I guess my last chapter wasn't that good, so I hope I do a better job on this one. The supporting reviews is what keeps me going, so if hardly anyone reviews it tells me I didn't do a good job :(
I hope this isn't too long; I want to give each Chapter at least five chapters, and this being the tenth I thought this would be a good place to end Intensive Care.
Ominous…
It was rather ominous how the only light in the small hallway shone on the body of the man laying parallel to the blood-smeared wall. Isaac closed his eyes, still able to hear the wet pounding of his open skull on the wall. Thump…Thump…Thump. The splashing if blood, his unresponsive body slipping down, the life drained from his veins. The pale orange light shined like a flickering, dying spotlight on the dead protagonist of this tragic play, on the stage Ishimura.
He had everything with him now, the Shockpad and the Thermite, so he could make the Thermite Bomb to blow through the barricade blocking the Emergency Wing. He had something to look forward to, but still it provided him little solace. That thought, that one question, kept going through his mind; it lingered to the point it blocked out all other thoughts but two: his focus on the mission itself, and…Nicole. Isaac put his hand over the front of his helmet, his burning eyes screwed shut.
"Don't do this Isaac Clarke…don't be like this, not here..." He told himself over and over not to give in to the sorrow, no matter how – like the smell of rotting flesh – overpowering it became. The welling tears made his eyes sting and vision became blurry. He quickly blinked away most of the moisture, but a few trickled down his face to the corners of his dry lips. The salty tang of the ocular secretions only reminded the fatigued engineer how he craved water.
Just thinking about it made his head throb like two giant hands were pounding on his cranium like a drum. But he didn't let it go to waste; he licked the wetness up, which just barely gave his mouth a little quenching but did nothing for his dry and almost sore throat. If he didn't find a sink or something soon, he was going to pass out. Hell, it could even be a fucking toilet if he wanted to stoop that low to something that disgusting; after all…desperate times call for desperate measures. But if he was lucky enough to find a drinking fountain that would be wonderful; the only place he would really find any beverage would be the Crew Deck, but there was no telling what kind of shape that part of the ship would be in. In fact, based on the map in the Tram it was practically below his feet, but if the mission called for him to go there soon, that would be more than great; he was getting hungry as well.
After that much needed mind-stimulating thought, Isaac stepped inside the hallway. The door slid down and shut behind him, the small room getting just a bit darker. Anything could be around the corner…anything. This vessel was full of surprises he unwittingly uncovered; no matter how much he preferred they remain hidden in the shadows where they belonged. Two more steps in and Isaac stopped. Every time he heard something new he had to stop. Anything could be around the corner, and he knew that's where it was coming from: past the blind corner he could not see without getting right up close to it and putting himself in immediate danger.
He listened to the ship's ambience; deep humming from somewhere in the hull, knocking in the air vents but not immediately around him thank God, sparking from broken panels and other machinery, and just other sounds that he could not distinguish from others. One particular sound though…it sounded like trickling water. But there was a distinction between this and actual dripping water he saw elsewhere. This almost had the sound of…tiny little feet paddling on the floor.
Could it be a Lurker? It was too frequent to be sure; it sounded like there were quite a few feet coming his way. Isaac toted the Line Gun with tight grip, drawing in light breaths so he wouldn't set it off too early. His foot scooted back on the metal floor, a scratching noise breaking the silence.
"Shit..!" Isaac hissed quietly, standing more alert than ever now. The Necromorph, or Necromorphs, would surely know he's here now. From them he knew what to expect: the most gruesome attack that any man would ever see implemented by any creature, living or dead, and after facing death itself the times he has, he was more than ready to counter whatever they threw at him.
At least he hoped and prayed.
The pitter-patter got closer, but along with this he heard a soft squeal-like sound, almost like the Lurker's shrieking cry. Was it a Lurker after all and it just made a noise he hadn't heard before? It was possible; he only encountered three of the deformed babies so far. Isaac held up the Line Gun and shined the light on top of the tool on the door, the wide aiming bar extended. He kept his gaze on the frame, until the source of both sounds showed themselves. It wasn't what he was expecting.
Isaac blinked in disbelief, lowering his gun's line of fire to the base of the door. Flooding in from the hallway, Isaac couldn't really describe it. The "Necromorphs" if that's what they could even be called, were as small as a large toad, but looked nothing like one. Little tendrils walking along the floor connected by swollen segments of swollen fleshy-pink substance made up these small creatures, whatever they were. The little creatures growled and hissed, pattering across the floor like lurking shadows, coming towards him.
"Stay away…" Isaac practically growled, stepping back from them. "Whatever the hell you are."
When they didn't stop which Isaac expected them not to, he pulled the trigger and unleashed a bar of blue energy on the little creatures, taking out the middle portion of several. The beam cut right through them, splattering blood across the floor and bits of fried flesh going here and there. They obviously took that as hostile, to which they responded by going back the way they came to escape him. Isaac wouldn't give them that chance and shot again, taking out a few more, at least five, leaving six of the original who knows how many; the first blast took out a large majority of the group.
They were everywhere; crawling across the walls and floors, creeping towards him like little parasites. Isaac's frightened state got that much worse, his hands shaking around his gun. He felt the urge to yell at them, make himself look bigger to make them go away. Hell, he even wanted to go over there and stomp them to death like little cockroaches but there was no telling what this new creature would do if he got close enough to them. He didn't want to know nor would he ever like to know sometime in the future.
"Get back now…" Isaac growled out again, pulling the trigger and taking out a few more, then shooting again. The small horde was mutilated by the heat and cutting power of the beam, blood splattering every which way, including on the body that just lay there, long forgotten by his fellow crew members. Isaac took a few deep breaths, listening to the now-silent hallway. No other sound was present besides the ones echoing throughout the ship; knock knock, and a roar from a Necromorph in the distance. Isaac quickly switched out to his Plasma Cutter, again for the difference in weight. Sure the Line Gun was pretty damn powerful, but he still couldn't get over the weight difference between the two weapons; both were very reliable but the Plasma Cutter just proved to be that much more so. With the creatures now gone, all he could do was press onward down the hall, leaving the body and that part of the ship behind him for good.
