Fall Prey: The Hunt

by Dallas Massey

  “Yeah, I have that part figured out.” Cyrus grew frustrated by the doctor’s refusal to crack. “Maybe I should rephrase. Where are we headed in terms of geographic location?” he asked, beginning to grow tired of Shen’s side-step response to his questions.

  Cyrus had made several subtle attempts to coax their destination out of the doctor over the five-hour helicopter ride and now considered forcing the answers out of him. Only the shock collar around his neck stopped him.

  Cyrus suddenly felt eyes upon him and looked across the aisle. Elysia greeted him with a smile.

  “Mr. Blackthorn, I am not at liberty to give you that information,” Shen explained. “I would think that merely viewing the scenery would reveal enough about our location.”

  “Whatever.”

  Cyrus decided to leave Shen alone for the moment and look out the window. He closed his eyes the instant he peered out, the waning light of the setting sun searing into his overly sensitive retinas.

  Undeterred, Cyrus opened them once more, ignoring the light’s painful intensity as he managed to make out a multitude of green blobs, which he assumed were cacti. He could make out little else. The relatively barren landscape added strength to the sunlight, as all the sand and rocks reflected an intense light.

  Cyrus averted his gaze from the window when the savage, scorching pain became unbearable. Dr. Shen had told him he would experience increased sensitivity to light as his transformation neared completion. It was yet another gradual adjustment that Cyrus loathed.

  Regardless of the light, he found his first helicopter ride rather enjoyable. The steady, constant spinning of the blades and the gentle motion of the machine moving through the air felt relaxing.

  “How about letting protocol slide just this once?” asked Cyrus, resuming his harassment of Dr. Shen. “I’ll never be able to figure out where we are just by looking, at least not with my eyes the way they are right now. I only want to know out of curiosity. I swear I won’t tell anyone where I was after this ‘field test’ is over. How could I let any information get out? I’m not allowed to leave any of the facilities you bring me to, and I’m pretty much at your mercy thanks to this shock collar you psychos make me wear. I’m not likely to escape and say anything, at least not any time soon.”

  “You might as well tell him,” said Viddur, glaring at Shen. “It won’t matter, and it will finally put an end to all his irritating questions.”

  The doctor sighed and frowned at Cyrus. “I suppose the odds of such information leaking out are quite minimal. We have no plans to release you from our custody anytime soon, denying you any chance to do so. I suppose there is a small chance you might try to escape, but I don’t think you possess the motivation. Even if you did make such an attempt, I highly doubt you would be successful.”

  “Thanks for your support, doctor.” Cyrus showed his fangs and wrapped his now-clawed fingers around his security collar. “Such an escape attempt would be futile.” Even though he owed him his life, he grew impatient with the doctor.

  Elysia looked over at Cyrus with stern disapproval.

  “Very well.” The doctor ignored Cyrus’s threatening display. “We are currently flying over the Sonoran desert, somewhere outside of Phoenix. Everything else will be revealed once we land, leaving no need to continue this game of questions.”

  Cyrus let out a yawn, stared down at his feet, and decided to give up on the doctor. Ever since undergoing the procedure, he’d had considerable difficulty sleeping. He knew it was because of his transformation and likely had something to do with his gradual conversion from a diurnal creature into a nocturnal anti-vampire. Cyrus reasoned he probably ought to ask Dr. Shen about it in the future when he was more receptive.

  “We’re approaching the drop point now, doctor,” announced the helicopter pilot, some thirty minutes later.

  “Take a look out the window, Cyrus.” Elysia smiled at him from across the aisle. “The sun has nearly set. It shouldn’t hurt your eyes any longer.”

  “Let’s have a look then.” Cyrus tried the window again, his muscles tensed in anticipation of the burning pain, desperate for his first look at their destination.

  He was pleasantly surprised. He could see through the low light. His ability to see in the dark had increased tremendously, giving him the capacity to make out the sandy, rugged terrain of the desert below. The landscape held Cyrus’s attention for only a moment before the quickly approaching lights distracted him.

