//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: The Rainbow Factory: Questionable Ethics // by analhitler //------------------------------// ‘REPEAT; DO NOT ENTER THE FACILITY ‘ The voice rang out through the building. I knew I had only one way out. I picked up my lighter and flipped it on and started walking down the stairs. One floor...twelve...twenty floors should be enough, right? ‘ALL PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE THE BUILDING DO NOT ENTER THE FACILITY AT ALL COSTS ‘ I walked towards the door slowly, and casting a glance around be saw a flashlight. I grabbed it and turned it on, illuminating the room. On top of the door to the facility were three stencilled words. THE RAINBOW FACTORY -3 days earlier- I stood watching over the men and women in orange jumpsuits conversing below. A voice rang out from the intercom. ‘Good morning. You have been selected out of a group of prisoners deemed too unsafe to be left alive. You were going to be killed. But today, you have a chance to have a lighter sentence, and a chance to serve your country.’ I’d heard it a hundred times before. Just as usual, the prisoners appeared immensely happy at their possible chance of life. Just three days ago I’d seen hundreds of these prisoners herded like cattle into the Factory. I didn’t know what happened in there but I sure as hell knew they never came out. I checked off names on my checklist as they took role call. It’d only be for a day or two they’d be needed. Taking personality tests for whatever reason, and then they’d go to the Pegasus device. The next day we were already saying goodbye to them. Sometimes I feel bad about some of them I actually liked. Just as I was turning around to look over the break schedule when I noticed a single prisoner held stationary by guards. He appeared angry, almost grey in his worn jumpsuit. A single guard walked up to him, his beret sporting a stitching of a lighting bolt with two wings; the Cloudsdale Weather Service insignia. ‘Tell us why it didn’t work,’ he demanded ‘I’m not saying a word!’ the man snarled The officer raised his pistol and aimed it at the man’s head. ‘Last chance.’ He said. The man said nothing. I shielded my eyes as I heard the crack of the pistol ring out through the loading bay. I looked around the place, trying to distract myself. I saw the big open floor space, with its iron bar walls placed systematically around the floor to stop congestion of the prisoners. I saw the small rooms where personality tests were conducted. I looked over to the spot where the man was, they were already dragging him away... Towards the Factory. ‘Hey James! I’ve got the report on Weather Control Deep South. It looks like we’re going to schedule some sno- ‘ The technician’s voice was cut off as he looked at the flashing telescreen, a message popping up on the screen. We have switched to emergency protocol 112-B. All subjects may now be gathered from secondary sources. I looked fearfully at the screen. This was the first time we’d had to switch to secondary recruitment methods. What it meant was that in times of need subjects for the Factory could be taken out of normal prisoners, simple detention centres and even mental hospitals. Tertiary sources were the public... only to be used if extremely necessary. The group of prisoners that meandered into the loading bay were physically indifferent than that of the previous groups. But the way they talked suggested less serious criminals. A few were just muttering to themselves. We did the speech, got them to calm down and it was completely routine. Or, it was until they got here. A blinding flash of light and the doors banged open, heavily armoured soldiers ran in wearing gas masks. Canisters of opaque gas rolled into the centre of the bay and started spewing acrid smoke everywhere. Soldiers rappelled down from the broken skylights, and upon landing lifted their guns to aim at the scientists. I saw a security officer pull a pistol on one of the soldiers and then all hell broke loose. I couldn’t see 2 metres ahead of me and only knew there was an emergency cabinet somewhere here. A bright red box bolted into the wall came into view. I immediately grabbed a gas mask from the box and some flashlight batteries. I kept on running for the stairwell of the building and almost tripped on a dead security officer. Grabbing his pistol, I sprinted forwards. I saw the stairwell just as a soldier came into view, his mask broken and his hands reaching for something to cling to. Instead he found bullets. As I sprinted up the stairs the lights cut off. I pulled out my lighter and decided it could be used for light. Then I had a thought. I just killed a man.