"Those…those things….what were they?" Isaac mumbled to himself, trying to discern what those things could possibly be. He didn't take the time to examine what was left of them; he could always go back and look, but backtracking in these conditions really did not seem like the best thing to do. They looked like they were made of little pieces of flesh; pink and swollen, veiny in some places and coursing with plenty of blood. Until he saw what they were truly capable of however, he couldn't properly name them, but if he didn't encounter them again they would have to go unnamed.
But something told him, deep deep down on the inside that this wouldn't be the only time he would come across these things. His mission was only beginning and he knew it would be no easy task to get off this ship in one piece; there would be more blood, more run-ins with death, and more harsh and harmful events that would test his sanity.
Make us whole again… The meaning of this phrase has no place in Isaac's mind and it was something he could not figure out, but he knew….he knew he would find out soon enough.
By the time Isaac reached the door that would lead him back to the Security Station he was getting sick of walking. The only real break he got was back in the Tram Control Room and the Tram itself; even his nap didn't give him any relief. The events unfolding in front of his straining and stinging eyes were sapping the energy right out of him like a blood-thirsty vampire. He was convinced he would pass out right in the middle of a mission and leave himself susceptible to attack. Isaac didn't want to die; not for his own sake, but for those around him. He wanted to get out of here alive too, that was a given, but when it came to his life and the ones he loved, the fate of his own skin came last.
Isaac waited for the wide door to open. He could feel his stance already breaking, swaying a little bit on his feet.
"God come on Isaac, pull yourself together…" He told himself in his mind, shaking his head and forcing himself to straighten up his posture. That fixed it a little bit but he could still feel the effects of his pending exhaustion seeping through his suit, sinking into his brain and gradually making him crave sleep; crave laying down on his back, or just sitting down and stretching out his legs. He longed to be back at home in his soft bed, the cool air hitting his fatigued body like it did in the dream… Isaac's shutters started to wane, slouching on his feet, slowly plunging into the bowels of dark, deep slumber. Before it could completely overtake him however the door opened up with its loud mechanical whir.
"Gah!" Isaac exasperated, nearly falling off balance. He groaned in despair, his eyes wide open to keep himself awake. "What's happening to me…m-must stay awake…must…s-stay awake…"
Isaac forced himself into the Security Station and the first thing he saw in the dim and destroyed room was the dripping water from the pipes above. Water. Oh my God, water. He almost forgot about that! Isaac's expression lifted and he immediately took his helmet off, his sore and throbbing throat begging for something wet and refreshing. He lifted the latch on the back of his helmet and threw it right off, ignoring the smell of rotting flesh as he stood under the dripping water, opening his mouth wide to let it in. The water was clean; he could taste anything bad about it even though it didn't really taste all like tap water, but it was so, so very refreshing. His sore throat was quenched, a good portion of aching in his body taken away.
It was like he regained something he lost. The water flowing down his throat and into his upset stomach felt so good, he gulped to his heart's content, not wanting to leave the only accessible source of relief he could find within miles. Isaac let the water splash over his face and hair, washing the sweat away as well as cooling his overworked system off. That felt so good; for a single moment he forgot about his troubles, his concerns, everything around him until he knew he had to stop; his stomach was getting full and if he drank too much he would eventually have to take a piss. So he stepped out from under the torn ceiling and leaking pipes. The blood-stained walls and broken flashing lights brought back the fact he still had more to go through; more to experience. The Captain's body wasn't going to wait for him forever, and time was of the essence…
Taking a deep breath, which was actually much easier thanks to the water, Isaac picked up his helmet and slid it back on, hooking it into place. He gave the water one last look, shaking his head and closing his eyes.
"I needed that…but I have to continue…" he told himself, focusing his attention on the barricade. He had the Thermite Bomb and it was time to blow through that sucker. Isaac stepped directly in front of it, looking all over the chaotic structure. It was composed of all kinds of metal, from different colors and materials but it was all thick and very durable; no amount of his firepower would get him through, it was fastened securely by thick bolts; the doing of a Rivet Gun, but Isaac had no such weapon; hell, even if he could get his hands on one more than likely there wasn't even one on this deck. So it would be too much of a hassle when he had a bomb that could blow right through it.
Isaac kneeled down and let the bomb digitize into his hands; it wasn't so much a completed bomb than it was the two parts just separated. Great care would be needed for this process; Thermite was a very combustible and dangerous material. This much of it could blow through ten inches of polycarbonated steel for God's sake! Sweat running down his forehead already Isaac unscrewed the cap from the Thermite canister. Inside was the reddish powder that was the Thermite itself. Isaac's heartbeat increased tenfold. Sliding the white box in front of the barricade Isaac carefully set the canister on top of it.
"Here we go…" Isaac turned the red dial from 'off' to 'on', the defibrillator humming to life. That made Isaac even more tense about this whole situation. He hoped and prayed Hammond knew what he was doing. If this didn't work and it ended up killing him they would both be up shit creek without a paddle. Isaac wrapped his fingers around the paddle handles, pressing the small buttons and starting up a charge. Like he would with someone who was dying, he rubbed the paddles together and looked at his subject, the Thermite. Quickly setting down one of the paddles Isaac grabbed the canister to spread a little bit of powder on the box before setting it back in place. Isaac closed his eyes and drew in a slow deep breath, his shaking hands facing the bomb. It was all or nothing; the only way he would learn if this worked or not was to go through with it. Isaac scooched away as far as he could before swallowing his fear and following his given orders.
