Fall Prey: The Hunt

by Dallas Massey

  Cyrus continued to shriek and scream, ignoring the pain of impact. His focus was on the bot’s head as he tried to wrench it from its neck. The bot flailed underneath him, desperately lashing out with all its limbs. Elysia and Viddur shouted down at Cyrus, egging him on, though he was too preoccupied to understand their words.

  Cyrus mercilessly beat the robot’s cranium against the floor of the pit, tearing the head from its body. The red eyes went dim, and the machine died, at least until Dr. Ingram repaired it.

  Cyrus threw the bot’s lifeless head onto the mat and wordlessly climbed out of the pit after it. His victory after four months of training felt strangely hollow.

  “You got him good, Cyrus!” Viddur yelled down at him.

  Cyrus looked toward the balcony and found the siblings just where he had left them. Viddur’s enthusiasm contrasted with Elysia’s look of relief.

  “Well done, Mr. Blackthorn.” Dr. Shen applauded. He walked toward Cyrus as the kresnik rose to his feet. “Only slightly behind schedule. Though, still very good.”

  “What happens now?” Despite acting frustrated, Cyrus was excited to defeat the bot, but he worried that it only brought him closer to a much more dangerous assignment.

  “Having completed your training with the bot, it’s time to submit you to yet another test.”

  Cyrus sighed, shaking his head. “What’s it going to be? Surely not another survivability test.” He remembered the trial with dread. The ordeal was so intense that it seemed like it had taken place years ago. Cyrus was accustomed to being alone in his former life, but it never came close to his loneliness during his time in the zombie facility.

  “It is another survivability test of sorts.”

  “Great. How long will this one last?”

  “Only a single evening, Mr. Blackthorn.” Shen gave him an awkward smile, offering Cyrus some relief. “In addition to that caveat, you will not be alone this time. Elysia and Viddur will be with you.”

  “Already sounds ten times better than the last survivability test.” Cyrus put a hand behind his helmet and stretched, sore from his fight with the bot. “It will be great to have your lab assistants around for the test. But, there’s just one thing.” He paused as he considered his words. “Well, it’s that Elysia and Viddur are your lab assistants. I mean, I know they’re not your average lab assistants, abducting people from their homes as you routinely have them do. But, what exactly do they have to offer against a zombie or vampire? Well, provided that is actually what the test involves.”

  “We have plenty to offer!” Viddur shouted angrily. He suddenly passed through the gym doors and hastily walked toward Cyrus. Elysia followed him, frowning at his abruptness.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you.” Cyrus extended a hand to stop him. “I just don’t see how a non-genetically altered organism could survive an encounter with a zombie or vampire. Heck, I had plenty of trouble with zombies. If you’ve seen the footage from the facility, I tend to only go after the old and sick.”

  “We are genetically modified!” Viddur declared. His anger gave way to a less severe demeanor.

  Cyrus was unsure how to react to Viddur, though he didn’t feel any surprise. It was just more information Dr. Shen had withheld from him.

  “Tell him, doctor.” Viddur pointed at Cyrus. “Tell him what we really are.” Both Viddur and Elysia stopped behind Shen, the former shaking her head.

  “Very well.” Shen kept his back turned to Viddur. “Come and sit down, Mr. Blackthorn. You need a rest given your bout with the bot.”

  “Will do,” said Cyrus as he turned to walk toward one of the grounded platforms.

  “I suppose I will start at the beginning.” Shen followed Cyrus while Viddur and Elysia stayed a few steps behind him. “As I’ve told you in the past, CyberGen works in close connection with the United States government and Legion 96.”

  “I remember.” Cyrus sat down on the platform’s bottom step and removed his helmet. He looked up at Shen with his cat eyes, no longer hairless as he was months ago. White fur covered his face, and a tufted mane grew on his scalp, all of it now wet and matted down.

