Nova groaned as she massaged her knees. She had completed physical recovery and Doctor Fraiser said she was good to go back to work. But she still always had a tinge of panic every time she found any of her hair lying around, fearing she still had the radiation poisoning that was making her hair fall out.
Well, she'll find out another time. For now she's going back to work. She went back to the SGC to report for duty for the first time since the Castle Siege. She was back in a green SGC uniform, which she was still getting used to since she had grown accustomed to Millennium's black one, and her hair was back in a ponytail. As Nova made her way up the spiral staircase, she could hear arguing coming from the conference room.
"General, we can't do this!" a voice that was unmistakably Mitchell said.
"It's out of my hands," Landry said. He was clearly just as angry but not toward Mitchell.
Nova's legs were still moving even as she wondered if she should keep her distance for the time being. Before she could come to a decision she was already at the top of the stairs, Mitchell and Landry turning to look at her.
"Um…General, Sir," Nova said, standing at attention.
"At ease," Landry said. "We're just talking logistics."
"We're losing the stargate," Mitchell said. Nova could tell Landry didn't approve of Mitchell blurting that out. The words hit Nova like an anvil. Lose the stargate? How? And how could they? She knew a public stargate meant lots of changes but to actually take the gate from them? After all they did to protect the planet?
"While you were out, the UN came to a decision," Landry said. "The United States is to forfeit the stargate. They are currently planning the new International Stargate Committee. In the meantime, any and all stargate operations are to be approved by a dedicated board from the UN."
"General," Nova said. "Didn't we already agree to cease exploratory operations? I mean…" Nova scoffed at what she just heard. "We've saved the planet and now we're losing the gate?"
"I don't like it any more than you two do, but I don't think we should be surprised that the planet doesn't like America holding all the cards," Landry said. "The Russians went up to bat for us, but it wasn't enough."
Landry's statement made her think about the abnormally high number of Russians she'd seen at the SGC since she arrived. She was not well versed in the muddy realm of politics but she imagined the US would have to bend backwards to appease their closest allies. Russia, China, France, and England were not only the first to know about the gate but the planet's most influential countries. The US would probably jump through a lot of hoops to try to get their support. Way more than they used to have to.
"We can still deal with the alien civilizations we've met but no more exploring," Landry said. "No going where no one has gone before, at least not without The Board's approval."
She knew it was nothing but wishful thinking that the US military could keep the stargate once it went public. But this was not a good time for this switch.
"General, an interceptor got away," Nova pointed out.
"You're not telling me anything I don't already know, Major," Landry said, picking up a mug off the table and filling it up with coffee. "Our own off-world intelligence reports that the interceptor that got away had Kabal. He's already been sighted on other planets."
"Then you know how badly we've screwed up, sir," Nova exclaimed, trying to control the tone of her voice. Landry was easy going but she didn't want to push the limits of his patience with insubordination. "With all due respect, we can't just go tromping around the galaxy, screwing everything up, then pulling out when it suits us."
"And I agree. But the UN has already made its decision. The SGC is now under the joint leadership of the IOA and The Board."
Landry didn't need to explain more. He just walked past and Nova could only stare in shock. She thought about everything she's heard from the jaffa. The only reason the attack was even approved was because Earth held leverage over the jaffa. Technically they still had leverage. But the jaffa were probably not the least bit happy. What they fear had come to pass and here Earth was pulling out.
"What have we done…" Nova breathed.
"Nothing that can't be undone," Mitchell said. Nova looked at Mitchell in disbelief. At first she thought he was just apathetic about the situation. But then she remembered hearing his argument with Landry. Mitchell wasn't apathetic, just optimistic.
"Can we really say that? How can we undo this?"
"No idea," Mitchell stated frankly, walking up beside her. "But the moment we start thinking we can't fix our screwups is the moment we stop trying to."
"If you say so, sir," Nova sighed.
"In the meantime," Mitchell said, handing her a folder full of papers.
"What's this?" Nova asked, looking at the papers. She quickly flipped through as Mitchell explained.
"They're your new orders."
A team of four people. Three selected, one suggested but the decision was still pending.
Frankly, she could barely believe her eyes. She felt unworthy of what just landed at her feet. Granted, it was a name rather than the heroes who made the name. But Teal'c, O'Neill, and Carter had all retired. And Daniel was dealing with the shitshow at the UN.
So as per her orders, she, along with Lieutenant Peterson, were being temporarily assigned under the command of Colonel Mitchell operating as the team designated SG-1.
-.-
Is this what heaven looked like? Between the golden clouds of the nebula and the golden city, this place looked like descriptions of heaven. At least what heaven would look like if it was built by a technologically advanced civilization.
Martin was at the front, leading a squad of soldiers down these glimmering halls. They weren't quite on edge. Afterall, they weren't exactly clearing the building. Well, they were but not like they were clearing it of bad guys.
Martin kept his ion rifle close, examining the halls but note quite on edge.
As ordered by General William Mercer, they were to clear out the rest of Millennium.
Finally…
One would think they would do this earlier. But clearing Millennium was like clearing every room, hall, and alley in Singapore. Not to mention the power requirements.
But recent events had proven they couldn't remain ignorant of what lay there so here he was with a team to help clear out the buildings.
Room by room by room…
"This is Team Twenty," Martin reported as they cleared yet another room. "Building's clear."
"Roger that, Team Twenty. Clear the next tower and we'll call it a day."
It was abandoned city. Unlike Atlantis which was a mobile base which meant science and weapons labs, this was a city meant for civilians.
It took a few minutes to make it to the base of the tower, stepping into the hall that acted like a maze under all the skyscrapers.
"Moving onto the next structure," Martin reported as he and his squad kept tight to the wall. He was assured no life signs were detected but Hailey had the only portable life signs scanner prototype and that only left the city's scanners which have been fooled in the past.
Martin kept his ion rifle ready, set to minimum yield so there was no risk of blowing himself up in these close quarters. But, that's when something caught his ear.
Martin held up his fist, ordering the squad to hold back.
When they all held still, silence fell and Martin could hear. No movement. No wind. No insects. That was perfect silence. And Martin could hear something.
"Control Room, this is Lieutenant Martin with Team Twenty," he reported. "I'm…I'm hearing something down here. Are you picking up anything?"
He waited for Donavan to respond, still trying to locate the source of the noise. It was subtle. It was like listening to someone pouring a bottle of water from down the hall and the other side of a door.
Frankly, Martin wasn't even sure if he was hearing something or was just imagining it.
"Negative, Lieutenant Martin," Donavan reported. "We're not picking up anything in your area."
