Within the Darkness

Pitch didn't understand why he felt drawn to the NexGen laboratory. The building had been there for as long as he could remember. A civilian owned science center devoted to the study of genetics. Its goal, at least as they present it to the public, is to find treatments and cures to genetic disorders. They receive government funds and oversight and although the main lobby and a number of labs are open to the public with tours of the facility being available, they keep their more sensitive research secret. To prevent someone else from stealing it. As such they are very selective when it comes to even the lowest level employees. Even the janitor has to submit to a full background check, regular drug tests, a literal pile of NDAs, and the company has a preference for people with military backgrounds or family history when it comes to those that are not scientists.

Outside scientists the building keeps a twenty four seven security force and even the janitors are requested to have combat training as extra security. Since James Holden had no criminal background, his father was in the army, and he himself once trained in martial arts; he was exactly the kind of person they looked for in a person that wasn't in the research staff. James had prior experience in janitorial work with that being what he did before going “missing” so when the company received his application they called him in for an interview.

Pitch sat across from one of the building managers who wore a suit and looked over the application. “Mr. Holden, I've looked over your application. With one miner hang-up you are exactly the kind of person we like to hire around here.” Pitch nodded. “That's part of why I applied. You might've seen me in the news recently because I was found after being missing for a year. Explaining the gap in my resume and why I am seeking new employment. My old job position was filled so they couldn't take me back if they wanted to. Plus I hear the pay and bonus incentives here are worth the NDA stuff and the hovering. I already have a cop outside my home watching it so extra surveillance doesn't bother me.”

The interviewer nods. “It says here your father was in the army. Died in a car crash the year before your disappearance. Where did he serve?” Pitch responded almost automatically. “Vietnam, sort of. Caught the ass end of it. Honorable discharge during peacetime, medical.” The interviewer nodded. “Your father had quite the impressive record. Was qualified for a special operations unit the week before his discharge. If he hadn't been injured he would have been involved with Black Ops.” Pitch nodded. “Any other questions?” The interviewer nodded. “Just one. How confident are you in your self defense?” Pitch looked to the floor. “Honestly, I'm probably a bit rusty. I mean it's not like I practiced martial arts while lost in the woods for a year.”

The interviewer nodded before standing up and going to the door, stretching out his hand to shake Pitch’s. “That's it for the interview. We'll be in contact.” Pitch walked over to shake the man's hand. “Thank you for your time.” He is met by a firm and strong grip. The interviewer then moves in for some sort of grapple or throw. James' muscle memory kicks in and Pitch instinctively grabs back before flipping the interviewer on the floor in a split second with a loud thud. Pitch lets go and takes a step back. “Oh god, I'm so sorry.” The man laughed. “Seems your reflexes are just fine Mr. Holden. Consider yourself hired.” He got up and brushed himself off. “Welcome to the team.”

The man offered his hand again, only this time it was a normal handshake. The man opened the door and gestured out. “You'll start on Monday. How's the graveyard shift sound? There's a three dollar an hour premium.” Pitch responded enthusiastically. “Graveyard shift sounds perfect.” And left the building with a smile and a wave. Pitch then hopped into a car and drove home. Once inside the first thing he did was wash his face in the sink. “Alright, I'm in. Now to figure out why I feel drawn to that building. It'll take a while and unfortunately graveyard shift cuts into my feeding time. I'll have to start scheduling meals around my job and I'll probably have to give up or reduce the amount of time I'm haunting a target. Hopefully I can keep this up without being caught or even gaining suspicion. Last thing I need is some murder happy anti-monster PMC to raid my home.”

Pitch walked over to and sat hard on the couch before turning on his TV. “(This new ability allows me to create a human-like shell around my true form that protects me from sunlight. However I can only look like I did before James died and Pitch was born with minor alterations. I can look skinnier or more muscular. I can darken or lighten my skin tone a few shades. I can grow my hair and nails. I can simulate most visual responses like saliva, tears, breath, and a heartbeat. I can look and act like an ordinary human. I can even chew and swallow normal food and drink, though it does nothing for me. I can taste it so it's mostly for pleasure, nostalgia, and to avoid suspicion. People would ask questions if I didn't eat something during my lunch breaks.)”

Pitch had a solid goal to aim for and a plan was now in motion. It would be easy to investigate the building as a janitor and with it being the graveyard shift there would be less people to question him when spotted. Then again most normal people paid little mind to cleaning staff. They were basically invisible unless in an area that didn't receive manual cleaning. James took classes in electronic engineering and even shop class in highschool so he might be able to also be a part time mechanic. This would give him higher pay and greater access with little to no questions about his presence and any questions could be easily brushed off. It would be a slow start earning the trust of the company and gaining deeper access, but Pitch was in no rush.

