by Ben Hammott
Stanislav smirked. “That’s not strictly true, Luka. Your monkey is still on the loose, and there’s also a cow down below you are responsible for.”
It was Luka’s turn to glare at his superior. “It’s a chimp, not a monkey.”
Stanislav shrugged. “Whatever it is, it’s one of the reasons why you will remain here with the rest of us.”
“There’s a nuclear bomb in the facility?” asked Krisztina.
“It was a fail-safe if anything went wrong below when they were experimenting with certain dangerous substances here in the past,” explained Stanislav.
“Biological weapons?” questioned Svetlana.
“We need not concern ourselves with what went on here in the past. It’s the present and the future that we should focus on,” admonished Stanislav. “We need to put our heads together and come up with a plan to capture this thing that doesn’t involve any more of us being killed.”
“Good luck with that,” moaned Luka.
“Is this bomb safe?” asked Pechka.
Stanislav sighed. “Look, Comrades, don’t get sidetracked. Forget about the bomb. It’s probably been rendered inactive so it’s of no concern anyway, but this creature that might be hunting us as we speak is.” He gazed around at his subordinates. “Does anyone have any suggestions?”
“Obviously the scooping it into a container plan is off the table, but what about using the CO2 extinguishers?” Vadim looked at Svetlana. “You said you sprayed it with CO2. How effective was it?”
“It definitely didn’t like it and recoiled when I sprayed it, but it was occupied with killing Alexei at the time, not rushing towards me. How effective it will be against it while it’s attacking is anyone’s guess.”
“We should use fire,” stated Luka. “Rig up some flamethrowers and incinerate it before more of us are killed.”
“No flamethrowers will be used, Luka, by you or anyone else,” stated Stanislav firmly.
“Maybe we could lure it down to Level 4 and trap it in one of the containment rooms,” suggested Krisztina.
“Now there is an idea that might work,” said Stanislav.
“What sort of lure would we use, though?” asked Svetlana.
“Ourselves,” stated Vadim. “It chased Svetlana, so it will probably chase any of us.”
“I’m not volunteering,” stated Luka adamantly.
“We could use the cow,” suggested Pechka. “Put it in the lower elevator, and when the thing enters, bring it down.”
“I like it,” said Krisztina. “We could leave the doors open leading to a containment room and hopefully it will make its way inside.”
“Better still,” added Vadim, gazing at Level 4 on the blueprint of the facility attached to the wall, “someone waits in one of the containment rooms”—he tapped Containment Room 6 on the blueprint—“this one seems ideal, it’s in view of the elevator and has two ways in and out. If we manage to lure it down and it takes the bait when it enters, the person baiting the room can escape through the other door. Someone in the adjoining control room then remotely shuts both doors, sealing it inside.”
Stanislav was impressed. “Okay, everyone, that’s the plan. Krisztina, Svetlana, and Vadim will join me in the lower labs to set everything up. Luka and Pechka, you’ll fetch the cow and put it in the elevator.”
“What about Waldemar?” asked Krisztina.
“I gave him a sedative that will last for a couple of hours, so he should be okay,” answered Pechka.
“That’s not what I meant,” corrected Krisztina. “That thing is on the loose and can open doors. Will he be safe in the infirmary?”
“I see your point,” said Pechka. “I’ll lock the door, and then it can’t get to him.”
“Now we all know what we’re doing, let’s move,” ordered Stanislav, impatient to get the alien captured and his career heading in the right direction.
After Vadim shot a nervous glance along the corridor to check it was clear, the group filed from the room.
CHAPTER 8
EV1Ldoings
After EV1L had devoured Alexei’s remains, it oozed from the bones, formed into a ball of smooth reflective Black and pondered its predicament. With no idea where it was on the human’s planet, it thought finding a way above ground to get the lie of the land was essential. Though still not at peak strength, the humans nearby would rectify that. It could then think about reproducing before venturing farther across the planet it planned to colonize with the help of its brood.
EV1L morphed into an upright two-legged creature that would enable it to move through the facility in a manner similar to the humans it hunted. Slim and almost seven feet tall, its humanoid illusion sported claws for attack and defense and emphasized senses to track its prey. Its features held a hint of Svetlana’s intermixed with an alien creature drawn from its extensive repertoire. Long smooth braids sprouted from the back of its head and wavered snakelike as it headed for the exit. On reaching the door, its claw turned the handle and EV1L exited the room.
LUKA FINISHED TETHERING the bewildered cow to the elevator handrail, shoved its large smelly rump inside, and stepped into the corridor. Pechka removed his hand preventing the doors from shutting and watched them automatically close against the short length of wood he had placed in the entrance. The doors came to a stop against the obstruction and slid open again. The process would repeat until the wood was removed. The cow mooed in protest at its strange surroundings and the sounds of the sliding doors.
Luka stared at the length of string Pechka held, its other end tied to the wooden batten blocking the doors. “I expected something a bit more technical than a piece of wood and string.”
Pechka shrugged. “I could have rigged up a remote device, but I neither had the time or the inclination to do so with that form-changing alien on the loose. It could turn up at any moment.”
