Chapter 24: Broken Wall

Ethan looked around perplexed. He felt like he had been stuck in a pose at work for more then two weeks which is undoubtedly a fate worse then death. He pulled a copy of the script out from underneath the table and noticed that there was in fact more written on the pages after the scene he had just finished. "Oh good, we get to continue!" He muttered something about a writer's strike or some such nonsense.

Slowly his gaze turned towards all the people watching him from behind their computer screens. "What?" They kept watching as he inched his way 'inconspicuously' over to one of the cleansing barrels throughout the lab and dropped the script into it. The last piece of evidence was gone and he was again home free. "What are you staring at?" he asked but everyone just kept watching.

He walked calmly over to the phone and started to place a call. A few moments later, whoever he called picked up and he started to talk. To everyone else in the computer lab, they could only hear what he was saying.

"Hey its me. We got a problem". . . . . . . . . .
"The fourth wall" . . . . . . . . . .
"Yeah someone broke it, and they're all staring at me, what should I do?". . . . . . . . . .
"I had one, but I burned it, it was evidence". . . . . . . . . .
"No I'll ask."

Ethan looked up and asked Nikki "Do you have your own copy?" Nikki shook her head. Ethan frowned and continued to talk on the phone.

"She was using my copy". . . . . . . . . .
"Before I burned it, I remember glancing over something about Russians". . . . . . . . . .
"Well I didn't look what page it was, I just wanted to know if anything else was in there". . . . . . . . . .
"So what, should we just wing it?". . . . . . . . . .
"What's the worst that could happen? Obviously you haven't been keeping track". . . . . . . . . .
"Really?. . . . . . . . . .
"Yes yes death to the infidels!". . . . . . . . . .
"No I realize that didn't make any sense, I just wanted to say it again.". . . . . . . . . .
"Well it keeps the lab patrons in line.". . . . . . . . . .
"Actually if we're kind of just going to deviate from the plan, I think I know just where to start.". . . . . . . . . .
"Ok I have to go, we're about to kick things up a notch". . . . . . . . . .
"Yes it does sound foreboding, that's why I can't keep everyone waiting". . . . . . . . . .
"Ok bye!"

Ethan hung up the phone and smiled. "Labs Closed! Get out!" he shouted at the patrons. "You don't have to go home but you can't stay here."

One of the patrons spun around in their chair and said "I'm not finished yet and your posted closing time isn't for another 3 hours. I have to get this done today because I've decided to not work on it the whole semester even though it's at the top of the syllabus. Its due tomorrow and I've got 30 more pages to write which I've decided not to save even once until I'm finished completely."

Ethan looked in that patron's direction. "You make a convincing point, allow me to submit my counterpoint if I may." He then reached under the Lab Assistant desk and pressed a hidden red button. All over the lab, gun turrets popped out of the ceiling and started to auto-track the now fleeing patrons. "Lab's closed! If anyone else wishes to debate it, I'll hit the other button and we all know what would happen next"

"You won't use it!" the patron challenged. Ethan pointed a laser pointer at the computer the patron was using which attracted a number of turrets. They opened fire decimating his computer and most of the desk with a barrage of bullets. The patron got up and on his way out said "Good point sir, lab is closed."

Nikki laughed. "You have a way with words Ethan, or a way with automatic tracking gun turrets at least. I didn't even know you had that capacity in here."

"We only have to use them during exams and fire drills when everyone just keeps working even when we try to get them to leave." Ethan waited till the lab was empty except him and Nikki before retracting the guns and heading towards the exit with her.

"This is going to be a rough trip home" Nikki said as they left the building. "I know, things get weird whenever we deviate from what is expected of us."

"I think at this point, what isn't expected of us would be something normal" Ethan countered. "Speaking of which, its getting really breezy in there. Someone should really fix that wall."