  “We began collaboration with Legion 96 approximately ten years ago,” said Shen. “The Legion had existed for some time at that point and had recently replaced their lower caliber assault rifle for an automatic shotgun, this deemed more effective at combating vampires. Though the use of the shotgun resulted in fewer human casualties and higher rates of mortality among vampires, the Legion still needed something else. They needed something to level out the unavoidable shortcomings of human soldiers.”

  Shen pushed up his glasses with an index finger.

  “That’s when the government propositioned CyberGen with their first contract, asking that we create genetically enhanced super soldiers for the Legion. It was a simple enough contract for CyberGen to fulfill. We conceived a group of artificial humans, organisms that possessed only the most beneficial genes from the human genome. Essentially, we were to create a creature that brought humanity to the very height of its physical prowess, all in hopes that it would keep the balance in favor of the human race.”

  “Interesting.” Cyrus saw where the conversation was going. “How did that project work out?” He wanted to hear the extended version of Shen’s story.

  “CyberGen fulfilled the contract exactly as requested. We created a small force of super soldiers for the Legion, each genetically superior to any naturally conceived human. There was not a single loss of function mutation between them. Both Viddur and Elysia were part of this group.” Shen puffed up like a proud parent. His close relationship with his lab assistants made sense at last.

  “I’m sorry. Maybe I misspoke.” Cyrus stopped Shen. “How well did your superhuman soldiers do against the vampires?” He already knew the answer.

  “Though I wish it were otherwise, the project was a near total disaster.” Shen shook his head regretfully. “We incorporated only human genes into our soldier’s genome, mistakenly believing it would be enough to combat the vampires. As a result, virtually none of our super soldiers survived the initial field tests. Granted, some of these were irresponsibly planned. Unfortunately, I was not in charge of the project.”

  Shen sighed. “The vampires were simply too much for our soldiers. They were always stronger, faster, and more brutal. They decimated our soldiers very early on, leaving only two survivors out of several hundred. Only the ones we never field-tested survived. These two were Elysia and Viddur.”

  Viddur gave Cyrus a hardy smile, and Elysia placed a supportive hand on her brother’s shoulder.

  Cyrus grimaced at Shen, noticing something was off. “But you said the project began ten years ago.”

  “That is correct, Mr. Blackthorn.” Shen nodded as Elysia watched him closely. “We accelerated the growth rates of all our super soldiers. Both Viddur and Elysia are less than ten years old, though their maturation rate makes them appear to be in their early twenties. The clones were intended to mature quickly but age slowly, so they might fight for many years to come.”

  “Ok. I suppose it will be nice to have someone along with me for the test. I’m just a little concerned. You want Viddur and Elysia to help me face a group of vampires, even though they were part of a group of soldiers utterly destroyed by them? You said they haven’t even been field-tested.” Cyrus looked up at Viddur and Elysia.

  The two had accusatory looks on their faces, though they made no move to correct him.

  “That is correct, Mr. Blackthorn,” said Shen, emotionless as usual. “The failure of the super-soldier project was the primary reason for beginning the Kresnik Project in the first place. We quickly came to realize that only a creature physically superior to any human had any hope of surviving a battle against a force of vampires. I firmly believe things will go much differently for Elysia and Viddur when they are paired with you, a kresnik.”

  Cyrus gazed over at Elysia. Her expression held great expectation.

&nb
sp; Chapter XXII

  A Dubious Strategy

  Cyrus strained, struggling against his restraints. His strength was limited when in a sane state. All he could do was lie there, strapped to the inclined metal table, hidden within the back of the armored truck. He ceased his struggle and gazed up at the dark nothingness that was the truck’s ceiling. The moon provided the only light source. Its beams flowed in through the crack below the window slit cut into the backdoor.

  The darkness was only a minor inconvenience to Cyrus. His enhanced vision easily cut through it, allowing him a black and white view of his surroundings through his helmet. Still feeling uncomfortable, he tried moving his arms again, hoping to gain a small amount of relief, but to no avail. The restraints were simply too restrictive. Frustrated, he surrendered to the cold, hard, painful embrace of the table. Secure as he was, he had no trouble discerning the terrain over which they traveled.