"Clear." Isaac forced out his lips, pressing down hard on the buttons. Sparks of electricity erupted from the paddles and hit the Thermite powder. Almost immediately the chain reaction went off into a flash of light and a loud explosion dinned through the room. Isaac felt the paddles forced out of his hands as the explosion knocked him off his feet, sending him back and painfully skidding across the floor. For a split second he couldn't see or hear anything; everything went quite, like the universe came to a standstill. As quickly as it went his sight and hearing came right back. He could see the dim ceiling and hear the sounds of the dripping water; even the shockwaves from the blast he could pick up as they kept coursing through his body.
"Oh…m-my God…" Isaac groaned and rubbed his head as he sat up on his ass. He looked ahead of him and no longer did he see a complete barrier, but a large hole in the middle of the structure, the door unlocked and now completely accessible. He couldn't believe that it actually worked. For the most part he thought the explosive reaction of the Thermite wouldn't be enough, but it worked; there wasn't even a remainder of the canister or the Shockpad left to be seen; the blast completely annihilated them. Either way it wasn't like he would need them; they did their part, and he was even grateful to them. Isaac pulled out his Cutter and stood up, which was rather difficult due to the effects of the powerful shockwave. "Whoa…that was more powerful than I thought it was…going to be."
Objective Complete.
Before going to his destination Isaac turned around and went for the Store. He almost forgot he needed to clear up some room in his inventory. The holopad flipped down at Isaac's command and the screen popped up. Isaac sighed to himself and tapped on the 'INVENTORY' tab and selected the things he wanted to put away. He selected the medium air canister and the large Med Pack for storage, and sold the Gold Semiconductor, adding three thousand credits to his wallet that he would need for later. With that done Isaac turned off the pad and turned his attention back to the Emergency Wing door. Three more spots cleared up in his inventory; he was good to go. Hopefully he was...
Isaac half-walked to the barrier, a limp in his walk. As he stepped through the barricade he wondered what could possibly be so bad that the crew had to block the door. Something told him he didn't want to know; if what they were trying to stop was still in there, he would have an even closer brush with death than what he bargained for.
Isaac almost forgot he needed to contact Hammond like he said he would, but right in the middle of establishing a connection with his access point, his commanding office chimed right in.
"Okay you're through, should be clear from there to the morgue." Hammond spoke at a rushed pace, like he was still apprehensive about what was going on."Remember, the codes are on the Captain's body."
He cut off the connection before Isaac could ask any questions or make any comments. He hated how distant Hammond was being. He needed to talk to someone before he went insane; a stimulating conversation about anything would be very, very well appreciated, but Hammond seemed to be more focused on the mission than anything else. Isaac understood that, but he was in worse condition than his commanding CEC officer.
Above the long door the sign read. 'Ishimura Clinic: All patients please proceed to Clinic Waiting Room'.
A clinic? At this point he would need to speak to a psychologist; some shock therapy would be nice as crazy as that sounded; he needed something to stimulate his mind. Isaac couldn't explain this pounding in his head, like his brain was trying to escape the confines of his skull. It was driving him up the wall and it took a lot of strength just to ignore it. As he waited for the door to open up for him he wondered if it was really just a headache from the physical strain. Could it be much more than that? That bizarre hallucination he experienced back there seemed to point to something else…what that was Isaac had absolutely no idea.
When the door opened Isaac was greeted by another lit-up sign with the usual friendly appeal that all the signs had in this place. This one had a nurse and a doctor standing before a plain red background, smiling as if to say they had the best job in the world. Between them was the CEC symbol but with a white cross on the red circle set between the silver C. Above it the sign read 'Welcome to the Ishimura Clinic" while directly below the CEC logo a little phrase was printed: 'Healing Away From Home'.
This was so ironic; there was plenty of healing needed around this ship, but with no doctors around or even alive, this task could not be accomplished. Sad, yes…ironic? Even more so. Isaac could feel the shadows encroaching over this one signal of hope even if it was a fruitless one, threatening to overtake and expel it to the deepest regions of space. Isaac cringed, shaking these shadows off to clear his mind and finally see the log beneath the sign. A message…a sign of life in this deathly ship. Isaac immediately scooped it up in his hands. Halfway straightening up a loud bang pulsed through the metal walls. Isaac froze, and looking to his right he saw the big dark hole ripped into the wall closest to the floor, the metal sheared and going off in every direction, an ominous fog hanging around it like that you would see over the ocean in the early morning. A few more pounding noises and from the distance a faint roar hit his ears.
A roar not like the ones of the Necromorphs; this one was more beastly, deeper and came from…something bigger. Much, much bigger. Isaac slowly stood up straight, finally coming to the conclusion that whatever made that noise came from that opening and the crew barricaded the door for a reason. Isaac's heart pounded violently, sweat pouring down his face. He had to get his mind off things. He transferred the log to his RIG, hoping to find some kind of release or answer. And that, he did.
A video scream erupted to life in a series of static pixels, and the face of a young woman came into focus; but not just any young woman…
Nicole.
"N-Nicole!" Isaac practically yelled out, involuntarily reaching to the screen as if to hold her, but his hand went right through it. He knew, he knew she wasn't really there; it was just a recording of past events.
"This is Senior Medical Officer Nicole Brennan, transmitting ship wide. We need more help. We don't have the resources to deal with this many cases" Her words were calm at first, but as she went on she got more impatient, more impatient with what was going on; it seemed this log was recorded around the time of the initial infection."Nobody will tell us what's happening! These wounds...we're not equipped to deal with this many..."
In the background he could hear a man struggling, yelling something he couldn't hear, clearly in pain.
"God...Get him to the table." Nicole told someone off screen. Hold him! Nurse, you hold him down!" As the cries of pain and the struggling got harder, the said nurse trying to restrain the patient, Nicole shook her head and gave one last look at the screen, her eyes meeting Isaac's. "Christ…end recording."
