Below

The floor below is more like a hospital than a lab. Harsh fluorescent lights flicker above stainless steel and white-painted brick. I was given scrubs and a face mask before I entered the lift, and everyone I saw was dressed the same way. The air tastes horrible, and the smell of antiseptic is constant.

The first thing I saw when I exited the lift was a team charging through the corridor, pulling on rubber gloves as they ran. I turned to ask what was going on, but a pain-filled howl cut me off. I would have said it didn't sound human, if I thought there was anything else on the planet capable of so much despair.

I had a very bad feeling. The man who'd accompanied me down was looking at me, as if he was trying to read my mind. He said I'd probably guessed what research took place down here. I didn't need to respond; we both listened to a blood-curdling scream that ended with a thick, bubbling cough. He led me straight to a medical room, where I was checked for disease and parasites, thoroughly decontaminated, and given innumerable injections.

The medical stuff took all day. I'm in a tiny room, very much like the bedroom I had when I first arrived in The Sick Land. I'm dreading tomorrow. At least at the moment, I can kid myself about what they do here. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to see it.