  The harsh rattling of the truck’s walls and doors revealed an exceptionally rough gravel road, and they hadn’t deviated from it for some time.

  Cyrus was bored from staring up at the ceiling when a sweet, savory scent unexpectedly wafted into his nostrils. It was similar to the stench emitted by the ‘zombies’ at the quarantine facility, but it was much more pleasant, somehow cleaner, fresher, and healthier. It was arousing, like a perfect, raw steak. He felt his bloodlust awaken yet again, and there was no mistaking the source of the smell.

  His prey was close and plentiful.

  The kresnik’s tongue involuntarily slid across his lips, causing him to flinch when he pricked it on one of his elongated fangs. Cyrus could only lie there, flat against the table, a low, guttural gurgling sound resonating from his stomach. He was ravenously hungry, in a way he had never been before.

  The truck suddenly swerved to the side, abruptly freeing Cyrus from his voracious thoughts. They had left the road, abandoning it for the grass and moderately thick brush. They drove over it for only a moment before stopping. The engine died seconds later, and Cyrus heard the front doors swing open and then slam shut. The sound of feet walking over the grass toward him followed. The covering over the door slit slid open, and the light of the crescent moon shone through as a single, broad beam.

  “Hey man, how you doing back here?” Viddur peered through the slit, the moonlight illuminating his face, giving it an unintended sinister quality.

  Cyrus rolled his eyes, coolly shaking his head. He was certain Viddur had been driving. He looked up to meet his gaze but could not do so as his helmet obscured his eyes.

  “Can’t complain,” said Cyrus. “You know me, I’ve always loved a good restraining.” He struggled against his bonds yet again, making no attempt to conceal his sarcasm. “In all seriousness, though, don’t you think all this precaution is a little much?”

  Viddur fell from the back step of the truck just as he opened his mouth to answer. He landed off to the side in the tall grass.

  Elysia smiled at Cyrus through the darkness, the super soldier's elegant facial features bathed in moonlight. “Cyrus, you know you are only restrained to prevent you from jeopardizing the first half of the operation,” she said.

  “Yes, that part was pretty understandable,” he spoke somewhat indignantly. “All of it together just seems like overkill.” He struggled against his cumbersome metal restraints once again. “You have me strapped onto a table with restraints I obviously can’t break, and to top that, Dr. Shen had the door welded shut!”

  “Viddur,” Elysia turned her head to her brother off to the side of the van, ignoring Cyrus’s complaints. “Can you go grab the packs with the explosive charges while I talk to Cyrus?”

  “Sure thing,” Viddur stomped back toward the front of the truck.

  Elysia turned her attention back to Cyrus. “Since this is your first operation, there are a few things Dr. Shen asked me to address. As you understand, this portion of the mission requires stealth most of all. Due to your genetic alterations, that’s not something you’ll be good at, at least not at this point. That’s why you will be left here for this first stage.”

  “But…” he frowned, confused. He considered stealth to be one of his stronger points.

  “Those are Dr. Shen’s orders,” Elysia interrupted him before he could continue. “Yes, I realize you were quite capable of sneaking around undetected when you were hunting infected zombies, but vampires are different. The doctor says you will have a more difficult time controlling your urges when you get near them. He says you won’t try to hunt them at all. You’ll try to kill every single one you come in contact with.” She gave him an apologetic look, remorse in her brown, doe-like eyes. “It’s not your fault. You were designed to behave that way. Eventually, you will find a way to better control your urges. Well, that or we might find a solution for you. Until then, you will not be able to participate in anything involving stealth and vampires together. It makes your job easier, though at the cost of making ours hard.”

  She gave him a weary smile.

  “Anyway, all you need to do for the present is remain calm and stay in your restraints. Viddur and I will carry out the first part of the mission. We will take out the guards and lay down the explosive charges. After that, we will come back to you and wait for the Legion to arrive. They never disclosed any information regarding how they were arriving, so we’ll just have to be ready for it. They’re supposed to surround the slaughter plant to make sure none of the vampires can escape. We wait for them to give us the signal to move into position. It will be at that point that your involvement in the operation will take place.”

