We were on the move once again. After George cured all of us of dehydration and hunger, we were back on our feet clearing the jungle as fast as possible. The new gear that was blessed upon us contained new sets of clothes that fit the jungle and desert theme; it also had a can of mosquito repellent, which we doused ourselves with. The thick-cut grass, sweaty trees, and blood-savoring mosquitoes were no match for our new and improved attire. Bill, from behind me, asked a question, "Vincent, why are we going so fast?"
Without looking back at him, I responded, "It's because of the crate that George opened. If any other players were near the sight and actually bothered to come and take a look, we might not stand a chance. So, we need to keep moving. We can slow down once we're out of the damn jungle." Bill nodded his head and George followed us without anything to say. I found that weird since he always had something to say. But, I guess the whole episode that previously happened matured him a little. I checked the number of competitors still in the game: nine-hundred and sixty-seven. I yelled back to the twins, "We might have a shot at getting into the top twenty! There are less than a thousand people left, and it's only the third day!"
George piped up, "I wouldn't bet on that. This is where the real game begins. Usually, in the past games, there weren't twenty thousand people, there were maybe seven or eight thousand. At the time, the weaker competitors were weeded out, that's what's happening right now. Although, eliminating over ten thousand participants in one day is...quite interesting."
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Micheal Grey POV:
My computer that overlooked the tournament flashed red. I jerked my head to see the number of participants had dwindled to less than eight hundred in a day. I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the dust that had accumulated in them. I was still in my casual clothes which I wore when I was with Angela. How were there less than a thousand people? The analysis team said that this would only happen after three weeks! I took my phone and speed-dialed the analytics department.
"Hello, Mr. Grey. I hope that you are having a good day so far!" exclaimed a voice over the phone.
"Good day my ass! Have you looked at the number of players?!" I heard a little shuffling on the other end.
"Yes, yes. It is amazing how there are less than eight hundred people left, and it hasn't even been a week yet!"
I slapped my head; who the hell hired this guy? "First off, you're fucking fired. Second, put me on the line with someone who actually understands the situation!" I heard some indistinct voices before the phone traded hands. I also heard faint footsteps walking out of the room that they were in.
"Mr. Grey, you need to come down here, immediately. There are...interesting things...that you must see."
***
I sprinted towards the elevator and got in. I pressed the floor for the analytics department and held down another button so that other people would not have a chance to stop the elevator on my way down. *DING* The floor had been reached. I walked out promptly and waited near a glass panel. The floor wasn't anything special. There were white walls, floors, and ceilings that permeated a sterile environment. Thousands of computers lined the walls with staff manning each and every one. This was the place where the most employees were hired. I looked at the signs that guided the newcomers to their desired area of interest. For me, it was 'Evolution Games: Analysis Department One'. I sprinted over and found the person who talked on the phone. He was standing by a white door that led to a room full of supercomputers that represented the thousands of players in the Evolution Games. Well, mere hundreds now. The man was expecting me; he greeted me inside the room. I followed his short but sturdy stature through the expanse of the room- it was about the size of a basketball court- until we settled at one screen that showcased six players. The man turned around and revealed his nametag: Kevin Fernum. His beady, black eyes stared straight into mine. I felt shivers dancing on the back of my spine. He said, "I would like you to look at these players, sir. Do you know who they are?" I shook my head. They all looked to be poor and haggard. I don't think anyone knew who they were. Kevin continued, "I don't either. But, what I do know is...they all overdosed on the evolution pills."
I didn't understand. "How did they overdose on the pills? How could they have found that many?"
Kevin cackled as if we thought that my questions were primitive. "Forgive me. We both know that taking too many can lead to an overdose."
"Yeah." I shook my head in agreement.
"But! There is another way," Kevin raised two fingers, "The second way is if the person has close to zero aptitudes with the drug." He pointed to the six players on the screen. They were of various ages. Two were in their sixties, two were in their thirties, and the other two were teens.
