Liz saw that the lab-coated woman’s breath was returning and she was walking with less pain. Reasoning that she’d only slow her down a bit Liz helped Maria move down the hall. The delay was, in fact, a small one.
However, sometimes small delays are enough.
Just as they began to pick up speed, a pair of figures scurried out from a side corridor and stepped in their way. Something seemed very wrong with them, though the shadows cast by some of the lights being burned out prevented Liz from registering more than the fact that the figures were tall, male and apparently dressed in gray. She reversed course and headed back the way they’d come, but another pair of figures had appeared, trapping Liz and Maria between them.
Liz looked at Maria, who seemed to recognize and fear the newcomers, confirming Liz’s suspicions. She noted that Maria seemed essentially recovered, and could have made a run for it. Too little, too late, as they moved to place themselves equally between their captors. Liz then put her back to the wall so she could see all four of the figures in her peripheral vision or by swivelling her head quickly.
“Um, hey guys,” Liz said, “why don’t you let us by? Nothing bad has to happen here.”
“If you’re trying to appeal to their humanity,” Maria said softly, “that’s going to be tough.” Her English was perfect, with only the slightest hint of an accept. If Liz was right and English wasn’t her first language that meant a first-rate intellect
The four figures stepped forward in unison until they were in the light and Liz began to understand what Maria meant.
The figures were virtually identical. What had taken to be gray clothing was actually short fur. They were tall, at least 6’ each, with lean, muscular bodies. Their faces were a cross between human and rodent, with black eyes and whiskers, but otherwise very human faces. Liz blushed a bit as she saw that they weren’t wearing any clothing, and they seemed very “happy”’ to see the two women. She tried to keep her eyes averted, but it was very difficult to not look. It didn’t seem as if the Mice-men cared anyway.
“We were experimenting with mice,” Maria said, her voice resigned, “as they share a lot of characteristics with humans, genetically speaking, and are generally cheap, plentiful, controllable and we had a lot available. We were trying to follow the virus pathology.”
“Let me guess,” Liz said, trying for a light tone but unable to keep fear from creeping in, “the ‘controllable’ part kind of went out the window.”
Maria shuddered, mind casting back, and began speaking as if to herself. “The results seemed promising. But there were fewer and fewer of us to monitor the experiments. Then the last batch. So desperate. Reckless. Mixed in too much human DNA, too strong of a viral load. They grew so fast. I barely got out.”
“But you did not escape,” an odd voice cut in. Liz whipped her head around and saw that one of the Mice-men was indeed speaking. “And now you will serve us. One way or another.”
“Okay,” Liz said, voice wavering, “they can speak? And what the fuck did that mean? And what about me? And why are they just standing there?”
Maria responded in order of the questions asked. “The experiments gave them human intelligence and memories. They have the same imperatives as other infected beings, to spread their version of the virus. Somehow they think I can help them. I don’t know if they care about you or not. I don’t know why they’re being passive.”
Liz thought it over. If the Mice-men just wanted Maria then she was no hero. She couldn’t stop them anyway. She wasn’t going to make a specific offer though, just not get in their way. She couldn’t help but pray that these things just wanted the scientist.
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