interview. Not that I went on many with my grades, but it must really have been quick and dirty for it not to stick in my brain. Probably at one of those job fares they host from time to time. Come in, dressed for success, spread resumes around, glad handle and smile at all the right moments, and generally hope for the best.

 

So it came as something of a surprise when I got a call to start work on Monday. Not a, “Can you come in for an interview?” or, “We met at the job fare and want to discuss an opportunity with you." No, it was “Mr. Cartier, please show up at 9am sharp, we will be expecting you.” I was so flustered I barely managed to ask for directions.

 

So here I am, at LHP, Inc. hiding in a storage closet, with a single dim bulb, some chemical cleaners and a mop to keep me company, to save my ass. But again, I get ahead of myself.

 

LHP, Inc. is one of those generically imposing buildings in the city center, something you would pass by daily and never give it a second thought.  Tall, full of chrome and mirrored windows on the outside, with a large lobby full of real tile and live plants on the inside. A Miss Stavros met me there, full of bright smiles and business friendship.

 

“Glad you could make it,” she said, leading me through the lobby and toward the elevators, “are you ready to get to work?”

The look on my face gave away my confusion and her professional demeanor slipped just a fraction, but I could tell I’d made a serious error. “Did HR not follow up with you?”

“Nothing, the only phone call I’ve received was from someone, telling me to be here at 9am today.”

 

At that point her face slid into undisguised irritation. “Sorry about that, someone dropped the ball. You’ll be working with a team of other data miners.”

The elevator arrived and she punched floor 16.

“What am I looking for?”

 

She regarded me coolly, as her mask slid back into place, “I wouldn’t know, that’s not my department. I’m sure they will tell you.”

 

Well they didn’t. What they did do, was to lead me into a cubicle, packed with data printouts and told me to start figuring it out. I protested, citing a lack of understanding, direction, information, etc. but it fell on deaf ears. If I wanted the job, they said, I should start mining. I sat down dispirited and tried to make sense of it all. After a few minutes it came to me, this is a test. Sort through this pile, impressive as it may seem, get them an answer, then I’ll get a job.

 

Delighted at my seemingly logical conclusion, I set to work on the task at hand. Unfortunately, it soon became clear that the job was far larger than I originally thought.  All the papers were a mixed collection of newspaper articles, day trading numbers, snippets from the Farmer’s Almanac, religious texts and stuff in languages I couldn’t read. It was junk, a random collection of gibberish.

 

But gibberish or not, I couldn’t tear myself away from the data. I used a laptop with web access to fact check and cross reference and more I read, the less it made sense.  There was something sinister hidden inside the data, and the inescapable conclusion I was coming to, frightened me. With every page I read, every data point I noted, the answer I didn’t want to acknowledge became the only conclusion I could reach. All other options dwindled away until one fact remained.

[Radium_Angel]

The papers lay scattered about the cubicle. My notes lay scattered as well. I looked through them one final time, hoping I’d made some sort of fundamental error, and a different answer would surface. It didn’t. With trembling hands, I gathered up my notes and looked up from the desk.

 

There was no one around. The lights were on, but outside the windows it was dark. Day had slipped away and night had taken its place while I was absorbed in the data.

 

“Hello?” I called out. “Anyone here?”

Silence returned my query.

“Hello? This is Nathaniel Cartier, intern. I’m done with your test. Is anyone here?”

Nothing.

 

Well clearly this area was unoccupied, but perhaps other areas weren’t. I got up and walked in the direction from where I came. Only in my area were all the lights on, in the next section, most of them had been turned off and the area cast into shadows. I stopped, searching the walls for light switches. A voice froze me mid-search.

“Did you find the answers you were seeking?”

 

The voice was odd, as if it came from someone with a mouth full of food. I looked around and thought I saw someone at the other end of the offices.

 

“Y…Yes,” I stammered, unsure how I should present such a fantastic claim, “At least I think I did, but it can’t possibly be the correct one.”

“Oh it’s the correct one indeed Mr. Cartier, and we are pleased you found it so quickly.”

