Freedom

by SwarmLordAbdonis

Terrifying truth

The door behind Jax continued to glow purple as the minutes slowly went by. It may as well have been hours since the concept of time had halted for the changeling until he regained his senses.The door in front of him was no longer surrounded in the magical aura due to the guard trying desperatley to get back in and failing.It also meant that it was unlocked and easy for anyone to access, or anything.

One way blocked. The other, should he go would most likely result in his immediate, and very painful death. Whatever was out there was slowly lumbering back and forth the hallway searching. Hunting for its next victim. All the while snarls and all sorts of menacing hisses could be heard, chewing away at Jax's sanity.

This went on for minutes. Any time the sound of hoofsteps started to fade, Jax considered opening it only for the thing outside to return back to its original position. Jax tried his hardest to remain calm, but it was a battle that he was slowly beginning to lose. His nerves were getting to him as well as the thought of eventually being found. He couldn't stay in this room forever. Just one little sound, even the sound of breathing could be enough to give him away.

It brought no comfort that Ant was also still trapped in the cells. At least with the magical aura he had some form of protection. A luxury that Jax quickly became envious of. Even so, neither of them were in a suitable position right now. What was worse that they couldn't even communicate. Ant most likely could have woken up at this point, having no idea where his friend was and may try calling out for him. As discovered not so long ago, neither of these doors were sound proof. Jax knew that the pair of them were living on borrowed time.

For a moment, he remembered the window in the door. It was small and still covered in blood, but it was better than going out and risking his life. And he certainly couldn't stay pressed against the wall for much longer. He slowly made his way over, taking caution with every step taken. For all he knew the beast outside could hear a pin drop from miles away. He needed to be as careful as possible.

When he was finally close enough he peeked through the window. Through the slowly drying liquid he could see the hallway on the other side, stretching a good distance before ending with the prisons front door, his salvation. On the sides of the hallway were two doors each. The furthest one on the left was opened, and unlike the rest of the doors was made of metal. Jax assumed that it was the interogation room and made a mental note that he should try and get in there should the front door be locked. Hopefully the thick door was strong enough to keep the beast out.

Jax looked away and pressed his body to the side as soon as he heard the thing make its way back over. It kept coming and going whenever it felt like it.

The door handle jiggled. Only for a second. Had the creature bumped into it accidentally or was it becoming aware that there was more of the building to explore? Jax guessed that the only reason it hadn't noticed before was because it was too focused on the guard trying to escape it.

Seconds passed irritably. There was no more noise. Just silence.

Jax knew that it hadn't moved on just yet. It was still right outside. Two feet away, chittering to itself.

The handle jiggled again.

'It knows!' Jax screamed inside of his head as the handle began to jiggle more frequently until the door opened slightly.

A curious grunt was heard and the door opened outwards more and more. It didn't take much longer before Jax could see his first glimpse of the creature. A long green limb started to reach into the room and began feeling inside.

Most of it was covered in broken chitin. Changeling chitin. From the breaking points seeped the same yellow liquid that Jax had seen earlier on the strange ling. Something that he noted immediatley. Was that what this thing was? Changelings can't shape shift behind these walls so it was definetley NOT a trick! It was real as he was.

The appendage was longer than himself and had at least three joints. The parts that weren't covered in chitin were as thin as a rake. It easily touched the other side of the room without extending its full reach. Worse, a strange dark green two foot long blade stuck out from the bottom of the hoof, looking like it had forced its way through the chitin. A feat that would take a tremendous amount of force to accomplish.

The blade kept tapping the back wall before reaching round to the wall opposite of Jax. About eight seconds later, it began to manuever its way across to Jax who held his breath, feeling helpless.

It began tapping the empty spot right next to him and slowly began making its way closer to Jax who at this point was forced to stay still. Any attempt to move or get out of the limbs way would surely be heard or felt.

It was mere inches away before salvation could be heard. Another door opened and the sound of two ponies could be heard talking. Considering that it had taken them this long not to notice the death of one of their own, chances were that their door was soundproof, unlike Jax's.

'Lucky!' He bitterly thought.

KRKRKRKRKKRKRKRRR...

Or perhaps not...

The beast seemed to hear them too as the limb retreated quickly and made its presence known with the same aggresive screech from earlier. Screaming quickly followed.

Realising that this was his chance, Jax threw the door open without hesitation, ignoring the sudden wetness on his hooves as he took his first steps out the room and ran, doing his best not to look in the direction or even listen to the dying screams. He doubted that his brain could take in the terrifying scene.

In seconds he had already made it down the hallway and to the door. He pulled the handle and realised to his shock it was locked.

The screams were fading quickly. It would be coming for him next.

Thinking quickly, he darted through the metal door on the left he noticed earlier in the nick of time. Hoofsteps were fast approaching.

Jax slammed the door shut, not caring about the loud bang it made and twisted the lock barely before the beast slammed into the door, knocking him onto his back.

*BANG*
*BANG*
*BANG*

Again and again the creautre rammed itself against the metal. Small dents began to form but the door was holding. It was at least a minute before it finally gave up and Jax's heart rate slowed.

Being so focused on the entrance, Jax realised that he hadn't checked the rest of the room. He turned to inspect it and immediatley regretted doing so.

