The Zyne Project

by Sara Brooke

  She didn’t resist and allowed him to pull her against him once more, as they kissed more fervently, his tongue parting her lips.

  He gently pushed her up against the wall and kissed her again and again, pushing his hips into hers. They squirmed against each other, seeking pleasure and…escape…

  But their kissing was disturbed by the tarp once again shifting and moving. Dan stopped breathlessly and looked at Claire, who seemed so small and fragile…

  “Are you sure you want to stay here? Come with me.”

  But despite her arousal, a sharp blade of fear was still lodged squarely in her heart. She knew that if she followed the doctor, it might take her closer to the creature that had killed her co-worker and friend.

  It just wasn’t worth it.

  “No. I’m ok. I’m going to stay here. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just come get me when you reach help. I’ll stay right here.”

  He really didn’t want to leave her, but knew that if they were going to survive this, he needed to move quickly.

  Kissing her again on the lips, he gave Claire one last hug and promised to return as quickly as possible.

  Moving slowly towards the dock, he could once again see the yellow glow emanating from up above. He stopped, breathing heavily, and waited to see if anything jumped out or growled at him.

  Nothing happened. But, he could still hear the tarp rustling in the distance. Moving quickly up the stairs, he reached the landing and stopped.

  The door was open.

  Dan looked around wildly but didn’t see or hear anything strange.

  Perhaps the creature came outside and then went back in? he wondered.

  He neared the entranceway and peered inside. The hallway was empty, so he stepped in and carefully made his way to the other side of the building. Amazingly, the building was still lit, but the air was very stuffy and once in a while, he could hear scraping noises outside.

  What the hell is going on? he wondered.

  It took an agonizing seven minutes to get from one end of the building to the other, but Dan finally made it to the pool deck. When he pushed open the glass doors, the first thing he noticed was the hole he had cut open was now considerably larger. He could also see that the entire area was brightly lit by artificial lights and dark objects cast large shadows across the material.

  There were men yelling and speaking quickly.

  Suddenly, a megaphone in the distance called out, “Project Zyne active. Countdown commencing…five, four, three, two…one.”

  Dan listened as a siren rang out and then it sounded like hundreds of generators turning on. The ground rumbled beneath his feet and it was only when tendrils of smoke started to appear in the opening that he realized his mistake.

  ***

  Claire stood in the darkness and wondered if she had made the right decision. Kissing Dan had been a surprise, but a nice one. She smiled and wondered if perhaps when all was said and done, she might have a chance with him.

  Mom will be so excited. He’s a scientist and a doctor. Can you imagine? She smiled to herself.

  Claire was a simple, but hopeful woman. She had moved to South Florida from Des Moines in search of more excitement and a change in life. But without a college degree, her options had been limited. Working at Illusions was just a way to pay the bills until she could secure a more firm position.

  Dating had been tough too.

  She thought about going out on a date with a man could actually pay for the meal. The guys she typically went out with weren’t exactly brimming over with cash. But Dr. Dan Johns was different. He was someone who was educated, handsome, and local.

  And he was a good kisser…

  But Claire’s pleasant daydreams were cut short by the sound of a low growl. Chills ran up her spine and her bladder loosened as she looked around.

  It was here.

  Gripping the gun, she peered anxiously into the darkness. It was hard to make out anything in the distance, but she could hear someone else breathing and watching her.

  Suddenly, she heard the growl again and this time, the Tim-creature emerged. It was bloated and clumsy as it stumbled towards her, arms outstretched and fingers twitching, desperate to tear her apart.

  Claire screamed and backed up. Forgetting about the gun, she panicked and ran in the opposite direction.

  Her body scraped against the tarp as she ran past the building, her feet slipping on stones. She stumbled a few times and accidentally dropped the gun, but despite the burning in her lungs, didn’t stop. She kept on running until she reached the front of the building.

  To her horror, there was smoke slowly pouring into the air from a hole in the material, making it impossible to breathe.

  Coughing, she tore off her shirt and pressed it against her mouth as she’d been instructed to do during Zyne fire hazard training, and ran towards the pool area.

  ***

  Dan watched from inside the building as smoke began filling the pool deck. His heart raced as the realization of their predicament poured into his mind.

  There was no rescue. Zyne didn’t want any survivors.

  The company wanted them dead.

  Well, thought Dan. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them kill me. We’re going to survive…

  He turned to go when suddenly he heard banging and scraping noises outside. Turning to the glass, he saw Claire stumbling around the pool deck. She couldn’t breathe and was alternatively coughing and banging into the furniture. To make matters worse, she was topless and was stumbling around in just a bra, clutching a shirt to her nose and mouth.

  Dan threw the doors open just in time to catch her fall as she tumbled into his arms in a dead faint.

  He carried her inside and managed to shut the doors behind him, blocking out the smoke for the time being. Rushing into the common room, he put her gently down on the couch and ran to the sink to get some cold water. Once he had saturated a cloth, he came back and wiped down her forehead and cheeks as she slowly came to her senses.

  “Where…?” was all she could make out before coughing again.

