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The building wasn’t even all that isolated, which was kind of disappointing when it came to an evil lab doing illegal human experimentation and selling organs on the black market, but that also made it all the easier to break into, so Takanashi Tsumugi wasn’t really complaining. Thirty minutes away from one major hospital and forty five minutes away from another, the lab was registered as a blood bank and a phlebotomy research institute, surrounded by a large chain-link fence with an electronic gate and way too many security cameras. That made it look a little suspicious, and a lot spooky, and Tsumugi had grown up hearing stories about teenagers trying to break in to see if it really was as haunted as it seemed. None of them had ever found anything more scary than a trespassing charge, but when Tsumugi overheard her tutor, Okazaki Rinto, discussing the lab’s weird money trail and possible kidnappings with his friend, the extremely cool Anesage Kaoru, she hadn’t been able to resist breaking in to see for herself what was going on in there.
After asking around, Tsumugi learned that aside from the electronic gate, you could also get in quite easily from the back by crawling through a little hollow under the fence. Apparently that was where the scientists smuggled out the corpses of the people they killed without getting caught on camera; Tsumugi wasn’t sure if she believed this or not, but she did fit quite easily under the fence when she tried it one night when her father was working late, and so slipped out again and marched back home in order to get together some supplies for when she really, properly broke in.
It was fun, then. Thrilling. Her father had told her years ago to never get involved with the lab, to never go near it for any reason at all, but Tsumugi was old enough that she thought breaking that rule would be great fun. After all, it was just in place so that she wouldn’t get arrested for trespassing, so if she didn’t get caught, what was the harm in breaking it? And then Anesagi would notice her and be impressed and would want to spend time with Tsumugi, and they would become friends, and then—
But Tsumugi was getting ahead of herself. First she needed to actually break into the laboratory, and then get something out, and not get caught at all; only then could she think about impressing cool older girls. She had recently gotten her driver’s license, and an old van to drive around; obviously she could use that for transportation, and if she drove it through the mud enough then the license plates would be covered up. She could park in the back of the building, near the hole in the fence; if she came in on one of the rare Saturdays during which they hosted blood drives, the employees probably wouldn’t even be surprised to find a lost girl around. She could get in, she could get pictures or maybe even experimental records, and she would get out and Anesagi Kaoru would think that Tsumugi was cool too. It really was a foolproof plan, and she pulled it off without a hitch the next time they ran a blood drive. Telling her father that she was going over to a friend’s house, she’d driven behind the lab early in the morning, and waited until about a half hour after the blood drive started before wriggling under the fence and standing behind the laboratory’s main building. There was step one accomplished; however, she’d technically done this before, so it wasn’t that big of a feat. Tsumugi wanted to get into the building proper—that was cool. That was brave.
She set off towards the back of the building and started trying doors. They were all locked—unfortunately—but as she investigated, passing under a security camera, the lock of one door clicked open—an older door, rust-stained, that should not have had an electronic lock, and yet seemed to anyways. Maybe there was something secret behind the door—or maybe it would lead to an ordinary basement, but still, Tsumugi thought that she should be able to get to the lab proper from there, and maybe there would be interesting things stored in there.
Behind the door was a staircase leading down. It was dark, but entirely without dust; as Tsumugi started down it, she noticed subtle safety precautions—rough tape on each step, a handrail on either side, steps neither too steep nor too shallow. Soon enough she reached the bottom of the stairwell; there was one door leading out, and as Tsumugi approached it, it swung open as well, revealing a state-of-the-art laboratory. It was dead empty, but had very clearly been recently in use; Tsumugi softly closed the door behind her and started carefully across the floor. This place obviously wasn’t open to the public, and Tsumugi wasn’t sure if there was any way she could reasonably explain ending up here, but still she didn’t turn back. If she figured out what this area was used for, then Anesagi would definitely be impressed with her, and Tsumugi at sixteen had no greater desire than to impress pretty girls.
The first room she came to was locked, but there was a window in the wall and in the door, and peering through she could see what appeared to be an exceptionally sturdy gurney anchored to the floor, which multiple restraints and strange metal instruments attached to it. There was a table and a sink and a public bathroom soap dispenser on one wall, and a row of locked storage cabinets on another, and a collection of IV stands on the third. Curious, Tsumugi tried the door again, but this one didn’t unlock for her.
