The door to the professor's office slowly nudged open. Swift poked his head inside, scanning the room for any signs of life. The beast could be in there for all he knew, waiting for somepony foolish enough to open the door before attacking. The whole office looked empty and neat. Whatever had escaped hadn't been here yet. For the moment, it was safe and peaceful.
Swift closed the door behind him as he entered the room. He breathed a sigh of relief for the temporary safety afforded by the office. Swift looked around the room for anything he could use. Maybe a weapon of some kind. A gun if he was lucky. Swift trotted behind Richard's desk and began ransacking the drawers.
There had to be something here he could use. Richard was a smart man. He must have left something behind in case the monster ever broke free. Something that might stop it or at the very least, keep it at bay until help, real help, arrived. As Swift rifled through the numerous sheets of reports and documents, something shiny caught his eye. It glinted in the dim fluorescent lights of the facility. For a second, Swift thought that the light shining upon it was from heaven itself.
A revolver. It wasn't much and it certainly won't stop a rampaging killing machine designed to destroy entire armies in a blink of an eye but it was all the defense Swift had. It won't really help when the beast comes by but having it there calmed Swift's nerves a bit. He felt just a little bit safer.
Swift began searching through the remaining drawers again. Something even better might pop up.
Clip clop clip clop...
Swift's body froze with fear. Somepony or something was coming for him. His hooves started to shake and beads of sweat started pouring down his trembling face. Swift raised the revolver and aimed it at the door. If the beast wanted him, it had to fight for him.
Slowly but surely, the sounds became louder and louder.
Clip clop clip clop...
Swift's hooves were shaking uncontrollably now. It didn't help that he saw what the beast could do to a pony just this morning. Torn to shreds in an instant. Not a chance.
A shadow appeared under the door and it stopped. The doorknob turned. The beast couldn't operate doorknobs could it? Could it be one of the other experiments? The trigger of the revolver was almost pushed all the way down. All it needed was a little push.
The door swung open and Swift let out a tremendous sigh of relief.
"Richard!"
"Woah there Swift! Easy where you aim that thing!"
"Sorry doc," apologized Swift, lowering his weapon. "I thought you were a monster."
"Monster? Whatever do you mean?"
"You mean... you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"There's been a containment breach Richard! Something's escaped its holding."
"Oh dear. Well that explains where everypony went to. I was cantering around looking for everypony. I thought I'd miss some birthday party memo or something."
"Listen Richard, it's dangerous here. We have to get out."
"Well, I assume since lockdown is in effect, the main entrance has been sealed."
"I nearly made it out that way but the blast doors were closed before I could get there in time."
"We'll just have to stay put until this mess gets sorted out then."
"We can't stay here Richard! We have to get out. It could be days before lockdown is lifted and help arrives. Days! We could be dead by then."
"Calm down Swift. I've worked in this facility for years and I've survived multiple lockdowns unscathed. Believe me when I say it that the offices are one of the safest places to hide in during lockdown. We can wait until..."
Thump thump thump thump...
"Richard! Get behind the desk! Something's coming!"
Taking the wise advice of his assistant, the professor hurried behind his desk as Swift readied his weapon once more.
Thump thump thump thump...
"Whatever it is Doc, it's something big."
"And it seems to be coming this way."
"What do we do Richard? This puny revolver won't stop that... whatever that thing is!"
"Maybe if we stay really quiet, the beast will pass."
Both ponies crouched down behind the desk. It was big enough to hide them both well. If they stayed perfectly still and silent, it would seem as if the whole office was empty.
Thump thump thump thump...
The sounds was driving Swift crazy. Any second now, he was imagining that horrific monster crashing through the door and mauling them both. The huge footsteps ended just outside the office door and there was that shadow underneath it.
Sniff... sniff...
It was sniffing them out. Both ponies stayed perfectly still, holding their breath for as long as possible.
Sniff... sniff... thump thump thump...
As the shadow underneath the door faded away, both ponies breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment, the danger had passed and they were safe again.
"Richard, that was a little too close for comfort. We have to get out of here. Maybe there's a side entrance or... or... a secret escape door or something."
"Hm... I might know a way out. A private escape out of Sector K. Each sector has one. It's for head researcher use only. Apparently, Control deems us too valuable assets to leave behind in a lockdown so a private door was designed in a secluded part of each sector for any head researchers left behind in a lockdown to escape to."
"Wait wait... so you're saying that I'm... expendable?"
"No!" scowled Richard. "You will never be expendable. We'll get out of here Swift. Both of us."
"Wouldn't that get you in trouble? Bringing an 'expendable' like me out through a private escape?"
"I'd risk anything for you Swift. Remember that. You will always be my..."
Crash!
The whole room shook as if it was in the epicenter of an earthquake. The lights flickered and grains of concrete fell from the ceiling. The door to the office looked as if a missile had tried to break through it and nearly succeeded.
Roar!
"We have to get out Doc!"
"Quickly, in the washroom! There's a small window that leads out into the hallway we can squeeze throu..."
Crash!
The door bent a little further as the whole room shook again. Swift ran for the door to the bathroom and opened it for the professor.