  “Wow, that is quite the setup.” Cyrus scanned over what appeared to be a small town several miles in area, entirely enclosed by an extensive chain-link fence.

  “We would like to think so,” said Dr. Shen, a proud look on his face as he surveyed the area.

  Along the length of the fence stood several guard towers, all of them simple, steel-framed constructions. The whole of their forms lay masked in the dying light. Two additional towers stood among them near the middle of the town, impossible to miss due to their height and the immense amount of light they projected.

  The helicopter made its way toward the tower farthest from them, crossing over the various structures. As they flew ever closer to the far tower, the other, smaller and more sparsely lit buildings came into view. Some scattered structures were recognizable as gas stations, stores, houses, and one school building.

  “Those towers kind of mess with your eyes,” said Viddur.

  The two structures grew nearer, revealing themselves to be considerably narrow. The backdrop of the night’s sky and their many lights gave them the illusion of girth. The travelers approached the first one, and the bright blue letter H on the landing pad growing ever larger as the helicopter descended.

  Four armed guards approached them just as the landing skids touched the ground. The security officers gathered near Cyrus’s side of the helicopter. Cyrus spotted a dozen or more guards as he took a more discerning look at the various points along the tower roof, fully automatic weapons in hand.

  “Please remove your headset and step outside, Mr. Blackthorn,” Dr. Shen instructed once the helicopter blades ceased their rotation.

  The screams of what sounded like a group of crazed animals echoed throughout the town below, causing Cyrus to remain seated. He had no desire to be down there in the dark with whatever made those sounds.

  “Mr. Blackthorn, I would advise doing what you have been instructed.” Shen acted as though he hadn’t heard the noise.

  “Just do what he says, Cyrus,” said Elysia. A pleading concern glistened in her brown eyes.

  “Whatever you say, doctor,” said Cyrus as he slid the door open. He took off his headset and handed it to Shen.

  The guards moved in closer as he climbed out, their guns trained upon him. All four red laser pointers steadied on his forehead.

  Beads of sweat formed on the back of Cyrus’s neck. He supposed their guns might only contain rubber bullets, but he didn’t want to take a chance to find out.

  “I’ll try to make this brief, Mr. Blackthorn,” said Shen, remaining in the helicopter.

  “Exactly what kind of ‘field test’ is this?” Cyrus spoke to Shen through the helicopter’s open door, careful not to appear threatening in the presence of the tower guards.

  “We call it a ‘survivability’ test. It is a test to see if you can survive a dire situation without the benefit of being properly supplied with food, water, equipment, and proper shelter. Essentially, we want to assess your ability to survive in the ‘wild’ among the creatures you have been designed to hunt.”

  “What kind of place is this?” asked Cyrus. He knew the doctor would fail to give him full answers but decided to test his luck anyway. “I mean, are we dealing with a town that’s experiencing an outbreak of zombie-ism that the government has covered up or…”

  “It is a life-sized model of a town designed to simulate a zombie-ism outbreak among the local populace.” Shen’s voice was devoid of emotion. “It’s a mock-up of a hypothetical disaster situation, complete with ac
tual infected individuals captured from various areas of the country. Don’t worry, Mr. Blackthorn. You have been made immune to their bites.”

  Cyrus found the doctor’s answer dubious at best. Shen’s aversion to his gaze was disconcerting. He briefly considered asking some follow-up questions but quickly decided against it, believing he was fortunate to receive what little information Shen cared to give out.

  “So it’s pretty much a zombie Jurassic Park down there.”

  The dumb smile on Shen’s face seemed out of character. “Yes, I suppose that is an accurate enough statement. However, the infected haven’t escaped to run amok. The test will be considered a success if you both survive for the allotted time and meet us back at the exit pad at the appointed time.” Shen shifted gears. “In this case, the time will be one month from now at sundown.”

  “What do you expect me to do for food?” The proposed timeframe left Cyrus dumbfounded, and he was unsure how much he should protest.

