Contiguity

Once both of Madison's feet planted themselves inside the secure room, her head didn't turn to acknowledge the sound of the heavy steel door automatically closing behind her.

Despite having entered the room within the heart of the laboratory hundreds of times, the ominous sounds of the locking mechanism never failed to send a shiver up her spine. There was an intensity to the way the thick steel bars would slam into place that raised the small hairs on the back of the diminutive brunette's neck.

After an extended pause, Madison glanced down to complete her final ritual before she felt comfortable enough to proceed. Slowly, she looked down and took in the sight of her protective suit as it covered her entire body from head to toe. The dark blue material was rubber, with only the clear plastic visor surrounding Madison's head affording any information regarding who had just stepped inside the research area.

Standing at just 5'0", Madison's employers at the private research facility had to order a range of special suits to be custom-made for her smaller frame. As one of the security cameras focused on her, it captured a view of her long brown hair tied up into a neat ponytail as she wore a Bluetooth headset underneath the helmet portion of her protective suit. Meanwhile, her grey eyes were full of life as she wore her game face, knowing that she wanted to compete her work and get straight back out of there.

The room which Madison had entered was incredibly spacious, with various pieces of equipment surrounding the perimeter. Above her, positioned all around the ceiling, were various lights and cameras that were operated by an artificial intelligence that had full autonomy over the security of the entire facility, which was based just outside of Miami.

For her part, Madison was an accomplished 25-year-old microbiologist that was working at the facility as a researcher. Having studied both microbiology and immunology at the University of Miami, Madison was thrilled to have secured a job within her field without having to leave her home state, as she grew up in Florida.

As she glanced to her right, her attention was focused on the large window that allowed her to see the two men sitting in the observation area. Once she caught sight of her boyfriend, a smile crept onto Madison's face as she spoke into the microphone positioned at her lips. "I'm good to go, Andy. I'll just get this one opened and indexed, then we're finally free to get out of here for the night. Are you two sure that this is definitely the last one from that haul over in Pensacola?"

Sat behind the other side of the window was Madison's boyfriend, Andy, with their colleague Garrett. The two men were dressed in simple blue hospital scrubs, with long white lab coats over the top. Andy was an immunologist like his girlfriend and they'd met while studying at university, with the two having been a couple for the last four years. Meanwhile, Garrett was the two's supervisor and was the lead researcher on their small team.

When Madison's voice came through the speakers, Andy ran his left hand across his shaved head before offering his response into his headset. "Yeah, this is the last one for the night. Morgan's team have already scanned it twice, they didn't observe anything of note. I think just getting the thing open will be the hardest part of this. Let's just get it cracked open and the contents put away, then we can worry about what we're doing for dinner later."

With a wry smile on his face, Garrett turned to his left to catch Andy's gaze as he spoke into the microphone on his own headset. "For once, I'm like you two and can't wait to get the fuck out of here tonight. I've got tickets for the Heat's opener and there's no way that I'm going miss it, all because they dumped a batch of shit on us at the last minute. Nah, when you two are enjoying your meal, I'll be watching Jimmy Butler draining threes all night."

By that point, the three were all part of the conversation as Madison began to step forward into the centre of the room. Sat there, awaiting her arrival, was a small platform that had a wooden crate resting upon it. As the brunette stepped closer, she could see that the light-brown crate had been battered before it was brought to the facility, with some of the panels being cracked. It wasn't the largest crate, with it having similar dimensions to a shoebox, but as Madison shuffled closer, the knowledge that the crate had already been scanned twice left her in as calm a state as she'd ever been in when entering the secure room.

When she reached the platform, Madison took a deep breath and reminded herself to treat the innocuous crate with the same respect as she would for the most hazardous of materials. But as she remembered how she was working late because of the crate's arrival the day before, there was a hint of frustration in her voice as she spoke up. "What were the findings from the rest of this batch? Did they say it was under one of those abandoned factories in Pensacola?" As the words left her mouth, Madison took another deep breath as the protective suit always made her uncomfortable. "The wooden exterior's taken a hell of a beating from something. I can see at least three breaches on the panel facing me. What kind of material do they think we're going to find inside it?"