 

The person got up from the desk, and flicked on the lights. But it wasn’t a normal person; it was humanoid, but only just. A bloated shape on two squat legs that moved into the hallway. The head had no neck, just a misshapen lump on top of the doughy torso. Too many teeth filled the mouth, sticking out at odd angles like shark teeth. Scabs festered on the scalp and long patches of hair hung limply down. The eyes, horrifyingly human looking, were walleyed and un-level, roving at random independent of each other. The skin was mottled, a sickly green colour, slowly leaking fluids from various areas. One arm was normal, and held the remains of lunch, red raw and bloody. The other arm was elongated and muscled, with tentacles instead of fingers, which casually explored everything they came in touch with, as the creature limped down the hallway.

 

Towards me.

“You have made us all, very proud.” It said, “so much data and done in one day too. We knew you’d be the right person for the job from the moment we got your transcripts from the University.”

 

My mind was in total lock mode, I was frozen in place by the sight of this horrific thing inching its way toward me, and all I could do was stutter, “Uh…”

 

The creature’s mouth widened in a grotesque approximation of a smile, “Oh yes Mr. Cartier. You were the perfect match. A poor student, bright but lazy. No one expected you to succeed in life and in death, no one will be surprised.”

 

At the word “death” my mind broke free of the terror and I was able to move. I turned to run away from this abomination, anywhere to escape the doom looming down. But I wasn’t fast enough.

[TetraSky]

Is this a legitimate story about what actually happened to you, or just some made up story/fan fic?

[Radium_Angel]

10 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Is this a legitimate story about what actually happened to you, or just some made up story/fan fic?

Just a bit of fiction, mixed with some experiences from a *very* bad job I had.

[Bananasplit_00]

10 minutes ago, TetraSky said:

Is this a legitimate story about what actually happened to you, or just some made up story/fan fic?

Seeing as Radium works as a fetish fotographer I'm fairly sure it's just a creepy story 

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Just a bit of fiction, mixed with some experiences from a *very* bad job I had.

Did you work for the horrible gelatinous blob from futurama? 

[BuckGup]

Sorry I have no sympathy for someone not willing to put in work and are scared because they have to be an adult. Maybe you shouldn't of been partying all the time

[Radium_Angel]

1 hour ago, fpo said:

Did you work for the horrible gelatinous blob from futurama? 

Sort of..yes

[Radium_Angel]

1 hour ago, BuckGup said:

Sorry I have no sympathy for someone not willing to put in work and are scared because they have to be an adult. Maybe you shouldn't of been partying all the time

This isn't an autobiography (I never went to college for the record. I grew up with the school of hard knocks)

I can't actually publish my autobiography here...it's, umm...X-rated

[BuckGup]

47 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

This isn't an autobiography (I never went to college for the record. I grew up with the school of hard knocks)

I can't actually publish my autobiography here...it's, umm...X-rated

What’s happening 

[Radium_Angel]

21 minutes ago, BuckGup said:

What’s happening 

Plenty of things in my past that are critical to the story that is me, I couldn't cut them out of the autobiography without some major loss of context, hence why I can't post it here (I did ask the mods beforehand. And I understand why not. I've had a "colourful" life.)

[wasab]

1 hour ago, Radium_Angel said:

I can't actually publish my autobiography here...it's, umm...X-rated

Okay, now you have my full attention. Please share your story. 

[Radium_Angel]

36 minutes ago, wasab said:

Okay, now you have my full attention. Please share your story. 

Heh, would love to, but can't do it here. What I"m considering is perhaps set up some kind of group PM for those that are interested in hearing it.

[wasab]

3 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Heh, would love to, but can't do it here. What I"m considering is perhaps set up some kind of group PM for those that are interested in hearing it.

Yeah, pm me with your story! I hope it's kinky XD

[Radium_Angel]

Just now, wasab said:

Yeah, pm me with your story! I hope it's kinky XD

Rather...but there is a point to that, otherwise I"d not put it in there

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Radium_Angel said:

This isn't an autobiography (I never went to college for the record. I grew up with the school of hard knocks)

I can't actually publish my autobiography here...it's, umm...X-rated

DMs are open

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Radium_Angel]

2 hours ago, fpo said:

DMs are open

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Forgive my ignorance...DM?

