Researcher's Journal 2
June 1st, 2006
And so begins another month in the life of Rachel Elliot.
Well, thing's aren't looking too bad at the moment, especially when one compares them to May. I swear, if Campbell goes for my neck again I'll scream. Maybe right in his face. Nothing much interesting happened today, and McMurdo let all the researchers off at one. He said that HBOW-008 was going to need to incubate for about a week before it was ready to be tested. I haven't seen the actual body of 008 yet, but from what Cam has told me I'm glad. Still can't figure out why they call it the "Hybrid".
I spent the afternoon up in the manor house. It's being renovated, so the art hall and the entire east wing were cut out. Brasco was up there and offered to buy me dinner. It was sweet, but I told him no thanks. Sure, he's a nice guy and all, but he can be a little weird sometimes. Actually, he took the rejection quite well. Right now I'm in the filing room, looking at some of the older reports. This place, the whole research facility is older than it looks, actually; quite a few reports go back to the late 1970's, but they're marked under another company. Might be the one that went bankrupt a few years back.
June 2nd, 2006
A new group of researchers came to the lab today. Langdon seemed keen to freak them out, by making it look like he was drinking the bacteria samples. I'm glad that I didn't laugh because he got busted by McMurdo. That guy always seems to have a bug up his ass.
Seeing as 008 is still being worked on, I've had a lot of free time. I stayed up in the library most of the day and nearly finished Cell in one sitting. Actually, it's a bit ironic; I'm being paid for being a book critic rather than a researcher, judging by how things have been going.
June 3rd, 2006
Brasco asked me again today if I wanted a coffee, or a date. He's really being sweet about it, with the politeness and the nervousness... it makes him seem more 'down to earth" than most of the other people here. I had to say no, because of the research.
God, listen to me. I sound like a friggin' schoolgirl.
Apart from that, the day was business as usual. I got to take a walk outside for the first time in two weeks and I think I nearly fell asleep when I sat down on the bench overlooking the pond. I don't know why they call it a pond, actually; it's too large and the ducks stay away from it.
June 4th, 2006
Richard Campbell, the head of this research facility, came to the lab today. I don't like the guy; he's prissy, has that nasally voice, and he picks on everybody... not the kind of person you want to come help you in a dark alley.
Anyway, he went down to the basement labs today. I got upgraded to C-level security last week, so I can go down to the residential quarters down there but no further than that. There's something off about the basement labs... I don't really know how to put it. Cold. The entire area just feels too lifeless. Which is the main reason I'm glad to still be up here in the main facility.
June 9th, 2006
Been a bit busy these past few days, hence the lack of updates.
Firstly: a bit of a crisis is developing with McMurdo. He's gotten into a... let's say a disagreement with Campbell. He and the others have been working on HBOW-008 for at least three months, which amazes me, considering how short the research processes on some of the other projects are. Campbell went into the basement labs to have a look at its progress, and when the two came back up they were yelling at eachother so loudly that a lot of the graveyard shift workers got woken up. That said, McMurdo is infinitely more popular than Campbell, and if I were him I'd just pack my bags and walk out. Most of the staff would follow, too; there's over 60 scientists here, and only 12 guards.
Anyway after their argument, McMurdo locked himself inside his study, and has refused to come out. Seeing as he's the head scientist, he's got a practically miniature house to live in, so I doubt he's going to be coming out any time soon. There's a rumour circulating that he's getting drunk off his face, too.
Secondly: some of my working staff – including myself – are getting concerned over Campbell's preoccupation with the basement labs. He went down there on the 5th, and only came up a few hours ago when the argument happened. More than that, he's not showing any interest/concern/generally giving a shit about our work on the bacteria samples and tissue regeneration. It's either that he's a moleman or we're superfluous that he doesn't check out our work.
Thirdly: the staff are preparing a games night in the dining room for the 10th. Let's see... cards, streamers, and general fun stuff are all in good check. And McMurdo didn't really seem worried about the games night, so it's all good.