That didn't really make Charles feel better. The SGC and Atlantis have found ways those sensors could be wrong. And they could always be fooled.
Martin finally heard the noise again. Much louder. It sounded like a thump. In fact, his whole squad heard it.
"Standby, Control," Martin said. "We're hearing noises from an adjacent room. Are you sure there are no readings."
Martin waited in silence, waiting for Donavan to get back to him.
"Negative," Donavan finally said. "You are to investigate the sound and clear the room."
"Copy that," Martin said as he and his squad oriented their formation for the door. As they got close, Martin signaled for his team to hold position. They were in another galaxy. You can never know what the most benign sound was.
"Approaching door," Martin reported through the radio. Keeping his ion rifle rained on the door, he scuffled forth. He approached the side of the door and pressed against the frame. It was instinct for him. You never want to stand directly in front of a door.
He pressed the button on the door, waiting for it to open so he could clear the room beyond.
But it didn't open.
He pressed the button again but it remained closed.
"Door remains closed," Martin reported. "Perhaps we should…"
Martin's voice trailed off when he heard another thump. Martin pressed his ear against the wall, trying to piece together what he was hearing.
And he heard nothing. The wall was too thick.
Letting out a sigh, Martin decided to go for his gamble. He stepped in front of the door. And he pressed his ear against it. He closed his eyes and listened.
At first there was nothing. But after a bit, he could hear sloshing. It sounded like flowing water on the other side of the door.
BOOM.
Martin felt himself flying backwards, his ears ringing. The world was quiet, and yet impossibly loud. It was spinning on its axis. And in a flash, it stopped.
There was nothing but stillness. Nothing but silence.
What happened? What woke him up? It felt like he had just been awoken from a nap. His eyes were still glued together. When he finally did open his eyes, his world was still a blur.
It took a moment, but finally his vision cleared. And he wished it didn't. Martin's eyes widened in horror when he saw something sticking out of his chest. It was a massive piece of metal sticking out of his chest.
He tried to set up but found he could barely move his head. His arms, his legs, he couldn't move them at all. Hell, he couldn't even feel if he had them. He had to look over to make sure they were still attached to his body.
Ok, they were. Then why the hell couldn't he feel them?
He looked around, trying to keep himself calm. He could see his teammates all lying on the floor, debris impaling them as well.
"Bugger me, this blows!" he snarled, trying to do something. Anything. He couldn't even radio Mercer for help. He could only wait and probably bleed out.
No. He didn't want to die. He wasn't going to die.
Looking around, something else caught his attention. At least a sound did. It sounded like a squishing noise. Like the sound a boot makes when being pulled out of a muddy hole, the sound of air being sucked into the vacuum under the boot and through the mud.
Martin looked around to the best of his abilities. But finally he saw the door. The door he was investigating. The door had been destroyed by the explosion but what was inside was not. He could tell since he was staring at a wall of brown sludge. Though brown was not quite the right descriptor for it. It was a very dark red, flesh colored. It was as if someone had taken an animal or person and ground their flesh to paste.
At first he thought about the film The Blob. But The Blob was a slime. This was literally a sludge, a paste.
The sludge flowed to the ground, as sludge would. But then, it reached forward. It was sliding forward across the ground.
Martin fought to keep his breathing controlled. But he was watching this living slime moving toward him. It reached his boot. It extended a 'limb' forward, touching his boot for a moment before quickly retracting, like the eyes on a snail or slug. Then it reached out again, grabbing the boot and pulling itself onto his leg. Martin could only see it moving across his body, not feel it.
Finally, it was up to his neck, leveling with his face. It reared back, opening like a blooming flower, then lunged forward. His vision went black as the sludge covered his face. He choked as they entered his nose and mouth. And his world spiraled into nothingness.
-.-
Kara Osborn laughed as she waved goodbye to her friends, a volleyball under her arm. The gym doors slid closed as they left. She had to get washed up then report back to the infirmary. Just because they were intergalactic explorers and Earth's first line of defense didn't mean they couldn't have fun.
Her especially since she was the Millennium Expedition's chief medical officer. She led their medical research. She performed their most difficult operations. So, they had to keep her at her peak. And frankly, Mercer didn't mind as long as she followed orders and maintained her performance. However, she couldn't just have fun forever. She had to go back to work.
But as she passed by another room, she noticed Steven Chen in it…doing L-sit chin-ups.
"Uh…no," Kara said, bursting into the gym. Members of the expedition were working out lifting weights, running on the treadmills. And there Chen was. He wasn't a soldier but every member had to meet certain fitness requirements, especially off-world teams. And Chen did it on his own accord anyways.
Kara cursed under her breath. Stubborn hard ass. A plasma blade had grazed his stomach, causing his entire mid-section to explode. She had to regrow his body using Alliance medical technology. If it wasn't for the technology they got through the stargate, even if he survived by some miracle he would likely have been stuck to a machine for the rest of his life.
He could finally move without crutches, but those muscles were not ready for extraneous work like this.
She marched right in front of Chen and folded her arms.
"Need something, Kara?" Chen asked, acting like there was nothing wrong.
"Off," she ordered. "Steven, your muscles are completely brand new. They're not ready for extraneous activity."
"They're new, that's exactly why I should be doing this. I need to develop these muscles while they're still malleable."
And this is why they broke up all those years ago. Chen's stubbornness could be so infuriating. Any opportunity he saw to get stronger he would take. Pick up objects heavier than he should. Break a bone? Take the case off a bit earlier than safe. Twist an ankle? Find a way to overcome. And here he was pushing his abdominal muscles to their brink.
"You mean when they can rip?" Kara corrected in annoyance. "Steven, get off!"
Chen sighed, rolled his eyes, and jumped off the bar. Though when he landed, Osborn noted how Chen clung to his abdominal.
"Just a little sore," Chen quickly said before Osborn could say 'I told you so'. He then leaned back to stretch his muscles. "Look, I got half an hour before I have to report to the Control Room, help with the exploring."
"Alright, but I told you no physical activity for at least two more days. Disobey again and I'll file a report to General Mercer."
Chen rolled his eyes. This wasn't just disobeying a civilian Doctor's recommendation. They still had a military hierarchy. Since Kara, despite being an English civilian, was their chief medical officer, disobeying her orders as a doctor was like disobeying a superior officer. It was grounds for insubordination.
"Fine," Chen grumbled.
-.-
Sir Samanya Arcturus, High Warden of the Knights of Aurox. At least she used to be. After the destruction of her order, she become a member of this human expedition.