[Radium_Angel]

Another voice froze me in my tracks, there; in the shadows was another abomination. Not even remotely humanoid, this one had no head too many arms and the proportions were all wrong. Even worse, it wasn’t limping down the hallway but rather sliding assuredly towards me.

 

“There is nowhere you can go where we will not smell you out Mr. Cartier. You end is assured.”

 

The sounds this new thing made as it slid down the hall don’t have words in the Queen’s English to describe. My mind locked up again, spun out of control and crashed. Pure reptilian instinct too over and coupled with an overdose of adrenaline I ripped a wall partition out of the nearest cube and threw it at the beast. It was only later that I realized I’d dislocated both shoulders doing so, but at the time I felt no pain, only a mad desire to live.

 

I don’t know what god was with me at that moment, but my aim was dead on. The wall went flying in a perfect arc to knock this thing over. I ran forward, paperwork sailing in my wake, and leapt on to the partition. Mucus and blood went oozing out from either side. The creature underneath howled in pain.

 

“My end may be assured, but not today!” I screamed, jumping up and down on the wall. More fluids leaked out and the creature sighed and deflated, squirting out a noxious odor as it died.

 

Flush or perhaps crazed with victory over one creature, I whirled to face the other one…

 

…and found myself encountering 4 more. In my adrenaline focused rage I must have missed them entirely, but here they were, all as grotesque and misshapen as the first two, and far, far too close to me for comfort.

 

My chemical induced bravado vanished in an instant as they shot out slavering limbs towards me, moaning and drooling as one obscene chorus. The first hit of adrenaline left me and my legs, already shaking deserted me entirely and I fell backwards, landing hard onto the tile floor.

 

That one act of clumsiness saved my life. Pincers snapped where my head was, microseconds after I fell. I could see the chitinous armour of the pincer, and the razor sharp cutters within. I scrambled backwards in full retreat mode, not caring where I was going only glad to be away from them. Luck was on my side and no more creatures appeared to block my path.

 

I was able to turn around and although my legs would no longer support my weight, I managed to scrabble/crab run down a side hall. I could hear their shrieks and howls of rage at being denied a kill. They spoke to each other in the vilest of sounds. A cross between shrieking and blubberous moaning.  Clicking appendages meant they were getting near. I continued to scamper, keeping myself below the tops of the cubical walls, but I was running blindly. Sooner or later I’d hit a dead end... and then what?

 

I came upon a T intersection. Arbitrarily, I turned right. This led to more cubes, some short halls, and some doors, none with a red exit sign overhead. I could hear them closing in from behind. In haste I grabbed a door, yanked it open and tumbled inside. Before I could take stock of the surroundings, I’d tried to slam the door behind me. Once again luck was on my side and a single mop head slid down muffling the closing of the door. I was in a dead end, a janitor closet. Had I slammed the door I’d be dead in seconds. As it was, the overpowering stink of cleaning chemicals must have masked my scent, as the insane mob out there halted. As best as I could, I turned around quietly pulled the mop head away so the door could close completely and braced my shaking legs against the door.

[Radium_Angel]

Quivering with fear, legs shaking uncontrollably, I sat on the damp cement floor. My breath came in ragged gasps and I felt certain I’d made enough noise to give my location away. The mop may have quieted the door slamming, but my gasping would give me away. Worse, the chemical odors where making me dizzy and nauseous. I heard something slid by the door outside and my body when rigid, breath halted in mid-take. I swear I could imagine it outside, pausing, sniffing the air, senses alert for the flesh inside. An eternity passed and with a huff, it moved away.

 

I looked around wildly, desperately searching for salvation within this closet. While I didn’t find god, I did find a shelf loaded with cleaning chemicals, among them bleach and ammonia. Here again my mind slipped to the past, this time plucking out something useful:

 

The bleach decomposes to form hydrochloric acid, which reacts with ammonia to form toxic chloramine fumes:

First the hydrochloric acid is formed:

NaOCl → NaOH + HOCl

HOCl → HCl + O

And then the ammonia and chlorine gas react to form chloramine, which is released as a vapor:

NaOCl + 2HCl → Cl₂ + NaCl + H₂O

2NH₃ + Cl₂ → 2NH₂Cl

 

If ammonia is present in excess, toxic and potentially explosive liquid hydrazine may be formed. While impure hydrazine tends not to explode, it's still toxic, plus it can boil and spray hot toxic liquid.