“Good thinking,” agreed Luka. The sooner this was done and dusted, the better he would feel.
“One good thing with keeping it simple is there’s nothing to go wrong,” added Pechka confidently.
“The string could snap,” said Luka, helping Pechka lay the mat over the string so the creature didn’t notice it, or get it tangled around its feet if the form it arrived in even had feet.
“How do we know it will come?” asked Pechka, glancing nervously along the corridor.
“If the noise of the doors doesn’t bring it to investigate, then hopefully the large mooing hunk of steak will.”
Satisfied everything was in place, they entered the room opposite and closed and locked the door. While Pechka knelt on the floor and checked the string leading under the door moved freely, Luka grabbed a fire extinguisher from its wall bracket.
Pechka glanced at him. “You won’t need it.”
“I’d rather have it handy and not need it than need it and not have it.”
Pechka rolled his eyes. “Let me know when it’s in the elevator.”
Placing the CO2 extinguisher beside him, Luka placed an eye to the small hole he had made in the sheet of paper he had used to cover the small glass viewing window in the door. He had a perfect view of the elevator entrance.
Now all they had to do was wait.
WORRIED THE ALIEN MIGHT be able to escape in its liquid form, Svetlana and Krisztina checked the seals on the two doors leading from the containment chamber were still in good condition after their years of abandonment. If they could hold back gases and bacteria, they should hold back liquid. Satisfied they would still form an airtight seal, Svetlana turned to Stanislav in the control room and gave a thumbs-up sign.
Stanislav pressed buttons to swish the doors open and closed a few times. They worked perfectly. His voice came over the room-to-room communicator. “Krisztina, take up your position by the elevator control, and as soon as we’ve been informed the creature’s inside, bring it down.”
Krisztina nodded and headed for the corridor exit.
“Krisztina.”
She turne
d to see Vadim returning from the lavatory; his nerves were playing havoc with his bowels.
“Don’t hang about. Press the call button and run as fast as your lovely legs can carry you to the control room.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be hanging about. Make sure you do the same with your less shapely legs.”
Vadim smiled. “I will.”
Krisztina headed across the hall to the elevator.
Worried the man might panic and freeze when the creature appeared, Vadim went to speak to Stanislav. “Don’t be too hasty closing the doors. Make certain it’s fully inside first, but more importantly, ensure I’m out.”
“You worry about your part and leave me to worry about mine. I can press a couple of buttons.”
“I hope so,” Vadim mumbled, heading for the corridor.
When he passed Svetlana heading for the control room, she whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.”
Reassured by her words, Vadim took up his position a short distance from the confinement chamber. The creature would see him when it arrived and hopefully chase him inside. He briefly wondered how appetizing he looked to a vicious hungry alien but quickly pushed the gruesome thought aside. He put a hand to his churning gut; he wasn’t used to all this stress. Hoping everything went according to plan, he stared at the elevator doors and waited.
ON THE LEVEL ABOVE, Pechka scrunched forward and placed an ear to the door. “I think I hear footsteps,” he said softly. “They’re moving fast.”
Luka altered his viewpoint to try and see farther along the corridor, but the small hole limited his vision. “I can’t see anything, but get ready,” he whispered.
Pechka moved back into position and held the string ready to yank free the piece of wood obstructing the elevator doors.
When something moved past outside, Luka nudged Pechka with his foot and placed a finger to his lips to warn the man to keep silent.
Luka pressed his eye to the hole in the paper. Whatever had arrived, it had stopped directly in front of the door but was too short for him to see more than a dark shadow. He pictured it looking at the cow. Urging it to take the bait, he waited. When the shadow moved nearer the elevator, Luka saw it wasn’t the creature but Boris.
He grabbed Pechka’s shoulder. “Relax, it’s Boris.”
“What’s he doing?” whispered Pechka.
“Nothing, just staring at the cow.” Luka reached for the handle to call Boris to him but froze. “Oh, oh!”
Pechka tilted his head at Luka. “What?”
“I think Boris has sensed something. He just jerked his head along the corridor.”
“It has to be the alien.” Pechka stared at the gap beneath the door worriedly as he imagined the alien oozing into the room. Trapped, they would be at its mercy, something which he was certain it lacked.
Luka stared at Boris, willing him to flee.
Suddenly Boris turned and loped out of view.
Luka sighed with relief and tensed when something dark entered his view. He tapped Pechka’s head and mouthed, it’s here when he looked up.
Returning his eye to the viewing hole, Luka watched the alien horror move away.
Sensing the evil creature, the cow mooed fearfully. It strained against its tether and kicked out a rear hoof that shook the elevator when it struck the side.
EV1L observed the large creature for a few moments, noticing its lack of claws, spikes, sharp teeth or armor. It had rarely encountered such a defenseless beast. Even the weak humans had weapons, this had nothing. Taking in its generous size that would provide abundant nourishment, EV1L moved in to feed. Though the wide-eyed cow panicked, shook its head and kicked out, it was no match for its attacker.
Luka observed the attack with emotions a mixture of fear, fascination, and disbelief. The upright alien creature approached the cow and then seemed to melt from the head down, becoming a tower of liquid that bent forward and flowed over the unfortunate beast until it was completely covered.
