[i]Something smelled off.[/i]

Alan raised his head, his mandibles scanning the air.  He had learned that the receptors that gave him his enhanced sense of smell where placed near the back of his large insect jaws, and he had found the best way to detect the source was to move his head back and forth.  Following his olfactory senses, his eyes came to rest on the security camera right above the locked entrance.  He stood for a second in disbelief, watching the camera pathetically fighting against gravity as it spewed smoke and sparks.  He suddenly recognized the scent as that of burning wires.

Was this really happening?  Alan wondered if it was some sort of test for a few moments, but quickly let the idea go.  Since his transfer, they had been careful with any test that could aggravate his psyche.  They must have been worried he would go on a rampage or something if they made him too mad.  Besides, if it [i]was[/i] a test, than they probably wanted him to try and escape.

With that last thought, Alan sprang into action.  Throwing off the shoes they required him to wear, Alan took a running leap onto the glass wall.  Even with all of VTK Industries money, they hadn't been willing to cough up the dough to build a cell with glass smooth enough that Alan couldn't stick to it.  Scurrying up the wall, Alan clung to the ceiling as he screamed out as loud as he could.  After the fifth time he had woken up screaming from a nightmare, he had learned it was VTK protocol to check in on him if he made a loud sound of distress.  The probably just wanted to make sure he didn't hurt himself; that would be damage to their property.  Sure enough, the guard situated a little down the hallway came lumbering up, clearly not wanting to deal with the insect freak.  Alan, meanwhile, had started to visibly shiver while clinging to the ceiling.  He had had enough emotional breakdowns to figure out how to fake one.

"Get down, Subject #354.  You're not scheduled for any testing today, so calm down and enjoy your time off.  Besides, I want to get back to my lunch break"  The guard droned on, treating Alan as he would a crying toddler.  The post down here was mostly babysitting.  VTK had found it easier to group the especially emotionally broken subjects together.

[color=6F9851]"No!  I'm not coming down there!  You can't make me!"[/color] Alan whined.  He just needed the guard to come a [i]little[/i] closer.

"Come on, Alan.  I really don't want to deal with your bullsh-" the guard cut off as he saw the malfunctioning camera.  He began reaching for his radio when Alan pounced on him.

"Aaah!  Get off me, you little shit!"  The guard yelled as the full exoskeleton weight of Alan slammed into him, knocking him down.  That was the only thing he was able to say before Alan covered his mouth with one of his hands.  Wrestling with the guard on the ground, Alan won out easily due to his advantage of two extra arms, using two of his hands to hold the guards arms and using the remaining arm to wrap around the guards neck.  Alan began to squeeze the guards neck between his forearm and bicep.  He had seen guards use a similar strangulation technique to knock out trouble causing subjects when sedative wasn't available back at the previous facility.  He let go of the guard when he felt his body go limp.  He wanted to avoid killing a guard, that would make them angry if he got caught.  And he couldn't help but be sure he was gonna get caught.

Before he left out the open door, Alan thought better and went back to the guard, checking his whole body.  He grabbed a key card and a radio, plus the last stick of gum in a pack.  Walking out the large door, he held the key card up to a sensor, closing the door behind him.   He was starting to run down the hallway when he heard alarms go off and the radio speak up.

"Security! Hallway G, floor 4! Escape attempt! Get down there!"

Floor 4?  Hallway G?  From what Alan had discerned from guards over his time here, he was on Floor 6, Hallway B.  He guessed that meant the big brass hadn't realized he was trying to escape yet.  He kept running down the hallway, with newly enhance vigor.  If all the guards were busy dealing with other escapees, maybe he'd be able to get out without a hitch.   Hopefully he wouldn't run into any significant action.

Alan also knew the truth was he would probably just die.  He kept running anyway, ignoring the thought.