If I thought seeing my lab at the university one last time was weird, my journey to Riquebourc's covert community, Sodalitatem Tectus was infinitely weirder. Perhaps not so much the journey itself as the secretiveness around it.

Riquebourc seemed to be adamant that I would have to work on my own too, but that wasn't quite as daunting. The University in Seris had forced me to work on my own for years. They had refused to allocate staff or resources for something they considered a waste of time. The Director, however, seemed to ask for my solitude out of secrecy rather than malice. Every little bit of my journey so far had proven exactly that.

The small plane had no windows. So despite the lavish interior with two completely reclinable seats and a stewardess that appeared at my side every time I blinked, I had no idea where I was. All I knew was that we took off and were in the air for a while.

And that she hated my rodents.

"Would you like me to put your mice away, Dr Gilbert?" the stewardess tried yet again once the plane was in the air. She offered a wide grin, showcasing her full set of pearly whites. Added to her navy, skirted uniform, she looked about as friendly as any uniformed psychopath would.

I shook my head as I forced a polite smile, "I'm good," I said, "I'll let you know if I need anything..." I squinted to get a better look at the name tag, "Siobhan."

"Very well, sir." Siobhan gave me a small bow before retreating to the cockpit. And I let out a breath of air I hadn't even realised I was holding.

Alone at last.

I had injected 107 with the same serum, more so I could properly watch a mouse this time. I hadn't really been able to watch 106 at all. The heavens only knew what I had missed.

I had therefore kept both 106 and 107 in my immediate vicinity intentionally. Taking notes every hour was more important than anything else. I couldn't afford to miss any potential changes. Luckily, I still had my analogue wristwatch and it did its job perfectly, no matter how many time zones I'd crossed.

The only concern I had was that neither of the rodents seemed interested in the breadcrumbs anymore. If this was a side effect, it was concerning. The mice could have lost their appetite for several reasons, and unlike humans, they couldn't tell me why. It had been less than twenty-four hours since their fast had begun though, which meant I had another day or two to convince these mice to eat before they died. 

Clocks seemed to be ticking around me all the time. I didn't like the dread, and I hated leaving my mother even more. But Director Riquebourc had promised me she would be flown in as soon as she could. And despite my initial scepticism, I believed him.

He had offered me a job before I had even quit after all, and all he wanted was a cure, much like I did. It seemed like a fair deal. Or so I kept telling myself the entire journey.

Between the exhaustion and the monotony of my task, I wasn't really sure when I slept. Only that I was gently nudged awake by the blonde stewardess to let me know we had landed.

"Thanks, Siobhan," I muttered and sat up straight. My back was still sore, despite the very plush leather recliner I had dozed in. I needed to crash in a real bed soon before I blacked out somewhere there was no coming back from. Like in the middle of the road, right before I'd be run over by a car.

Or something a little less dark.

I adjusted the small camera in the mouse cages. I'd have to catch up later.

"Would you like me to take the mice to your laboratory, Dr Gilbert?" Siobhan placed a hand on the cages before I could protest, so I relented.

"Yeah, knock yourself out." I unbuckled myself and stretched my annoyingly long legs. The only piece of luggage I refused to part with was my bag. It didn't have anything fancy, a few of my lucky syringes among other equipment, a notebook, a pen, my mobile phone and my headphones. But I never left anywhere without my bag.

I shielded my eyes from the piercing orange rays of the setting sun as I climbed downstairs and out of the plane. I realised that I may as well have been on holiday as I got off the plane. The stale, salty smell of the sea certainly made it feel that way. So did the fact that I was the first and only passenger out of the plane.

Dark clouds hung low above my head, bringing a warm current of air with them. The aeroplane had landed on a strip of tarmac that was hovering above foaming waves too. Rocky, foaming waves that reached high above the airstrip, high enough to swallow a man whole.

"That doesn't look safe," I muttered, more to myself as another gush of water rose high above the tarmac and splashed away. I was beginning to wonder how I had slept through the landing. It couldn't possibly have been smooth.

"The Procella can get unkind sometimes," Siobhan responded, appearing next to me out of nowhere once again with her uncomfortably wide smile.

"The—what?" My neck snapped in her direction, the word sounded Latin but literal arts had never really been my forte.

She stared at the sky in silence for a minute, her face void of any real expression before she turned to me again, "We should go, Doctor," Siobhan said, the entirely fake smile plastered on her face once more as she spun around, away from the waves.

I frowned, this was definitely not the start of the bureaucratic-free environment I was promised. If anything, it made me want to get right back on the plane home. But I composed myself. I was here for Ma.

