Not Worth It
Daniel knew he would only have one shot at freedom, and he was going to take it, whatever the risk. In a flash, he sprang from the chair and ran for the door. The scientists made no move to stop him. He was almost there--he was going to make it!
Pain. Daniel screamed, as a jolt came from the Override Device and ran down his back. His entire body went limp, and he breathed a single, ragged, gasp. His breathing went back to the measured rhythm imposed by the device. Against his will, Daniel rolled onto his back and stared off into space.
"Idiot," the leader said. He tapped the remote, and Daniel stood up. "I will never understand why people try to escape after we've put the device in, but far too many people do. We actually have a special wing at the central facility for fools like you. We use them for the more dangerous, painful experiments...not that they ever complain.
Daniel began to walk, calmly this time, to the still-open doorway. "Also," the leader said, "only an idiot would believe that the door I opened was an exit door." As Dan crossed the threshold, he saw only a small room with what appeared to be a cage made of glass and metal standing in the center of it. The cage door slid open, and Dan walked in. A computerised voice said, "Teleport coordinates entered: Project Zero central facility, Wing F." There was a pause, accompanied by the hum of the machine turning on. A bright light filled the cage. The leader had Dan turn around to face the door as it slid shut. "Warning," the voice continued, "this teleport location is designated as one-way. To cancel these coordinates, press the emergency stop button." The button was a big, flashing red button set into the door frame, only inches from Daniel's hand. It was tantalizingly close, but of course he couldn't reach it. "Five seconds until teleport," the voice said, "Four...three...two...one,"
"Have a nice life," called the leader from outside the cage.
"Zero."
Written by Zodiac on 26 July 2008
