"Paperwork was something they should have left behind in the Frontrooms," Dr. Frost contemplated, his mind wandering as he reclined and slowly sipped his Almond Water. Even here, in another dimension, the forms, documents, and reports were unceasing. The creak of the breakroom door opening pulled him out of his thoughts as his closest friend Finley Sharp walked in. Finley glanced around the messy room, his eyes brightening as they alighted on Frost. "Carson," he smiled, "what's that tune you're humming?"
Carson stood up to greet him, looking confused. "I wasn't aware I was humming anything."
"Head in the clouds, as usual," laughed Finley. "Sounded like Ring Around the Rosie. Say, Car, have you seen the level stability readings lately? They've been fluctuating quite a bit."
"Can't say I have, could it mean-" started Carson, as he was cut off by a piercing alarm. The two scientists looked at each other in concern before Carson walked tentatively over to the door and stuck his head out. A squadron of guards was jogging past; one of them looked familiar. "Turner," Carson called out, "what's going on?". James Turner looked behind him and yelled "Perimeter breach- probably just a Hound or something, but stay where you are, just in case," before running off after his squadmates. Carson closed the door and suddenly became aware of how vulnerable he and Finley were. He grabbed a nearby chair and jammed it under the door handle, just in case. He walked over to where his friend was sitting and stiffly pulled up another chair. "Probably nothing", Carson said after a moment, more for himself than for Finley, but Finley nodded anyway.
"Probably nothing," he agreed, looking like he didn't believe it one bit. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the two-tone alarm grinding away at their thoughts, before Finley indicated to Carson's hand. "You're bleeding," Carson looked down; blood was covering his hand- he hadn't noticed that he had crumpled the thin aluminum can of Almond Water, which had broken and cut him. He threw the can at the bin, missing it, and sucked at his wound. "Probably nothing", he repeated. This time, Finley did not answer.
A loud crash refuted Carson's pitiful attempt at reassuring themselves, followed by a distant scream. Gunfire rattled through the hallway as the scientists took cover behind a sofa. They exchanged panicked looks; strangely, the sounds of battle suddenly ceased, and a brief muffled singing could be heard. A knocking on the door made Carson instinctively rise to open it, but Finley pulled him down again, looking terrified, but saying nothing. The knocking grew louder and louder; right when it seemed the door might give way completely, the knocking stopped. As the researchers held their breath and silently begged for the door to hold, a massive crash filled the room as the door was torn off its hinges. The last thing Carson Frost saw as he looked up was a yellowish grey hand reaching for his head.