by Suzanne Robb
However, he never saw anyone do anything as extreme as this, let alone several people. Why couldn't they stop a few men? The only answer was that something rapidly contaminated a large portion of the crew, removing containment as an option.
The only other solution was some sort of sea monster, which was too ridiculous to give any validity to. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and almost screamed when he heard a moan off to his left.
Iain heard the noise too and took out a gun. Kramer, not going to die without a fight, pulled out his gun too. Both men focused their flashlight on the area.
They heard the moan again and singled in on where the sound came from. They shone the light on the body of a man missing a leg, part of his left arm, and a large portion of his torso.
Iain and Kramer gagged at the sight and smell. The body moved, using its hands to try to come towards them. He wanted to move on and complete his objective, but he knew the damn captain would see if they could do anything for the pitiful creature on the ground.
"Try to relax; we'll get you some help." Iain used his radio.
"This is Iain. We're in the hallway approximately fifty feet from the research lab. We have a survivor. I repeat, we have a survivor."
The radio clicked back, and a burst of static was heard, then nothing. Iain kept hitting the signal button, but it didn't work.
"Kramer, your radio work?"
Kramer went to use his radio and found it didn't work either.
"Someone jammed the signal."
"We can't leave this guy here; we need to help him."
"Look at him. What do you plan to do? He's missing his stomach and lungs; he should be dead."
"We're not leaving him. There might be something."
"Captain, I don't think you understand the situation. Take a good look at the guy; he's a damn zombie."
"I'm not leaving him behind." Kramer heard the denial in Iain's voice and mentally sighed.
Kramer hid his annoyance. So close to his goal, and they had to stop and help this guy. Maybe he could get the captain to hold on for a few minutes.
"Captain, let me go the hundred feet to the research lab. It'll take me two minutes to grab any samples they might have gotten, and then we can carry this guy back to the control room."
Iain seemed hesitant, most likely because he didn't want Kramer out of his sight. "We go together, and you have one minute to see if there are any samples worth taking."
Kramer nodded curtly. It wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it was better than nothing. He would also get there before Maxine, which was his goal. The two men continued on their way to the research lab.
***
Maxine and Nina split up when they left the control room. Nina must be off somewhere drinking or doing something else stupid, Maxine thought with a smirk. She didn't really care, as long as she could make it to the research lab before Kramer.
The schematics to the sub were in her possession before she boarded the Betty Loo, so she knew exactly which way to go in order to get to the research lab as fast as possible. She tried her best to ignore the stench and the bodies lying about. Just as she was about to take a shortcut, she heard Iain on the radio.
She activated the frequency jammer. The last thing she needed was to be ordered to tend to a survivor. Taking a look around, she knew there was no way there were any survivors. Iain must be drunk or hallucinating.
Maxine rounded a corner and came face to face with a crewmember, or at least what once might have been a crew member. She took a step back and forced herself to hold in the scream. The creature moaned and opened its mouth, reaching out for her hungrily.
A smell wafted her way that was so rancid she felt bile rise in her throat. The thing came towards her, and as she raised her gun and flashlight together, she got a full view of what she was dealing with. The mouth was full of decayed teeth. Black saliva dripped from it liberally. Dried nerves stuck out of the otherwise empty eye sockets.
A hole in the side of its face let her see the inner workings of its mouth and ear canal. Maxine held back the urge to scream and throw up. She had a choice to make and only seconds in which to make it. If she fired her gun, the others would hear and come to help her, maybe. If she tried to fight this thing hand to hand, she might get infected.
She knew the syringes in her bag were supposed to be some sort of vaccine, but as she fully took in the thing in front of her, she didn't trust it to work. Maxine searched around for a weapon of some kind. The creature lunged, catching her off guard. When it came at her, she held up her gun and fired. The chest of the thing was so soft her hands sank into it as it fell towards her.
The ribcage of the creature crumbled, but that didn't stop its movement towards her. She pulled her hands out and finally threw up at the smell and sight of the black gore covering her arms up to her elbows.
Maxine lifted her foot to kick out the legs of the creature and smiled with satisfaction as the joints caved in easily, making a crunching sound as the bones snapped. She reached into her bag and used some antiseptic spray and gauze to clean her hands as she walked past the thing. She turned around and, for good measure, side-kicked its head into the metal siding of the sub. The head cracked open like a melon, and the brain leaked out. It had a greenish tint and tiny things moving around in it.
Maxine continued on her way. The sooner she got off this sub, the better. She heard Kramer and Iain talking down the aisle way. Thank God she was ahead of them. All she needed to do now was get into the research lab and grab the data chip. When she bumped into them, she could say she heard the first part of the message and headed over to help them.
She hit the panel to open the door to the research lab and waited. Nothing happened, and she figured the sub was too powered down and doors were only going to be opened manually now.
Grabbing the handle, she used all her weight to heave the door open. It took a while, and she heard the voices of Iain and Kramer getting closer. Finally, she got the door open.