Still, if he does, it looks like we'll have to pray that he stays locked up there. heh heh
June 10th, 2006
Clark, Lucas, Pedro and Rick spent the morning annoying the crap out of Daniel Richards. They were in the library at the time and I was doing some research for the HIRM-03 samples. I swear, Richards is more prone to outbursts than the Titanic's rivets. Small wonder he got kicked out of the biology department.
That said, I finished the HIRM-03 research much quicker than I expected and I went through a couple of the old research files for this facility. A lot of the records were... odd, to put it lightly, but I found something interesting printed on the corners of each file sheet: a pie-shape cut into eight pieces, in a red-and-white pattern. There'd been rumours that this place was owned by that pharmaceuticals company for decades, and I guess this clinches it.
Looks like the party's going ahead with or without McMurdo's approval, because he still isn't out of his quarters.
June 11th, 2006
Nothing much to record today, it's just been business as usual. I was down in the sublevels again for most of the day; it's still too cold down there. I don't know if it's the lack of sunlight, or the air-conditioners being constantly set to "Antarctic level conditions", but it's too cold for me.
(later)
-Just found out the bacteria labs were locked down for a few hours today. It's due to faulty wiring in one of the gyro conduits, which isn't surprising. This place is so old that it probably had a lodging for Abe Lincoln on the grand opening, ha ha
June 12th, 2006
We got back to work on the HIRM samples, which means more shuffling in between rooms dressed in the spacesuits. It's interesting to note, though that nobody was inspired to work very hard. I think we've all grown accustomed to the work not being inspected, or we're all very tired because of how we've been working.
June 13th, 2006
I got a day off today, so I spent most of it outside. It's been gloomy and cloudy for the past few days, and it looks like it could rain at any second. Actually, that could be quite good; the plants look like they need a good watering down.
June 14th, 2006
Well, myself and the other scientists got a day off. There's been some sort of accident in the basement labs, a chemical leak or something. As a result the automatic quarantine seals were activated and the labs were locked down, the topside ones included. That's a lot of space to get sealed off; there's three topside labs up here, not including the fabrication plant next to the living quarters.
It seems like a standard safety procedure, but the guards seem awfully shaken up about this. Maybe they're just green...?
June 15th, 2006
Well, this confirms it. There's been an accident in the labs. Not just any accident, but one that activates the facility-wide lockdown... that means it's pretty goddamn bad.
June 16th, 2006
Nothing to write about; went out to the
June 17th, 2006
The facility's still in lockdown, but last night we were ushered back into our rooms by some of the facility's guards. I asked what the reason was, and they replied that the underground labs were being opened. They were sending a team down there.
Then, about twenty minutes ago, they were bringing body bags up from the labs. Ten of them. And they sent down fifteen guards last night.
That can't be good. Something bad is going to happen, if it hasn't already.
June 18th, 2006
There's been a breach. Currently locked in one of the long-term scientist quarters with Pedro DeCosta and Jim Lucas, who were working in the mutagen labs. We're in the eastern wing of the main facility, second floor. Scientist's quarters. As long as we stay in here we should be fine; though I'm a bit worried about the door. It's only made of thick wood, so something could punch through it if it carried enough force and weight. We could probably barricade it up a little bit, maybe with one of the spare chairs or the table in the bedroom.
Funny, this place looks so unused... it's a little like a hotel room, except the bedroom and bathroom are in separate rooms. There's a little kitchen at the end of the hallway that seems to have been used as a living room... savages. Four bunks are in the bedroom, all built into the walls. Very scientist-y, if I may say so myself.
I think we should be safe here for a few days. Rationing might help to extend to food we have, but even without that we have plenty of water to get through.
June 19th, 2006
Something showed up at about ten in the morning, in the hall outside the living quarters. By the sound of it, it's one of the dogs that was infected deliberately for tests about two months ago. Not sure, though, because it sounds a little more "animalistic" than the dogs initially did when they were infected. Jim and Pedro are incredibly scared, despite what I told them. If it's a dog, sure, it'll be far stronger than in real life, but it's not going to be able to punch down or through the damn door.