"Wait! Nicole don't go!" Isaac said frantically, unable to stop the ending. As the log shut off the pained screams got louder, cutting off completely. She was gone, just like that he couldn't see her face anymore, but her voice was clear in his head; the voice he loved to hear so much, that he thought he would never get tired of hearing…
"That was Nicole, right?" Hammond shocked in.
Isaac nodded, a deep sigh escaping him. "Yes, that was her Hammond…" He stomped his foot angrily on the floor. "God damn it, I have to find her!"
Hammond let out his own sigh. "Isaac, I can't tell from here when that log was made. I'm sure she's around here somewhere…" End transmission.
"I hope…you're right Hammond…" Isaac said. "No…I know she's around here. I know she's safe!"
Don't lose hope Isaac, it's all you have left; or what remains of what you had left. Isaac took another deep and very slow breath to calm himself, holding his weapon close as he went up the small ramp, cautiously passing the opening as he went down to the next door. Above the long door read: 'Ishimura Clinic: Please speak to a Clinic Technician before taking a seat'.
Obviously he wouldn't have to worry about that. He stood after waving his hand over the locking mechanism, the thin blue line cycling to the right to indicate the loading process. Some doors took longer than others to open; the wider doors were more known for this than the smaller ones. No one knew exactly why this was; most say it's due to a glitch in the system but even with the most flawless system there were always bugs; and this door was one of them. Isaac stood and waited, looking behind his back for anything that could be creeping up on him. A very slow minute passed before the door finally opened. Isaac sighed and shook his head. If this door did this all the time he would be screwed if he needed to get away quickly.
Isaac stepped inside and looked around the waiting room. Ahead of him two dirty windows that looked into a small room, an empty shelf next to the leftmost one, and a few blood-stained orange seats against the walls. Blood was everywhere, on the seats, windows, floor, walls, everywhere. Isaac came in a little more to get a better view. To the left there was more of a waiting room. A green storage box rested on a seat, but something told him to get it later. To his right there was the door he needed. One thing Isaac found rather interesting were the white papers on the walls scattered in no particular pattern that had the simple words 'Sorry we're full' printed across them. Isaac quickly dismissed the reason for this, not wanting to linger on anything that could cause more stress than what he needed at the moment.
He headed on forward through the door that lead to the Emergency Room. The second he looked upon the new setting his face fell. From what he could see there were blood stains everywhere; on the beds, the chairs, just about every surface was dirtied and tainted by dried darkened blood, including the luminescent X-rays above a blood-soaked bed, the patient laying dead. Not one inch of the Ishimura was clean; the mark of death was everywhere, taking over every part of the ship it could possibly reach. Isaac went inside, and nearly shit himself when a loud ear-splitting roar hit his ears, a Lurker side-stepping across the floor and out of sight.
"Shit, another one?" Isaac checked the Plasma Cutter's ammo, popping out the old empty cartridge and sliding a new one into place. The cutter's head flipped horizontally so he could get a better shot at the tentacles. Holding it in both hands Isaac breathed softly, slowly taking a few steps diagonally from his spot. He walked slowly, struggling to stop his hands from shaking so much. He didn't know why he was so afraid, he proved he could handle these things with no problem…so why was he filled with fear? Just suck it up; suck it up and kill the little brat.
The Lurker that disappeared behind a wide column came back into view, its tendrils dragging across the floor. Its eyes glowed in the dark room, staring at him before leaping up on the wall next to an air vent. If the infants could travel through the vents he was a bit screwed. He wouldn't however, give it a chance to do such a thing. Isaac followed it with the light until it turned in his direction, hissing loudly. The three tentacles emerged from its back, arching upward as if preparing to shoot its barbs at him. Isaac aimed with his shaky hands and shot at it, just barely missing the tentacle.
"Damn it!" Isaac scowled angrily, immediately adjusting his aim a little bit to the right and shooting again, hitting the tentacle this time. The Lurker screeched in clear pain and Isaac could feel it transfer over to him. He felt its pain, but he didn't know why… He gritted his teeth and shot off the middle tentacle. With a harsh screech the infant released the wall and fell to the floor in a bloody heap, wriggling for life in its own blood before lying dead. Isaac looked away before it could sink it; he didn't want to feel sorry for it, although no matter what he did he always felt sorrow for the small Necromorph. It felt like he was killing a baby, even though the creature truly was just a horribly deformed version of a real baby.
Isaac looked around the Emergency Room to take in his surroundings. Only a few small lights actually lit up the wide room, the lit X-rays actually supplying a little bit of light. At the center of the room thick cords hung from the ceiling like drooping tapestries from a party that ended hours ago. The bulbs flashed heavily, making it look that much more menacing; the notched circle in the center of the ceiling where the cords came out was the actual source of the flashing. On and off, on and off at a constant rate that started to drive Isaac mad. He was too focused on that annoying light that he didn't see the Lurker crawling from the other side of the room; he only saw it when it shrieked at him.
"Oh damn it, what now?" Isaac stood at attention, waving his light around in a mad search for the little creature. The white light fell on it, directly across from him. The Lurker stood on the very edge of the light's radius. It growled, and when in the strobe-like effect of the light, Isaac was washed with a feeling of despair. The way it stood there, its little hands gripping at the floor made the engineer literally shake in his boots. The light illuminated the red flesh of its tentacles; the flashing however made it difficult to aim. Isaac shot twice and both energy shots missed.
With a rearing of its legs the Lurker flicked its tentacles and launched its barbs his way, zipping through the air before he could have any chance to react. Isaac felt a pain in his hip, a pain that made him yell out loud. Two of the missiles missed him but the middle one got him. And damn it, the pain was incredible. Sweat pouring down his face Isaac bit down on his tongue, his mouth suddenly very dry again. He aimed for the Lurker as it moved his way and shot it in the face, taking a good portion of what was its head away. That stopped it right in its tracks, enough to draw out its critical weak points. Isaac did what he always did and shot two of them right off, spraying its blood across the already-bloody floor. In its dead state, it looked that much more frightening; devoid of life, without the ability to move. Isaac had to look away. He couldn't look at it; he had to focus his attention elsewhere; firstly, on the pain in his side.
