They led me through a dark corridor in the underground lab, until we stopped before a heavy door. The guards kept quiet through the journey, marching wordlessly at the fore and the back, rifles held firm. The security was tight like that throughout the whole complex. After all, the object of our study was a closely kept secret, and the place officially didn't exist.
As an IT specialist, I wasn't personally involved with it. I was always told the bare minimum necessary to do my job and keep the lab's computers running. That meant however, that I would sometimes be exposed to the classified information contained within, which necessitated that I have a clearance. Mentioning anything about what I learned was strictly forbidden and even then, the info didn't make sense to anyone who wasn't aware of exactly what was it they were keeping here.
The one thing I did know was that it's alive.
And today I would assist with feeding it.
When they approached me about it, I was sitting behind my desk with a donut in hand, examining some obsolete code I was supposed to update. They told me they needed my assistance and that they would add one thousand bucks to my next paycheck for this. Now, I wasn't strapping for cash, the whole secret lab thing was pretty lucrative, but how could I refuse?
They didn't tell me any details of what this job involved or why they had asked me specifically. What were the attributes that qualified me for this job? "Why not someone with experience with this type of thing?"
Their answer was that there was no one experienced at the complex right now. When I inquired how that had happened, the only response was: "Your predecessor was suddenly let go for breaking work ethic."
They assured me that this job was completely safe and that I possessed all the qualifications required. Somehow, that didn't help suppress the chill slowly creeping down my spine as I entered the small, heavily reinforced room.
The guards, to my surprise, stayed stationed outside. I was instructed to enter alone, and the armored door was closed behind me. There was no visible opening mechanism within.
"Greetings," a short woman in a black uniform spoke from the end of the room, making me jump slightly as I turned towards her. She had a serious face and dark hair kept in a tight ponytail. Her perfect posture and calm but reserved tone radiated an aura of professionalism any lawyer would envy. Her nametag read "Dr. E. Hendrix, M.D."
I cast a quick glance around the room. The only other occupant was a single guard, probably female from what I could see through all the heavy gear. The space was completely barren safe for the three of us and a small table with a bag. No chairs, no tools, no other doorways. The only exit was the one thorough which I had entered.
"You must be Mr. Wilson."
"Is that from my nametag?" I joked, trying to lift the gloomy mood.
"Yes," the doctor responded a bit more jovially, but she didn't abandon protocol. "You are here to assist with the feeding of Subject 01B, is that correct?"
"Yes. Though they didn't exactly tell me what to do."
"That's alright. I will walk you through this. If you are ready to begin then, please stand here, while I perform some tests."
I approached her a bit warily, waiting while she scrolled on her tablet. Everything about the way she talked felt like a medical checkup. I soon realized that's exactly what this was.
"Your health status was recently updated. You had your general checkup less than a week ago, performed by one of the facility's examiners?"
"As part of the contract," I answered.
"And you are not under the influence of medication or any other substance, nor were you within the last 24 hours?"
"No."
"Good. Please take this then. I will run confirmation tests before we proceed."
She handed me a pill in a taker's cup and opened her bag, extracting some medical gear. I stared at the small, blue pill and a weight began to settle in my stomach. Why would I need to be drugged to feed the thing they kept in here? Was the monster so terrifying I needed to be medicated to not freak out? I pinched my thigh and thought of the easy money. I was a professional, working for a top-secret government agency, albeit in a completely different field. I needed to at least pretend I deserved my post.
I downed the pill and set the cup on the table. The doctor had meanwhile readied the blood pressure thingy and instructed me to pull my sleeve up.
"So, is this position open for full time, or am I only here for today?" I asked, imagining receiving a thousand dollars for every day of the month, or however often did the thing need to eat.
"That remains to be seen. The other feeders are not on site, so we needed an urgent replacement. Who will fill this position is up to the higherups. Do you feel any side effects or any unpleasant reaction from the pill?"
"No, I'm fine"
"Excellent!" she said as the device tightened around my biceps. "If the effects don't wear off within four hours, please contact a facility physician." The device let go and she put it back away, apparently satisfied.
"What?" I stammered but she ignored me and instructed me to remove my shirt?
As I stared in confusion at the request, the doctor had put on a stethoscope and shot me an impatient glance.
I awkwardly complied and unbuttoned my shirt and dumped it on the floor. She circled around me as she listened to my heart and whatever else you use a stethoscope for and somehow, despite myself, I noticed I was getting an erection.
How was that even possible?
Something like this hasn't happened to me since high school!
I thought as I looked over to ensure she didn't see. Sure, Doctor Hendrix was hot, but that shouldn't mean anything. I was an adult! I have seen plenty of women in my time. I have moved well beyond the age when a mere touch from a random pretty face would do this to me.
I stood awkwardly with hands inconspicuously hung over my crotch while she finished up and dropped this gem: "Alright, everything within norm. We can start with the procedure. Please take the rest of your clothing off and stand within the square marked on the floor."
"What? What for?" I demanded, frozen in place. The thought of revealing to her my hard-on terrified me so much I forgot to be shocked by why that would be necessary.
The doctor was adamant though: "Please comply with the instructions without causing incidents." She stared me down with stern eyes but glanced at the guard behind me for a fraction of a second.
I had completely forgotten there was anyone else there at all. The faint metallic sound of someone in military gear came from behind me and I immediately composed myself. The soldier was as tall as me and was holding an assault rifle. I swallowed emptily and slowly turned to the wall and leaned down to take off my shoes before dropping my pants. To my horror the doctor still stared at me expectantly, so I reluctantly pulled down my shorts as well and dropped them to the pile of clothing near the wall, covering my penis with my hands.
"No need to be ashamed. That is the expected reaction. Please proceed into the yellow square, facing the wall."