She had to admit her life was certainly a lot easier than being a High Warden. Since she was no longer the leader of an entire order she didn't have several hundred people to keep track of. This left more time in her day. And the best part was the food was much better…
"Light snack?" a gruff voice asked. Samanya looked up from her cake, an entire cake, to see Soren Stavig standing in front of her. He was looking down at her and her giant strawberry cake. At least what was left of her entire cake. She had already eaten most of it.
Soren had joined the Expedition before Arcturus. So the Samanya Arcturus was he was familiar with was almost robotically composed. It was strange seeing her cheeks stuffed with cake like an eager child. It took a second but she swallowed the massive bite in her mouth.
"A benefit of my biology," Samanya replied, taking a napkin and wiping her mouth. "The limits of my body are already higher than a human is capable of and it is constantly changing to reach its limits. However, it also requires a very high caloric intake."
"Yes, so I've heard from the other members," Soren commented.
"You are welcome to have some if you wish," Samanya said, gesturing toward her cake. Soren eyed the cake. A favorite among humans. But not for him.
"I am not fond of sugar," he grunted. "I think none of my race are."
"Shame. But I guess that is fortunate for me."
She used a fork to shovel more cake into her mouth, once again shattering her composure.
"Tell me," Samanya spoke up. "You are not one to seek conversation. Why have you chosen to come here?"
Sam wasn't the only one who had become known for their composure. But whereas Arcturus was known for her calm composure, Soren practically always wore a scowl. Between his expression that made it look like he was always plotting to stab someone and his reputation as a mass murderer, many did not feel comfortable near him.
But for the briefest of moments, Sam thought Soren had lowered that scowl of his.
"Normally it is Professor Nevec that seeks conversation," Soren said. "However, with his departure, you and I are the only two who did not come from their planet."
"I can understand the sentiment," Samnya remarked. "I may be human, but the Knights of Aurox were not all human. Try to remember the important part of an individual is the part that cannot be seen."
Soren responded with a low grumble. This was something he always knew in the back of his mind. But it was harder to put into action. Not only did his race hail from only one planet, but even on that planet he was the only survivor of his country. A planet wiped mostly wiped out due to the judgement of what was on the outside. And he, in turn, also began to judge on the same criteria. He knew what he should do. He just struggled to do it.
Not to mention Samanya's phrasing was incredibly cheesy. But she was a knight. Grand speeches was probably part of th ejob.
"Soren Stavig and Samanya Arcturus, please report to the Conference Room," the internal speaker boomed.
Soren raised a curious eyebrow. General Mercer was summoning the Expedition's two best fighters?
Soren said no words, simply getting up to respond to the call. Samanya did the same, though she shoveled down the last of her cake as she quickly left the table.
The walk to the conference room was a short one. Especially thanks to the arks, the Furling's point-to-point gateways.
As a major location that is vital to the operation of the city, there were arks right in the conference room. So it didn't take long for Soren and Samanya to make it to the conference room. They went up to the local ark, a large set of metal doors. Arcturus went up to the panel on the right of the frame and punched in their destination. The doors slid open and the conference room was on the other side like the two locations were adjacent rooms.
The room was spacious and well lit. There was a large crystal monitor on one side of the room and a glass-like crystal U-shaped table at the center.
Soren and Sam took their seats around the table as Mercer walked out of his office. Both of them were tense. It was as Soren stated. They were the expedition's two deadliest fighters. So the fact they were both called meant something.
"I apologize for summoning you both on such short notice," Mercer said, the old man quickly handing out digital tablets. The two warriors turned on their tablets and a document with all the necessary information was immediately pulled up. "As you are aware, we have begun exploring the rest of the city. However, we have lost contact with one of our exploration teams."
"Lieutenant Martin's team," Samanya observed.
"Correct. Lieutenant Martin reported hearing a disturbance. However, he we lost contact not long after. Approximately seven minutes after losing contact, we picked up an energy surge so our life signs scanners in that section are malfunctioning."
"Were there any other life signs detected before their disappearance?" Arcturus asked, quickly skimming the file. Arcturus was interested in the circumstances around the event. But Soren was busier examining all the maps. The halls. The ventilation. Even the plumbing.
"None," Mercer answered. "However, we cannot assume anything. You will each lead combat teams to search for our missing men."
"I advise we play to our strengths," Soren grunted. "Perhaps Sir Arcturus will take a team down the main hall from the bottom. I will use dragonflies to have a team come from the top."
It was what they specialized in. Samanya would attack the front and bear the brunt of the attack. Soren would come from behind. Of course, there might not be any attack but they could not assume.
"Agreed," Mercer said. "Gather your teams and move out."
-.-
Combat teams were not sent on exploration missions like Wolf Pack or the Dusk Riders. They were meant for fighting. But if there're potential security breaches they would be called for that as well.
Soren took more lightly equipped combat team with a few dragonflies and flew them to the roof of the building. Samanya took some more heavily armed soldiers and took a tram right to the base of the building. As per the plan, they entered the building simultaneously from the top and the bottom, moving room by room, floor by floor, clearing everything.
"This is Mister Stavig. My team and I are in position."
"This is Sir Arcturus, I and my team are in position. We're beginning our sweep."
"Careful down there," Donavan said. "The damage from the power conduits is causing overloads. We've cut the power to as many systems as possible but we can't guarantee it's all safe."
"Roger that," Soren said, not wavered in the slightest.
Soren and his team came from one direction while Samanya and her team came from the other. They were swift but it would still take minutes to clear every room of the building. The halls were pitch black so the only light came from their flashlights and the windows.
"This is Sir Arcturus," Samanya reported over the radio. "My squad is approaching the area Lieutenant Martin and his team last reported from."
"Understood," Soren said. "We are two blocks down. We will meet you there."
Samanya kept her rifle ready as she burst past the next corner, her team close behind her, moving as a unit so that if a fight broke out, they could all shoot.
Finally, she turned the next corner and saw the aftermath. The normally golden halls were blackened and burned, the frame of the door pushed outward. Chunks of the door and walls were scattered across the ground. Samanya could see three men sprawled across the ground.
"This is Sir Arcturus," she said, kneeling next to one of them and feeling for his pulse. "I have found Flight Lieutenant Martin's team. They do not appear to be injured but I recommend having Doctor Osborn standby.
"Copy, Arcturus," Donovan said.
Arcturus turned her attention to the bald man before her. He was leaned against the wall, his body limp but he was breathing. His face was red and covered in sweat.
"What is the status of the others?" she asked her squad as they checked on the other fallen soldiers.
"Alive…I think," her second said. "They're breathing but you'd think they just ran a marathon."
Arcturus looked around, counting the unconscious bodies around her.