"Doc, quick! Get in!"
"Hold on!" shouted the professor, searching through his drawers, "There's something I have to find!"
"There's no time Richard, we have to leave now!"
Crash!
"Aha! Found it!" declared the professor, holding up a small black rectangular device.
Boom! Roar!
The door had completely caved in at this point and the beast poked it's canine head into the room. It couldn't fit its whole body inside. It was far too big. The professor recoiled in horror as the door crashed down, almost dropping the device in his hoof.
Swift took aim with his revolver and fired.
Blam!
The bullet traveled through the air in an instant and landed right in the beast's left arm that it was trying to get a hold of the professor.
Roar!
The gunshot had only seemed to make it more angrier. The bullet had harmlessly bounced off the creature's thick pale pink skin. A deliberate design choice. Using the momentary distraction the gunshot had offered, the professor stumbled into the washroom with Swift, who slammed the door shut.
Roar!
The both of them were panting. If it wasn't for Swift's gunshot, Richard might not have made it out alive.
"That was a brilliant shot Swift!" commended the professor, "You.. you saved my life."
"Well doc, I guess the time spent at the range really helped. There was nothing for me to do on my off-hours anyways."
Crash!
The room shook. Both of the ponies could hear it. The creature had managed to squeeze itself into the office and was now furiously defiling the whole office as revenge for the gunshot. Swift took it as a sign that it was time for them to leave and they both made their way to the small window in the corner of the room. It wasn't that big but it was the only escape they had.
"Come on Richard, I'll boost you up," suggested Swift, getting ready underneath the window.
The professor wasn't a fit man. He'd spent most of his days lounging in his office and in his old state now, he was in no shape to escape a lockdown. Especially with the pressure of a giant killing machine bearing down on them. The professor stepped onto Swift's hooves and reached upwards for the window sill. Swift used his strength to lift the professor. Being an old man, Richard was quite light and regularly going to the gym certainly helped Swift too.
Once the professor was over (indicated by the thud and 'oof' of his failed landing on the other side), Swift leapt up onto the window sill and squeezed his body through the small window.
With the both of them reunited, the two ponies quietly crept through the hallways, leaving behind the beast still ravaging the professor's office.
"Richard, this path leads to a dead end. There's nothing but maintenance pipes here."
"Exactly. This is where the door is."
Thump thump thump...
Both ponies froze in place as they recognized the distinct sound of the beast's footsteps. It was close. They looked at each other to reaffirm what they just heard and the fearful look confirmed both of their fears.
"Quickly," whispered Richard. "Get this closet out of the way."
Both ponies lifted the closet quietly and tried to move it aside but it was too big. Too big for the both of them to lift.
Clang!
The closet fell flat on the floor.
"Uh... doc. I think you better open that door pronto."
The professor repositioned his glasses and opened a cleverly disguised power box that was hidden behind the large frame of the closet. It was a retina scanner.
Removing his glasses, the professor hurriedly put his eyes onto the scanner. The blue lights of the device whizzed and whirred as it scanned Richard's eyes.
Thump thump thump...
"Uh doc, I think its seen us."
The professor put his glasses back on as the machine finished processing. The beast was looking down the hallway at them. Staring.
"Retina scanning complete. Match successful. Welcome. Head Researcher Richard."
"Yes yes yes you darn computer! Just open the door!" shouted the professor.
Roar!
The beast was charging down at them now. The whole place was shaking.
"Door opening. Please wait."
"Dang it!" yelled the head researcher as he banged the door with his hooves.
Swift raised his revolver at the charging creature and fired several shots with his trembling hooves. Contrary to popular belief, it was hard to concentrate on aiming when a gigantic giant is charging straight at you to rip you apart.
Blam! Blam! Blam!
The three shots rang out and sailed through the air towards its target.
Fltch! Fltch! Ping!
The last shot had missed and slammed into a nearby pipe, blowing a hole in it and releasing a torrent of steam. The creature roared as its skin came into contact with the hot steam. The part of the skin where the steam had hit was bubbling but it still did not deter its charge.
"Door open. Enjoy your stay."
The door slid open instantly and the both of them scrambled inside. Swift slammed the large red button by the door, sealing the doorway just as the monster crashed into it.
Boom!
"That... that... was..." panted Swift. "Really close Richard. Too close. You didn't tell me it was weak to high temperatures."
"I didn't think that was necessary. I was meaning to rectify that weakness next week."
"It's a good thing it's not next week then."
Clip clop clip clop clip clop
It was the sound of galloping. A lot of galloping.
"Freeze! Don't move!"
In an instant, a squad of gun-toting security officers were aiming their weapons at both of them.
"Don't worry gentlecolts. I'm a head researcher. This is... an authorized escape."
The security officers didn't let their guard down. One of them, presumably the leader, spoke into his headset built into his helmet.
"Control, we have a two unidentified ponies who just escaped Sector K lockdown through the head researcher emergency exit. Please advise, over."
"Units, this is Control. Stand down. Bring them to a safe distance away and await further instructions."
"Roger that Control," the security officer responded, motioning his rifle to a door. "Move it."