Before Andy had the chance to respond, Garrett leaned forward and spoke into his microphone. "Morgan's crew didn't find anything. All they've recorded is that there appears to be some kind of mass inside the crate. If they didn't detect anything on their scans, we're probably looking at some kind of contiguous blob of mineral. Perhaps an alloy that wouldn't set off the scanners? But we can't rule out the fact that we're all working late tonight to discover another lump of coal inside that fucking box."

The comment prompted Madison to laugh as she readied herself to get started, with the wooden crate directly in front of her, while a tray was positioned to her left with the various tools she'd be using. As she reached out with her left hand to pick up a small drill, Madison responded. "Do one of you two want to remind me why I decided to apply for the team that opens the boxes to discover the lumps of coal, rather than the team that just scans them when they arrive? No one wants to unearth the next plague, but it's been a while since we had anything substantial to record."

Once her jovial comments had the opportunity to land, Andy sat back in his chair and surveyed the scene through the window. When he saw Madison preparing to use the drill, he spoke into his microphone. "Maddy, talk to us about the lid. Are you able to just lift it straight up or is there any kind of lock on the crate? What are you seeing up close?"

As she gently sat her drill back down upon the tray to her left, Madison directed her attention to the top of the crate. "Well, it's going to need to be a pretty good lock to keep me out...that's for sure." Carefully, the petite brunette ran her eyes across the top of the crate and back down to meet the side that was directly facing her. The plastic of her helmet was clear, but Madison routinely found herself squinting to make out finer details whenever she wore the protective suit. Eventually, her gaze was caught by something as she leaned in closer. "I don't know about a lock, but there's a small strip of material running down the middle. It must only be a couple of millimetres wide, it looks bronze, maybe it's part of the locking mechanism? I'll know when I move to take the lid off..."

Garrett slowly turned his head to glance at one of the monitors on his wide desk. After scanning through the details on his screen, he responded. "The field agents had said in the report that there were some unique identifiers on the exterior of the crate. Are you able to confirm that, Maddy, before you open it up?"

Her supervisor had barely finished his request before Madison had begun to do as he asked. Slowly, she allowed her knees to bend just enough to lower her head and take a closer look. When she did so, her grey eyes settled on what appeared to be various markings that were carved into the front panel. After taking a few seconds to confirm her suspicions, she spoke. "I mean, I can see some kind of carving. It's faint and very thin, but it does appear to be an insignia of some form...perhaps a symbol? If they found it underneath a factory, it might just be a lost piece of inventory. I'll take some shots of these carvings before I proceed..."

Andy watched as his girlfriend took a quick series of photographs of all visible sides, except for the bottom that rested upon the platform. When she sat the digital camera back down on the tray next to her, Andy spoke up. "That's great, Maddy. We're not getting the clearest shot from the security cameras, even when zooming in. Can you describe what kind of insignia you're seeing?"

After taking a second to allow the tip of her tongue to slip across her lips, Maddy took a further deep breath and studied the thin carvings. "It's hard to tell, because the wooden panels are out of alignment with the beating that the exterior's taken. Whatever it is, there's a simplicity to it... It looks like there's some kind of shape, like a star, in the centre...and it's surrounded by a circular perimeter. Whoever carved it...it's so fine and consistent...it looks like they took their time with it."

Slowly, Garrett sat forward in his chair and watched Madison stand back up straight before he responded. "Ok, I'm satisfied that the exterior panel needs to be preserved for further analysis. That just means you'll need to be more careful when opening the lid... Maddy, what I want you to try first is lifting the lid and then we'll see if you need to drill into the exterior if it's locked."

Having anticipated every instruction from Garrett, Madison was already starting to lean forward and raise her hands. The rubber gloves that protected her were slightly thinner than the rest of her suit, but allowed her the additional dexterity to use the variety of tools, including the drill, sat to her left. At the precise moment that her gloved hands rested upon the wooden lid, Madison called out. "Right, let's get this show on the road. This is research associate Madison McBride...the time is 18:23 on Saturday, October 26th, 2019... I'm about to commence the investigation of asset number...Foxtrot, Lima: 328-2019. The asset is a small wooden crate, with multiple breaches of the exterior observed. I'll begin by attempting to open the crate normally..."