"We're missing one," she said. She turned her attention back to the bald man leaning against the wall.
"Sergeant Borgia, where is Lieutenant Martin?" she asked. Borgia was barely conscious, only able to utter a few groans before his head leaned back and he fell unconscious again. He was in no condition to answer her questions.
"Captain Schmidt," Arcturus barked. "I want these men ready to be moved out immediately. I will investigate the surrounding area."
"Sir," Schmidt responded. Arcturus rose to her feet and prepared her rifle. No way Martin would abandon his people so either this explosion left no trace of him, carried further than she thought possible, or something else.
She extended her bayonet just in case as she proceeded forward down the next hall. She kept tight to the wall but made large angles around each corner, weapon readied but not aimed. She would not suffer the tunnel vision of aiming down the rifle but it was in position that she could be accurate if she needed to fire.
She could not help but notice how the debris was scattered, like something had been dragged through here. She could see the lines in the dust. It is possible Martin dragged himself through here. But there was a lack of blood if he was injured. And why would Martin crawl away from his team?
She had to prepare for the possibility something dragged him away.
She rounded the next corner, weapon raised, and she had to stop herself from shooting as Charles Martin stepped out. He was completely drenched in sweat but it was him.
"Lieutenant," she gasped in shock at his sudden appearance in the dark. Martin didn't respond, his eyes fighting to stay open. "Charles," Samanya hissed, taking his arm. He still didn't respond. Finally, he fell to the floor.
Samanya wanted to rush in and catch him but she had to make sure the area was safe first.
Sam aimed her rifle as a figure leapt out from around the corner, but it was just Soren. He had clearly assumed there was danger and burst around the corner, his entire team following so close behind him they looked like a giant caterpillar.
"Mister Stavig," she greeted, lowering his weapon.
"Sir Arcturus," he responded. "Status?"
"Lieutenant Martin and his team are alive, but they appear to be in shock," she said as Soren's team came out.
"This floor and the floors below are clear," Samanya said. "What is the status of the upper floors?"
"Also clear," Soren said. They had cleared the building room by room. For Arcturus it was from the bottom up. For Soren it was from the top down. And here they met in the middle. This building was where the life signs detectors were damaged so they could be assured, or at least partially assured, that there was nothing else in that section of the city.
Soren took this opportunity to update Donavan.
"Donavan," he said. "I have rendezvoused with Sir Arcturus. Lieutenant Martin's team is accounted for but in a state of shock."
"Understood," Donavan said. "We already have Doctor Osborn and Doctor Kauffmann standing by."
"Soren, out."
Arcturus gently held Martin's chin to look him in the eye.
"Charles, can you hear me?" she asked. "You're going to be fine."
"Fine…" he wheezed as she had him lean on her. It was clear he wasn't all there. But he was alive and he was safe. That was all that mattered. She had to get him with the rest of his team then get them back to the infirmary.
-.-
Chen groaned as he opened his eyes. His eyelids were still stuck together from falling asleep. He rubbed his eyes to force them to open, sitting up to see what woke him up. He had fallen asleep in the infirmary in a chair not too far from Martin's hospital bed.
Steven looked over to see Kara next to him, a hand on his shoulder.
"He's fine, Steven," she said. "Just a little drained."
"Well, I'll ask him if he wakes up," he said, making himself comfortable again and closing his eyes. Kara slid her hand from his shoulder to his hand and comfortingly stroked the back of his hand before she left. Though once she was out of the room, he could hear her talking with someone else just beyond the door frame. He peeked and eye open and leaned sideways. Just beyond the door, he could see Kara talking and laughing. Across from her was a man who was getting too handsy for Chen's taste, an arm reached out on her waist and another about to stroke her hair. He was very 'clean' man to say the least, his hair clearly given a great deal of care and brushed sideways. Chen instinctively reached up and touched his hair, which was rather unkept.
Chen had been leaning over for a good thirty seconds before a firm hand gripped his shoulder and slowly raised him to a normal sitting position.
"Allow her privacy," Samanya said, taking her hand off his shoulder.
"Just, making sure she's not making any mistakes," Chen said nonchalantly. "And it seems her standards in men have really taken a hit, with her dating the creature from the black lagoon. The well-groomed creature from the black lagoon."
Samanya leaned over to look at the man Kara was with. Chen had to scoff when he saw Sam do this. What was that about privacy?
"Who is that man?" she asked.
"I think his name is Adam Bernard," Chen said. "Kara's new boyfriend. Was part of the new batch that came with Typhon."
"I see," Samanya said slowly. "So, courtship is permitted for this expedition?"
Chen gave Samanya a sideways look. She always used strange terminology like courtship.
"You mean dating? Yeah, kinda had to be. Before Typhon, we didn't know if we could make it back to Earth which meant that we needed to maintain a stable population. Even with Typhon, that ship can't just take us back any time it wants. They need a strong enough CME then ride it back which means population still needs to be kept stable."
Saying it now, Chen realized they weren't really a military expedition but a colony. Even with Typhon they would need to keep their population.
"Well, may she find happiness with this man."
"Good luck with that," Chen scoffed. "Look at that guy! He has so much hair gel it looks like he just crawled out of the swamps."
"Have you actually met this man?" Arcturus asked skeptically.
"Fortunately, not. Kara refused to introduce me. Clearly, she's embarrassed by him."
"Or perhaps she knows you still harbor feelings for her and did not want to hurt you."
"Maybe that, but my theory makes more sense."
"No, it doesn't," Kara said, appearing around the corner.
"Ah, eavesdropping,"
"Says the person who was just spying on me."
Samanya listened to Chen and Osborn go back and forth for a minute, but there were far more pressing matters she needed to know about.
"Doctor," Samanya interrupted. "May I inquire the status of Lieutenant Martin?"
"He's fine," Kara said. "Actually, he's better than the rest of his team. The rest of his team are…malnourished."
"Wait, what?" Chen stuttered. "Malnourished? How?"
"Well, the body stores things like energy and nutrition in tissues such as fat or in forms like glucose. But their cells are also showing a lot of signs of trauma. It's like all their stores of energy were pulled out of them and all their nutrients and ATP literally ripped out of their body."
"Um…how does an explosion suck fats and nutrients out of the body?" Chen asked, not hiding the fact he knew he was asking the obvious.
"It can't. We think something got to them while they were unconscious. Mercer's already halted all exploration until further notice and that area of the city is now locked down."
Chen groaned and rolled his eyes. Great. So basically, something ripped the nutrients straight from their bodies. He found that disconcerting at best and straight up disturbing at worst.