2NH₃ + NaOCl → N₂H₄ + NaCl + H₂O

 

 An excerpt from my one and only chemistry class taken at the University. I had harboured fantasies about working in a laboratory, creating strange and wonderful new things. That class cured me of that notion, but the study of bleach and ammonia mixed together always stayed with me. Everything I needed was contained here in the closet, the only question was, could I use it properly without killing myself in the process?

 

Well here again we get back to the start of my story.  That one decision, life or death. Make a bomb and use it, or hide here and be found out (and probably be eaten, though I was doing my best not to think about that.)

 

The other creatures had wandered off, but I knew I wasn’t in the clear. That first beast still lurked out there, no doubt waiting for me to find another way out of the building. Well that I was, but I’d be ready for him. Carefully I got off the floor and started collecting what I’d need.

 

First off, I’d needed a glass container. The bottles were all plastic, but I found a nearly empty fifth of booze, neatly tucked away. Just the thing I needed. I took a hard swallow of the rotgut, for courage I told myself, and poured the rest out. In went the bleach and ammonia. I could see the vapors forming already. Quickly I capped the bottle, and tried to take a deep breath to clear my head. Looking around one last time, I grabbed the mop and held it in my left hand. Hey, you never know if it will come in handy.  Bottle between my legs, I used my free hand to open the door and peer out, my body shaking with nerves, booze and overwhelming terror.

[Radium_Angel]

The stink of the hallway was nearly as bad as the closet, not with chemicals but rotted flesh and other things too arcane to imagine. The main lights were still out and the shadows played by indirect lights threw my mind into overdrive. I imagined the beast behind every corner, waiting to pounce and devour me.

 

But the area within my sight was empty. So far so good, but I had no idea where the exits were. There were no illuminated signs saying “this way to safety” or “in case of monsters, go here.” I tried to remember the way back to the elevators, but in the dark I was uncertain which way to go. So there I stood, like the idiot in a Stephen King novel, too afraid to make a move while the horrors crept closer.

 

So the choice was made for me by the slamming of a door. I jumped and twisted my neck towards the sound. There, backlit from the other room was the original thing.

 

“Clever Mr. Cartier, very clever, using the cleaning closet to mask your scent. But you make far too much noise otherwise. Your fate was sealed the moment….”

 

And that’s when I threw the bottle at him.  My aim wasn’t perfect, hitting the doorframe instead, but it was enough to shatter the glass and splash the creature with the chemicals within. I could see the damage instantly, skin melted like hot wax and added to the vapors from the chemical reaction. An earsplitting howl erupted from the toothy maw as the creature whirled and crashed into the door. The screaming would easily be heard on several floors so I knew I had seconds until the others zeroed in on the sound.

 

I charged, impaling the creature with the mop handle, and sprinted past it, holding my breath as I dashed through the vaporous mess into the other room. The creature, leaking fluids spun out of control and fell over keening quietly. I reached out grabbed the door and shut it, fortunate to find a locking handle.

 

Out of the frying pan, into the fire as they say. Another dead end room. This time it was a break room. Could be worse I suppose, could have been the bathroom. But dammit, I’m always making the wrong choice at the wrong time. Story of my life. I turned around to leave and of course, saw the door handle turning as the creatures tried to get in.

 

Well so much for that exit.

 

Quickly I shoved the tabl, and chairs against the door. I could hear them scratching outside, and a curious bubbling noise had been added to the already too-weird sounds they made.

 

“There is no escape for you Mr. Cartier,” said a familiar voice.

 

Didn’t I just kill this thing? Apparently it was much tougher than I thought. I mean, most things die when you pour chlorine gas on them and impale them on a wooden pole.

 

“But if you open this door, I promise your death will be a quick one.”

 

I noticed it didn’t include the word “painless.” I had absolutely no doubt my death at the hands of those things would be very painful indeed.

[wasab]

Where is the kinky erotic tales I've been anticipating? 

[Ezzy-525]