I followed his train of thought, "So, you're saying that these six individuals are overdosing because they have close to zero aptitudes for any of the drugs." Kevin nodded his head. "Next, you're going to say that the way that people overdose are different, but the side-effects are the same."
Kevin lauded me, "Perfect! Absolutely spot on, Mr. Grey! Except, it is a fact. Which will be proven. Now, what do you think the side effects are?" I thought about it; they have to be related to the number of participants. But, I couldn't put a finger on it. "It is only natural that you would not know. Please follow me." He beckoned me with his finger. We left the room as he said, "We are going to my office. You must see what I saw and no one else. If this were to get out, then Grey Corp might be seeing an end in the near future." I gulped. Kevin finally stopped at a brown, wooden, sliding door and opened it. He ushered me in and closed the door behind me. He even locked it. "Here!" He tapped on his desk and the bookshelf that was to the right of me slid open. I stepped inside, and Kevin followed. "Now, I will show you the side effects." We were inside of a very cold room; the lights were sterile as the rest of the department. It was eerily silent. Kevin switched on the lights.
"What the fuck are those?" I exclaimed. There were six bodies lined up side by side. They were all covered by white sheets, so I could not see the faces, but I could guess that they were the six people we saw on the screen.
"Not to fret, Mr. Grey. I assure you that no one knows about this." Kevin slipped in a pair of latex gloves and started to lift the covers. As he lifted the sheet on the first two people, he said, "The first two simply died." One old man and middle-aged women were cold as ice, and their skin shone a dull blue. Kevin lifted the next set and presented, "These two were actually in a coma, but I up them to rest." The faces of the teen boy and middle-aged man emerged. They also looked like the other two. Finally, the last veil was lifted. My stomach wanted to hurl when I saw it. Kevin simply said, "These two are the most interesting. Unlike the usual drug overdose, they turned into monsters." A teen girl and another old man. But, thing was, I couldn't even tell which was which. Both of them looked identical. Thick, black skin. White hair, like a ghost. Yellow eyes that shimmered with evil intent, and a crimson red tongue that stuck out when their mouths were opened by Kevin's hands.
"Are those things even human?" I asked, making my way closer to the monsters.
Kevin let out an evil laugh. "Yes, yes! They are!" He continued, "These two monsters were the only reasons that we have hundreds of players instead of thousands. Each of them took out thousands of competitors. If not for the robots that save them from fatal strikes, the island would be soaked in blood. The best part is, they were never even seen by the people that they took out! Everything about them is perfect; limitless strength, speed, agility, intellect, everything except for time."
"Time?"
"They can only last for a few hours before expiring. But, that can be fixed with time, efforts, and experiments."
I kept looking at the black skin, and green, overgrown nails, and teeth. Was this what I had created. Should I make a cure? Or let a psycho, who I'm standing in front of, take this to another level? "No."
"What?" Kevin was perplexed.
"We will invest in a cure."
Kevin's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. "I don't think you have a choice, Micheal. Either you help me perfect this, or I take down the whole company with the evidence I have here." He gestured to the bodies.
Does he take me for a fool? I twisted my own lips into a smile. I took out a small, blue pill. Hello, old friend. I popped it into my mouth and swallowed it. "Kevin, I think I do have a choice." I felt a surge of energy rip through me. My muscles hardened on the inside, and my heart started to pump faster and harder. I gathered my breath...and with one swift motion, leaped towards him. My hand morphed into a claw as it hit his neck. Kevin released a stifled scream. I jerked my hand up, ripping his head right off his shoulders. His body stood still for a few seconds, blood spurting all over me like a fountain. As his head stopped rolling on the floor, his body went limp and crashed to the floor. The warm blood oozed out and gave the place a comforting smell. It's been a long time since I've smelled it. The smell of fear, shock, and blood. I licked the blood off the side of my mouth. Guess fun is about to begin.
I texted Flin. 'Clean up time'
I walked out of the hidden room and made my way to the bathroom. I couldn't walk outside with the blood on my face, could I? *Ping* I read the reply on my phone. 'Done.'