by Jeff DeMarco
The lock shot open and yet another Soldier stepped out. “I heard that.” He finished buttoning his trousers.
“Great…” Taylor took off in the other direction.
The Soldier ran to pursuit, his legs swift… swifter than Taylor, running at an inhuman pace.
Fear crept up Taylors spine, as he felt a yank on his shoulder. He stopped. “I was just-“
“I don’t care where you take a leak, Taylor.” He knelt down to him. “Those Soldiers… teasing you.”
Taylor studied him, the dark green of his eyes peering back in the blackness of night. “How do you know my name?”
“I know a lot about you, Taylor.” He stared back at him. “You could have ripped those men to shreds. I know it’s not because you care about them… It’s deeper. It’s-“
“Stop.” Taylor shrunk from the truth.
“You’re the weakest of them all, Taylor, and you know it.”
“I…” He felt the Soldier’s eyes staring through him.
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” the Soldier said. “Not if you don’t want.”
“I…” A sudden impulse to run and hide. “I want to be heard. I want people to look at me with respect, with...”
“Fear?”
Taylor’s eyes grew wide. “Yes.”
The Soldier held his hand out, palm up; a swirling mist, delicate and mesmerizing, shot into him. A searing pain infected his pores – now within him to his core.
The pain stopped, abruptly. The Soldier stood, started off in the other direction.
“Wait!” Taylor yelled. “Who are you?”
The Soldier looked back, a foreign face. “Who you talking to, kid?”
Taylors mind raced at the experience, a sudden doubt overtook him. ‘A dream maybe,’ he wondered, then realized he was outside in the cold, and skittered back to the warmth of his tent.
Gloria’s eyes shot open at the rattle. Six hours had past and the creature was awake, wriggling on the table. She wheeled over, slowly, carefully. She looked into its eyes, staring back at hers - not unlike hers – fear, pain, confusion. It was calm as she peeled away the tape from the metal rod, then lifted it from the creature’s mouth and flung it to the side.
The creature closed its parched mouth, sloshed its tongue around to gather saliva.
Dr. Bariac walked back in. “Gloria!”
She looked back with a radiant smile.
Dr. Bariac hustled to her, hovered over the creature and looked into its eyes. “Can it speak?”
The creature’s brow furrowed as it looked around the room. It opened its mouth, silence. Then again, a low grumble. It coughed.
“Can you understand what we’re saying?” Dr. Bariac said.
It nodded slightly, its head still restrained.
Dr. Bariac fiddled with the straps. “Help me get this-“
“No.” Gloria restrained his hands. “Just… settle down. One step at a time.” She picked up a bottle and looked at the creature. “Water?”
Its mouth opened.
CHAPTER 39
“Accountability!” Master Sergeant Sams yelled across a bullhorn. “Everyone out of your tents!”
First Sergeant Hawk poked his head from the Battery Operations Tent. “What the hell, Sams?” He marched over with purpose towards him. “Thought you weren’t supposed to carry a firearm after your little incident with Captain Freeman.”
“Consider your next words carefully.” Sams pulled the charging handle of his rifle, chambering a round. “Wouldn’t be here if you were doing your job.”
Major Eckert stepped from his Humvee. “What’s the hold up?” He walked towards them. “Tell me, First Sergeant Hawk, why am I just now hearing that we’re letting people slack on their duties.”
Hawk sneered. “I work the people I need, Sir. The strongest, smartest. Many of these people are too weak, or old, apathetic, sick-”
“Bullshit,” Eckert whispered. “If they’re too sick, you work them till they’re dead, understand?”
“Respectfully, Sir-“
“Don’t ‘respectfully,’ me… You know damn well that whatever comes after is disrespectful.”
“I’m not going to do that, Sir.” He came to attention. “It’s an unlawful order and I refuse.”
Eckert shook his head, let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m relieving you of your post.” He pulled Hawks sidearm, handed it over. “First Sergeant Sams, you know what to do.”
Sams saluted. “Roger Sir.” Then walked up and down the rows of tents.
Eckert motioned to the Humvee, Military Police in the back. “I’m sorry that it’s come to this.”
