🦇

Clairet gasped, waking up in the same sleep room she had been inhabiting for..she actually doesn’t know how long. She’s lost track of the days and doesn't bother trying to ask the nurse or engineer, they’d just lie, or so she thinks. Sitting up she looked around at the drab room, she never bothered to decorate, why would she? Clairet didn't plan on staying long, she was going to get experience under her belt and get the hell out of there.

She heard through the grapevine, or rather in the terminal, that there was a new prime asset. A mannequin lady, what the hell was that supposed to mean? Enough standing around she needed to get it done. No new prime asset was going to stand in her way of freedom.

Freedom, it’s funny really. That’s exactly what she thought she was going to have when she took that bite of the doctor's neck. With the blood dripping down her face, Clairet was tackled to the ground just meters away from the door she just walked through willingly. She didn’t have a name before this, just ‘girl’, ‘woman’, ‘psycho bitch’ always sufficed. The blonde nurse gave her the name Clairet.

“You took quite a bite there love, looks like you were drinking wine with his blood. Hm, I think Clairet would be a very sufficient name for you, don’t you think? It’s the name of wine.”

Now she was stuck with it, at least it was a pretty name.

Fingers dashing across the terminal board, Clairet thought it would be a good idea to try that new prime asset map. ‘Liliya Bogomolova..’ Why couldn’t she get a name like that? The siren blared, she walked into the shuttle, stomach dropping as it moved down. Clairet took her seat, bracing herself for the hallucinations she would endure for the brief two minutes of the shuttle’s departure to the estate.

Once the shuttle stopped moving and the cuffs lifted off her, she stood up shaking her head. “I sure hope I get used to that.” But enough dilly dallying, it was time to face the unknown. Holy fuck was the unkown cold. Teeth chattering, breath clouding in the air, her hands rubbing her arms rapidly. Clairet wobbled to the bright red generator and began pulling the handle. The bright red engine came to life and glorious warmth bursted inside the heater. After warming herself up Clairet decided to continue onwards. After walking towards the building she realized it needed a key, of course it did. Weaving around gates and random junk in the way, she came to the garage looking door and began lifting it up.

Once it was fully raised Clairet slipped underneath and pulled down her night vision goggles, it was still cold inside but much better than whatever frozen hell laid outside.

“Right..now where is that key..” Just ahead laid the ‘Stag Room’, inspecting the room Clairet realized she needed to power off the mannequin so its hand would open and give her the key. So she went looking for the batteries in the small cabin-like area. She hopped over a wall, landing right next to one of the batteries. She dismantled it, stuffed the battery in her pocket and went to find the next. After looking in the few other rooms Clairet walked into the kitchen area, her foot barely touched the glass as it crackled underneath her weight. “Shit.” she cursed and jumped into a nearby barrel to hide in. The shuttle door alarm blared and a huge scream raved through the quiet. Clairet rolled her eyes thinking ‘Of course, the Pitcher. How nice it must be to carry bottles of fire around in this frozen waste of space.’

After hiding in the barrel for what felt like fifteen minutes, Clairet finally jumped out. She stretched her limbs and continued searching for the last battery, she had just gotten the second one right before entering the kitchen. She peered over the dividing wall and spotted the last battery. With the last one dismantled a low huff of a stag echoed through the speakers. The key was now loose and ready for taking. Clairet walked back to the Stag Room and grabbed the key. “Now the fun begins.”

She walked back to the main door and unlocked it, pushing open the double doors a burst of warm air hit her face. Her shoulders relaxed, immediately walking towards the fireplace. The double doors closed behind her with a soft thud, it was quiet again except for the soft crackling of the fire. Once she was satisfied with the temperature her body was enduring, Clairet stood up and began looking around. It all made sense now, the mannequins all looked alike, purple and gold wearing some sort of crown. Is this why all the reagents were calling the new asset ‘Manniquin Lady’, because she was obsessed with these mannequins?

Regardless of the awkward scenery Clairet moved forward to the shuttle doors, it whisked behind her, opening up a new room. It was much smaller than the main entrance, a middle wall separating two sections of the room. On the other side, a button, a huge glass window and curtains on the other side of the glass. Clairet slammed her hand on the glowing red button, the curtains began to drape apart. There was a man, a screaming woman and what looked like a round table with even more mannequins. It was hard to tell with the dim lighting but it didn't take long until the man noticed Clairet.

“Please. Open the door! She could be in here, get me out of here!” the man pleaded.

That’s when it happened, one of the crowned mannequins came to life. Clairet’s eyes beamed with interest, stepping closer to the glass to get a better look. The mannequin, now assumed to be Lilliya, jumped on the man’s back and began stabbing him in the chest. After a few slashes she leaped off his back and slashed the back of him, along with the nap of his neck. The man fell to the floor, a thud echoing with the woman’s screams who Clairet still couldn't see. Lilliya stepped back onto the rim of the circle barrier, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I am the way.”

She fell back into the light, disappearing without a trace. The mannequin next to the button began moving, gesturing towards the sign that read ‘Silent Auction’ on a plaque above the door.

“How much would you give to take part in salvation?”