I followed the woman down the black tarmac towards a dome-shaped glass building, popping my hands in the pocket of my jeans once again. I was a little grateful I had decided to tie my short hair into a minuscule ponytail. The winds were starting to pick up and my hair only really annoyed me when it didn't stay back like it was supposed to.

Behind me, a shorter man was wheeling my luggage and mice on a trolley. I had never seen either the man or the trolley arrive, but the mice seemed indifferent to him. They lay in their cages, still snoring.

I turned away from the huffing, panting porter and back to the way ahead. The airstrip lead to a grey, granite footpath that encircled the glass dome. I could make out people inside, bustling about over two floors in silence.

As fancy as the dome may have been, the entrance to it was really a set of ordinary doors. The automatic ones that slid open when you were close enough. I passed through the doors and towards the conveyor belt on one edge of the giant metal detectors. Felt more like an airport now.

A rather burly man with a faded buzz stood by the conveyor belt. He was in a camouflage suit, complete with a beret, radio and even a small gun strapped to his waist, as if he were part of the military. But this was supposed to be a community. What kind of community had its own militia?

The man placed a small basket in front of me, expressionless, "Phones and tablets here," he said, "you'll get them back when you leave the island."

"I'll what now?" My hand froze inches above the basket and then snapped back in the jeans pocket, "No." I said firmly. There was no compromising here.

Through the corner of my eye, I could see both Siobhan and the porter jerk a little. But the military man gave an long, slow sigh, "That's the rule, buddy."

I shook my head, clenching my fists again, "Well buddy," I snarled, "I made it very clear to Director Riquebourc that I needed to be near my phone at all times." I had tried to be as calm as my trembling fury would let me, "If he's changed his mind then I'm out."

The soldier raised a hand in an attempt to placate my bubbling rage just as I had taken a step backwards to leave, as if my reaction was uncalled for, "Calm down," he said with another louder sigh. He proceeded to turn away from me, rolling his eyes when he thought I wasn't looking. My insides churned at the arrogant prick, I could feel my eye twitching too.

For Ma, I reminded myself the umpteenth time and took a very deep breath. This was all for her. I could swallow my pride for a few minutes. Too arrogant, she had said, she had no clue what I was up against every damn day.

The soldier's radio was down again, "Alright Doc," he said lazily, "you can keep your stuff for now."

For now? I opened my mouth to argue again but the soldier raised his hand once more. Was he treating me like a child now? I was nearly one-third of the way to a hundred. Nearly as old as that condescending excuse of a human being treating me like a toddler.

"Horatio will take you to Riquebourc," the soldier said with a careless shrug, "you two can sort it out." He put the basket under my nose again, "No electronics as you pass the detector."

I dropped my phone and watch, jaw still tight, never breaking eye contact. I then proceeded to undo my belt and tossed it in the basket too. My wallet, pen and keys went in next.

"Anything else?"

"I don't know," I responded coldly, still staring straight at the soldier, "would you like me to start stripping right here?" It wasn't a threat, the man was built like a brick shithouse. He was at least as tall as I was too, but with all that muscle it was easy to tell which of the two of us would snap like a twig.

Another eye roll, "Just pass through the detector," the man said pinching the bridge of his nose. He seemed to pay little attention to me or my rage as he proceeded to sit behind his computer.

I made my way through the detector, snatched back my items and slung my bag over my shoulder. I had no patience left to deal with Siobhan either. So I strode ahead.

Once I was out of this dome-shaped airport, I could always wait for them to catch up. And the path ahead was extremely visible, it was not a very large building after all.

I hadn't even gone another two steps when I heard a shout, proceeded by a piecing scream. And before I could even turn, I was slammed hard against the floor.

My world spun for a second. A very short second, because I was turned around almost immediately.

"A sacrifice for the storm!"

I saw the knife in his hands before I even registered my assailant's face. He sat on top of me, both arms raised, clutching the dagger.

If I didn't move I was going to die.

But I couldn't move, I was pinned down by his massive body. I needed a weapon, and all I had was a pen.

And just like that I had an idea.

My hand seemed to move faster than my brain did. I jabbed my pen straight into the pit of my attacker's stomach, where his solar plexus should have been. The biggest gathering of nerve endings in my reach.

I wasn't blinking or breathing. I could hear my heart thudding away too. But I didn't stop.

I couldn't.

I used both hands like he did, I needed the right angle and the right force to cause the most pain without killing him.

A loud yelp ensued. The knife clattered. And whizzing like a charging bull the eye rolling soldier tackled my assailant to the ground, handcuffing him.

I scarpered backwards on my hands and feet, far from this insanity. Clutching my heart with my trembling hands.

As far as first impressions went, Sodalitatem Tectus was not in my top ten. Or even hundred.