Free LOCKED by Luis DaSilva Page A

breaking eye contact.
    One of the most notable
parts of our existence in the facility was the lack of fresh air. We were never
given a chance to go outside, seeing as our menial little jobs required us to
stay deep within the steel labyrinth. It seemed like so long since I had seen
the sun, even though I had probably only been within the facility a few days by
that point. Natural light seemed so scarce that I had to wonder if Eddy’s eyes
had adjusted to subterranean-like conditions underneath those red goggles he
always wore.
    Speaking of Eddy’s existence
in the metallic caverns, Danni tended to butt heads with him when given
directions. Wherever, whenever she was given a “do this, this, and that”, Danni
would faithfully respond with a “why?” It was probably due to Danni seeing her
own behavior as refusal to be a slave, which then involuntarily included
refusal that U.S.P.L. was our only hope for survival in a world desolate.
Still, she seemed to only confront his role as a leader. On the off-chance that
they crossed paths off-duty, they shared a mutual respect. The three of us
formed a trio that, while stress-inducing at times, ultimately made the factory
life as healthy as possible (of course, only speaking in terms of mental health
rather than physical).
    One afternoon, maybe two
weeks after we had first arrived, Eddy sent us to do some maintenance in the
iron jungle I had seen when I first arrived. We were handed a clipboard with a
checklist and essentially told to make sure everything was in working order
without any prior experience or supervision. Needless to say…it became a
nightmare.
    Danni and I had no sort of
guide as to where this lever or that monitor was. We had no idea where the
ladder to the pressure gauge was. There wasn’t even a hint as to where the
“central conveyer system” was. Our best bet was to simply examine every object
in sight and mark down whatever statistics Eddy was looking for to the best of
our ability. The numerous drones and bots on predetermined pathways didn’t help
much, either. They littered the floor, clambered and climbed over machinery,
and whizzed through the air. Their electronic language unheard by us made us
feel suspicious, as though they were talking, teasing, plotting behind our
backs.
    At one point, while I was
trying to make sense of a series of dials and measurements in a corner of the
mechanic undergrowth, I heard a sharp expletive come from Danni some distance
away.
    “Danni? Everything ok?” I
shouted behind me.
    “…It’s nothing!” she replied
back after a delay. I stared ahead for a second or two, thinking over what may
have happened, until I realized that whatever she had done really wasn’t my
problem…
    …Until a loud “pop!” and the
sound of cracking glass preceded every bit of machinery in the facility going
out at once. Robots, lights, ventilation, conveyors... all shut off.
    “…Well, that just happened.”
I stated in as neutral a way as I could.
    “YOU’RE DAMN RIGHT IT DID!”
I heard Eddy shout as a door slammed open near the two of us. I saw the beam of
his flashlight waving around, poking holes in the darkness between machines.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Danni oh-so-slyly slip through the door
behind him, obviously not wanting to take the blame. I took a step forward to
make the very same escape, but knocked my foot against a metal bar on the floor
that I hadn’t seen. As fortune would have it, I immediately found the
flashlight shining in my face.
    Soon after, Eddy turned the
emergency generator on, and it produced a series of very dim lights throughout
the facility. The eyes on the ceiling that previously stalked our every
movement with a blood-bath of light suddenly seemed to have a dulled interest.
I found Danni in a sleeping quarter nearby, and she didn’t look the least bit
guilty.
    “So? How did things go?” she
asked.
    “ What do you think?” I grudgingly replied, rubbing the bruise on the back of my