"Doctor," Samanya spoke up. "You said Lieutenant Martin was in better condition than the rest of his team?"
"Martin's just unconscious," Kara said reassuringly. "He's showing signs of fatigue but he's fine."
"Doctor," Samanya spoke up. "If we are working under the assumption that something attacked these men while they were unconscious, then why was Lieutenant Martin spared?"
Kara just shrugged. She was a doctor, not a detective.
"I can only guess," she said. "Maybe it chased him until he collapsed. I don't know."
"Guess we should consider him lucky then," Chen remarked as Samanya turned around and walked away. "Where you going?"
"If there is a potential security breach, I must assist in the search," the knight said.
"Yes, and you should get out of here as well," Kara said to Steven. "He's stable and I'll let you know if anything changes."
"I'm fine where I am," Chen said stubbornly, leaning back in his chair. But Osborn put a hand on his knee. Regardless of their history, he and Kara were still friends. He looked over at Martin before finally letting out a sigh.
"Fine," he relented. "I still have work to finish so…" He groaned in pain and gripped his stomach for a moment. Damn, it felt like a hot fire poker just went into him. When he realized Kara and Arcturus were looking at him, he waved them away. "I'm fine. One more day and I get to back to normal work."
Arcturus was satisfied with Chen's answer. Kara was only partially satisfied. She was the one wo gave that diagnoses but she still worried that Chen was going to ignore her recommendations. But, there wasn't much she could do in the mean time so she could just shrug and walk away.
-.-
Night fell upon the city. The clouds of the artificial nebula dimmed and it looked like a cool night. Once the light of the clouds was gone, the lights of the central city came to life. But after a while, even those began to, one by one, go out. Most personnel went to bed with only a few from the nightshift roaming about.
In one corner of the city, a lone guard was on patrol. His home country didn't have the same ranking as the US military but he was the equivalent of a Sergeant. Sergeant Koski was patrolling the hall, his MP7 in hand.
Night shift was required but boring. Koski simply needed to walk the halls until he saw something unusual and hit the alarm if he did. But nothing ever happens during night shift so he, unfortunately, was getting rather laxed while on duty.
Because of this, his reaction was not as quick when he heard a thump. It was probably just someone walking the halls at night. They didn't have a curfew or anything so they couldn't be in trouble for being up late at night. He just needed to make sure it wasn't someone committing sabotage
He approached the corner, listening to the uneven footsteps.
He turned the corner, but he saw no one. Koski blinked a few times. What? He heard something for sure.
That's when he noticed the thing on the ground. It looked like vomit. Did someone hurl and run? They couldn't even request a janitor? Jeez.
But then, that pile of goop moved.
Koski looked over in shock. Did he see that right?
He turned on his flashlight and aimed it at the vomit puddle. This red puddle of disgusting sludge. But as he approached, he felt the hair on the back of his neck rise. He was getting chills down his spine.
And suddenly…nothing. Nothing at all. His mind went completely blank. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He couldn't move. He just stared forth, watching as the sludge begin moving.
He could see it, but it could not sink in. He was dazed as he watched the sludge rise and form a twisted humanoid figure. It took a few more moments but it pulled itself together. It didn't leave anything behind. No slime. Not even a drip. It lumbered forward toward Koski, who could only watch and stare. His body was frozen stiff and for some reason he felt no fear. It was as if this thing was slurping the fear right out of him to keep him calm. The humanoid sludge walked right up to him before extending a tendril and latching it onto Koski's face.
-.-
Come morning, Kara was surprised to see that she had a patient.
"Brannigan," Osborn said, walking up to the nurse taking care of him.
"Sergeant Koski," Brannigan explained. "He's a guard on the nightshift. He came in this morning. Said he woke up on the floor feeling sick."
"Alright, carry on," Osborn said, quickly walking away. She knew there was something going on in the city but she didn't think a guard collapsing was anything to be concerned about. She got patients regularly.
As she marched to her office, she could not help but notice a glimmer on the floor. She stopped and knelt down. There was some sort of slime on the floor. It was strange but not too weird. Frankly, Osborn had half a mind to just wipe it away with a tissue and call it done. But she decided to do due diligence. It was probably like a spilled gel or something. But she went to her office and got a piece of cloth and a container. She wiped up the slime and put it into the container to examine.
She could never be too careful.
She went over to the lab and prepared a petri dish and put the napkin on it. Once the sample was prepared, she slid it under the electron microscope.
She was about to analyze the sample when she heard impatient knocking at her door.
"Steven," Kara sighed, not even turning around. She knew Chen was going to want to immediately check in with her so he could return to active duty. Not to mention she's learned the sound of his heavy footsteps. It always sounded like someone was throwing a tantrum and chose to stomp everywhere they went.
"Kara," Steven greeted, clearly suppressing his optimism. "Final checkup. I just need you to clear me for active duty."
Kara slid back from the table and looked at Steven Chen, who stood leaning against the door frame.
"You really don't know how to take care of your body," Kara sighed, shaking her head. He had his entire midsection explode. He was using muscles that didn't exist a month ago. And he was constantly fighting to go back to active duty.
"You said the exact opposite back in college," Chen remarked.
"Well, you let yourself go."
Doing Steven's final checkup was quick and easy. Kara just had Steven do a handful of simple exercises to determine not only the strength of his abdominal muscles but also check a few of his organ to make sure they healed properly.
Once that was done, Kara gave Chen a reluctant bill of clean health and sent him on his way before returning to the lab.
She went back to her electron microscope. With everything that's been going on, she half expected the slime to be gone, slithering off while she was gone. But when she came back, it was still there.
"Alright, what do we have here?" Kara muttered to herself as she looked through the microscope. They were in another galaxy. What was a threat and what wasn't was often difficult to distinguish. From what Kara could tell, this was very benign slime. As the head of the medical department, she had to make a call on whether or not this was significant enough to report to General Mercer.
It took a few minutes for Osborn to prepare a full report, which was woefully sparse.
She found the General patrolling the hallways, checking in on some of the department heads himself.
"General!" Kara called, running up to him.
"Doctor," the General greeted. "You need something?"
Doctor Osborn immediately prepared her papers.
"General, I'd like to report the discovery of a strange substance in the infirmary," Osborn said, handing the General a folder. Mercer took the folder and opened it, examining the contents. The General was in charge of the entire expedition. He couldn't micromanage every tiny detail. So a lot of decision making was left to the department heads. He was informed of the major events and discoveries which meant Osborn had to decide whether this was worth reporting.
"I see," he said slowly. "And you believe this to be worth my time?"