Hawk looked at him square in the eyes. “You’re making a mistake, Sir.”
“You’ll kill it.” Gloria watched, as the hunter wasted away on the table.
Bariac had drained much of the blood. Using a centrifuge, he extracted the virus, reproducing in its weakened body. Gloria picked up a styrafoam cup, tipped water into the hunter’s mouth.
“Time, dear.” Bariac didn’t look away from his workstation, carefully pipetting the opaque liquid into a beeker. “Time is something we don’t have… I suppose it would have been easier if you hadn’t shot the others. We’d have more specimens to harvest.”
“Specimens?” She shook her head, infuriated. “Harvest? These are living, breathing creatures; human if you wish.”
Bariac turned, looked at her over the rim of his glasses. “I wasn’t the one who shot them, dear.”
“Well I wasn’t…” Her face clenched into a sneer. “They weren’t…. conscious then.”
“And that makes a difference, I suppose?” His words mocking. “They’ve always felt pain, and fear.”
“But it’s just easier when-“
“They don’t talk back?” He turned back to his work. “It’s no different than a lab rat.”
“Are you listening to yourself?”
“Ignorance isn’t bliss, Gloria.” He spun back around. “The difference is that I know what I’m doing, in playing God.” He looked upwards. “His creations, my abominations… I know I’ll burn for the suffering I’ve caused. I’ve made peace with that.”
“So that’s it.” She spun her wheelchair towards the door. “Any means justify your ends… It’s a shame for what good you could have done.”
CHAPTER 40
The lights flickered, then died. Molly’s head rose with a chuff. A sickly-sweet scent wafted through the vacant 3-story hospital atrium; The open waiting room - her daily resting spot as Taylor worked. She sniffed along the floor, tracking the scent back into the intensive care ward.
Taylor walked from a patient’s room, a nurse in tow; the hallway dim, lit only by battery powered emergency lighting. “Molly!” he snapped his fingers. “Go!” he pointed back to the atrium.
Her muscles coiled; she looked up to the corner of the ceiling and bared her teeth.
Flecks of paint and tiny grains of rubble fell; it’s claws dug into the cinderblocks, as it crept slowly – poised to strike. Camouflaged, its skin the off-white color of the wall, its tone bent to assume the pattern of the ceiling.
His eyes shifted upwards; the presence, a mechanical sensation - not medical equipment, as he had thought. His hands shifted outward, his muscles tensed. “Back up slowly,” he whispered to the nurse, then shot forward, scooping Molly in his arms as he ran, slamming doors behind him.
It leapt, talons scraping across the linoleum floor.
He bolted out into the atrium, his eyes scanning for something, a door to hide behind, an escape route; the creature in pursuit.
Luca crawled his way to the balcony, his electrically charged faraday cage – his prison now disabled. He gripped the top rail, hoisting himself up – straddling the rail. His amputated limbs dangling, balancing, he waited for the right moment.
Taylor dropped Molly, her muscles coiled behind him. He squared his shoulders, ready for a fight.
Its formless body shifted, elongating; its tail
now rigid, knife-like. Its jaws hung open as it circled, thick needle-like teeth, unsheathed in the flesh of its mouth. Its tail shot out.
He turned his shoulders, slipping the knife point. Its jaws clamped down onto him, piercing into his shoulder. He circled his arm around its neck, as teeth broke with a metallic ‘ting,’ still buried in his flesh.
It whipped back, its tail buried in his thigh, dropping him to one knee.
He gripped tighter, threw the creature at the wall.
Luca dropped, his amputated limbs extended, his body weightless in freefall – slammed on top of the creature.
He gripped the lower jaw, teeth piercing clean through his palm, he ripped the head up, burying his teeth into its throat. A sugary taste hit his tongue, as he swallowed the first bite, burying his teeth once more, as warm viscous fluid shot out from its neck.
Taylor gripped his bleeding leg, pressed the wound together. A flash of searing pain fused the two halves as one. He walked to Luca, the creature still writhing under him.
Its eyes stared up at him, the tongue jutted from its mouth, a sort of death rattle.
