Phantasy Star: Death Among Us
I was mixed into fear and confusion. I just froze, and it just kept coming. As it swept through the shadows towards me the red eye remained locked into mine. I could hear Akino shouting something to me, but I was too dazed to tell what it was. And then a harsh smack took me back to reality.
"Don't just stand there! Shoot!" Yuni shouted into my ear.
Just then I realized that the group had open fire on the beast. Photon shots whizzed past my head, I drew my pistol and let a shot off myself. After a great deal of pummeling the monster collapsed. Defeated it lay motionless, it's whole attack seemed almost robotic, quick and stiff movements. I wondered if it was an android, but all the blood pouring from its wounds killed that idea.
We decided that this would be a good a place as any to make camp, but I was in charge of disposing of the corpse. That thing smelled horrid! A putrid, vile stench like I've never smelled. And it weighed a ton, but I managed to drag it across the cold, rock floor into the teleporter, leaving a long bloody stain across the floor that spelled out death. I was looking forward to some sleep.
-Day 8
When I awoke I wasn't sure if it was day or night. There was no way I could tell, there was no sun, only the dim, flickering lights that hang from the wet ceiling. Everyone was still sleeping, except for Heat Charge, who never slept. I let myself drift back into sleep.
My next awakening wasn't as pleasant. Being pulled up by my shirt collar and thrown against the wall isn't exactly my idea of a good morning, but that's how things go with Yuni.
"Move out! Yuni, your on point." Heat Charge commanded.
Yuni gave him a slight glare, but hesitantly took the lead. She opened the gate on the opposite wall and we ventured forth. The next room was brighter than the last one,and much taller. There were some computers of some kind laying about the ground. The place was a wreck, what the heck happened here… What happened to Pioneer 1…? To this day I still don't know, but what I do know is that my journey to get home had just begun…
"These computers have are still functioning, there could be some good info in here." Yuni declared as she sat down at an old computer.
There were a few minutes of her running through different files and scanning the drives. I gave the room a look as she hacked away. Dried blood and scratch marks on the wall at first gave me a chill, but as horrible as it might sound… I was growing accustom to it, which isn't something I wanted to happen. I checked the perimeter, 3 entrances… 1 of which was locked. By that time Yuni had stumbled onto something.
"Bio weapons… Experiment 101… codename "Dragon"
… Experiment Beta 772… codename "De Rol Le"" Yuni read, "Bio Test Journal…"
I took a look over her shoulder onto the screen. It was a bit scratched up, but I could make out most of the words.
'5/245/3026 – We have begun research on our captured specimen. It's huge, like nothing I've ever seen before. Just like they used to talk about them in fairy tales… A real dragon. We start our genetic research on it tomorrow.'
Yuni opened the next file.
'Doctor Osto's Journal.
7/261/3027- Yes, Beta 772 is developing nicely. Its growth rate is much more rapid then I'd expected, and also much more violent. It resembles and Arthropod and it possesses mutagenic abilities, such as changing a hosts genetic code. This could prove most useful…yes…'
"What…do you suppose they're talking about…?" Akino asked a bit shaken.
"I'm not sure, but whatever it was, it's probably dead by now." I replied.
"Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious." Heat Charge said.
Suddenly there was a low rumble, a quiet disturbance in the ground. I felt it first, nobody else seemed to notice, but it was growing stronger. I held my breath for a moment. It was coming from above us… And it was growing louder…nearer…
"Uhh… anyone else feel that…?" I anxiously asked.
"Shhh…" Yuni ducked low to ground, as if she was listening to rocks themselves. She then slowly looked up, with an empty look on her face. If ever there could be a trace of fear on her face…that was it. Her eyes grew wide and she slowly stuttered, "It's coming…"
I anxiously searched the room, as if looking for a solution. Akino was beginning to panic…
"What's coming!? What is it!?!?" she shouted frantically.
"Be quiet." Heat Charge ordered.
Akino stopped her shouting and nervously searched the room, up and down quickly. I could see the trace of fear in her face, but eye's still seemed calm…relaxed… I was a bit confused, but my curiosity was quickly diverted from Akino to whatever was above us. The rumble was growing excessively loud, and the room was shaking violently. Now I'm no architect, but I began to question the room structural integrity, and hoping that it wouldn't come crashing down on top of us. Bits of rocks and small pebbles began to rain down from the far off ceiling, and a large crack began to form on the room. The group quickly gathered tightly against one of the walls, and Heat Charge aimed his rifle at the crashing down roof. A few more loud cracks and that's when it came barreling into the room, followed by a parade of fire. The Dragon.
A gigantic red lizard like animal, engulfed in flame stood before us. Its entire body covered head to toe in an impregnable display of solid scales. Its claws ranging to 6 feet in length and decayed from years of age and worn away from burrowing. Its head, at least 5 ft long, was filled with an arsenal of blood stained razor sharp teeth and a long red flickering tongue. The whole creature standing up to 20 ft tall, it barely fitted within the confines of the narrow cave. But where it could not fit, it simply carved itself room. Its eyes were piercing daggers, the eyes of a cold killer. Smoke reared from its flaring nostrils and its tail slowly swayed. The eyes where set upon me, and I could feel there weight. At that moment I was more scared than I'd ever been in my life.
"Hey…h…h…heat charge… What do we do…?" I stuttered.
"Stay still, and stay quiet." He suggested.
"We've been spotted… we need to get out of here…" Yuni stated.
"We can make a run for one of those doors across the way…" I suggested.
Akino was really beginning to freak out. She was scared stiff. Me, I didn't quite know the best "COA" as Heat Charge would say, but my best guess was a sprint to that door on the opposite wall. Only Problem being that the dragon was standing right in the way.
"Alright…here's the plan. I'm going to lay down some covering fire, on my signal…run for the door." Heat Charge explained.
"Alright, got it." Yuni agreed.
"Wait…What about you?" I asked quickly.
"Don't worry about me. I like these odds." Heat Charge.
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