Maybe it’s a regular lock, she thought, or one that requires ID to be presented first. Really, it’s weirder that the other electronic locks opened without any ID…
She moved on, peering into other, identical rooms that didn’t unlock, and trying the still-locked doors of rooms with no window to peer through. None of these opened, either, so she wandered fruitlessly around the hallway for a little bit, tracing its corners and trying doors, until she reached the stairwell again and decided to see if it led anywhere else. At first she didn’t see any other doors, but after a few moments she noticed that what she’d first taken to be an ordinary workplace regulations poster was in fact painted directly onto the wall, and what she’d taken to be the border of the poster was in fact the edges of a door. She couldn’t find a handle anywhere, but after another few minutes discovered an easily-opened panel on the poster, and under that panel was a keypad of the type that might open an electronic lock—a keypad with signs of being used, with one number nearly rubbed off entirely, and some slight fading around the pound symbol.
Tsumugi pressed 0000# into the keypad, and the hidden door popped open. Pleased with herself, Tsumugi crawled inside and emerged into a room lined top to bottom with files, and, in the very center, a large metal box with wires and tubes running in and out of it, resembling nothing so much as a coffin. Tsumugi pulled out her phone and snapped a picture, and then slowly crept towards it, her fingers reaching out to one plastic tube with a viscous red liquid moving through it and out of the coffin into the ground. She touched the plastic, and it was as warm as her father’s hand, and some sort of dread swelled up inside of her and then snapped into terror when a voice behind her said, “I don’t believe that you have clearance for the area, miss.”
Tsumugi snapped her hand away from the tube as if it had burned her and whirled around to see a lab technician standing before her, leaning against the wall next to the hidden door. He was wearing scrubs and soft rubber shoes, and his long hair was done up in a neat ponytail with long bangs on either side of his face, and he was watching her with a soft, pleased expression.
“I—I’m—I got lost,” said Tsumugi. “I was here for the blood drive, and I took a wrong turn, and I…”
“No you didn’t,” said the lab tech. “It is literally impossible to get into this room by taking a wrong turn. Most employees don’t know this room exists—and that includes the people who work down here.”
“There are…different employees for the basement?” Tsumugi asked. “Why?”
The lab tech jerked his head towards the files on the wall. “Why don’t you read for yourself?” he said. “We’ve got all the time in the world here, after all.”
Trembling, Tsumugi moved in the direction the lab tech had indicated, and then paused and looked back. “I won’t…get in extra trouble for looking through these, will I?” she asked.
“That depends on if you get caught,” the lab tech said simply.
“You just caught me,” said Tsumugi.
“Have I?” said the lab tech. “I didn’t set off any alarms or anything, and as far as I know, nobody else in the building knows you’re here. Unless you have somebody on the inside…?”
Tsumugi shook her head. “I—I came alone,” she said. “Everyone says the lab was haunted, and I heard the girl I like discussing it with someone, and so I thought…I thought that if I broke in and got pictures, I could impress her.”
“You’d endanger her more than anything,” said the lab tech. “But if that’s the sort of thing that would impress her…well, read a file and I’ll tell you something even more impressive that you could try.”
“Would it work?” said Tsumugi.
“Who knows?” the lab tech said. “I don’t know this girl.”
“No, I mean, the impressive thing I could try.”
“Oh.” The lab tech thought for a minute, something dark and sad reflecting in his eyes. “You know, I really don’t know. I would love it if it did, but…I don’t know. I’ve never tried before, you see.”
“Why not?”
“My…current position severely limits the actions I can take at the moment,” said the lab tech. “Read a file, and you should gain a better understanding of what I mean by that.”
Tsumugi nodded silently—there was little else she could do, especially since the lab tech could have her arrested at any minute now—and selected a file folder labeled 1D0L15H-7. Inside, there were dozens of files, though seven of them were thicker than the rest. She pulled one of the thinner ones out at random and first scanned it while snapping pictures of each page and then drank it in, horrified, as it described in excruciating technical detail the growth of an artificial human and its subsequent painful death, as its organs grew faster than its body and burst its skin open and it was vivisected by a ‘Doctor Tsukumo & co.’ before being incinerated, still alive until it was turned to ash and the ash was disposed of.
