Utterly Mad

---

Outside, the yard of the complex was a sudden explosion of confused horror. Pylons, metallic posts topped with a simple metal orb, rose from the ground at regular intervals. With a loud electric cough, this "fence" sprang to life. It was very fortunate that the event took place at midday, or the casualties would have been downright tragic. As it was, very few people were caught in the net of the installations security system. In the aftermath, it was discovered that only five people were killed directly by the system.

A worker running to get across the line of the fence struck the odd barrier at a full sprint and rebounded as though he'd run headlong into a brick wall. In the daze that followed, he hardly registered the turret rising from it's hiding place beneath a cleverly disguised port until it began firing on him. Another, a Misling woman, stoppedid sprint when the same turret spun on her lightning quick and emitted it's warning beep. Her hands shot up in the universal gesture of surrender and she shrieked for what felt like hours. When the turret did not fire on her, she stopped and looked. A few inches from where the poor woman had dropped to her knees, there was a broad white line. She had the feeling that if she crossed that line, so much as touched it even, she wouldn't have to worry about paying off her debts anymore. Somewhere on the other side of the facility, a bird flying above the complex was brought down in a hail of bullets.

The howling tower was now locked down, and there was little anyone on the outside could do about it.

---

"What happened!? Report!" Barked a guard caught outside the barrier. The strange wall of force didn't prevent communication it seemed, and this was the first good news since the whole place had gone into lockdown. Things like tools and whatnot could also be tossed over, but not weapons it seemed. It wasn't long before things had calmed down enough for people to start getting organized.

"As far as we can tell," said Felicia, scratching the back of her head, "someone tripped a failsafe in the places internal network. No one knew it was here, so it was basically inevitable. Wish we had known though. Most of the computers are either fried or on lockdown. Any word from Samson? We could really use his expertise right now."

The guard shook his head. Samsons absence was beginning to get worrying. No sign of him in his apartment, and the men who were watching for him had seen neither hide nor hair of him coming or going. It wasn't all bad though.

Felicia sighed, then asked, "Could you and your sec detail do something for us?"