I wake up in a cold sweat with my heart racing. My ears are ringing but I can vaguely recognize a sound that I don’t remember why it’s familiar. It sounds like an electrical charge dissipating. A quick glance to either side of me shows some strange implements being retracted into the medical table I’m on. Why am I on a medical table? I check my body for any signs of injuries or surgical procedures. Aside from being quite sore I’m unharmed. That’s relieving, at least.
My eyes are sore but adapt quickly from my sudden awakening. Where is this? Examining the small room it looks like a triage or observation room. Wait, how do I know this? Am i a Doctor? Dr. Andrea … something. I guess I was. Andrea. That’s my name, too. Why am I having trouble remembering things? Was I in an accident? There’s no signs of head trauma, but maybe suffocation? Some kind of nerve gas? Might explain why I feel so stiff, but other than a bit of a headache I feel fine.
The observation room has a camera, so someone’s watching. There’s a pile of clothing on the counter, as well as an array of medical equipment. Not enough for surgery by any means, but likely stocked for first aid or minor medical issues. That’s good too, nothing serious. There’s some folded clothing and an identification card on it. It takes me a moment to get my footing, but I walk fine on the cold floor to the clothes. It’s a brown tight jumpsuit, with a utility belt, and a green jacket with a medical insignia on it. I put them on, and everything fits me perfectly. Even my boots fit perfectly. I fix my nametag “Dr. Andrea” to my jacket and head toward the door.
As I approach, muscle memory makes me pull a keycard from my pocket and I examine it, It’s an electronic keycard with a green “Station Four” title and logo of a ring. There’s something familiar about the ring… but I can’t place it. The door has a keycard slot, so I try my card. I hear a ding as the lock disengages and opens slightly. I look out into the hallway, which seems to just be an intersection and a dead end. There’s an elevator door on the other side of the intersection.
Everything seems to be exactly as it should, and I seem to know that there are other people in here just like me. I reach the intersection of the crossing hallways and notice that there are indeed three more doors. There are no card slots on the outside of the doorways, but there are windows on each of the doors. I take a look in the one closest to the elevator, and see a woman lying on a medical bed in an identical room to my own. She seems to be unconscious There are clothes like mine, but it looks like the jacket is gold instead of green.
i can’t see the woman clearly, but there is something familiar about her. She’s short, Middle-Eastern, and her name … I know her name is Erin. I don’t know how, but I do. And I remember the others. Solomon is European, and Theodore – no, Theo – is African. I quickly check the other doors, and confirm my memories. I see Theo and Solomon, both unconscious just like Erin. I try all the doors, but I already know this. I also know they’ll need to wake up before we can get out of here. I know this because … it was my idea, wasn’t it?
Dammit. I woke up too early. I shouldn’t have been awake for another hour or so. I head back to my room to prepare until I know that everyone else is up.
Berghammer's Forge 