Isaac reached down and pulled the barb out, looking at the bizarre shape before crushing it in his hand. He wasn't sure if he needed to use a Med Pack, but with the projectile out the pain wasn't as intense. For now, he would ignore it until further attention would be required. Now, the mission…
According to the map he needed to go through the wide door at the other end of the room, but the red outline and the locking mechanism showed it was locked. Normally this would be a problem but to the right of the door a deep notch was made, where a power cell could go. Now all he needed to do was find the cell. Behind him there was another locked door, but based on the design this one led to an elevator. Isaac looked closely at the slow-scrolling words above it. 'Elevator to Morgue'.
Damn it that was a major letdown. If the elevator was unlocked he could easily go down to the Morgue that way, but just by looking around the room he couldn't see a way to open it. With a sigh, knowing he would have to pass it up, Isaac grabbed a few Line Racks from the side table next to a blood-stained bed, then started his search. The search itself didn't take very long; Isaac found the blue-glowing power cell in a wide alcove next to a small bucket of what looked like either internal organs or vomit. He went closer and looked carefully at the pink contents. Why this bucket concerned him he didn't know, but he shook his head and looked away before he could start gagging. Isaac picked up and carried the cell with Kinesis, moving it over to the opening in the wall. He took a deep breath and slowly slid it in until it could go in no more and released it.
It snapped into place and not only did the door unlocked, but the light circle in the center of the ceiling hummed loudly as it turned on, filling the room with light. Isaac felt that much better when the light fell over him, a loud sigh of relief coming out of him. Now he could move on…move on to the Morgue. He was so very close he just feel the Captain's RIG in his hands. But he had to stay on his toes, ready to intercept whatever came his way.
Isaac opened the door marked 'ER Hallway A: Patient Beds 001 – 006', and was horrified by what he saw. The hall was very dark to where he couldn't see the patient beds from where he stood, but he could see the thick layers of blood caked on the floor. The left side was worse than the right; Isaac shined the flashlight over the beds and like the ones in the ER, they were also covered in blood. He couldn't get used to seeing this much blood, it was inhumane what these strange, infected monsters did to the crew. Isaac took a few shaking steps into the bloody hall. A loud hiss pierced his ear drums and a small form scurried to the right, out of sight.
Lurker.
Isaac stopped and stood in place, his heart beating quickly as he aimed the Plasma Cutter for where the Lurker vanished. These things tried to get the upper hand but he did his best to counter them, always expecting the unexpected. But that wasn't always an easy task; the unexpected came without warning and only a few seconds separated you from life and death. Every second mattered here.
The Lurker came out from its hiding place, scampering behind the cart in the middle of the walkway. Isaac kept his eye sharp. It stayed hidden for a few moments before pushing the cart down on its side, coming his way. Isaac watched with wide and focused eyes, waiting for it to expose its tentacles. In the middle of its scurry the Lurker stopped, and suddenly hissed as it reared on its back legs, lunging at him.
"Holy shit!" Isaac swore and nearly ducked, shooting at its underbelly like mad. The Lurker cried in agony, falling on its stomach and rolling around on the floor. Staying on his knee he shot it twice more, a shrill shriek indicating he killed it. Isaac got up on his feet and reloaded the Plasma Cutter with a fresh cartridge. He was about to continue on his way when a dark, dreary feeling blew past him like a howling wind. He suddenly felt colder, like the temperature dropped several degrees. Something told him to bring out the Line Gun, but according to his inventory he was low on ammo for that weapon. Sticking with the Plasma Cutter Isaac continued on down through the hall.
Another sound hit his ears, though this one was different. A Slasher ran out from the hidden end of the hall, a female Slasher, its arms arched up and ready to strike. It made a sharp turn to the left and came right at Isaac, hissing and roaring at him. Not wasting a second Isaac cut it off at the leg to hinder its progress before swiftly severing its right arm when it was down. The vents started to knock violently, the ceiling pounding above him. More were coming…coming his way. Isaac's body told him to run, run as fast as he could, and that he did. He hoped to make a mad dash for the Morgue but the vent burst above him when he made it into the vicinity of the next hall, a bloody Slasher dropping down in front of him.
Isaac screamed as it suddenly grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hold and going straight for his neck. The sharp teeth just scraped him his hands pushing at its head to keep it away. With the strong will and determination to survive he pushed it away, shooting away its left spindly arm, then the other. A roar sounded directly from his right, another Slasher suddenly appearing as if out of nowhere.
"Don't you fuckers ever give up?" Isaac yelled as he switched out to the Line Gun, firing at the Slasher and vaporizing its head and shoulders, cutting them to bloody ribbons in an instant. As its last dying roar echoed through the hall, everything went quiet. Isaac turned around quickly and examined the room like mad, searching for any other Necromorphs. There were none. Isaac relaxed his aching and exhausted body, a Line Rack appearing in his hand which he slid inside the ammo slot on the back of the Line Gun. Then he switched it for the lighter Plasma Cutter.
He didn't know if he was getting paranoid or what, because as he tredded down the hallway he swore he heard whispering…much like the ones he heard before. Was the ship playing tricks on him, or was it something much more than that? As he entered the next hall marked 'ER Hallway B: Patient Bed 007 – 012', a hard thump in the vents jolting his heart, he saw he had two options for a path. The one to his right led to the rest of the patient beds, while the one directly ahead lead to the Intensive Care Unit; this path being the one that would take him to the Morgue the best course of action would be to go this way. However, something to his left caught his eye. A log. An audio log. Isaac didn't know what to expect from these abandoned logs; each one seemed to leave him with more unanswered questions. Picking up the panel from the corner, he downloaded the data and played the log.
