Author's Note:
This story is part of the
Midas Labs
universe, a collaborative project set in an institute for sexual experimentation.
What's In Room 9B?
(A Midas Labs Tale)
By SabuADT
My name is Kayla Calloway.
In accordance with the terms of the non-disclosure agreement that I have signed, I here provide a written account of the events that occurred last week and my involvement with them.
I had been an orderly at Midas Labs for about a month. I actually got the job the day I turned twenty-six. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. Or so I thought at the time.
I guess we'll see if I get to stay here.
I hope I do.
My responsibilities were, pretty much, to bring equipment back and forth between different laboratories on these big rolling carts. Mostly glassware, some chemical compounds in secure packaging, equipment like microscopes, micrometers, scales and weight gauges, things like that. "Kayla, such-and-such doctor needs such-and-such instrument." "Kayla, please fetch three vials of growth serum for our new volunteer." "Kayla, quick, please get 5 vials of reduction serum and bring them here ASAP!" That kinda thing.
Every now and then I also brought lunch to people who didn't have time to stop for a meal in the middle of the day.
That's how I ended up in Miss Eckert's office. She and the other board members were in some big meeting, so I just brought in the sandwiches and bags of chips like always. I swear I wasn't trying to listen to what they were talking about that day.
But... my ears did perk up when I heard one of them ask, "Any advancement on the situation in Room 9B?"
Well, that was like catnip to me.
You see, I roll my cart past Room 9B at least 3 or 4 times every hour. It's one of the central labs in the compound. Most of the labs have glass doors, or at least an observation window. But not Room 9B. Room 9B is completely sealed with a solid steel door. And there's a double extra-thick locking mechanism surrounded by steel cylinders.
Next to the door there's a numbered keypad and a flashing red LED light.
Foreboding, right?
And as if that weren't enough, the door also features a very serious-looking plaque that reads: "Danger. Do not enter."
I never saw anyone go into Room 9B. I never saw anyone come out of it.
Anyone would be curious, right?
The more I saw that thick, heavy door, the more my imagination started racing. What could possibly be in there that was so top secret and dangerous? A giant sentient dildo? Proof of alien life and their sexual practices? A milk-producing experiment gone out of control?
I knew I was in too lowly a position in the company to ever learn the secrets of Room 9B. That's probably what fueled my preoccupation with it.
So when I overheard the board of directors talking about my secret obsession, I couldn't help but listen a little more closely than I should have.
Everyone flipped through the pages in their three-ring notebooks. Presumably they were all flipping to their notes about Room 9B.
I swear I wasn't looking intentionally, but as I was handing Mr. Ashford his hummus and micro greens on a baguette, I saw that the corner of his Room 9B page had the handwritten numbers: "6-5-3-8-2-2."
The keycode to Room 9B. It had to be.
I did my best to behave normally, but my heart was pounding inside my chest. I repeated those numbers in my mind over and over. I wanted to burn them into my brain.
6-5-3-8-2-2.
6-5-3-8-2-2.
6-5-3-8-2-2.
As I left the room and closed the door behind me, I thought I heard someone say something like "... more than a human psyche should endure..."
Outside the office, I was already formulating a plan; I would wait until after hours when fewer people were around. And then I would 6-5-3-8-2-2 myself into Room 9B. My curiosity would be satisfied at last.
It was the longest 6 hours of my life.
Finally, after most of the staff had left for the evening, I had my shot.
I clocked out, officially. I still kept my orderly's coveralls on, so as not to arouse suspicion. And I made my way to that steel door I knew oh so well.
I stood in front of it. Feet shoulder-width apart. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I almost felt like that door knew that we had business with one another. We had reached a milestone in our relationship.
I placed my left palm on the door to let the room know I was friendly.
I raised my right hand and slowly typed in the code I had been looping in my brain all day: 6. 5. 3. 8. 2. 2.
The flashing LED light changed from red to a solid green.
My breath caught in my throat.
The large cylinders jolted alive with a magnetic clang. They receded from their locked positions, and I heard one more internal lock disengage inside the door. A muted metallic echo confirmed that all of the locks were nod disengaged.