  “Whatever you can,” answered Shen. “This site is meant to be a replica of any small Arizona town right down to the houses, stores, and gas stations. Though I doubt you’ll be able to find much in any of those places. Most of the food will likely have spoiled due to the high temperatures. In order to obtain nutrition, you will have to do things you are uncomfortable with. Eat things you normally wouldn’t think to eat. Don’t expect to go without eating either. Due to the strict diet that we’ve kept you on, along with your now rapid metabolism, going without nourishment would be most unwise.”

  “How do you expect me to survive when there isn’t any food?” Cyrus shouted, showing his teeth and wishing he could take hold of Shen.

  The guards pressed in closer, recognizing the glint in his eyes.

  “So you’re just going to leave me out here in the middle of nowhere with no food or equipment or anything?” Cyrus asked with a hushed tone, his rage still simmering.

  “That would be the idea.” Shen nodded. “It wouldn’t be a proper survivability field test if you were appropriately equipped or provided food. You need to scavenge what you can in order to survive. As I said, ‘survivability’ probably isn’t the best word to use. Our board of directors simply thought calling it a ‘scavenge or die’ test was a little disconcerting. ”

  “Maybe this will help,” said Viddur, speaking over the doctor. He pulled something out of his tracksuit pocket and slung it out of the helicopter.

  The object slid across the ground and hit Cyrus in the foot. It was an odd-shaped knife, its blade curving away from the handle near its base.

  “What the heck kind of knife is this?” Cyrus squatted down to pick it up, holding it in front of him to scrutinize the blade.

  The guards moved in even closer when they saw him pick up the weapon, muscles taut as they held their firearms.

  “It’s an inverted bread knife.” Viddur gave Cyrus a maniacal grin. ”I stole it from one of the kitchens the other day.”

  Elysia groaned, putting her palm to her forehead, disappointed but not surprised by her brother’s thievery.

  “Thanks,” said Cyrus as he rose to his feet. “It’s not much of a weapon, though. Do you really expect me to kill zombies with it?”

  “Since it’s all you have, I’m sure you’ll make it work.” Viddur found humor in Cyrus’s situation. “It should be as useful as any other kind of knife. I did bother to sharpen it for you.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is much better than nothing,” said Cyrus, shoving the knife into his waistband.

  “One word of advice, though,” Viddur continued. “The only real way to be absolutely certain that you have killed one of the infected is to separate the head from the body. I came up with the moniker ‘remove its head and make it dead.’”

  “Brilliant.” Cyrus frowned.

  “Mr. Blackthorn,” said Shen. His voice was severe, as though he were chastising a small child. “The CyberGen board of directors has ordered me not to allow you into the facility with a weapon.” Shen’s serious edge suddenly disappeared, replaced by a broad grin. “I have decided to allow this small infraction. The board likely won’t be happy with me should they find out, but I suppose if having a small weapon like that knife helps you to survive the test, then so be it. Your survival means they keep their asset, and they can’t argue with that. You likely won’t need it anyway. Your new abilities have developed to the point that you will no longer need a weapon.”

  The infected screamed up from below, interrupting the relative calm.

  “And that brings me to my next point.” Shen referred to the screams. “Keep in mind, the immediate disposal of the infected is secondary to the rest of your concerns at this point. I would advise you to find shelter before the sun comes up. Due to your increased metabolism, I assume you will be alright over the cold nights, but I don’t believe it would be a good idea to overexpose yourself to the light and heat of the sun. There is an obvious need for caution. Both you and the infected are mostly nocturnal, and you will likely be at odds over the course of your test. You will compete with the infected for nearly every resource except food, which has been provided for them.”

  “I have no intention of killing anyone down there if I can help it,” Cyrus stopped the doctor from going off on a tangent as he anticipated the next argument. “I know I asked for a weapon, but I have no intention of using it on anyone unless I absolutely have to.” Even as he uttered the words, Cyrus doubted he could last a month without killing once, at least.