  “Dr. Shen already told me all of this before we left.” Cyrus gave her a smug look, though only for his own benefit since his face was concealed.

  “Hey, back with the charges,” said Viddur.

  Elysia descended from the step of the truck and took the pack he offered her.

  Cyrus heard Viddur continue onward towards him, climbing onto the back of the truck.

  “We’ll do you the favor of leaving the window slit open, just so you can see what’s going on,” said the super-soldier as he peered through the slit. “Going to have to try and not make any noise, though. It could jeopardize the whole mission and make things interesting.”

  Viddur paused to think.

  “Probably should have brought a gag or something. Oh well, too late now. Can’t get back there with the doors welded shut.”

  Viddur’s face disappeared from the slit a second time, pushed from the back of the truck yet again. He stumbled around in the grass, barely catching his balance before he fell.

  “Hey, what’s with the shoving?” he asked indignantly. “You’re going to mess around and give me motion sickness or something.”

  Elysia ignored his protests and gazed through the slit at Cyrus. “I think I’m less worried about you doing something to expose us than I am about Viddur.” She gave her brother a severe look.

  “What?” Viddur squawked.

  “Remember, this is a stealth mission.” Elysia stepped off the ledge. She stomped toward Viddur, poking him in the chest with her finger. “Nobody cares about what you can do with a knife!”

  “Whatever do you mean, dear sister?” Though Cyrus couldn’t see it, he was sure Viddur had given her a mirthful smirk. “I would never do anything to jeopardize the mission. My knife-throwing skills are beyond superb. Even Cyrus says so. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with giving the enemy a show. It’ll be the last one they’ll ever see.”

  “Viddur.” Elysia sounded agitated. ”That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Keep it up, and one day it might get us killed in probably the worst possible way!”

  “Hey, don’t get loud. You’ll jeopardize the mission,” Viddur mocked.

  Elysia continued to glare at him, her face hard as stone. Cyrus grew weary of their bickering and wished Viddur had left the slit closed.

  “Keep the knives in your hands,” Elysia growled at Viddur through gritted teeth. “There is no need to throw anything.
”

  “Whatever you say.” Viddur put his hands in the air in exasperation. “Just stay off my case.”

  The argument came to an abrupt stop, and an awkward silence resulted.

  Cyrus heard them head toward the plant, their sneakered feet moving covertly through the grass. The footsteps quickly died away, enveloped by the constant chirping of insects and the occasional cry of a coyote.

  * * *

  Elysia followed Viddur into the bush, seeking concealment against the chain-link fence as they waited to make their next move. They remained on the left side of the fence, crouched amongst the thorny foliage, positioned adjacent to the guard booth.

  Viddur gazed intently to the right, Elysia’s side against his back as she looked to the front. She waited for just the right moment to strike, at a time when the guards had their backs to them. Their quarry was staggeringly easy to spot, their armor-clad, insectoid forms revealed by the moon’s ghostly light, assault weapons at the ready.

  Elysia counted only three guards, all human, on the fence’s far left. Their movements gave them away, their gaits slow and clumsy compared to the innate balance and grace displayed by their overlords. Elysia’s eyes shifted to the slaughterhouse roof, relieved when she spied a total lack of guards atop the vantage point. The vampires of the organization seemed considerably complacent to her, keeping the plant so understaffed. Assuming there was an average of three guards on each side and at least two in the booth, there was a total of no more than fourteen guards watching over the facility’s exterior.

  Everything agreed with the gathered intel.

  Bright, though the moon was, it put them at a disadvantage by increasing the guards’ ability to spot them. They would have to be swift and silent, but also patient and careful while moving their bodies, all while remaining unseen. The task was doable, so long as they didn’t run into any true bloodsuckers.

  Viddur waved the back of his hand in Elysia’s face, three fingers stretched out, indicating that there were three visible guards on his side of the fence. Three more guards to spot her should she miss her timing. They remained in the bush, Elysia nearly breathless as she waited for the signal.