June 20th, 2006
Nothing's changed since yesterday, We
(later)
Just realized something: the bedroom door can be hydraulically locked in place from the inside. Weird, I wonder why they'd need that...
June 21st, 2006
Jim seems to have it set in his mind that the dog killed someone. I'll believe it when I see it, seeing as the mind can convince you of things during states of heightened fear and alertness.
(later)
Jim might not be going crazy. I can hear... something padding back and forth in the room above us. Let's see. From what I can remember, I think there's either a storage closet immediately above this room, or a guard's room.
Something also turned up outside, in the hallway. Whatever it is, it sounds human but it might not be. We listened to it for a half hour before shoving one of the couch chairs against the door, just in case it tries to get in.
June 22nd, 2006
Whatever that thing is outside, it can't be human because it's been walking back and forth for three hours straight... same goes for the thing upstairs. I heard it walking all night.
Food is starting to run low, though it can't be a problem. If there's no sign of help by the end of the week, then I'll start to worry. If that happens, they've abandoned us.
June 23rd, 2006
Jim's arm. He's watching us funny. And he keeps scractching his arm. That could mean an infection... oh God, I hope not.
I've seen the results of the various sample infections we have here. They've all been heavily studied and documented, most of them get shown to us when we first arrive to stop us from trying anything stupid. There's the various IBA strains, the HIRM viruses (hopefully 03 has none of those side-effects the original samples had), and the UCBV-A.
June 25, 2006
This whole situation is worse than I thought. No sign of the rescue team (if there was one in the first place) and everybody's getting twitchy.
(later)
Just had a thought; the time is now 9:31 and it's been an hour since the last journal entry. I wonder how Campbell and McMurdo are doing? Campbell's probably up in the manor, and I hadn't heard about anything from Mac prior to the lockdown... weird. Though I've heard the main researcher's quarters are like houses, so maybe he has food and running water. Lucky bastard.
June 26th, 2006
Jim's showing signs of infection, I'm positive of it. His arm must have been infected recently; the skin is blistered and capillaries seem to have burst immediately under his skin, leaving bruise-like lesions. It's barely noticeable, though; I only saw it because his sleeve was rolled up. A few more days and I can confirm whether it's true... if it's the one I'm thinking of, we're all in serious trouble. Very serious trouble.
In other news, our food has finally run out – there's eight bottles of water left, so that can't be all that bad – and we think that some help has finally arrived. Jim and Pedro saw the jeeps pull up at around 6 pm, just when it was going to get dark.
Hopefully getting out of here will take less than a week.
June 27th, 2006
There was a gunfight in the main hall, and it sounds like the team pulled back. By the sound of it, there's more creatures in here than anyone expected. Hopefully, the rescuers won't give up, because there's still plenty of people alive in here. We can hear a few of the other researchers in their rooms, and while they're scared they don't seem to be in any trouble. Pedro's been talking to one of them across the hall; I think his name's Arthur. Might be Arthur Llewellyn.
June 28th, 2006
It's confirmed. Jim is infected.
Not only that, but the infection is severe. It already looks like his arm is undergoing gangrene or an advanced stage of epidermal rot. I think I know where the initial infection came from, too; there's a small bite mark (insect? definitely not human, and it's pretty small) below the elbow. The area around the bite is more seriously rotted than the rest. That's not what worries me, though; his capillaries have burst all the way up his arm and are starting to do so along his neck and jaw. It looks like a serious rash, but it's been spreading. Pedro seems to know it, too.
There's only one thing here that I think can cause that type of infection: UCBV-A. And if that thing caused the infection, we're all in seriously deep shit. Apparently a modified version of the strain was used to create the HBOW's, and they're using a weakened version. It also means that, if there are creatures running amok outside, they could be human. That could explain why that thing walked back-and-forth outside for nearly 18 hours straight.