Using her flashlight, she went to the locations indicated by her bosses. Cabinet four, drawer seventeen, data chip one. She grabbed it, shoved it in her pocket, and ran to the door. As she went to step in the hallway, she felt something grab her shoulder. Considering her encounter moments prior, she acted instinctually.
Out of reflex, she flipped whatever it was over her shoulder and took a defensive stance. She also pulled out her gun and pointed it at the man lying on the floor.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
Maxine looked at Iain and Kramer, the look on Kramer's face priceless.
"I heard the radio call. You found a survivor. I came to help, and this creep attacked me."
The group of three used their flashlights on the man Maxine had flipped. He lay face down and made gurgling noises. Kramer gave him a kick.
"Hey, buddy, what's your problem? We're here to help you." Iain tried a less angry approach.
When the body flipped over, all three of them jumped back in shock. The man had no skin left on his face. His teeth, eyes, and nasal cavity stuck out in contrast to the bloody goo left on his bones.
His chest cavity was completely open, nothing left inside except a few bits and pieces of viscera. All three stood there with no idea what to do, but when the thing's hand started to move, they all fired shots right into its head, and all movement stopped.
"Damn. We got to go and help Ivan and Marcus. They're in trouble if this is what's waiting for them. We gotta move now." Iain started to move forward.
"I need those samples, Captain." Kramer seemed antsy. Maxine knew why and smiled to herself.
"Kramer, is this really the time?" Kramer glanced down at the body and, for the first time, had an honest reason.
"Captain, those sample containers might be the only things that can help us figure out what happened here and exactly how to deal with it."
Iain stared at the thing on the ground and gave in. "One minute."
Kramer ran into the research lab an
d grabbed the vials listed in his orders. There were seven of them, and he was able to get them all except for one; jar thirty-three was broken. He heard Iain calling to him and grabbed two other random jars to make up for it. He ignored the voice and went to the cabinets and drawer that had been indicated to him.
The chip was already gone, and he knew who had it. He would figure out a way to get it back later. Maxine would meet an untimely demise. Then again, he could lie to his bosses and say it had been destroyed or was missing.
Kramer came out of the lab as Iain entered to find him.
"Let's go." Kramer nodded and followed, keeping an eye on Maxine the whole time.
They were on the way to the diving room, but Maxine had what she came for and really didn't feel like risking her life for people she didn't like. Only one way out of this existed for her.
"Oh my God, what about Nina? She doesn't know and most likely isn't armed."
Iain was brought up short by the news. He knew Maxine was right, but he didn't think splitting up was a good idea, nor did he think she would actually go help Nina. Most likely, the submersible was her destination to make an escape.
Her demeanour gave it away. Whatever she was sent here to do, she'd accomplished. She stood there relaxed and calm, which was odd, considering their circumstances. Add an offer to help Nina, which was not consistent with her usual selfish nature.
"Maxine, you go and get Nina, because if something happens to Ivan, she's the only one left who knows the password to make the submersible operational again." Iain had to admit he enjoyed the brief look of annoyance that crossed her face.
Maxine nodded tightly and left the two men standing there. They were about two hundred feet from the diving room and heard loud noises. Moving closer, Iain recognized the ruckus as gunshots, moaning, and screaming. Iain and Kramer broke into a run. But Kramer went the wrong way.
***
Ivan and Marcus slowly made their way to the diving room. The red emergency lights flickered, and drips of water could he heard every few moments. Both men felt as if they were being watched, but their flashlights only found desiccated lifeless bodies.
"Ivan, you want to tell me what you've been holding back, since it looks like we very well might die here?"
Ivan took a moment to answer. He wasn't sure what to say, how to say it. Finally, he decided to be honest, because he, too, felt the time for confession was near.
"I work for the Russian firm that built The Peacemaker. She was meant to find alternative fuel sources and save the world. She was sent here because it is an area not well documented and we lost another in this area over a year ago. We thought it was due to pilot error, as there was no S.O.S. ever sent."
"So, just to be clear, this is the second time a sub has run into problems here, and no one thought to let us know?"
"You were on a need-to-know basis. The crew assigned has been bought off by other firms that want what is here. They think we found a cheap way to make fuel, but my government thinks differently. We are too late, though. North Korea wants whatever was found, and so does Israel. I am here to make sure The Peacemaker never reveals her secrets... using these."
Ivan opened a small bag, revealing explosives.
"Ivan, they found something that decimated an entire crew, and you had to know something from the S.O.S. you received. If these were the lengths you had to take, we deserved a heads-up."
"The S.O.S. was unclear. They told me to proceed with caution, use force when necessary, and if what was on board turned out not to be fuel related, destroy the sub."
"So what are you going to do?"
Ivan's answer was cut off by an arm reaching out and grabbing him. Marcus reacted quickly and pulled the arm off, gagging when he realized he literally held an arm in his hand, and it still moved.
Ivan took a step forward and turned. As he did, the body to which the arm belonged came forward. Its mouth hung agape as if stuck in an eternal scream. Its rotten flesh fell off in clumps, and the thing moaned as it tried to lunge at them again.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ivan took out his gun and put a bullet into the head of the thing. Both men were covered in a fine mist of a tarlike substance and bits of bone. The thing fell to the ground, no longer moving. Both men used their flashlights to search frantically for others.