  “That is a noble ambition.” Shen scoffed at the notion. “Unfortunately, the avoidance of killing would be most unwise in this scenario. Your best chance of survival is to kill as often as possible. Ideally, they will come to fear you. If they recognize you as the apex predator that you are destined to be, they will avoid you, and you’ll have fewer dangerous encounters with them.”

  “You can say whatever you want, doctor.” Cyrus’s tone remained calm but defiant. “Besides, I’m not saying I would never kill one of the ‘infected.’ If I’m placed in a situation where it’s them or me, you can bet I’ll do whatever I can to make sure it’s them and not me. I will kill to survive. What I mean is that I won’t seek them out to kill them. You call it whatever you want, but I feel that constitutes murder, whether they’re infected or not.”

  “Unfortunately, the lines of morality will likely blur given the situation. Make no mistake, Mr. Blackthorn, I am not trying to persuade you that murder is an acceptable practice, but in this instance, whatever killing you do is an act of mercy. Think of the infected as already dead. Their minds are gone and, with no effective vaccine, there is little chance they will ever be restored to their original state. They are mockeries of their former selves now, destined to wander the land searching for subsistence from the most morally reprehensible source imaginable. To refrain from killing them would be to deny them a dignified end, leaving them to a fate worse than death.”

  “Yeah, I suppose when you put it like that, it’s really the right thing to do.” Cyrus scratched the back of his head.

  “I highly doubt you will even be able to stop yourself from killing them. You were designed to be a predator specializing in only two types of prey: the zombie and the vampire. On the positive side, all the killing you do will be instinctual, and it’s unlikely you will remember any of it. Regardless, in order for us to have an accurate picture of your enhanced abilities, the test demands that you make several kills. If you don’t kill, it will throw off the test, and we won’t have any footage to assess. The procedure will have to be repeated. I know none of us want that to happen, especially you.”

  “How exactly do you plan on recording any of this, doctor?”

  “The collar around your neck has been fitted with several, nearly undetectable, cameras that will monitor everything you do.”

  “And just how long have these cameras around my neck been functioning? Surely not from the beginning.” Cyrus gave Shen a look of uncertainty.

  “The cameras will be functiona
l as soon as we leave the landing pad.”

  Shen caused a smug smile to appear on Cyrus’s face. No matter what he said, there was never any guarantee he told the truth.

  “All it requires is that I press a button,” said the doctor.

  “So, is this all the information you can give me, or do you have more?”

  “Oh, yes, I nearly forgot.” Shen pushed his glasses back up his nose. “As we approached the landing pad, I’m sure you saw several guard towers around the fence. They’re easy to spot as lit up as they are. Anyway, it is advisable that you avoid them. You will be fired upon should you dare approach the fence or guard towers. Such an action will be seen as an attempt at escape.”

  “None of you seem to trust me much,” said Cyrus.

  At the mention of trust, the guards around him leaned in closer, their posture becoming even more wary and rigid. Cyrus knew it was irrational for CyberGen to blow him away without just cause, but keeping the guards so close to him was too much.

  “Mr. Blackthorn, if it were my decision, your collar would be removed, and the guards would be instructed to avoid you. The fact of the matter is that you are a potentially dangerous genetically modified organism, and several important individuals within CyberGen would rather not take the risk. We’re not exactly sure how we ought to treat a being such as yourself. As a general rule, the more tasks and tests that you successfully complete for us, the more we will trust you.”

  “Will the guards be firing on the infected as well?” asked Cyrus.

  “Of course. We cannot risk any of the infected being released into the populace. That’s one of the reasons why this facility is in such a remote location.”

  “Sir!” One of the guards from the tower’s perimeter shouted at Shen, dashing to the helicopter. “We need you to wrap it up! We are running behind schedule.”

  “I’ll not keep you much longer.” Shen remained calm, despite the guard’s haste. “I just have to make sure Mr. Blackthorn knows exactly what he needs to do to complete the test.”