He raised his leg, drove down into the creatures skull, then stared down at Luca. “What are you doing?”
He raised his face from the creature. “Taste it. It’s like…” His stare vacant as he searched his mind. “… barbeque brisket mixed with pancakes and syrup.”
“Disgusting.” Taylor’s stomach turned, his face convulsed. ”I’ll pass.”
A mouth full of biomechanical flesh, he garbled, “You’re welcome.”
Taylor crossed his arms. “What’re we gonna do with you.”
“Good luck getting me back in that room.” Luca wiped his face with the hospital gown. “Go grab a wheelchair… I’ll play nice.”
“Sir,” Captain Colby stopped him at a run. “What in the hell did you do?”
Major Eckert looked at him cockeyed, a glint of sun in his eyes. “I don’t have time for this.” He started off again.
“Sir.” Colby grabbed his arm.
Eckert wheeled around, struck him in the face. He fell back into the dirt, holding his eye. Gary grabbed his sidearm, pulled the slide back and aimed.
“Imprisoning everyone with an ounce of sense…” The flesh around Colby’s eye began to swell. “… everyone that disagrees with you. I’m just trying to keep us from getting killed.”
Eckert stared at him, a fury in his eye. “Power’s out at the hospital.” He holstered his pistol and reached out his hand.
Colby’s eyes widened. “Luca.” He grabbed Major Eckerts hand.
Taylor hefted the creature onto the laboratory floor.
Gloria spun her wheelchair around. “What in God’s name…”
“It attacked us.” Luca said. “When the power went out.”
Dr. Bariac knelt down, examined the carcass. “Dr. Zhu,” he whispered, then looked up at Taylor. “What’s he doing out of his cage?”
“C’mon Doc.” Luca stared dead at him. “Think you’d be happy to see your creation.” He balled his fingers tight into a fist, his knuckles white, imagining his hand wrapped around Bariac’s throat.
He studied Luca’s face, the scars, the droplets staining his hospital gown. “You didn’t ingest any of it, did you?”
“Why?”
“Nanites.” He walked to Luca, shined a pen-light into his eye. “They take over living tissue, build structures within, link brain function to a central processing core.”
A worried look washed over his face. “And if I had?”
Quick Reaction Force burst through the door. “Stand down!” He clicked his radio. “Eagle 3, we’ve located the target.”
Luca wheeled around, slowly.
“Don’t,” Taylor whispered.
“Listen, fella’s –“
“Put your hands in the air!” the team leader yelled.
Luca’s hand shot out, sending him into the door. His tone deep, his stare unforgiving. “Cut me off again...” His hand gripped, twisting the man – his body writhing in agony. An eyebrow lifted as he looked over at Taylor, waiting patiently. “You’re not gonna do anything?”
“Umm…” Taylor looked down, his eyes - like ice. “No.”
“Your lives mean nothing to me,” Luca whispered, releasing the man. “Go!”
Major Eckert ran through the door. He spotted Luca, the Soldier on the ground, the creature. His eyes begged, ‘Taylor, do something!’ He reached for his sidearm.
“Enough!” Taylor yelled, his words deafening. “You’re no longer in charge, Major.” He pressed forward towards him.
Eckert grabbed his pistol and drew.
Taylor juked left, then back – smashing his palm into Eckert’s wrist; his foot swept at the back of Eckert’s heel, knocking him to the ground. He straddled him, bending his wrist down slowly, the weapon still in hand.
Eckert fought with all his strength – futile, as he stared into the boy’s black eyes.
“You’re unfit to lead,” Taylor whispered. He pressed the weapon against his throat; placed his hand in the grip, atop Major Eckert’s. “I’m doing us all a favor.”
“Taylor, no!” The words fell mute in Gloria’s mouth.
He stared up at Colby, who responded with a blank stare, as if to stay, ‘you’re on your own.’
Luca put his hand up, allowing what was about to happen.
Eckert swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, the look of fear radiating from every pore. “Please,” he whispered, his voice pleading and pathetic.
Taylor’s eyes widened, as he pulled the trigger, ‘click.’