Marcus drew closer to Ivan and whispered, "I remember passing a lot more bodies..."
Ivan turned to look. He did a mental tally in his head and knew Marcus was right. They needed to get to the diving room, not because he wanted to die, not because he relished the idea of finding out exactly how many creatures inhabited this sub, but because it was the most effective area for him to place the explosives and make sure this submarine was never touched by man again.
"We have to get to the diving room. Send a message over the radio: There are no survivors. They need to return to the control room now."
Marcus tried to use the radio while the two men continued walking.
"Damn thing isn't working. Give me yours."
Ivan grabbed his radio and tried to use it. A dark look crossed his face.
"Someone jammed the frequency. We are on our own, but so are they." Ivan hooked his radio back on his belt.
"I'm sure they'll be fine. Most of the bodies were concentrated here, according to the submersible's scanning software. So we go in, kick some ass, plant some explosives and then leave."
"Yes, I am sure it will be an easy task."
Marcus cleared his throat. "Ivan, you believe in zombies?"
Ivan stopped and stared at Marcus. "I do now."
Marcus nodded. "Yeah, me too."
Ivan turned forward and began to walk. They were dead men.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ally had determined which wires to cut, for the most part. She'd found at least fourteen false leads. Twenty-three wires led to trigger switches, and eleven pointless loop wires were meant to distract and confuse.
Only three left. Of course, they were the most important three. If she screwed up, she would sink the Betty Loo. Sending up a silent prayer, she hoped her luck stayed with her.
Ally took a breath and examined the wires once again. She knew one was a decoy, which would set the bomb off immediately if cut. One led to the timer, and one led to the G-Tex. She needed to cut the one that led to the G-Tex first.
It sounded easy enough, but she had no idea which one it was. She sat there staring at the wires, hoping for some sort of epiphany. They were different colors, different widths, different types of wire, different on all counts.
Different types of wire, of course, she thought.
Ally tried to determine which wire had the most coating on it. That would be the one that went to the G-Tex. The explosive compound was very corrosive and not intended to sit around for long periods of time. Therefore, they would have used a wire with extra insulation.
She examined the wires closely and determined which one was made of sturdier material, and a tad thicker than the others. She hoped it was the right one as she reached for the wire cutters. Ally took a steadying breath, then exhaled as she cut the wire.
Nothing happened. She didn't blow up, and the timer didn't start counting down. Both good things. Now for the tricky part. She needed to reach into the back compartment, take out the G-Tex, and find a safe location for it. Ideally, she wanted to get it off the sub, but that wasn't an option right now.
She hopped out of the below deck area and started to look for a case of some kind. A beep alerted her to someone contacting the Betty Loo from the submersible.
This is Kramer. Ally, if you can hear me, they're all dead. It was an ambush. You need to let me get out of here now. I need the password!
Ally walked over to the panel and switched it to visual feed. Kramer seemed calm as he sorted through some jars in a bag on his lap. She decided to see what happened when she talked to him, since he didn't know she could see him.
"Kramer, tell me what happened. Are you hurt?"
Yeah, I got pretty banged up, barely made it out in one piece. What are the codes?
"Nice try, but I don't buy it. Whatever you're up to, I'm not letting the submersible go until everyone is back on it."
Ally, you don't understand. If they aren't dead now, they will be. The crew of this sub, there's something wrong with them. They're dead and alive; it's like they're zombies or something. They are all going to die!
"I see you're nice and safe in there, so you can wait and see if anyone makes it back. Betty Loo out."
Ally felt a chill run down her spine. Damn it, why did she let Marcus go over there? If anything happened to him, she would gladly kill Kramer herself. She took one last look at Kramer and then cut off communication.
She had to focus. Marcus would be fine. A container, she needed to be thinking about finding a container right now. After searching everywhere and finding nothing on the lower decks, she went to the upper deck to check the med and research labs.
***
Marcus and Ivan heard movement behind the diving room doors. Both men braced themselves for what they knew lay beyond when they released the safety on the doors. They each grabbed a handle and pulled the doors open.
The smell was horrific. The red flashing lights adding a haunted element to an already surreal situation. Ivan had fifteen bullets left, but there were far more of those things to kill.
Marcus took out the gun Ivan gave him. "Point and shoot, right? I never really learned how to use one of these."
Ivan looked at Marcus. "Cover me while I set the charges. Aim for the head, or whatever you can hit." Marcus nodded and began firing.
Ivan got to work pulling the explosives out of his bag. He placed them at the weakest points of the diving room. He also placed one in the hatchway to the submersible, which, to his dismay, was missing. He would have to check later to see if its homing beacon had been activated. The last thing they needed was one of these creatures getting to the surface.
***
Marcus had never handled a gun before and tried his best to get in headshots. He got in a few, but realized leg shots got them down, after which he was able to crush their heads like rotten melons under his boot. It was a disgusting process, and the smell made him vomit a few times, but it stopped him from wasting bullets.