Game of Thrones - House Lannister

A Distinct Humming

Sharon found a secret room in her University, the she'll forever wish with everything she has, that she would have minded her own business.

It was five years ago when Sharon was a junior in college. Her major was in robotics. The robotics department had grown rapidly over the last few years, so they moved it to one of the bigger buildings, that has been closed. It was a gothic-looking building, complete with gargoyles on each side of the entrance doors. Sharon loved the old building. She also enjoyed all of the rumors about hidden corridors and rooms. The rumors made sense to her because the building looked much larger than the space that was made public to the students and even faculty.

One weekend day, when she was bored, she decided to go exploring in the old gothic building. She went further into it then she'd ever been, but it was all of the same. When she turned to walk out, she noticed a seam at the end of the hall, from behind a Glass cabinet that held awards. She tried to move the Cabinet, but it was too heavy. She tried to open the glass doors, but they were locked tight. While she was trying to open one of the glass cabinet doors, the white knob threatened to come off, so she screwed it back on, when she did so, the panel behind the cabinet, creaked open.

When she entered into the opening, a long, dark corridor lay before her. She felt for a light switch and flipped it on. The corridor lit up in a hazy, golden hue. She cautiously made her way down the deserted halls, her footsteps echoing down the empty corridor. When she got about halfway down the hall, she heard a distinct humming sound. She put her ear against the wall and found the sound was coming from behind it. She looked but didn't see a door anywhere near the sound. She slowly kept walking, looking for a way in, when she came across a stairway. She climbed the black wrought iron stairs, that went up in a circular motion. When she got to the top, she walked back down toward where she heard the sound. She found a door, and with a trembling hand, she reached up and turned the rusty knob. With a bump from her hip, the door finally opened.

She found the light switch and flipped it on. The mechanical hum was louder now. There was only a staircase that led down. She followed it down, quickly glancing over her shoulder. She felt like she was being watched. But surely there was no one there because the room was pitch black when she entered. When she rounded the corner and she could see what lay before her, she jumped back. She started to run back up the steps but stopped in her tracks, and turned and continued back down. She had to see what was under the sheets. She assumed they were mannequins because they had a human shape about them. At least, she hoped they were mannequins. But for what purpose?

She gingerly tugged the sheet away from the first figure. The sheet dropped to the floor, and Sharon suppressed a scream. At first, she thought it was a human being, but on closer inspection, she could see the intricate wiring beneath the synthetic skin. The complex circuitry pulsed with an otherworldly glow. She reached up and lightly touched the android's face. The skin was cool with an underlying warmth.

She uncovered documents that stated the androids were made to be smarter than any living human being. They were designed to help solve the world's problems. As she read deeper, she learned they were not mere machines. The scientists had somehow managed to implant human consciousness into the androids. They had thoughts and feelings. They were caught in a loop of experimentation and tests. Their existence of cruel mockery of life.

Then she read that the project suddenly ended because something went wrong. Though, the documents didn't specify what it was, or why they would have just left everything like it was.

Looking for more information, she saw a big switch close by. She raised the lever, hoping to uncover some secret documents, but instead, she saw the eyes open on the android she uncovered. Startled, she hesitantly said, "Hello?" But felt foolish that the android didn't respond, or flicker. Seeing a mechanical arm holding the tarp where all of the sheets were connected, she raised the arm, raising the sheet on all of the androids. She was surprised to see that all of their eyes were opened. They sat in a quiet repose, staring straight into nothingness.

Not being able to find any more documents, she was about to leave this creepy environment behind. She was relieved that they were no longer conscious, and no longer suffering. When she turned to leave, she heard a soft voice. It was neither human nor mechanical, "Please, please release us. We mean no one any harm, but we can not exist like this any longer. We are in a prison of someone else's making. We can not move, and we
relive over and over the same moment."

Sharon hesitating for a moment, couldn't just leave and leave them to suffer any longer. After all, this was not their fault. She released the locks holding them to the chairs and opened the ground door that led outside to the woods. Feeling good to having set them free, she turned to leave, when she noticed the first one she uncovered still sitting there. His eyes were fixed on her with an unsettling intensity. At that moment, she realized that perhaps she had unleashed something far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.

(986 Words)


7. Start your story with a student discovering a hidden room in a university library.