Tsumugi gagged at the photographs, pressing her fingers against her lips to keep the vomit from marking the file and leaving evidence that she’d had it. She swallowed once, twice, three times, and then said, “Oh God. Oh God.”
“Seven in that experimental group are still alive,” said the lab tech gently.
“Oh God.”
“There are three groups in all. 1D0L15H-7 has the most living members, because that is the classification that the doctors gave to their ‘rejects’ group, the experiments that were too troublesome to allow among the successes. Iori started a mutiny in the lab and very nearly killed a scientist. Yamato went into organ failure after attempting patricide. Mitsuki’s biology is closest to human, and he does not heal as quickly as the other experiments. Tamaki is uncontrollable, and managed to get another experiment out into the real world. Sougo crashed the stock market, and then nearly revealed the lab’s existence to the world. Nagi…was initially labeled a success, but then the individual who purchased him sent him back, saying that there was everything wrong with him. Riku’s creation was an accident, and the lab didn’t have a place for him, and he has a chronic illness. The lab can’t afford to kill them…can’t afford to kill any of their experiments…but at the same time, they don’t care if they live or die.”
“Oh God.”
“Don’t you think it would be impressive if you got those seven boys out?” said the lab tech. “And once they’re out, you could go to the judiciary. Surely this lab is illegal, and if the courts arrest it, then the other experimental groups—R3:V4L3 and TR1GG3R—would be out and free and safe too.”
“Why can’t you whistleblow?” Tsumugi asked. “You work here. I just broke in.”
“Let’s just say that my movement is…limited,” said the lab tech. “I can move freely in the lab—I have access to the security system, and to the internet—but if I were to try and have the lab arrested, then they would be able to destroy the evidence. And nobody would believe it if there weren’t already experiments out in the world, living proof condemning the lab.”
“You can’t leave?” said Tsumugi. “Why not?”
“Mm. I…can’t tell you that right now,” said the lab tech. “I’m sorry.”
“Why can’t you?” Tsumugi asked.
“Well, I don’t want to lie to you,” said the lab tech, “but I can’t give you the reason why, either. It’s nothing that endangers you at all, though. Quite the opposite, in fact. Since I’m always here, I always have access to the security system, and so as long as nobody sees you you’ll never be caught or arrested, regardless of whether or not you agree to save my boys.”
“Why?” Tsumugi asked. “You work for them.”
“Yes, I do,” said the lab tech. “And I hate them. Every single one of them…everyone who thinks that this is right, everyone who goes along with it for whatever reason when they have the choice to refuse…I hate them. I hate them so much.” He smiled at her, and his smile was gentle and kind with no traces of anger whatsoever. “I hate them all. I want them to hurt. I’ll never forgive them. I want them to feel every ounce of pain and horror and helplessness that each and every experiment has ever felt and ever will feel and more…but my goal is different. My goal is for the experiments to get out and be able to live safe and happy lives, and your break-in is the first chance I’ve gotten to make that happen.”
Tsumugi tasted the bile on her tongue, looked down at the pages in her hands. This was so, so much bigger than just trying to impress Anesagi Kaoru. It was even bigger than tax evasion and strange custody battles and trespassing charges. She swallowed again and said, “Okay. Yeah. I’ll help you get them out.”
“Thanks,” said the lab tech, smiling back. “I’ll show you out, and then contact you later about plans, okay? It’s better not to let them know you’re here. You need to leave no trace behind, like you don’t even exist, so that the people who run this lab don’t catch you investigating. Slow and steady wins the race.”
Tsumugi nodded. “I came today because the blood bank was open to visitors and hosting a blood drive today,” she said, “so I didn’t think a stranger wandering around would be too suspicious. Was that a good idea?”
The lab tech hummed. “Probably,” he said, “but you shouldn’t do it again. I’m not sure what a ‘blood drive’ is, but there’s another event going on today, a semi-regular one in which the successes are shown off to investors and to possible customers of the lab, and there’s every chance that somebody could stumble upon you down here. In the future, you should come when the lab is closed, or during an ordinary day when things stay on schedule. I’ll let you know when that is.”