  He held her gently and stroked her hair until the coughing ceased and she was able to focus.

  “You’re ok now. You’re ok,” he repeated.

  “But, he’s out there,” she whispered, pointing to the doors.

  Dan stood up for a moment and went back to the pool entrance. Locking the glass doors manually from the inside, he peered out into what was becoming a smoky haze. In the distance, he could see someone hobbling around.

  Horrified, he realized it was Tim. But the creature wasn’t doing well. It was coughing heavily and turning blue from lack of oxygen. As it neared the glass, Dan backed away, but got a clear look at its face, or what had once been a face.

  The creature’s face had split in so many places that it looked as if it had been pushed up against a gas grill and allowed to sizzle for several minutes. One of its eyes was missing, the remaining orb a red, watery mess. It was shooting out ooze every time it took a breath, and it appeared to be suffocating. The cut in its neck that Dan had given it hours ago and that should have been deadly appeared to have coagulated. Gasping, the creature banged against the doors, its hands slipping against the smooth surface as it fell lower and lower to the ground. Finally on its knees, it banged on the glass one more time, opening its mouth in a pained, unsuccessful attempt to draw in oxygen.

  It finally fell to the ground and stilled. And this time, it did not get up again.

  It’s lack of oxygen, thought Dan sardonically. Without oxygen, the cells cannot divide and cannot reanimate. That’s the only way to cure them. Suffocate them or destroy their brains.

  Backing away from the glass, Dan knew it was only a matter of time before the smoke entered the building and polluted all of the available air. He could already faintly smell a burning scent causing his heart rate to increase.

  We’ve got to get out of here, he thought.

  ***

  Claire watched D
an as he ran out of the room. She felt extremely weak and fatigued. The smoke had literally come out of nowhere and had enveloped all of the available oxygen. At first, she had been able to breathe it in and not cough, but after a few moments, had found her lungs closing up…forcing her to find available air. Covering her mouth with her T-shirt had only helped for a few minutes, a strange chemical flavor finding its way through her shirt shortly after.

  She was lucky to be alive and said a little thank you to the heavens that Dan had found her so quickly. Closing her eyes, she tried to relax for a moment but became acutely aware of the fact that her mind was hazy and her muscles felt twitchy and strange.

  Trying to ignore the effects of the smoke, she opened her eyes when she heard Dan reappear. He looked tired and worried. And she knew why. They wouldn’t last long with smoke pouring into the building. She felt like crying, but couldn’t force any tears out.

  As her father used to say, Looks like we’re toast babycakes.

  “Ok, here’s what we’re going to do,” Dan said breathlessly as he neared the couch. “We’ve got to get out of the building and back to where I was cutting that hole. Hopefully we can get enough oxygen to keep us conscious until we’re able to get out. Are you ok to walk?”

  Claire nodded yes and he helped her off the couch. As she stood up, he pulled her close to him and they kissed gently and full of emotion. She felt vulnerable standing in front of him in only a bra, but Dan did not appear to notice and focused his attention on her eyes.

  “You’re going to be ok. And this time, I’m not going to leave you. You’re sticking with me. Got that?” he whispered.

  Claire simply nodded again and took his hand as they raced out of the room, back to the loading dock.

  ***

  When they reached the door to the loading dock area, they were already feeling sick from the smoke. The air in the building had grown hazy and warm, making it impossible to tolerate for more than a few minutes. Claire was once again pressing her shirt against her nose and mouth, trying to filter the air as best as possible.

  She was feeling strange. At times, it felt as if her muscles wouldn’t listen to her and she tripped while quickly walking. At other times, she felt drunk and woozy. Not saying anything to Dan, she continued to follow him out of the building but wondered if there was something wrong with her.

  As they stepped out on to the landing, they both stopped for a quick breath. The air here wasn’t as smoky, but it was definitely not clean and continued to exude the same burning smell. Motioning to remain as quiet as possible, Dan held out his hand and led Claire down the stairs. Much to their relief, the hole that Dan had cut open had not been discovered and the air that flowed through it was humid, but clean.

  They both took turns breathing through the hole and Dan continued cutting it. He worked hard and quickly, completely aware that every moment he delayed could cost them their lives.

  Claire watched him and tried to keep from coughing. As each minute passed, the air got tougher to tolerate. But any strange or abrupt sound could draw attention to their location, so she kept her breathing shallow and coughed into the T-shirt when she could no longer bear it.

  After about 15 minutes, she heard Dan whisper, “Claire, I think we can fit through.”

  Looking at his handiwork, she was impressed. The hole was indeed large enough for them to wriggle through. Feeling a bit of relief, she moved towards him and prepared to try to push herself through the hole, when suddenly they heard a growl.

  They looked at each other. Who could possibly still be alive?

  In the darkness, a shape on the ground wriggled towards them. It was hard to see at first, but then as it moved into view, Dan saw the Zyne Project’s last remaining subject…

  Bryan.

  But, it was no longer the Bryan he remembered.