Eckert shrunk. Inches from his face now, Taylor yelled in a bestial roar, beads of saliva dripping down from his exposed teeth, then ripped the pistol from Eckert’s hand.
Eckert scrambled from the room, his hat pressed to his crotch, hiding the wet spot.
Taylor let out a long huff, the rage slowly subsiding.
“Taylor,” Luca looked at him with a malevolent grin. “You evil little bastard, what’s gotten into you?”
“Don’t know,” He whispered, looking down at his hands, down at the gun. He could feel it, seething inside of him, festering. “It’s…” He felt his own thoughts betray him, a new and disturbing sensation. His eyes conveyed a horror at his own pleasure. “… beautiful.” He ran from the room, disturbed at his own thoughts.
A mild nausea. Luca felt something crawling inside him, then it gripped him – he doubled over in the wheelchair, fell to the cold ground. The thin layers of skin at his amputated limbs opened up, slick with warm, red blood.
“Back away!” Bariac snapped on rubber gloves, examined the lesions at the ends of his limbs. He squeezed his eyes together, trying to remember what he could of Dr. Zhu’s research. “Make the decision.” He looked up at Captain Colby. “The nanites need non-biological material to reproduce… metal… silicone… but he’s vulnerable now. I’ve seen this process kill more than a few specimens.”
Colby ran his fingers along the side of his head. “Damn…”
“Please,” Luca strained.
Colby knelt beside him, pulled his sidearm and racked the slide back… then again, ejecting a bullet. “Will this do?” He handed Dr. Bariac the loose 9mm round.
“I think.” Bariac shrugged. He looked back at Gloria. “Something silicone as well.”
She rifled through laboratory drawers.
Colby felt at his cargo pockets, pulled out a tan packet – freeze dried rasins and nuts. He ripped it open, pulled out a tiny white packet – silica gel beads.
“Perfect.” Bariac sliced the packet open, poured it into Luca’s mouth. “Quick, get him up onto a table.”
Luca writhed, as though being ripped apart. “What’s happening to me?”
Bariac shook his head, a blank, unfamiliar stare.
He looked down at his amputated limb, a small protusion, no larger than a grain of rice, pressed from the tattered flesh. They were building.
“Strap him down,” Ba
riac yelled. “Light’s fading. We have to go.” He knelt down to Gloria; pulled a 9mm pistol. “Take this.” He pulled the magazine, ejected one of the rounds – Russian letters stamped into the back. “From a friend. Frequency modulating electronic signature,” he whispered. “They can’t lock on… Use it if necessary.”
A worried look crept over her face; she set the firearm down in her lap.
CHAPTER 41
“Where is he?” Colby turned towards Bariac, standing on the home plate of the Fort Sill baseball diamond, West of the main post, just outside the wire.
“He’ll be here,” Bariac whispered. Just then, an armored ammunition hauler pulled through the checkpoint.
“What the hell is that?” Captain Colby said, watching Everett wheel up a large, oddly constructed set of pipes.
Dr. Bariac walked down 3rd base to the machine. “The biggest nebulizer in human history.” He turned to Everett “Have you tested it?”
“10 meter radius.” He pushed the glasses up on the bridge of his nose. “I’ve got it set to run off a car battery.”
Dr. Bariac looked back at the group, then back to Everett “You mean it’s not controlled remotely?”
Everett cocked his head. “You just said make a giant nebulizer, disperse liquid in a mist form at a 5 meter radius...” He looked at Dr. Bariac with a smug gleam in his eye. “I’ve doubled that.”
Bariac grabbed him by the collar, pulling him further from Colby. “You idiot,” he whispered, his eye twitching impulsively. “Someone’s going to have to stay back and activate the machine.”
Everett’s face sagged, the realization of his error.
“The virus won’t survive long without a host.” He held up the beeker, filled with the opaque solution. “Should it be you that turns it on when the creatures come?”
“Well I-“
Bariac’s face scrunched, his thoughts turned from anger to problem solving. “Have you brought any tools with you? Any materials?”
Everett felt his pockets. “Well, no, I-“
Bariac handed him the beeker, ran to the wooden light pole. “Captain! I need a knife here!”