As Madison entered into the formalities that they'd all participated in countless times, Andy took the opportunity to relax as he turned to his right and addressed Garrett, but muted his microphone. "Man, you should've told me that you were getting Heat tickets. I'd have been right there with you tonight. I've tried so many times to get Madison to agree to come to a game, but she just isn't having any of it."

After a quick glance down at his bank of monitors, Garrett smiled as everything was as it should be. Quickly, he looked back and responded after muting his own microphone. "You've got to try and get her to watch the games with you on TV first...or you've got no chance... Either that or bribe her!" The laugh that escape from the back of his throat conveyed that he was joking, but Garrett continued. "But your problem is not one that I share, my friend... The benefits of being free and single..."

Oblivious to the two making small talk in the observation room, Madison gently attempted to raise the lid of the wooden crate but found that it was locked tightly in place. Her efforts had only managed to lift the lid less than an inch before the lock prevented it from opening any further. As her hands dropped back down towards her sides, she continued her narration. "The lid of the asset is locked in place. I'll proceed to gain entry by carefully drilling through the lid..."

Before reaching for her drill, Madison decided to bend her knees once again to lean back in and appraise the thin bronzed strip that ran down the centre of the front panel. Carefully, Madison reached out with her right hand and gently pressed the tip of her gloved index finger against the bronzed strip, only allowing her touch to linger for just over a second.

As soon as her fingertip left the thin bronzed material, a gentle wave pulsed out from inside the crate and washed over Madison as she was standing back up straight. There was no clear sign in the room that anything had taken place, as the wave was completely silent and faint enough to barely be noticed. While Madison felt something, she immediately chalked it up to her heightened senses whenever she wore the constrictive suit.

Only a few seconds had passed since Madison felt the wave of energy before she turned to the side to retrieve her drill. However, before she had the chance to switch it on, she was stopped completely in tracks.

With the suddenness of flicking a switch, Madison felt like her consciousness had been ripped from her own body as her entire surroundings had changed. Her mind had somehow been overwritten, infiltrated, as she found herself staring at a large bed in a room she didn't recognise. The interior of the room was intimately lit, with various candles surrounding the king-sized bed that was positioned directly in front of her.

But once Madison's gaze rested upon the figure writhing atop the bed, she didn't have the strength to turn her head away. Lying on her side in the middle of the bed was a sensational brunette woman, who was using her left elbow to prop herself up and afford Madison a healthy view of her incredible body. Madison knew she looked older, perhaps in her mid-thirties, as she was clad in the most sinful black lingerie. Her black lace bra only barely covered her considerable chest, with the garment lifting her breasts and helping them form the most delicious cleavage. It didn't take Madison long to recognise that the sheer cups of her bra were incapable of disguising her hard, bullet nipples that rested just above the centre of her tits.

Barely a few seconds of Madison's fantasy, her hallucination, had elapsed, but the brunette researcher found herself losing track of time and space. As her eyes finally freed themselves of the mysterious woman's chest, they dropped lower and admired her tight, flat tummy as her prominent abdominal muscles conveyed how strong she was. Meanwhile, her matching black G-string was so seductive as the tiny waistband was pulled far above the woman's lithe hips. As Madison's gaze fell to take in the sight of her long legs, they were clad in the most elegant black thigh-high stockings. The tops of which boasted the same black lace and snapped against her juicy thighs just a few short inches from her barely-covered crotch.

As her senses felt like they were melting away, Madison gritted her teeth as she told herself that she was still standing in the middle of the secure room in the laboratory. While that was accurate, the relevance of that fact had started to fade as Madison's head lifted back up to stare into the smouldering woman's blue eyes. As she attempted to read the expression on the enchantress' beautiful face, it became clear to Madison that the few brief seconds of her hallucination had left her own nipples hard and pleading to be touched.