The cow’s death screams sent a fearful shiver through both men in the room.
Pechka tugged Luka’s trouser leg and whispered, “What’s happening?”
Brought back to his senses, Luka looked down at Pechka. “It’s inside, do it!”
Pechka yanked the string.
Luka watched the wood slide from the door, curling up the edge of the rug. A face, little more than slits for eyes and a mouth, morphed into existence in the black devouring the cow. It looked at the wood, the rug and then straight at the hole in the paper. Luka gasped in fear from the malicious stare.
A tentacle shot out and wrapped around the wood, holding it in place.
Feeling the strain on the string, Pechka looked at Luka. “It’s stuck.”
Luka watched the doors close against the wood and slide open. “Keep pulling, the alien’s grabbed the wood.”
Worried the string would snap, Pechka tugged but failed to pull the wood from the alien’s strong grip. “It’s not working.”
Keeping his eye to the spyhole, Luka unlocked the door and gripped the handle. “Move over so I can open the door but keep the string taut.”
Pechka shuffled to the side. “You’re going out there?”
“I have an idea.”
When Pechka had shuffled to the side and the elevator doors were sliding closed, Luka turned the handle and opened the door. “Pull hard.”
Pechka strained against the string. The alien pulled back hard enough that the string wrapped around his hand bit into his flesh.
Luka rushed out, took the lighter from his pocket and flicking it to flame held it under the taut string. The twine snapped. Pechka fell back. The alien’s grip on the wood pulled it into the elevator stopping it with an inch protruding through the doors, which were about to close on it, causing it to open again. Luka threw the lighter hard at the end of the batten, the force shoving it clear of the doors. Luka glimpsed an alien tentacle reaching for the gap a second before it closed. He collapsed breathless to the floor, his heart pounding against his chest.
Pechka unwrapped the string from his hand and rubbed the bright red welt as he climbed to his feet. He stepped into the corridor, looked at the doors and then at Luka. “Like I said, keep it simple and nothing can go wrong.”
Luka rolled his eyes. “It’s our comrades’ problem now.” Suddenly realizing he still had more to do, Luka jumped to his feet, barged past Pechka into the room and rushed to the intercom. He pressed the talk button and shouted, “It’s inside! Bring it down! I repeat, the creature is in the elevator.”
He relaxed when he heard the winch motor start up, and the elevator beginning its descent.
BORIS WAS FRIGHTENED, confused and missing the companionship of his human friend he couldn’t find. Though he had no idea what the strange, black animal was, he had seen how dangerous it was and knew it was to be avoided at all costs. Its scent was wrong—like no other animal he had encountered before. It smelt bad, evil, something to be feared. Boris glanced back along the corridor to check the strange creature wasn’t in pursuit. Pleased to see no sign of it, he carried on. If he couldn’t find his human friend soon, he would find a place to hide until the creature had gone.
KRISZTINA PRESSED THE elevator call button before Luka’s warning had ended. As soon as she heard it descending she sprinted for the safety of the control room and called out a warning to alert the others. “It’s coming.”
Vadim nodded nervously at Krisztina rushing past. It was his turn now. He shot a longing glance towards the toilet before fixing his gaze back on the elevator doors. It would all be over soon.
EV1L HALTED ITS REACH for the corridor when the doors closed. Though it had no idea what the humans were up to, it assumed its demise was part of their plan. They had tried before and failed. This time would be no different. When it felt the metal box it was trapped in move, it returned to devouring the large beast.
WHEN VADIM NOTICED his legs were trembling, he took a deep breath and held his fear in check. He g
lanced behind at the room he would have to rush through; a short sprint and he would be safe. It wasn’t a problem. He could do it. He shifted his gaze to the control room where Stanislav, Krisztina, and Svetlana focused their gazes across the hall. On hearing the elevator arrive, he refocused on its doors.
The doors slid open. The short length of timber propped against the join fell into the elevator. It would stop the doors from automatically closing and returning to the upper level if the creature lingered inside. Prepared to flee as soon as the creature had spotted him, Vadim stared anxiously at the opening and waited for it to emerge.
WITH SENSES ALERT FOR danger, EV1L reached out a black tendril from its feasting form and stretched it into the corridor. The eye that formed on its tip looked around before focusing on the human watching it. After a few moments deliberation, the black tendril pulled free from the main mass and slithered snake-like along the corridor.
Unable to see inside the elevator from his position, Vadim was surprised by how small the creature was; he had expected something much larger from the description his comrades had given. Emboldened by the arm-length size of the evil black serpent slithering towards him, Vadim’s anxiousness waned slightly. This would be easier than expected.
In the laboratory control room, Stanislav dragged his gaze away from the approaching creature and shot Svetlana a condescending stare. “I thought you said it had grown?”
Perplexed, Svetlana stared worriedly at the black snake. “It had. A lot bigger.”
Stanislav humphed. “You must have been so scared you imagined something that didn’t exist. That worm is hardly dangerous.”
“I might have been scared, but I imagined nothing,” Svetlana defended. “Luka saw it also.”
Stanislav snorted his derision of the man. “Luka’s an idiot.”