Bud Melks

Bud Melks was a supporting character in The Belko Experiment. He was portrayed by Michael Rooker.

Before the experiment
Before the experiment, Bud worked at the Belko facility in Colombia for about a year as a maintenance worker. Bud alongside all 79 other employees had what they thought was a tracker implanted in their brain. However, unbeknownst to them, the tracker was actually a bomb. While working in the building, Bud met and befriended fellow maintenance employee Lonny.

Phase 1
One day, Bud and 79 other employees arrived at work as normal exactly a year after being hired. As the employees were checking in for work, they started to notice some changes as two heavily armed guards searched the employees vehicles with some guard dogs and metal detectors. After entering the building, the employees tried to carry on with their jobs until dozens of thick metal sheets suddenly rose up and covered the windows, preventing the employees from leaving. In the confusion, a voice suddenly went over the intercom and announces the start of phase 1 of the experiment to the employees and the directions for it: the employees would have to kill two people in 30 minutes, or else four of the employee would die. At first almost everyone, including Bud, believed it to be a harmless joke and went back to work. Bud meanwhile jokingly plays along and pretends to choke Lonny as both of them laughed. Minutes later Bud and Lonny alongside all the other 78 employees gather up in the lobby to dicuss what was going on as their connection, phone service and air conditioning were suddenly unavailable. While there, fellow employee Mike asked Bud if he could cut through the metal sheets which Bud agrees to try. With Lonny, Bud tries to cut through the metal sheets with a blowtorch to no avail. A short while afterwards, four of the employees’ head were blown up as everyone else, including Bud, watched in shock. Wanting to do something, Bud and Lonny then returns to the basement to see if they could turn the air conditioning back on.

Phase 2
While in the middle of turning the air conditioning back on, the Voice returned and gave them the directions for Phase 2 of the experiment: in 2 hours the 76 remaining employees would have to kill 30 people or else 60 of the employees would be killed. Because of directions for phase 2, Lonny starts to panic. Seeing his friend panic, Bud tries to comfort Lonny only for him to freak out and bash Bud in the head with a wrench, seriously denting his skull. Suffering from the massive brain damage, Bud confusedly asked what just occurred before slinking to the ground dead as Dany watched in horror from a few feet away.

Trivia

 * Bud was the 5th employee to be killed.
 * According to Bud's staff ID card, he was born on 6 April 1955.