Slowly, Madison felt herself sucking down a deep breath as she felt her lips starting to dry, but she watched as the woman lifted her right hand into the air and flashed a wicked smile at her. After pausing for a moment to let the tension build, the woman turned the back of her hand to face Madison and gently curled her finger towards her, beckoning Madison to come closer. As her finger repeated the gesture, Madison's face turned to glance across into her eyes once more as the enigmatic woman puckered her plump lips and blew a soft, teasing kiss towards her. All the petite researcher could offer in response was audibly gasp as the rush she felt towards her own groin signalled just how wet she'd gotten after being trapped in the hallucination for only a few seconds.

Meanwhile, in the observation room, both of the men's microphones were still muted as Garrett was facing Andy. With a smile on his face, Madison's supervisor spoke. "After the game tonight, I'm supposed to meet this girl that I've been texting. She's going to that new club that's opened downtown, a couple of the guys are coming with me to see if they can pick up some of her friends. I don't know about you, but after working for over 60 hours in here this week, I just want to go fucking wild tonight... If the girl isn't down, I'm going to get drunk out of my mind instead and you guys won't see me again until Tuesday..."

After laughing at his supervisor's comment, Andy leaned back comfortably in his chair as he responded. "What's she like? Did you meet her on one of the apps or what? Man, I swear, I know how you feel. I've been right here with you all week and both Maddy and I are fucking exhausted. I'm contracted for 40 hours per week and they don't care, they just dump more work on us and tell us to clear it before we're done for the week. Once Maddy and I get a bite to eat tonight, we're staying in with Netflix. By the looks of it, our Sunday's going to be spent in bed..."

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Garrett double checked to ensure his microphone was muted, which it was, before he proceeded. "Man, you need to see this girl to truly understand. I met her in a club a few weeks ago and we've been texting on and off since then. She's a slim little blonde, but wait until I show you the pictures. I think she's got the prettiest fucking blue eyes I've ever seen in my entire life. Once Maddy gets this wrapped up, I'll show you two once we get back to..."

Just as Garrett was getting on a roll, he was immediately cut off by the booming sound of an alert over the speakers. The AI which monitored the facility spoke up and cut right to the heart of the matter. "Warning...warning...level four breach detected. A protective suit is being removed in secure room three. Put the protective suit back on and proceed immediately to the decontamination area."

Both men turned around to face the observation widow and were stunned to witness the scene as Madison had unzipped her protective suit and already taken the helmet section off. Andy's jaw hung wide in shock as he tried to understand what he was watching, but as Madison began to step out of the thick rubber suit, her boyfriend began to realise that her actions were deliberate. Frantically, Andy reached up to unmute his microphone before he barked into the headset. "Maddy! Maddy, what the fuck are you doing? Put the suit back on! Put the suit back on and get over to the decontamination area right now!"

To his horror, Andy looked on as his words seemed to have no effect on his girlfriend, who continued to step out of her protective suit until she was completely free of it. After Madison simply kicked the suit and her boots towards the side of the room, she was stood directly in front of the wooden crate, barefoot, in just her pale blue scrubs and her headset. What the security cameras overhead could see, just as well as the two men in the observation area, was that Madison's stare was locked onto the wooden crate as if it was the only item in the universe that had any meaning to her.

The moment was frightening for Garrett, who hadn't witnessed anything like it in his time at the facility. But before he could interject, his attention was captured by the mechanical sounds of movement in the ceiling of the secure room. As his head lifted to investigate, his worst fears were confirmed as four security walls were released from the ceiling by the facility's AI system and they were sent crashing down to meet the floor before locking into place. In a matter of moments, Madison found herself surrounded by thick, reinforced steel walls that each had a large section of bulletproof glass in the centre acting as windows. Each of the thick walls ran from the floor up to the ceiling, which acted as the lid of the secure box that Madison found herself in. The length and breadth of which was only ten feet wide. From their vantage point, both Andy and Garrett had a clear view of Madison's entire frame as she stood there, staring at the crate, having offered no visible reaction to the chaos that was unfolding around her.