"Hello? Can anybody hear me?" A woman was speaking."My name is Eileen Fisk; I just woke up in here and everybody was gone I don't know what's happenin'. Why did they all leave? I'm going to try and find someone; if you can hear this, please come for me...I hear scratching in the walls..."
In the background of the log someone groaned.
"Hello? Who's there a-are you a doctor? Why is everyone...wait, I know you. You're Harris, the prisoner from the colony...you killed that nurse...help...somebody help me...please! PLEA-"
The log cut off in the middle of her yells for help. Isaac clenched his fist. He recognized the name Harris from the text log he found earlier, but this didn't give him very much information; just more sorrow for the woman who more than likely ended up slaughtered by the Necromorphs. As God as his witness, he would do anything to stop this.
Ignoring the other hallway for his own safety, Isaac headed inside the Intensive Care Unit. The minute the doors parted he saw a woman standing inside one of the clear surgical pods.
"H-Hey! Nurse are you alright?" Isaac called to her in a clear voice. Her clothes were stained with blood. She stood in front of the surgery table; a man laid on the table, his body cut open and mutilated.
And he was still alive. The nurse's hand moved rapidly across his stomach, bits of flesh cascading on the floor; she was cutting him apart. The dying man cried out in agony, withering on the table before he suddenly stopped, succumbing to his wounds. Isaac watched in horror as the woman stopped slicing him apart, just standing there before starting to laugh, as if happy with herself for what she just did. She lifted the bloody cleaver she used to kill the man into view, a satisfied sigh coming out of her as she looked back at Isaac. Her face…her face was bloody and mutilated; as if she survived an attack and went…completely insane. Isaac couldn't see the small spreading across her face, a smile of pain as if begging for a release. She made a sick hissing noise as she flipped the blade to her neck and with a swift stroke, sliced her throat open. Isaac felt faint as he watched her collapse to the floor, gurgling sickly as the last ounces of life dwindled away.
Another one…gone, just like that. Isaac wanted to fall to his knees, fall down and just escape from this horror. He didn't want to think this was becoming too much for him to handle, he was stronger than that, but these visages were appalling; burned into the back of his retinas until he couldn't eliminate them from his mind.
"Get up Isaac, you have a mission to complete damn it." His mind told him with scorn. "You're so close to the Morgue."
Isaac struggled to his feet, blinking his stinging eyes before pressing forward; he kept himself from looking at either body. His boots pounded hard on this floor, the sound louder than any other before. He passed two more ICU pods; one of them shattered open and completely destroyed. He could only imagine what broke out of there, but the thought quickly left his mind when he spotted another log on the floor. Isaac sighed; even bending down to pick them up hurt, so he just used the Kinesis Module to pick it up. He downloaded it to his RIG and a screen popped up, displaying scrolling text and two pictures to the right; one was of a chart of some kind, and the other was just jumbled static.
""FROM:DR. KYNE, T. (CHIEF SCIENCE OFFICER)
ATTN:CAPTAIN MATHIUS, B.
Benjamin -
Further to your previous conversation, I ask that you delay bringing the Marker up from the planet for a day or two.
You know I'm as keen as anyone to study it in detail, and I understand your sense of urgency given the events on the colony, but that's why I ask-what's happening down there is just too unique, too unprecedented, to cut it short without proper time to study the causes and effects.
In light of a discussion I had with Dr. Mercer, I'd like to meet with Drs. Sciarello and Welland planetside to get their observations.
-Terrence""
Isaac blinked as the screen disappeared. More information on the Marker, from this Dr. Kyne character. What exactly was happening on the colony was still shrouded in mystery, as was this Marker. As of now he did not really understand everything that was going on, but as time went on things would become clearer; he could feel it deep, deep down in his gut.
The next room, serving as a foyer of sorts, had two doors branching off it. Isaac looked to the one at his right. Locked, but above it slow-scrolling words read out, 'Dr. Mercer's Office: Proper clearance required'. If he was to find more information the other doctor, Mercer, would certainly know a few things. If he couldn't find Kyne maybe he could locate Mercer; if either doctor was still alive.
The other door however was what he was looking for. The door marked 'Morgue: Authorized Medical Personnel only'. Bingo, this was it. The door to the Morgue. Isaac felt his spirits lift up a bit, knowing he was getting closer to completing this long, horribly tiring objective. But in the end it would be all worth it. The door opened to a long dark hall and a log on the floor. Another one? Isaac appreciated the information, but getting this many logs to read and listen to did leave him in a bit of danger.
Isaac took two steps inside the hallway and the room started to shake. A deep wind roared throughout the walls, the glass panels furthest away from him suddenly shattering and working their way down, the walls rocked as if by an earthquake until they were all destroyed, broken glass and metal lying on the floor.
"What the hell was that…?" Isaac's eyes were wide with surprise, the unexpected and very sudden event leaving him rather confused. Nothing else happened after that, so the engineer drew the log his way, playing it in his RIG as he tried to figure out what just happened.
"Science log, Chief Science Officer Dr. Kyne reporting. The colony's problems concern me greatly. I have no doubt they are somehow linked to discovery of the Marker, but the exact nature of that connection is still unknown. Almost 40 percent of the colonists are experiencing a form of dementia. The obvious symptoms are acute depression, insomnia and hallucination. Incidence of violence and even murder also indicate extreme paranoia."
Isaac listened carefully to the log. Those symptoms…that much of the colony experienced that? Never in his life had he ever heard of such a thing…
"Dr. Mercer has advised that I bring some of the affected on board for study. Dr. Welland, the planetside psychiatrist, has reported that his own analysis has been fruitless. I'm hesitant to rely on Dr. Mercer at this point, but I need his expertise. We need solutions…and we need them quickly."