"Given recent events, yes," Kara said. Lieutenant Martin and his team had a strange incident in the city arms. While this slime could be nothing, it could also be linked since Martin was still unconscious in the infirmary. "It's clearly organic and I'm detecting nanomolecular machines within it. But I am not finding anything resembling a cellular structure."
"Doctor…"
Right, the General didn't know all the terminology.
"So, I thought the substance was a form of mucus," Osborn explained. "Similar to that found on slugs or frogs. But they leave trace amounts of their cells in their slime. And mucus has a specific chemical structure. This structure has more in common with cytoplasm, the substance found inside cells. And cells have proteins and organelles that keep it alive. I've found similar proteins and organelles in this."
"Similar," Mercer repeated. "You mean these are not the organelles found in human cells?"
"No, nor anything on Earth."
Kara was certainly enthused by this. In the Mliky Way and Pegasus, most animals were identical to their Earth counterpart. And even the exceptions still had familiar components. This was new.
"Do you believe this could pose any risk to the city?" Mercer asked, finally finishing his read of the report.
"Without knowing exactly what this is, I can't say. But, I think we should at the very least keep this mind."
-.-
Chen sighed impatiently. He was standing in front of Martin's bed side. Chen sighed impatiently. This whole thing was starting to get annoying. Here he was sitting next to Martin alone. There were supposed to be more people. Namely two more people. But one left and the other one got transferred so here he was. Alone.
"C'mon," he groaned. "C'mon, we both know you're not gonna die so stop wasting our time and wake up already!"
Chen jumped when Martin suddenly took in a deep breath. It was like he just woke from a nightmare. Chen looked around, not sure what to do.
"Um…Doctor!" Chen yelled. "Kauffmann!"
On cue, the German doctor rounded the corner and rushed over to Martin.
"Guten aben, my friend," Kauffmann remarked, helping Martin sit up. "You gave us all quite the scare."
Martin looked around wide-eyed as if to take in all the sights.
"Sorry," he said. "Just out of it."
"Clearly. You haven't made a dumb joke yet."
Chen snorted at this. Normally he would roll his eyes when Martin would make a smartass remark. But he was sorta hoping he would do it again.
"Hey, what happened?" Chen asked. "I mean, you were out even longer than your team was."
He waited for Martin to answer. But it seemed the Flight Lieutenant didn't even hear the question.
"Charles!" Chen called out, finally catching Martin's attention.
"Sorry…out of it."
"Yeah, clearly."
Chen looked over at Martin. Yeah, he was really out of it. He didn't have his lackadaisical smirk or anything.
"Lieutenant Martin, if you would look this way," Kauffmann said, pulling out a pen light. He shined the light into Martin's eyes, gauging his pupil's reactions.
"Doc?" Chen asked as Kauffmann finished his examinations.
"Well, he certainly seems to be in perfect health," Kauffmann reported. "However, he was unconscious for a prolonged period of time. My recommendation is to remain in the infirmary for observation for at least one more day. In the meantime, allow me to whip up some food for you."
Chen watched as Kauffmann walked out before returning with a tray of food. It was simple. Just a chicken patty and some vegetables. Almost immediately Martin grabbed the fork and devoured the chicken patty. Chen felt his jaw drop looking at quickly he scarfed it down.
"Ok then," Chen said awkwardly. He knew Martin never really cared about his appearance but this was a bit much. "Well at least your palette works." Chen looked around one last time. He just wanted to make sure Martin was ok. And it looked like he was.
"Hey, take care, man," Chen said, putting a firm hand on Martin's shoulder. But he quickly retracted his hand when he just felt sweat soak through the shoulder. Chen grimaced and wiped his hand on a nearby napkin. "And maybe take a shower…"
-.-
Doctor Emiline Franz. She was one of the newer doctors brought in. She had some papers to finish and turn in to Doctor Osborn so she had to stay late and work. It was the night cycle and everyone was asleep but her. And there had to be late night doctors in case something happened.
She diligently typed away at her computer. There were the medical reports of everyone who's been through the infirmary, as well as the analysis of the different alien animal autopsies.
She was pulled out of her work by the sound of someone moving in the next room. She leaned back in her chair to see who it was.
"Hello?" she called out. She should have been alone. And she was as far as she could see. Lieutenant Martin was still unconscious and there was no one else in the infirmary.
Seeing no one there, she went back to work. But fifteen minutes later, she heard movement again.
"Anyone there?" she called out again, leaning over. But there was still no one there. No patients, nothing. Just empty infirmary beds. So she went back to work.
Wait. Wasn't one of the beds supposed to be occupied?
Franz leapt from her chair and burst into the next room. That's right, Lieutenant Martin was supposed to be here. Where was he?
Franz looked around. Could Martin have just gotten up and left?
She turned around and screamed in surprise when she ran into Martin.
"Lieutenant," she gasped. "Please don't do that. You really scared me."
She looked up at Martin who was a head taller than her. He looked down at her with a blank stare.
"Lieutenant?" she repeated. Martin just stared at her.
"Feed…" Martin finally said, his voice weak. "Need…to…feed…"
Franz took a nervous step back. He was definitely acting weird. And things got weird when his face began to melt. It was like his face was made of wax and his left side began to deform and drip. His eyelids flowed off and his eyes seemed ready to pop out if it hadn't been for the fact it was melting as well. His lips also melted to reveal his teeth which also melted like sugar. And his right arm had also begun to melt.
Franz's eyes widened in horror. She didn't know what was happening, but she needed help.
She ran for the alarm in the corner of the room. But before she could reach it, she felt her entire body freeze. It was as if her body stopped obeying her so she simply stood in place. She could barely even more her eyes. She could only stare at the wall. But she felt something grab and slam her against the wall. She thought it was Martin, and in a way it was. Martin's hand had completely melted and he used it to pin her to the wall with a stream of slime and melted flesh. It released her but only for a brief moment to turn her around then pin her against the wall again. She tried to scream but the slime quickly flowed up to cover her mouth and nose.
Martin, or rather this thing that looked like Martin, limped forward. With his other arm, he tried to mold his face.
"Need…to…feed…" he said hoarsely. Franz felt the slime begin to force its way into her nose and down her throat as the world turned black once again.
-.-
"Damn it, Alva, I said no," Chen snapped in annoyance. He read the response as it appeared on the monitor.
"Because it's too damn dangerous."
It was too early for this. Chen had got up particularly early that morning to complete his personal project which decided to chastise him at every turn. So he was in his lab quickly trying to resolve the issue but his pet project was quickly burning down his patience. Chen continued typing away at his laptop but glanced at the screen again.
