Ruined City
Terran was exhausted; he leaned against the doorway watching Tessa sleep, finally restful and with no signs of pain. Tessa appeared to be doing a lot better. However, she had a long way to go, and Terran would be far happier to get out of here and be checked over by a professional.
Someone who wasn't a fourteen-year-old boy and had only the know-how of a field medic despite his healing ability. Sigh, quite frankly, he was lucky that it went well.
Terran felt someone staring at him. Looking up, he found Tyson sitting in the corner. His dark face was pale, but it seemed like his anxiety was drained, as well. There was a moment of silence before Tyson nodded. Then his attention turned back to Tessa like the incident never happened.
Terran forced himself to move from the comfy wall, then walked out, a small smile formed on his lips. He whispered. "Your welcome."
Stretching out his arms in exhausting, he ambled to the back room and knocked. "Captain?" He called out. "I would like to report."
There was nothing but silence. Terran was about to call out again…. "Come in." Captain Terrance's voice echoed. Terran opened the door and stepped inside to find himself what looked like a Coms system, similar to the one the Captain used not too long ago. The older man had his back to the door. "Close the door behind you." He didn't bother turning his head.
Now more worried than ever, Terran quickly closed the door and stepped forward. "Captain…"
"Shh.." Then Captain Terence moved his hand to reveal a radio which was dwarfed by his big hand. There was static then… "….Do you have those two kids secured."
"…We're bringing them in now."
"Let's get back to base…."
"Aren't we supposed to wait for Conner to bring the Castie Heirness…"
"Time is running out. Between that Protector's attack and the Zombies…They're a lost cause."
"Ah damn…Boss won't like that…."
The Captain removed his thumb from the button, and the voices stopped. Captain Terrance slowly turned to face Terran. "So those Nomads were right; this was a trap. Although there wasn't any doubt with Mr. Tanners turning on us, to have it confirmed…."
Terran nodded in agreement. "And the captured kids?"
"No doubt, Mr. Sinclair and Miss. Marrow," the Captain confirmed.
"What are we going to do?" Terran asked.
"Nothing." Captain Terrance's gaze moved past Terran; his eyes were full of meaning. "We have our own problems to take care of."
Terran got the feeling that the Captain was talking more than Tessa being injured. "Then…"
"Let's hope that Miss. Green would get there on time." Captain Terrance advised.
His eyes widened. Heather was supposed to go after Katy and Daniel. With how injured Tessa was, he completely forgot, but with what Heather just did … "Should I be relieved or…?"
"Both." Who knew what Heather would do.
***
Meanwhile…
"Ah damn, the Boss won't like that." A guard groaned into the radio.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want…."
"Farris." Someone up ahead called out. "We have a live one up here."
"Hold on," Farris said into the Radio. Then he looked behind him. There was Katy and Daniel with their hands tied and gagged, with a couple of guns pointing at their back. "Watch them!"
"Yes, Sir."
When he came closer, there was a girl trapped underneath a pile of rubble. "She looks like one of the Compound students."
"Is she the Castie heiress?" he asked, hopefully.
Farris moved to have a better look, but the girl's skin was tanned, and she had green streaks in her hair. "No, not Castie," He inspected the rest of her body. "She not infected with Vine," He tsked with disappointment. "She would have been a perfect specimen. Too bad."
"Why."
"Are you going to dig her out? I'm not. We're sitting ducks out here." Farris asked sarcastically. "So it's best to just shoot her now before the Zombies could get her."
"I thought the Boss said they're called the Ridden."
Farris rolled his eyes. "I don't care what…."
Suddenly a loud sound echoed, and Farris suddenly had a big hole in his chest. Then he flopped over dead.
The person kneeling got up quickly, pointing his gun at the building above, but seconds later, he too was shot.
The others looked at each other before grabbing the only shields they have. Katy and Daniel, but it was too late, and they began to shot randomly. A shot shouted, and a shot sounded, and the one on the left was dead before his knees hit the ground. The remaining man began to run, but he didn't get too far, as yet another shot rang out.
Danial and Katy just stood there and didn't how to react, but they quickly got to work when there were no more shots. Katy started searching the bodies as Daniel walked to see if who was buried underneath the rubble. they
Suddenly the rocks trembled and flew to the side, and Daniel couldn't help but stumble back.
While the dust was clearing. The girl underneath got up and stretched. "Ah, my body aches." Then, staring down at Daniel, "I can't believe you got caught by these guys." When there was no answer again. "Hmm?" Then realization dawned. "Oh, you can't speak." The girl sighed. She kneeled down and work to free his hands.
"Here." Katy came up with a knife and helped.
"Ah, thanks," Daniel replied gratefully when he was finally free. "Dang thing was on too tight." Rubbing at the corners of his mouth with a wince.
"So, are we going to talk about what just happened," Katy stated while eyeing Heather? "Like how you're not acting like the usual, Heather."