Paranoia, hallucinations…murder? This was truly, truly bizarre. The Marker, was it linked to what was going on down there? Isaac couldn't answer that question; not until he learned more about what the hell was going on around here. He went down the hall, glass cracking under his feet when he heard a gurgling hiss, a shadow falling across the floor. The shadow was small, so he knew what it was. The Lurker emerged from the left much like the one before it, its tentacles out and standing tall.
"You've got to be kidding." Isaac shook his head and grinded his teeth, immediately shooting at a tentacle. The Lurker couldn't save its middle tentacle before drawing them back in, but that didn't stop Isaac. The gun-toting engineer shot it in the body, the second fatal shot sending it into a back flip, shrieking just before expiring. This one Necromorph Isaac was getting really tired of seeing. He hated feeling guilty for killing them, and their overall appearance sickened him; above all he could not forgive them for what they did to that man in the Bio Lab…
Isaac went to the end of the hall, kicking the Lurker against the wall before turning himself to the left. There it was, the elevator that lead down to the Morgue. Above and to the right a round glowing symbol marked it, a white coffin in the middle of a red and black circle; the sign above the door sported a similar design. Isaac swallowed, the fog billowing around the door sending shivers up his spine. Be strong…be brave… Isaac forced himself forward, opening the door with a very loud whirr. Going inside the small elevator he turned around and pressed his fingers against the blue console, closing the doors and taking him down….into the bowels of Hell.
The ride was short, only lasting a few seconds. He was greeted by another wide door when the elevator opened up. Isaac swallowed his fear, straightening his posture before giving the door the command to open. The Morgue spread out before him. The storage room was bigger than the Emergency Room, just as dark except for a bright light at the back. Throughout the Morgue gurneys sat on a bloodied floor, a few bodies here and there. A few of the containment pods where the bodies were stored were open, while most were closed. Isaac swallowed nervously. He could feel the chill of the room seeping through his suit, the hum of the air conditioning vibrating against his helmet.
It was then he realized, at the back of the Morgue where the light was, a body was laying out on a table in a separate but viewable room. Based on his clothes, blue shirt and black pants, this was Captain Mathius. There he was…his RIG codes were ripe for the picking. Without giving another thought Isaac walked past the gurneys blocking his path, only to freeze when the creaking of a storage door sounded through the room. It opened up all the way, revealing the body it had inside, the cold steam pouring out and slowly making the room that much colder.
"Search and Rescue…"
The whispering…he could hear it again. The whispering in his ear. He held his helmet, trying to ignore it all. What was going on, why was he acting so…strange? His head pounded, his ears buzzing. He couldn't take it. He had to get out of here. Isaac rounded the gurney and got a better view of the Captain's corpse. There was something strange about it. He had no visible injuries, but…there was something cylindrical sticking out from his eye. What in the world… Isaac wanted to get a closer look.
A vent burst open from the ceiling in the room. Out from it, a creature Isaac never saw before came in, flying like a bat towards the Captain.
"Hey stop! Leave him alone!" Isaac yelled to the unknown creature, both angered and shocked by its appearance. It even looked like a bat, with a strange looking antennae coming out of its body. "I need those codes!"
The creature hovered above the body, hissing as a tentacle-liked appendage wrapped around his chest and pulled him off the table, like some sort of sick hug. It dropped down on the floor with the Captain in its clutches. The sharp end of the proboscis stabbed into his forehead, splattering blood on the window as it dug into his skull. Isaac almost dropped his gun as the creature arched over its victim, slimy tendrils wiggling around from under the base of the proboscis. Thick yellow fluids shot out from the end inside his head, as if it was pumping him full of the stuff. The Captain's body moved around in its hold, as if he was still alive…
Before his eyes, he watched as the Captain's clothes started to tear in certain areas, his face reconstructing into new features. Two long bladed arms sprouted from his shoulders, his skin turning deep blackish-blue. His whole body shifted and changed, legs growing out from the front of his calves, a deep and loud roar erupting from the newly-changed Captain Mathius. The creature lifted him up on his knees, fluids splashing on the glass as its antennae tugged at his head before flying off across the room, the new Slasher falling down on all fours before slowly pulling itself to its knees.
Isaac was petrified. The new monster turned his way, its arms pulling back and smashing through the glass as if it were paper. Now, nothing stood between him and this new creature. Just like that at the speed of light it ran his way, leaping in the air before Isaac knew what happened.
"Holy fuck!" Isaac yelled, blasting it with Stasis and slowing it down in midair. From the room the infecting Necromorph crawled out, getting directly under the newly enhanced Slasher. Isaac didn't know if it had any weak spots, but he didn't have time to look for any. He shot it like mad, the thing just twitching before it whirred shrilly, curling up on the floor like a dead spider. As for the new Slasher…
Isaac blasted its right arm, but a single shot did nothing. Another, and nothing. Stasis was wearing off and Isaac only had so much Stasis he could spare without having to use a recharge pack. He quickly backed away and fired again, this time severing its arm as it returned to normal. Isaac backed into a gurney, shooting its leg next in an attempt to slow it down. That knocked it down to the floor, but with it being rather close to him it raised its blade up and slashed downward, cutting Isaac down his upper leg.
Searing pain gripped him as he fell to the floor, wincing and shouting out his pain. He could feel the skin bubbling in the heat of the cut beneath his suit. The Necromorph roaring in pain and anger as it tried to crawl his way. There were only a few shots left in his current clip. He had to make this count. Gripping his leg and trying to crawl away, Isaac bit down on his lip hard and shot its arm right off. The Slasher roared in pain and…almost as if in defeat, rolling on its side.