Pitch took things one day at a time, slowly working his way in while doing his best not to raise suspicion from the company, the authorities, or anyone else. However, even after five years of living this double life and having access to most of if not all the more secure areas that needed manual cleaning, Pitch was no closer to finding his answers. It was possible that whatever was causing the pull that he felt was in an area he couldn't access even now. When in the building he could feel his closeness to whatever was reaching out to him but from what he could tell it was always below him. Even when he was on the lower floor. According to the official blueprints and everyone he talked to, the facility didn't have a basement. Storage areas like refrigerators were kept close to the lab that needed them. There was a vault or two for samples but they were relatively small refrigerated rooms about the size of walk-in closets.

Although never allowed to open one Pitch had seen inside them multiple times. The stairs ended on the first floor and no elevator Pitch could find had a basement button or even a place it could be hiding. If there was a way into a secret basement, it was likely hidden from all but the most trusted scientists and security guards. Five years of investigation and he wasn't much closer to finding an answer then before taking this job. Pitch had basically given up on ever finding out why he felt drawn to this place but continued to keep up appearances. One day, after finishing up cleaning in a hallway on the third floor, James was stopped while heading for an elevator to go down. “Hold that elevator!” A female scientist yelled as she rushed from the other end of the building holding a folder of papers. Likely lab results.

The woman tripped some distance away landing face first into the tile and dropping the folder. Papers flew everywhere. Pitch put the mop cart in the elevator door to keep it from shutting and walked over to her. He started picking up papers before offering the woman his hand. “Here, let me help you.” He grabbed her hand and helped her up before handing her what looked like graphs. Likely lab results that Pitch didn't understand and couldn't fully read. As he helped the scientist up she froze when she saw James’ face. Her eyebrows knitted with an expression like she was trying to figure out where she had seen him before. “Do I… know you?” Pitch laughed as he picked up the scientist off the ground. “I'm a janitor slash electrician slash part time maintenance man around here. I've been working here for five years. You've probably seen me mopping the floor, changing a lightbulb, or fixing a pipe.”

The woman blinked a few times before picking up and trying to put on her glasses. The frame is now bent. She does her best to bend it back but it still looks crooked. Pitch gestured to the elevator and walked into it, pushing his mop cart in. The woman adjusted her papers quickly and stepped inside. “I guess…” she then looked at the name tag on Pitch’s overalls. “James?” Pitch looked at the scientist who was almost a full foot shorter than him. Her dirty blond hair tied into a short ponytail. “Yes?” The scientist then asked “Is your last name Holden?” Pitch knitted his brow. “Yes?” She then asks “You're like what… twenty five, twenty six?” Pitch answered “Twenty six.” She then asked “Did you go to school in town here? Specifically Teddy Roosevelt High.”

Pitch was a bit surprised by this. Did he know this scientist before this job? “Yeah. Graduated with honors about eight years ago.” She let out a snort sound. “You don't recognize me, do you?” Pitch shook his head. “I have no idea who you are.” She put her hand to her chest. “It's me, Kathryn Smith. We went to highschool together. You were friends with my brother Cuda.” Pitch searched his memories of highschool as James. He remembered having a few classes and even eating lunch with someone named Cuda Smith. Though everyone called him Cu. Though on friendly terms Pitch would not have said they were friends since they never hung out after school. He also remembered having at least one class with his awkward nerdy sister, Kat.

“We had chem lab together once.” Pitch said after remembering. Kat nodded enthusiastically. This woman was a lot less self conscious and shy then the Kat he remembered. “Yeah. Oh god I can't tell you how good it is to see a friendly face around here. What a small world it is to run into you here. It's crazy to think we've worked in the same building for five years and I only just now noticed you.” Pitch nodded. “Most people don't notice the cleaning staff or low end mechanical maintenance. I also remember you being the type to get so wrapped up into a project that you'd lose track of time and not even notice it was getting dark outside.”

Kat giggled. “Yeah, I'm still like that.” She paused. “Hey, we should catch up sometime.” The elevator door opened and Pitch started stepping out. “I uhh… yeah. Sure. Why not.” Kat followed and walked with Pitch for a bit. Pitch started cleaning and Kat kept walking. “I'm really busy right now but I'll catch you later. We can exchange numbers then, yeah?” Pitch waved at Kat as she turned a corner. “Yeah, sure.” A bit after she was gone Pitch mumbled to himself. “She'll probably forget about me by the time her shift is over. If not, she'll forget by tomorrow. Not sure why she was so friendly with me just now. She was always so shy and mousy in highschool.”