Not sure whether Pedro's infected or not, though it's a possibility. I wonder how Jim got bitten, though... he never mentioned it to us before. In any case, I locked myself in the bedroom about an hour ago. Both Pedro and Jim want to know why, but Jim seems agitated rather than frightened... that can't be good.
It may spread.
June 29th, 2006
There was a gunfight upstairs. It didn't last for very long, but I feel sorry for whoever it was that was up there. They held out for at least ten minutes, but their screams only went for a few seconds before those things got what they wanted. By the sound of things, Jim's infection has progressed dangerously. I should let Pedro in, but that'll risk exposing all of us.
(later)
Pedro's gone. I heard him fight with Jim and then manage to get outside. Whatever happened out there sounded horrible. Jim... I don't think "it" is really Jim anymore. It was more like an animal, snarling and growling at Pedro.
I think he was bitten. That could be one of the transmitters of the infection, like in those old zombie movies. That also means any of the others who were killed...
God, I do not want to think about that. Not at all.
June 30th, 2006
Jim's back outside, and he's pissed off. Thank Christ for that hydraulic door, because he's been hitting at it for at least an hour now. I know I'm perfectly safe, seeing as this bedroom is more like a panic room than anything, but he's starting to scare me...
I think the infection has started to decay his mental state, too. He's rambling, constantly talking about hunger, the fact that it's not his fault (what the hell? really), and that he's worried. I think he knows he's infected with something, but not what he's infected with.
(later)
For some reason he keeps asking whether I'm fine or not. I've been answering back, and that seems to help him a little; he's talking instead of rambling, and seems to calm down. Right now, I'm starting to feel the hunger pain (it's been nearly five days, small wonder) and he seems worried about it.
I'm still not letting him in here. No way.
(later)
It's 11:17 pm. Someone just got killed outside, by the sound of it, it was in the hallway. There were several gunshots, too. I don't think it was Jim. There were animal noises.
(later)
I don't think it was Jim. I hope not
July 1st, 2006
Wonderful. Another month comes along, and this time I'm trapped in a room with a looney and a lab full of monsters and psychos.
Something came into the room outside a few hours ago. It sounded like a dog, but it was too... animalistic. Not sure how to describe it, but it definitely did not sound like a dog. Jim got to it, too, and had a serious fight with it. He (or maybe it) hit the bedroom's walls hard enough to shake them, but he won.
And I think he ate it.
good God
July 2nd, 2006
Down to the second-last bottle of water. I could stretch it two maybe three days, and then I'm going to have to leave here. There were some candy bars inside the dresser, don't particularly like them but in this situation you can't be picky.
Jim's constantly leaving the room. I don't know what for, but I can only assume he's trying to find things to eat... there hasn't been any sound of the rescue team for a few days. Two possible scenarios: they've been wiped out, and the entire facility is going to be blown to shit; or they suffered some losses and had to pull back. Hopefully they're going to attempt another rescue soon.
Right now, it looks like the latter.
July 3rd, 2006
Haven't had time to write, there's been gunshots and other things outside
(later)
I know that Jim killed Pedro but when I asked him about it he went into a rage, tried to break down the door and everything. He doesn't sound dull or fazed like he did before, which is freaking me out...
(later)
I think I might be infected with UCBV-A. There's a rash on the back of my right arm and it doesn't hurt, not even when I scratch it. God I hope not. I mean, if I am it's a good thing in comparison to some of the other agents they have here, (or as good as you can hope for, like losing a hand instead of your whole arm) but...
(later)
I might be infected because I'm not hungry oh god
July 4th, 2006
It's more of a lesion than a rash. Can't think of how it got there, but it could be from the railing I fell against when we were running from the main hall.
I think that's where I could have
(later)
Jim shot himself... he left a note for me along with his journal. Poor bastard. The gun's still fully loaded, so I'll make a run for it before anything else gets in here.
July 5th, 2006
I'm trapped in a storage room just under the living quarters. This big muscled thing chased me down and nearly got me. It looks like HBW-8, but it's... it's far too big to be HBW-8. Unless the virus made it grow larger, but that's...
This might be it. The door's going t-
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