"Look, I'm still working on it," Chen sighed impatiently. He had enough of this. He got up and headed for the door. Though he glanced at the screen one last time.
"Taking a breath of fresh air, you're pissing me off," he groaned. "It's also why I don't give you a voice box."
Chen stepped out into the hall. He wouldn't say Mercer was laxed. Their timetables were pretty strict. But as long as their duties were completed on time, Mercer didn't care what else they did.
Chen made his way to the infirmary. Kara was not only busier than he was but also buries herself in her work so he probably couldn't talk to her. But he could always just peek in. The sight of her always just refreshes his spirits.
When he got to the infirmary, he was surprised to see security everywhere. There were guards at the entrance of the infirmary, and a few were questioning the doctors.
"What's going on?" Chen asked one of the guards.
"Doctor Franz was supposed to be on duty this morning," the airman explained. "However, it appears she is missing."
"I've assumed you've checked her quarters," Chen said. It was meant to be sarcasm but it was clear the guard took the statement seriously. And while he spoke calmly, his look screamed 'do I look like an idiot'?
"We have," he said. "She is not there."
Chen walked past. This was the infirmary. Nothing happens in the infirmary. If something might happen then the patient is moved to an isolation room, observation room, or holding cell. So something happening in the infirmary was disturbing.
Not to mention Kara works here.
"Kara," Chen called out, running over to the English doctor. She was finishing being questioned by one of the guards. Once they were done, the guard questioning her walked away.
"Kara, I got the run down," Chen said. "Anything I can do to help?" Before Osborn could answer, a guard from across the infirmary called out.
"Doctor!" a voice shouted. Osborn ran over to see several of the nurses gently easing Doctor Franz out of a closet.
"What happened?" Kara demanded to know as she took out a pen light, opening Franz's eyes and shining it into them. As Doctor Osborn handled her unconscious body, Osborn also noticed a very thin layer of slime around her lips.
"We just found her like this."
Kara looked around. This explained why Franz was missing. They had to find out if Franz was ok and what happened to her.
"Call General Mercer and get Soren Stavig down here. Brannigan, take a sample of the residue around her mouth."
-.-
"Franz is stable but unconscious," Kara explained to Mercer. Chen stayed by her side as they waited for the General. Once the old man arrived, Doctor Osborn immediately went to explaining the situation. "She's suffering malnutrition like the rest of Martin's team."
"Doctor, I do not like the sound of that," Mercer stated. "If that is true, then there is a real possibility that the thing that had attacked Lieutenant Martin and his team followed us back."
Kara nodded, acknowledging Mercer's words.
"It would certainly seem that way," she said. "There is one more thing." Kara led Mercer to the tray with a petri dish holding the slime found on Franz. "At first I thought it was some sort of organic compound. But there are macromolecular and molecular machines present within this substance."
Mercer was no doctor, so it took him a moment to understand what Kara was saying.
"Are you talking about nanites?" he asked. Kara opened her mouth to speak but realized what Mercer was referring to.
"Yes, but not the one you're thinking of," she said. "You're thinking of nanomachines and nanotechnology. But the human body has its own nanites. Cell components like ribosones work to fix the body. I've also found organelles in the slime too."
"Doctor…" Mercer said, getting impatient.
"General, I think we're looking at a non-cellular organism."
"Non-cellular," Chen repeated as he followed them. "I thought all living things were made of cells."
"Well, our knowledge of life is all based on what we've observed on Earth and everything there is made of cells. But it seems this…organism…does not have any cells in its body. Normally cells need a membrane or something to protect its components from external factors. But it seems this organism is perfectly adapted to not need one. Its individual components are already capable of withstanding the elements and it also is inside a fluid that behaves like cytoplasm that further shields it. Cells are also limited in size because of the difficulty of getting nutrients to the innermost components. I've found specialized organelles fulfilling this role."
"Doctor Osborn," Mercer interrupted. "I am not interested in the medical details. What should we be looking for?"
"Something like this, it's not going to have a solid structure. You aren't going to be able to just shoot it."
"You have a suggestion, doctor?"
"It'll still be vulnerable to heat and electricity."
Mercer nodded before marching over to the comms.
"This is General Mercer," he said. "I want security personnel equipped with trazers and plasma and thermal weapons. Get Soren a H-699 and call Sir Arcturus as well.
Mercer knew Soren's guns were powerful enough to punch through armored vehicles and liquify flesh. But according to Doctor Osborn, they needed heat or electricity. Soren usually had a trazer pistol which meant he only now needed Hailey's H-699 plasma carbine.
-.-
Mercer stormed up the stairs to the control room. This was his city and these were his subordinates. An attack on them was an attack on him.
"Donavan!" he called out. "Run a life signs scan of the entire city! Take another population count."
The technician wanted to question but Mercer's attitude alone was practically an order not to question.
"Yes, sir," Donavan complied, leaning forward in his wheelchair to push the proper buttons.
Mercer marched up to the monitor as a map of the city was pulled up. There was an unidentified alien life form running around his city and he intended on finding it and stopping it.
"Uh…General," Donovan said. "I've completed the life signs scan. There are no additional life signs in the central city. But…"
A map appeared on screen for Mercer to look at.
"I am picking up a life signature out in the arm."
Mercer's eyes narrowed. He recognized that section of the city. It was where Lieutenant Martin and his team had been exploring.
"I thought the life signs scanners in that section of the city were damaged," Mercer said.
"They are. But this thing is at the edge of the damaged section."
Mercer growled quietly. More work to be done it seemed.
-.-
With the city now on high alert, it was no surprise their two top fighters were also called. Soren was faster so he was sent to patrol the hallways. But Arcturus went to the infirmary to get a situation report. She was off duty at the time so she did not have time to grab her armor. Just her shield and a pistol.
By the time she arrived in the infirmary, guards and doctors were treating the area like a crime scene. Franz's desk was cordoned off with yellow and black tape and techs were carefully examining the area.
"Captain Zubov," Samanya called out. One of the guards stood at attention upon hearing their name called. "I need a status update."
"We are still investigating Doctor Franz's workstation," Zubov reported with a heavy Russian accent. "The only personnel who have been through here recently are Lieutenant Martin's team and Sergeant Koski who were recently discharged and Lieutenant Martin who awoke just yesterday.
Sam took a moment to process all of that. Something had disrupted the natural flow of the city so she would investigate all the most recent changes to see if any of them are the cause.
"Very well, I am going to interview Lieutenant Martin first," Sam concluded. "Carry on."
Arcturus walked over to Martin. She'll have to interview everyone that has been through here but Charles was already here so he would go first. As she approached his bed, he sat up.