The door opened slowly, inviting me inside.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
At first I felt a mild disappointment. The room was a standard Midas laboratory room, just like any of the others I visited day in and day out for my job. Chrome counters around the perimeter, glass cabinets lining the walls. A refrigerator in the corner.
The only difference was that, unlike most of the laboratories that were in use, the cabinets in this room were all empty. The countertops were bare. It was obvious that once the Midas staff decided to seal this room, everything was cleared out.
And then my attention focused on the center of the otherwise empty room.
Hovering in mid-air, about 5 feet off the ground was a glowing, shimmering orb, about the side of a tennis ball. It was just... floating there!
Clouds of luminescent pearl smoke orbited the ball. And through the layer of cloud I caught glimpses of swirling, multi-colored light. The light pulsed, and the pulses were accompanied by a low, rhythmic rumble. It sounded like distant thunder or the soft roar of the ocean. The sound came in a steady and repeating figure:
Roar. Pause. Pause. Roooooaaaarrrr.
Roar. Pause. Pause. Roooooaaaarrrr.
Roar. Pause. Pause. Roooooaaaarrrr.
I stepped closer. I felt drawn towards the small orb like a magnet. The more I looked at it, the more I felt a sense of all-consuming peace. With each footstep, my heart rate slowed. My breath deepened.
I wanted to touch it.
Slowly, I extended my forefinger. I was cautious. Obviously this thing, this orb, this room had been locked and sealed for a specific reason. But it looked so calm. And it gave me a sense of deep comfort. It couldn't be THAT bad, right?
The tip of my finger pierced the cloud layer and made contact with the surface of the orb. It was like touching suspended water.
As soon as I touched the orb, my eyes began to water and my jaw trembled. I felt like I was being embraced by a warmth I could never have imagined existing. In shock, I yanked my hand away. The warm embrace evaporated just as quickly as it had arrived.
What WAS this thing? How did a single touch make me feel that... nice?
I didn't have any answers. All I knew is that I wanted to feel that warm embrace again. Now. And I wanted it to last for longer. A mere fingertip touch wouldn't do. I wanted to hold this ball of whatever-it-was in my hand.
I unfurled all of my fingers and stretched my open palm towards the hovering orb. As I moved closer, I could already feel the echoes of that warmth returning to my core. I felt beckoned.
Softly, without any doubt or hesitation, I closed my hand around the whole thing.
The warmth returned to my body immediately. It felt like the softest, coziest, most understanding and comforting embrace I've ever been wrapped in. My muscles relaxed. My face became a reflection of dopey bliss. My mouth fell slack. My tongue moved forward. My knees bent and my arms drooped.
My eyes began to weep again. I felt at one with myself. I was discretely aware of every atom in my being. I understood my body, mind, and soul. All at once I knew, instinctually, on a spiritual level, how they weaved themselves together to create a singular, unique me.
I sobbed as great big raindrop tears trickled down my cheeks. I exhaled a sound I had never made before, never even heard before. Through my sobbing it came out of my mouth in one long, "Ahewugegeuguhguhguhguh."
The longer I held the glowing orb in my hand, I heard its ocean rumble growing louder.
Roar. Pause. Pause. ROOOoaaaarrrr.
ROAR. Pause. Pause. ROOOOOAAAAaarrrr.
ROAR. Pause. Pause. ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRR.
The orb began to vibrate. My hand vibrated along with it.
Soft lighting bolts emerged through the orb's tiny cloud layer. The bolts raced down my arm, stimulating every inch of my skin, almost like I was becoming part of the orb. It raced under my clothes, over my flesh, across my chest, up my neck and into every strand of hair. They reached down to my shoulders, across my stomach, over my hips, covering each toe, and then up my legs, focusing between my legs...
My entire body glowed and tingled with the tender touch of this mysterious miniature lighting.
Was it gentle? It was.
Was it spiritual? Absolutely.
Was it sexual? You bet your sweet ass it was sexual.
I was becoming aroused in the most wonderful way. It was like feeling horny, but with more breadth. A deeper kind of horny I didn't know was possible. And if I thought my eyes were watering before, now they were constantly flowing rivers of peace, joy, and yes, lust.
The lighting pulsed all around me in that same steady rhythm:
ROAR. Pause. Pause. ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRR.
ROAR. Pause. Pause. ROOOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRR.