  The fall from the window had broken all of its legs and arms so it was basically wriggling on the ground like an overgrown centipede, trying to make it to oxygen. Dan already knew that the creature would attack them and draw attention to their hiding place, so he did the only thing he could think of to make sure they’d be safe.

  Grabbing the last remaining knife out of his pocket, he carefully walked up to the creature, lifted the weapon up in the air and brought it crashing down on the disintegrating skull, bursting bone and finding the atrophying brain. Dan could feel the bones crunch and the oozing softness of the brain as the knife plowed through the creature’s head. Ooze splattered everywhere, and shot up into Dan’s eyes.

  He turned away and vomited all over the floor, stumbling backwards and away from Bryan.

  When he turned to look at Claire, he was shocked to find her lying on the ground, twitching. Walking over to her, he noticed that her head was positioned on its side. She was frothing at the mouth and her eyes had rolled back into the sockets.

  Stepping back with a sob, he realized that the smoke filling the air, was actually mixed with gas.

  Nerve gas.

  He couldn’t watch Claire die. It was too much for him and every moment that he hesitated, would bring him closer to death. Now, pulling and cutting the tarp with every ounce of strength left in his body, he was able to poke his head through.

  Uncaring as to whether he lived or died, he waited for gunfire to blow his brains out.

  But nothing happened.

  Dan decided he couldn’t wait another moment and shoved his entire body though the hole, dropping to the ground. He was in a darkened area of the building, shaded by trees and the dumpster. But the guards weren’t far away and he knew it would be only moments before his escape was detected.

  Running as quickly as he could, he raced towards the trees and hid in the woods. He watched as the army helicopter circling overhead, suddenly stopped moving and held its position. Seconds later, he could see a ray of bright light positioned near his escape route and heard voices shouting in the distance.

  Not waiting another minute, he ran deeper into the woods, searching for a better place to hide. As the branches and trees scratched at his exposed skin, he squinted in the dark to see if there was anywhere he could rest.

  A gaping darkness underneath a large tree with exposed roots provided him with the shelter he needed. Dropping to the ground, Dan managed to crawl underneath the tree and position himself in the tiny cave. He curled up in a ball, covering his head with both arms.

  Dan wasn’t sure if he was praying for life…or death.

  Chapter 14

  “What do you mean someone escaped?”

  “Well, sir…we’ve located a hole along the west side of the building. It’s large enough for someone to pass through…”

  “And why wasn’t this detected sooner?”

  “Well, sir…we’re not sure. We’ve been scouring the area for hours. It appears that the hole is in an area close to the ground that remained…well…undetected.”

  “This is unacceptable. We must find any survivors. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

  ***

  Clarence was seated at the head of the table in the conference room, when his cell phone rang. Motioning for the discussion to cease, he answered the phone, recognizing the Army Sergeant’s number immediately.

  “Yes?”

  Listening carefully, his brow furrowed as the Sergeant relayed the situation. He barely spoke, with only a few “Yes’s” and “No’s” escaping from his lips. Once the conversation was over, he hung up the phone and faced the other members of the executive committee.

  “Gentlemen, it appears we have a situation. During the quarantine, some of the subjects may have escaped.”

  The others in the room began to twitch in their chairs and appeared extremely nervous.

  “So, what should we do?” one of them asked.

  “Do we need to give a statement?” another questioned.

  Clarence sat back and gave the group a small smile.

  “Gentlemen, please calm down. As I said, we had a few
subjects escape, but the fact remains that the perimeter is secure and they won’t get far. We did ensure that even escaping wouldn’t put us at risk. Remember?”

  Slowly, the members of the executive committee began to relax and as the realization set in, they each began to smile and sit back comfortably in their chairs.

  Chapter 15

  When Dan awoke, he wasn’t sure where he was at first. It was dark, cramped, and every muscle ached. He was also incredibly thirsty and his mouth felt parched. His throat was sore and it hurt to swallow. To top it off, he needed a piss.

  Stepping out of the hole, he looked around. At first, he’d heard voices and lights in the distance as guards searched for him. But several hours later, the search had been called off and everyone returned back to the building to finish the quarantine activities.

  Or in this case, the termination process…

  Dan wasn’t sure why everyone had disappeared, but once he tried to stand up and relieve himself, clarity washed away any questions that had clouded his mind.

  He could barely stand up.

  His muscles were twitching badly and once fully upright, he felt extremely sick and weak. And he knew why.

  The nerve gas.

  They’d asked him to take a look at nerve gas when he was working at the laboratory, shortly after the Zyne Project had started. It was a special type of gas that not only caused severe neurodamage but also robbed the body of all of its oxygen within a matter of hours. Some people called it the “Silent Suffocater”.

  He remembered how one of the top guys, some suit-and-tie-type named Clarence, had come in and asked to chat for a moment.

  “So, how’s the infusion going?” Clarence had asked.

  Dan had responded positively. He knew that there was a still a ways to go, but these guys paid very well and he needed them to support his efforts. Plus, he was working with baseline formulas they’d created and was just making things work better…putting the whole show together in a concise, safe formula.