When fate plays its hand

“This whole botanical garden doesn’t even have a night staff? Maybe they’re just dozing off somewhere…” Sam muttered, reaching to press the button again. Before he could touch it, the alarm suddenly began to

buzz.

“What’s going on?” He was baffled.

Miranda had a sinking feeling, and when she saw Paul’s expression, her worry was immediately confirmed.

“You acted too hastily,” Paul remarked. Sam had jumped the gun,

Sam was confused as he asked, “The label was clear, so what went wrong?”

Paul explained, “The yellow alarm icon has two meanings. One is what you said–contacting outside help. in emergencies. The other is a warning.”

“A warning?”

“Yes, this buzzing sound we’re hearing is a pre–warning alert. In a botanical garden like this, while large predators are unlikely, there are plenty of insects and reptiles, some of which may be venomous. This button likely serves to initiate a pre–warning lock for safety.

Miranda’s eyes widened. “I think I heard a click from the door lock just now.”

Paul nodded. “So did 1.” He stepped forward to check the glass door and, sure enough, the only door connecting this climate–controlled area to the outside had been locked down.

“Locked down? What does that mean?” Sam frowned. Wasn’t it locked before?”

Paul clarified, “It’s locked shut now.

The door, which could be opened with a code, was now sealed due to the activated warning system.

Miranda asked, “Not even a code will open it?”

“No.”

Sam looked regretful. “I’m sorry. I acted impulsively.”

The brief hope followed by disappointment hit Miranda hard. But at least they had power here. There were lights and, thankfully, cell service now, so they weren’t stuck in complete darkness.

Paul pulled out his phone. “I’ll contact the staff. This is a technical issue, and they should have someone

who can unlock the door.”

Sam frowned. “Why didn’t you just call earlier?”

“I was about to, but you pressed the button,” Paul replied evenly.

Sam sighed but stayed silent. The call connected quickly.

“Hello, this is Paul Jefferson. Sam Cooper and I found Miranda, and we’re currently at the tropical climate zone exit. We accidentally triggered the warning system, which locked the door. Could you help us unlock

it?

The staff member on the other end was silent for a few seconds, likely taken aback by how calm Paul sounded. Then he snapped to attention. “Yes, we received the warning alert here and assumed it might be

you. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“But we’re not familiar with the alert system’s specifics–only our tech personnel can handle it. We’ve urgently called them back. I’ll need you to wait for their arrival..”

“How long will it take?” Paul asked. “Sorry? How long until the door is unlocked?”

“Uh! We have three technicians for the base, but two are attending a workshop in Moonville. The one in

Elgerson lives in Yaleson, so it’ll take a while. We estimate around… five hours.”

Paul’s face went stiff. “Five hours? It’ll be dawn by then, Isn’t there any other option?”

“Sorry, none of our on–site staff are familiar with the tech systems.”

There was silence.

So be it. For now, all they could do was wait.