What's In The Box?

UNUSUAL PACKAGE DETECTED! The robotic alarm screamed from the factory floor. Curiosity got the best of some of the newer workers, and they brought the box to me in my office high on the third floor. The package in and of itself was nothing special, just a simple brown box, wrapped with the same color paper and tied with a bow of twine. Worker #284 set it on the polished mahogany of my desk, and we all stared at the thing as if it would open itself.

For all we knew, it might. Our company produced all manner of things. Sometimes wires got crossed and something miraculous could get switched with something very dangerous. That was where I came in. Even the most harmless looking envelope could (and had on a previous occasion) harbor a gateway to The Dark One Cthulu. Nothing could be trusted; that was Rule #1 here. Far too many good people had lost their lives, or worse their minds by not being careful enough. Magic and quality control don't always mix, especially when you throw human error into the mix.

After a full minute of inactivity passed, I crept closer to the package, which had begun to weep a strange liquid through its wrapping. I took a deep breath and grabbed the end of the twine, pulling it loose. The box continued to leak the mysterious silvery-teal liquid, pooling on my desk. I nudged the box with my pen, until it was laying open.

Most Inquiry Control Managers would look at the facts: the package had been flagged by the Sorter, when brought before me the package was displaying unusual and possibly dangerous characteristics. According to all guidelines, I should have scrapped the thing immediately.

Then again, I hadn't gotten to where I was by following rules.

"Well, nothing is trying to climb out. That's good, right?" Another worker, #051 this time, chimed in. I had honestly forgotten anyone else was there. I had gotten so wrapped up in doing my job, there was nothing else besides me and the box. I hummed in agreement, as I peered into the empty box, half expecting something to jump out at me. Nothing jumped out at me, and I was sorely disappointed.

Still the source of the strange liquid couldn't be found, and I was running out of excuses to examine the parcel. Everything we had witnessed pointed directly to scrapping the mystery box, but my instincts were screaming at me to keep exploring the box. So I sent everyone back to work and returned to my examination of the parcel.

I had yet to figure out where the strange liquid originated, let alone what it was. I could rule out acid, simply because in the time since the container had begun leaking said liquid onto my desk, it had done no damage to the dark wood except get it dirty. Curiosity beating out caution, I peeled the wrapping off one side to see if it was perhaps the wrapping and not the box that was supernatural.

Unfortunately, the cardboard on that side wept the same strange liquid as the others. So, as far as I could tell, the box was not a danger to anyone, but it was definitely too unusual to sell. Sighing I grabbed the moist box, the coolness of the liquid seeping through my gloves. Another mystery product for the furnace. The flames leapt higher as I drew near, like sentient creatures knowing food is coming. With all the weird stuff we put in there, it might have gained sentience. Not my pay grade, not my problem.

I dropped the parcel in and watched blankly as it slowly turned to ash. Nothing was in the box. Nothing.