There were multiple bodies spread across the room. Blood covering most of the floor. What was worse was that none of the bodies were in one piece. Jax resited the urge to vomit. He felt like he was better off in the quarintine area compared to where he was now. Gaining his composure, he convinced himself to step forwards and inspect the bodies. It was possible that one of them had a key to the entrance.

Five minutes of reluctant searching ended up fruitless. None of the guards had a key on them. Three bodies searched. That left one more, though this one there was no point searching.

Unlike the others sprawled across the floor, this one had managed to remain in his seat. His injuries were grevious. More so than the others. Multiple slashes, two missing appendages and several organs flowing from his stomach. Though despite these foul details, the most important one that Jax focused on was his race.

He was another changeling.

Was it the strange ling from before? Surprisingly not! Even through the injuries Jax could tell that this one was older. There had been a fourth changeling here and they didn't even know. Maybe he had been recently captured? Not that it mattered now.

Jax spotted something else. A large tape recorder that seemed to remain intact, other than a small splatter of blood painting the front of it. His mind battled back and forth before considering playing it. Get some sort of insight or information on anything that could help him get out of this place. He pressed the play button. The voice of one of the guards started it off.

"Right. You know why you're here. Have you anything to say before we begin?"
...
"I'll take that as a no."
...
"You probably think you're very high and mighty sitting there don't you? Looking like you don't give a care in the world."
...
"Do you understand that we can keep you locked up in here for a long time?"
...
"It's your choice. If you want to reduce your sentence, I'd recommend that you answer our following questions while you still can."

Ten minutes of going back and forth went by. If it wasn't for the corpse sitting on the chair, Jax would have sworn that this guard was talking to himself. Eventually, things took a turn as the guard spoke up once more.

"Okay then. It's clear that we're getting nothing out of this one. Go fetch the next prisoner and throw this tight lipped creature in his new home."

The sound of somepony leaving the room could be heard.

"Storm Glider, escort this one through the quarintin-"
"You're all going to die here."

SILENCE

"Care to repeat that?"
"You heard me the first time. I know which changeling rests in your cells. The one that doesn't move. He's going to kill you all."
"Is that right? And how do you figure that?"
"Tell me. Did you happen to find him a day after you most recent prisoner? In an open area?"
"Maybe we did. Maybe not. What's your point?"
"Fools. He was planted there by me. A little something from the queen to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Wasn't supposed to get caught though... now my fate's sealed too..."
"Hey! What do you mean you planted him?"
"Well, we're all going to be dead by the end of the day so I may as well tell you. The changeling kingdom has liked using experimental solutions with its soldiers. Very few pay off too. That lone changeling in the cell is one of them."
"What kind of experiments are we talking about here?"
"Experiments that will guarantee results when no-ling else can. In this case, information denial."
"Information denial?"
"That's right. In the event that a drone is captured, the hive must deploy one of these experiments to a location of interest where it will be soon be discovered quickly after being planted. It seems unconcious but really, that's the solution overtaking its system. It takes anywhere between nine to twenty hours after injection before the experiment reaches what's known as the metamorphis stage where it rapidly changes into a killing machine. Very dangerous, very hard to stop, and goes for any-ling it can find. Specifically another changeling."
...
"What's the matter pony? Cat got your tounge?"
"Why would you create such a thing?"
"Weren't you listening? Information denial! To avoid your kind from learning any critical information. Now that it's here, we're all already dead. It could be minutes before we're all torn to pieces."
...
...
"You're lying changeling. We aren't interested in your tall tales-"
The sound of a door is heard opening and closing.
"Sir. We have the next changeling ready for interrogation."
"Why's his head shaking like that?"
"I warned you pony."
"Golden Fleece, help Storm Wind bring him under control now!"
"Yes sir!"
"Why's he staring at the other changeling like that?"
"WHOA! Help me out here"!
"Hey! Calm down!"
"What the hay is that growing out of his hoof?!"
"Dear Celestia!"

The rest of the tape is quickly drowned out by screaming and the same screeching noise from earlier. It doesn't take long before the room goes silent.

Jax quickly switched it off, unable to take the whirring sound of the tape continuing to play. He allowed the information that he had heard to process in his mind. It sickened him both in body and mind. It was now official. The hive had left him for dead! Sure he hadn't expected a rescue but this was worse! Much worse! So much for loyalty! He and Ant were going to-

His thoughts stopped once more. He had almost forgotten about Ant! He was still trapped in his cell! He couldn't just leave him to die here. He had to get him out of here!

*TAP* *TAP*

Jax blinked. He heard a strange tapping sound that had brought him out from his thoughts.

*TAP* *TAP*

There it was again.

*TAP* *TAP*

Jax slowly turned to the source of the noise and found himself looking at his own reflection. He quickly realised that he was looking at a one way mirror. And he had a good guess what was making that tapping noise.

It continued to make that noise for another minute before it could be heard walking away. How it had even reached the other side without being heard to begin with he had no idea. But it seemed like it had gone now.

Cautiously, he made his way over to the window just six feet away and pressed his ear against it, just to make sure it had really gone.

*SMASH*

A green blade broke through the screen, barely missing him! The sounds of angry growls could be heard outside. The thing was coming for him once more!

Comments

[Ari Dufresne]

Dis gon b gud...

[Lerd_Gamer]

Well damn, gonna leave me on another cliff hanger? Least you got my attetion, good job and das want moar.