Her face softened. Charles Martin was not only the man who recruited her to the Millennium Expedition but he also gave her clarity during a particularly dark point in her life.
"How are you feeling?" Arcturus asked.
"I'm…ok," Martin responded. Samanya raised a curious eyebrow at this. She knew Martin was still out of it but that statement seemed off. Like really off. It seemed like he was drained of energy. And there was something else but she couldn't figure it out.
"Lieutenant, I need to ask you a few questions," Samanya said. "You were in the infirmary with Doctor Franz. Did you see anything?"
Martin shook his head.
"I was asleep the whole night."
"I assume you did not hear anything."
"Correct, I was resting."
Arcturus continued asking her questions. She had to get as many details as possible. Though, the whole time she felt something was really off about him. Granted he was a human being, and an unmodified one at that. He could have his off days. But he just seemed really off.
"I see," Arcturus concluded as she finished her interview. "Well, thank you for your time."
She held out a hand for a handshake. Martin looked down at it in confusion, finally taking it after a second. But as their hands gripped, Samanya finally understood. It all clicked.
"You are not who you seem…" Samanya said, her grip around Martin's arm tightening.
"I don't understand," Martin said blankly.
"Your mannerisms have changed…your accent is gone…and your face is melting. You're it, aren't you. You attacked Doctor Franz."
Sam's words were true. Martin lacked his normal Australian accent, instead adopting an accent hybridized from all the accents of the doctors in the infirmary including English and German from Osborn and Kauffmann. And the left side of Martin's was sagging.
At that moment, Martin's entire expression changed. His eyes both turned black as his skin seemed to flicker in and out like static in a hologram.
That was the confirmation Sam needed. She actually wasn't sure if any of this meant anything. It could've easily been a simple medical condition. But seeing Martin's face begin to transform was confirmation.
She tightened her grip around his arm that she heard the bones snap. She slammed the imposter against the wall before pulling her fist back and driving it into Martin's face, crushing his skull like a tin can. But Arcturus could tell something was wrong. The head was twice as tough as a normal human head and instead of blood shooting out it was a reddish sludge.
Martin's eyes moved to look at her, completely unaffected by his head getting crushed.
Sam remembered Doctor Osborn had said physical attacks wouldn't work. But she had hoped the impact would at least stun it.
The imposter reached out and grabbed Sam by her shirt before flinging her across the room. She cried out in pain as she was tossed against the wall then fell to the floor, the contents of a nearby table getting knocked over.
Though it was certainly curious. This thing had the strength to pick her up with ease yet the throw was very weak for something of that strength.
The guards in the infirmary reacted to the commotion. They rounded the corner with their M27s drawn. Five men in total with automatic weapons. But the fake Martin simply glanced at them. Suddenly, it was as if pain overtook them. All five guards dropped to the floor, screaming in pain before falling unconscious. Whatever the creature it, it clearly took a toll as it nearly fell over as well.
Sam got to her feet, watching as the imposter dropped its disguise. It was a humanoid figure of living red sludge. Like meat that had been ground into paste. And even then, Sam could not help but notice how the air around it was distorted.
She had her Caelum pistol but she was hoping she didn't have to use it. This thing could turn a human into a pool of superheated liquid. She was hoping she'd at least get the chance to let it surrender but she might not have a choice.
She reached down and lifted her skirt to pull out the Caelum on her thigh.
"Stop!" she ordered the creature that now occupied the center of the infirmary, a towering humanoid blob.
The thing was no longer bothering to maintain any part of its disguise, so it let its limb grow to disproportionate lengths and its head to deform. The doctors and nurses all ran for cover, one of them rushing for the alarm. But the creature launched a long thick tendril of slime and pinned the doctor against the wall, covering her face with its gelatinous mass.
Arcturus aimed her Caelum. She didn't want to kill it but she might have to. But suddenly, a tendril of slime flew at her face and pinned her against the wall. Arcturus clamped her jaws and lips shut and closed her eyes as the slime covered her face. She could hold her breath for several minutes but she wasn't sure about the doctor. She had a general idea of where the creature was, but who's to say it didn't move? And there was a chance the blast from her shot might kill someone else.
She used her other hand to blindly grip at the thing on her face, getting an idea of where the tendril was. Instead of aiming as the creature, she aimed at the tendril in front of her and fired.
Five golden bolts shot from her gun, a bubble of air popping out around her weapon each time she puled the trigger before a beam of light just shot across the room. Four of the bolts missed, hitting the wall and exploding with a golden bubble of light that vaporized chunks of the wall the size of basketballs.
Finally, one hit the tendril. It was the thickness of a human thigh but it exploded and slathered the walls. Arcturus and the doctor were both released, the entire creature splattering to the floor in a pool of boiling red ooze
Arcturus wiped her face. She could feel the thing had shoved its tendrils into her nostrils. It was trying to suck something out of her.
Osborn had said that its victims had its nutrients ripped from their cells. This must've been how.
Arcturus ran over to the doctor who was still choking from having a string of sludge shoved down her nostrils and throat.
"You ok?" Arcturus asked, still keeping her caelum ready. But she looked up when she heard something sliding across the ground. Samanya's eyes widened when she saw the red sliding across the ground.
The sludge was still boiling but it was definitely alive. The creature let out a primordial howl before leaping up against the wall and sliding into the ventilation system.
Sam marched over to the alarm and slammed the button. They've already wasted too much time.
The alarms blared and in seconds guards stormed into the room. But Sam wasn't done. She simply hit the alarm to put the city on alert. She needed General Mercer.
She picked up the radio on a nearby cart.
"General Mercer," she barked through it. "We have a security breach in the main infirmary. Alert the city guards to be wary of Charles Martin."
"I will but I hope you have an explanation for this."
"Charles Martin is an imposter!"
-.-
A/N: Hello. Hope everyone's happy and healthy. I've certainly been busy. So one of the benefits of this new story structure is that I get to explore ideas that I couldn't fit into proper length stories. So now I can dive deep into some scifi ideas I've wanted to touch upon. This one is the idea of non-cellular organisms. Sure, all living things on Earth are made of cells. But if there is something in this universe that is not made of cells, what would it look like? Even in most scifi the aliens tend to fit very neatly into Earth biology to some degree. While I don't to go to full blown fantasy, isn't it possible the universe throws something at us that makes us throw the book out? It also let's us be in Millennium for a bit. And it let's us step away from the conspiracy stuff.
I'll admit I've been kinda out of it, which is why this chapter came later than usual. I hope the quality wasn't impacted though.
Anyways, sorry it took such a long time. Please let me know what you think. And enjoy.