Isaac practically roared in his own pain, his leg throbbing all the way down to his foot. Without medical attention he wouldn't be able to walk. He reached up to his RIG and grabbed a medium Med Pack, pressing down on the top. The healing mist went over him, washing over his wounds and fully healing them. Only dull pain was left. After he reloaded the Cutter he stood up, only to kneel down to this…Enhanced Slasher, rolling it over on its stomach. Amidst the changed and rotten flesh he discovered the Captain's RIG. Grabbing hold of it on one side he managed to pry it off his spine. His own RIG scanned it. He looked at the other creature, the one that made him this…the infectious monster, it almost seemed to spread the infection…it all seemed to easy…
Infector.
Hammond shocked in over the com. "Codes received and they look good; thank God." He sounded more relieved than ever. "I'll start accessing the captain's records right now. Head to the Tram Station, and I'll contact you there. I'm going to find out what the hell happened to this ship."
"Hammond wait! What about Nicole!" Isaac said frantically, but Hammond cut off transmission before he could hear him.
"God damn it! You promised Hammond!" Isaac yelled out in the middle of the Morgue. "You promised you would help me find her!" He stomped the floor hard, tears going down his cheeks. With or without Hammonds help, he would find her. He would do anything to get her off this hellhole. He wouldn't let her die, but if Hammond could find out what happened here, that was still good news…
Before leaving, Isaac did some investigating and found a few credits, a small Med Pack, and a Power Node in the room the Captain was held. Not only that, but near the gurney barricade he found another log. Isaac picked this one up with his own hand and downloaded it.
""MEDICAL LOG
DR. DOMUSS, G. (MEDICAL EXAMINER)
REPORT OF DEATH ON SHIP
SUBJECT: CAPTAIN MATHIUS, B.
It is my sad duty to officially pronounce Captain Benjamin Mathius dead. Reports of the exact circumstances surrounding hid death are conflicted, and beyond the scope of my role. I can only report on the body.
The subject was in generally good health for his age, though a cursory blood test indicates his leukocyte count was very low, with eosinophils in particular almost non-existent. His preflight physical exam showed no such problems, indicating rapid onset; however, it is unlikely this had any effect on his death.
Multiple contusions on the arms and hands, indicating a brief struggle pre-mortem. Slight contusions around the ribcage, suggesting his chest was restrained in some way. Cause of death was a single prolonged trauma to the ocular body which continued on through the cavity wall, and finally into the frontal lobe, causing rapid neurotrauma, seizure and death.
The force required to puncture the ocular cavity in this manner is great, and the possibility of self-infliction correspondingly low.
I therefore have no alternative but to record a preliminary verdict of UNLAWFUL DEATH. Whether deliberate or accidental is beyond my jurisdiction.""
After reading the rather long autopsy report, Isaac looked back to the Captain's body. There was something sticking out of his eye, but he didn't get a chance to see what it was…maybe he would never know, but it was clearly the cause of his death. But the question was who did it? A Necromorph certainly didn't. That only left someone on the crew…
He had to get out of here, he couldn't be here anymore. Isaac found an elevator across the way he came in, quickly sliding in and leaning against the door with pure exhaustion as he rode the short ride up. This elevator took him back to the ER; in fact it was the same elevator that was locked before. At least he had the shortcut back up… Isaac staggered out from the elevator. His whole body felt so tired, so strange…it was almost a hassle getting to the door. Somehow he managed to do it, looking around the waiting room as if he forgot where the door was. The Tram Station was so close, he could finally rest when he got there… Isaac pressed his hand against the long door marked 'Return to Security Station: Please collect any belongings you brought to the Clinic', the twisted metal hole right where he left it. Just before he got within a foot of it, Hammond appeared on the video comlink.
"Isaac! Somehow one of the found a way down to the Captain's Nest I managed to contain it in a damaged escape pod..." Hammond was out of breath, sweat visible across his dark complexion."Lifting the executive lockdown now... I found the deck logs... Whatever is happening around here, it came from the planet when they cracked it open. It spread to the colony and reached the ship. Isaac, this isn't an infection. It's some form of alien life!"
Alien life? This thing was an alien that came from the planetcrack? Isaac realized they were dealing with more than what they previously thought.
"Hammond don't go this time! Look up Nicole's RIG number right now!" Isaac said firmly as if giving a command. The link erupted into static, his words not reaching Hammond's end. The static cleared and he came back on.
"Shit we've got bigger problems! The ship's engines are offline and out orbit is decaying! Get over to the Engineering Deck ASAP, while I stay here and figure out what the problem is."
Transmission ended, and Isaac was left without Nicole's number. Isaac wanted to scream. He couldn't take it. If he didn't get to make any contact with Nicole he would go insane. Obviously Hammond forgot, but with all the shit going on around here how could you blame him? Isaac almost tumbled down the ramp, weakly walking past the door to the Security Station. He took his helmet off, his face covered in sweat as he got under the water once more to wash his face and take a long drink. Once more that helped. He felt so much better, but a nice long nap would still really be needed.
Putting his helmet back into place Isaac headed out to the hall he went through when he first came to this cursed deck, following the blood trail back to the station. How ironic, the sign said 'Thank you for visiting the Medical Deck', yet he got more than a warm welcome. He was just glad he was leaving, and hoped he would never see this place again…
The two bodies he came across, the woman in white and the corpse of McCoy, were gone. All that remained was a group of maggots in the middle of a dried blood pool. Disgusting… Isaac gathered all his strength and managed to climb on board the Tram, suddenly feeling ten times safer. He gave the light blue rectangle on the screen a tap. The hatch came to a close behind him and the Tram started up, roaring on the rails as it slowly pulled away from the Medical Deck.
Isaac sat down on the same chair he did when leaving the Flight Deck. He set the Plasma Cutter next to him, closing his eyes and letting the vibrations of the Tram massage his aching body. As he quickly drifted off to a restless, dreamless sleep, he knew things wouldn't get any easier. It would only get more difficult. Secrets would uncover themselves, and so would the lurkers in the dark…
Make us whole...
Chapter 2: Intensive Care, Complete
I hope this chapter wasn't too long and I really hope you enjoyed it.
R&R