"Hm, her," Heather mumbled.
"Or how your eyes are glowing," Danial added. "Wait, what do you mean her?"
"I'm a Lumeye, that's all." Heather sighed. "Can we talk about this later?" She held up her arm and her sniper rifle flew back into her hands. "I don't like how open it is."
Katy had a thoughtful expression. Her gaze moved between the girl who just became a stranger and the sniper rifle."Your right. We'll talk about this later." She reluctantly agreed. "Since you appear to be alone, where did the others go."
"Something about a base within the city," Heather answered.
"Then we need this." She grabbed the radio from Farris's body. "And we should salvage what we can from the other bodies." Giving Daniel a nudge.
Daniel looked like he just woke up from a dream."Oh, that's right, food and weapons."
"But…fine, but make it quick we don't have much time." Heather was only half paying attention because of something off in the distance. "The Zombies are replenishing faster than I thought. No wonder…" She lightly kicked the body at her head. "They're most likely coming from the same place."
***
Tunnel Base
As Stella's screams turned into sobs.
Rachel couldn't tear her eyes away. There was a five-station with five people hooked up inside, and a container looked like it had lightning trapped inside, pumping something into them. But what was the most horrifying was where there was matted blood everywhere, signs that they struggled for a long time. How their bodies were twitching in pain. And most of all, the stark terror and hopelessness were written on each of their faces.
All but one. Completely riddled with Vine, there was nothing what one what call human about him anymore. He just kept banging and banging until he shattered his prison and went after the scientists. Rachel closed her eyes as screams filled the room, then the sound of bullets, then nothing.
"Why," Rachel whispered.
"Why not." A male voice came from behind them. Rachel turned to find someone not so unexpected.
"Elliot, been a long time." Rachel tried to keep her voice calm and looked behind them. "Randel, I guess that our engagement is over."
Randell kept silent and turned his eyes away. Rachel wasn't surprised Randell has always been a coward, especially his older brother.
However, it was not like she wasn't hurt either. Their engagement was arranged, and there was never any love, but there was respect. At least Rachel thought of him as a friend…. Guess she was wrong.
'Why was I sad?'
"You don't seem surprised." Elliot comments.
"To be honest, not really," Rachel stated. "It was either you or my family." She wouldn't put it past the Lui family, especially her grandparents, to kidnap her and bring her back into the family fold. They were heavily involved with Police Politics, so they want to keep up appearances more than anything else. Although this was a whole new level. The question was still… "Why?"
"Your family was getting a little high-handed lately." With Elliot, that could be between stepping on his toe accidentally or they tried to kill him. Either in business, personally or literally. "So I thought an example was in order."
"Why me? I'm just a bastard in their eyes." Rachel wanted to stop talking; talking to a lunatic like Elliot would backfire on her. But it was either that or screaming. Rachel didn't like where this conversation was going.
He smiled. "Exactly. I needed something to make them notice, but not big enough to damage them in any way. I still need them, after all."
And he doesn't need me. So he was responsible for blowing up Outpost 23 too. So Rachel thought, her throat going dry.
"I'm grateful that you will be honoured to be part of the advancement of humanity. Think about it, all the benefits of the Vine survivors without any of the setbacks. " He snapped his fingers., and the two guards from earlier dragged Dr. Ramerez in. "And all this wouldn't be possible if it wasn't for her. The creator of Artificial Atmospheric Ripples."
Rachel whipped her head back to the Lightning in the bottle. "Those are Ripples?" Rachel cried out in shock. "You are creating those things, advancing humanity? Do we see the same thing here?"
Elliot waved his hand dismissively. "That's only a setback. And even setbacks have their uses."
Rachel could only think of one reason. "You're making an army."
"And you're going to be part of it. Be grateful."
Dr. Rameriz spat out. "Monster."
Elliot rounded on her, "Who's the Monster? I saved you from execution, and this is how you repay me?"
"I would rather be dead," Dr. Ramereze glared.
"Not before I'm finished with you." When the older woman didn't respond. "Grab Miss. Lui!"
I squeezed Stella's shoulders before being dragged to the experiment room. Stella cried out. "Don't take her." Then Rachel began to struggle like mad. Hitting, biting, and kicking. The harder for them, the better for her.
"I need more help!" A guard cried out.
Suddenly more surrounded her. Even Elliot. 'And I thought that was beneath him.' As soon as they strapped Rachel into the machine, only Stella, Dr. Ramerez, and Randell was left inside.
Elliot was looking gleeful. "I'm going to personally enjoy this." As he shoved a Scientist aside and pressed some buttons and the machine turned on. Rachel kept on smiling, as her eyes never strayed from Stella filled face, as the doors slammed shut and locked. Whereas Dr. Ramerez, being a quick thinker, came up behind Randell to knock him unconscious.
'Thinking mentally to Va.' Come quick.