“Okay,” said Tsumugi. “But, um. How?”
“What’s your name?” said the lab tech. “I can find you online and contact you there. I’m good at the internet, and nobody’s been able to see what I do there.”
“I’m…Takanashi Tsumugi,” she said, “but. Um. Are you seriously going to just stalk me online to contact me?”
“Yes,” said the lab tech. “It’s the safest option. My name is Ogami Banri, by the way. I’ll include that and some facts about the lab to confirm my identity to you.”
Tsumugi gaped. “Okay,” she said. “Why…should I…trust you.”
“Paranoia is a good idea if you’re going to help me out against the lab,” said Ogami, “so maybe don’t trust me?”
“Um…Dr. Ogami—”
“I’m not a doctor, and please just call me Banri.”
“Banri,” said Tsumugi. “This is a terrifying thing, and you aren’t being very reassuring.”
Banri softened a little. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just…I don’t know if I can be trusted. I want this, very badly, but they do own me. And they’ve been able to tamper with people’s memories in the past…I fear that if I’m caught, they may try and use me to lure you into a trap. So far I haven’t been caught! —Well, I was once, but that was a long time ago, and as far as they know I’m not capable of acting against them anymore. But believe me, I will do whatever possible to assist you in breaking my boys out and taking this lab down.”
Tsumugi took a deep breath. “Alright,” she said. “Also—just, you know, out of curiosity, are there any girls being experimented on here?”
“No, not since Tamaki broke Aya out,” said Banri. “The scientists hate women, you see. They claim that there’s easier control and more genetic diversity with XY chromosomes as opposed to XX chromosomes, but I’m very good at using the internet. I know what women are, and I know that that means that they hate women.”
“What,” said Tsumugi.
“Also, they were shocked and upset when they learned that Aya was a girl,” said Banri. “They had thought she was a boy, but she wasn’t. Which is another reason they hate women.”
“…Okay…” said Tsumugi. “Um, congratulations to Aya for coming out, I…guess. That’s, um. It’s unfortunate that they hate women. Though, as a woman, I’m a little relieved that I won’t be kidnapped and experimented on.”
“You’re human,” said Banri. “They probably won’t.”
“I don’t like that it’s only ‘probably’,” said Tsumugi. She took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. And you’ll definitely be able to contact me online with only my name and face to go off of?”
“Yes,” said Banri.
“Alright.” She swallowed, and carefully replaced the file in the folder and the folder on the shelf. “I’m ready to go back, then.”
Banri nodded, and she followed him out through the hidden door and pressed it closed behind her. He walked her up the staircase and opened the door, and when she stepped out of it she found herself entirely alone, no mysterious lab technician to be found. She turned back to the door—it was closed—and tried the handle—it was locked, as though it had never been open in the first place.
Tsumugi took a deep, shaking breath. “Okay,” she said. “Okay.” She had the pictures. She had a goal, now, which was a little bit crazy, but she couldn’t imagine just leaving the people in there alone now that she knew what was going on. She even had the name of somebody who had successfully gotten away from the lab. And she had pictures of the secret room and the file she’d read, so she had some proof, too. All in all, it was an incredibly fruitful trip, even if she didn’t appreciate it right now, even if she couldn’t stop shaking as she made her way back under the fence and to her car. She couldn’t stop thinking about the pictures of the dead child experiment, of the strange shapes the body had contorted into, the way their organs had spilled out through their mouth and burst their eye sockets. Banri had not seemed surprised by the contents of the file.
No wonder he hates them, she thought as she carefully drove away from the lab. No wonder…this is terrible. It’s awful. I need to tell somebody about this. I can’t tell Dad, he’d ground me for life. But I need to tell someone…
She pulled over her van in a Starbucks parking lot and went inside to buy a frappuchino, because surely caffeine would help her calm down, and she opened her groupchat with Anesagi and Okazaki and dumped all the photographs in with an explanation of how she got them, and then took a long sip of her frappuchino, sat back, and waited for a response.