Pitch’s mumblings were interrupted by the power going out and the sound of a woman letting out a scream that was quickly muffled. He set his mop in the cart and slowly walked over to the corner before peeking around it as the emergency lights came on. There he saw Kat being held in a chokehold from behind with a hand over her mouth by a guy in black tactical gear, black riders gloves, and a black biker helmet. There were other similarly dressed people around her, one of whom was holding the folder and looking at it before tossing it hard on the ground. “Where is it?! Talk or things get very bad for you.” Some of the men were armed with weapons that reminded Pitch of the UV pulse rifles but these had blue lights instead of purple. These definitely weren't from the same group but they got their equipment from the same manufacturer.

The man holding Kat’s mouth took it off to let her respond only for her to start shouting for help and get muffled again. The guy moved to punch her in the gut putting himself between Kat and Pitch. Pitch slowly walked down the hallway to the well equipped thugs before doing his best to alter his voice so Kat wouldn't recognize it. “Drop the woman and walk away.” The thug turns, still blocking Kat's line of sight, and starts laughing. “Yeah, and what are you going to do about it, scarecrow? Wipe my helmet visor with a bar rag?” Pitch pointed at the lead thug. “I'm going to clean your clock and mop the floor with ya.”

The guy practically doubled over laughing. “You hear this guy?” Suddenly he stood straight and took a serious tone. “Turn this fool into swiss.” He gestures to the men with normal assault rifles. They take aim and begin to fire, emptying several rounds into Pitch's body. He looks down at the black holes with small tendrils of his true self now reaching out. “Oh, so that's what happens.” The facade disintegrates as the lights flicker before the shadow form rushes at the man holding Kat with the men shooting lightning bolts out of the tech gun at it. The black particles enter the man's mouth and vanish. The man shakily points his gun at one of his allies before pressing the trigger and filling him with holes. He then sweeps the gun across the room trying to get everyone except Kat who is tossed as far as possible away from the carnage.

The remaining men shoot at their former ally turning him into swiss. Shadow tendrils exit the bleeding wounds and connect creating a net before violently pulling inward causing the man to implode as blood splashes out. Chucks of the man are pulled into the black mass before tendrils whip out to grab or slash guns before picking up two dudes and ripping their limbs off. Screams fill the building as they are quartered alive before finally falling to shock and blood loss. The rest start trying to run with two tossing their weapons at the ground before doing so but the monster moves swiftly cutting them off before cutting them in half or ripping them to pieces.

Blood splashed everywhere as screams filled the room until eventually everything was dead silent. “Well, I might as well eat them.” A distorted voice came from the shadow. The floating black mass then started to gather the body parts and pull them into itself with a series of squelching and crunching sounds as blood dripped out of it from its meal. Then the shadow talked again. “Curse my programming to never waste food.” The shadow then hovered over to Kat who was shivering in the fetal position on the floor. Blood on her once clean and sterile lab coat. Pitch could practically taste the fear coming off her but resisted any urges to consume her as well. “Are you okay?” The distorted voice droned from the monster.

Kat slowly moved her arms from in front of her face and looked at the black mass of what looked like shadows. “You're… not going to kill me?” Pitch hummed. “Working in a place like this, you're probably really good at keeping secrets. Just don't tell anyone you saw me.” Kat began to unfold herself. “What about the cameras?” Pitch let out another hum. “Those thugs cut the power and the cameras. I benefit from the measures of whatever they had planned. Speaking of, what were they after?” Kat shakily picked herself up and did her best to fix her outfit. “They were asking where the entrance to the basement was. Which is weird because as far as I know we don't have a basement.” Pitch grumbled. “(They were after the same thing as me.)”

Kat walked over and picked up one of the few intact lightning pulse rifles. “This definitely isn't standard issue for anyone.” She looked it over. “I've never seen anything like this, but at least it has a stun option.” Pitch hummed. “I have, but those shot concentrated energy bursts that emitted high levels of ultraviolet light.” Kat knitted her eyebrows and tilted her head, but chose not to press farther about the weapon. She had other questions that took priority. “Okay so… what are you exactly?” Pitch's tendrils joined into two thicker ones that mimicked a shrug motion. “I don't know. I don't know what exactly I'm made out of as far as the molecular structure, but it's like really fine black sand.”

Kat took a hand and slowly reached out to the shadowy blob. Her hand sank into the mass as if it were a fog. She then wiggles it around. “That feels weird.” Pitch grumbled, the partials vibrating on Kat's hand. “Imagine how it feels for me. I'm the one with a hand inside me.” Kat giggled. “That kind of tickles.” She eventually put her entire arm in the mass, reaching for the center when she felt something cold and solid. Like a metal ball floating at the core of the mass. She has to move her body part way in to grab it, her hands gently caressing the mass.