___Chapter Three
Faladon sat with his legs on either side of the chair, with the chair's back close to his front. He rested his head on the top of the back of the chair. Faladon then brushed his hair out of his eyes, attempting to capture both Sarah and Daniel Richards, the soldier, in his vision.
"I worked at Umbrella Bio-weapon and Genetics Laboratory, confidentially. I was paid well, but I was never to speak of my doings there, lest I be fired. You lived with me Sarah. Did you actually think that a librarian could make six digits?" he asked at length, not truly expecting an answer.
Thus, he continued: "One day, somebody unleashed some sort of creature; a dangerous thing, at worst. It wrought destruction upon the lab, killing many. I was among the few to escape; the only one lucky enough to escape uninfected.
"Somehow, the virus spread. The virus was a risky experiment, created by some defectors, who were soon fired. I suppose it was them who had released the monster.
"The virus had many effects. Within hours, it attached to human cells, sucking out their DNA, like one would with a straw. The virus would then insert its own DNA into the cell, converting it into a monster-like cell that ravages cells about it, which is why the Afflicted are so rotted. The cells, instead of chemical energy, begin to require living human blood's nutrients to survive. Without the blood, the cell's lysosomes destroy it from the inside. Thus, Afflicted who are deprived of blood eventually rot away into nothingness."
The soldier gaped, shocked at what he had just heard. "The infected cells' absorption of nutrients is sluggish, thus making the creature sluggish. That is why we have an advantage," said Faladon. "So you mean that all of the Afflicted are slow?" asked Sarah.
Faladon turned his gaze upon Sarah. "All those infected with the T Virus are, but I heard that the defectors had created, also, a G Virus, which allowed the Afflicted more mobility as well as a greater voice of reason. It's really scary to think of a smart zombie, but that's what I speak of."
Daniel sighed in frustration. Sarah started to say something, but was cut off by a loud crash from overhead. Daniel stood, gun in hand. Faladon picked up his sword from the ground.
"Where's my things?" asked Sarah. "Well, I wasn't able to get them before you blacked out. But here," he said, handing Sarah a long steel pipe.
"The Afflicted have broken through the front door. Soldiers, make your way to section 3-a!" instructed a voice in a loudspeaker.
Daniel took off towards a stairway and bounded up the steps, two at a time. Faladon turned to Sarah.
"We must get out of here! I know where we can find an antidote, love. You will live, I promise!" Faladon told Sarah. The woman only smiled and nodded, then she stepped forward to embrace Faladon. "I love you," she whispered in Fal's ear.
Faladon turned and took a step towards another flight of steps. "Follow me," he instructed softly to Sarah. Sarah nodded and together, they clambered up the stairs to a steel door. Faladon twisted the valve that acted as a doorknob and pushed the door to the left.
They sprinted outside, only to be met by groans of agony. They flipped around, ready to face any who threatened them.
John and Dory lay on the ground. John was rubbing his sore shoulder, while Dorris's eyes were narrowed in pain and her hand was at her forehead.
Faladon could only stare. "How did you get here? Are you alright?" Sarah finally broke the silence. John stood shakily, then helped Dory up.
"Well, when you were captured, Sarah went back for you," said John after they got situated. John then spoke again: "After that, we ran down the street and turned to the right, to find this one way alley. We saw this door and I guessed that it led into the building you were in,"
John continued, "We were fiddling with it and then whoosh! It swung open and it hit us. Dory, you all right?" he asked.
Dory had been dressing a wound on her forehead while John had been speaking. "Yeah, just a scratch," she replied.
"We blocked up the only way into the alley with trashcans and other items in the alley. The Afflicted soon came and now we are trapped. Now, however, we can go inside. On the other side of the alley is a barbed wire fence," she explained.
Faladon walked over to the other side of the alley, to where the barbed wire fence lay. A large hospital had been built on the other side of the fence. Faladon smiled broadly before a crash issued from directly behind him.
Faladon turned to see four dozen Afflicted pour through the opening they had just made in the other side of the alley. "Hey! Over here! Let's go through this fence!" he shouted to the others. They ran to the base of the fence, just as more Afflicted streamed through the opening as well as the door that the company had just left.
They drew their weapons, while Faladon was behind them, facing the fence, opening the links with the sharp edge of his curved sword.
Faladon sat with his legs on either side of the chair, with the chair's back close to his front. He rested his head on the top of the back of the chair. Faladon then brushed his hair out of his eyes, attempting to capture both Sarah and Daniel Richards, the soldier, in his vision.
"I worked at Umbrella Bio-weapon and Genetics Laboratory, confidentially. I was paid well, but I was never to speak of my doings there, lest I be fired. You lived with me Sarah. Did you actually think that a librarian could make six digits?" he asked at length, not truly expecting an answer.
Thus, he continued: "One day, somebody unleashed some sort of creature; a dangerous thing, at worst. It wrought destruction upon the lab, killing many. I was among the few to escape; the only one lucky enough to escape uninfected.
"Somehow, the virus spread. The virus was a risky experiment, created by some defectors, who were soon fired. I suppose it was them who had released the monster.
"The virus had many effects. Within hours, it attached to human cells, sucking out their DNA, like one would with a straw. The virus would then insert its own DNA into the cell, converting it into a monster-like cell that ravages cells about it, which is why the Afflicted are so rotted. The cells, instead of chemical energy, begin to require living human blood's nutrients to survive. Without the blood, the cell's lysosomes destroy it from the inside. Thus, Afflicted who are deprived of blood eventually rot away into nothingness."
The soldier gaped, shocked at what he had just heard. "The infected cells' absorption of nutrients is sluggish, thus making the creature sluggish. That is why we have an advantage," said Faladon. "So you mean that all of the Afflicted are slow?" asked Sarah.
Faladon turned his gaze upon Sarah. "All those infected with the T Virus are, but I heard that the defectors had created, also, a G Virus, which allowed the Afflicted more mobility as well as a greater voice of reason. It's really scary to think of a smart zombie, but that's what I speak of."
Daniel sighed in frustration. Sarah started to say something, but was cut off by a loud crash from overhead. Daniel stood, gun in hand. Faladon picked up his sword from the ground.
"Where's my things?" asked Sarah. "Well, I wasn't able to get them before you blacked out. But here," he said, handing Sarah a long steel pipe.
"The Afflicted have broken through the front door. Soldiers, make your way to section 3-a!" instructed a voice in a loudspeaker.
Daniel took off towards a stairway and bounded up the steps, two at a time. Faladon turned to Sarah.
"We must get out of here! I know where we can find an antidote, love. You will live, I promise!" Faladon told Sarah. The woman only smiled and nodded, then she stepped forward to embrace Faladon. "I love you," she whispered in Fal's ear.
Faladon turned and took a step towards another flight of steps. "Follow me," he instructed softly to Sarah. Sarah nodded and together, they clambered up the stairs to a steel door. Faladon twisted the valve that acted as a doorknob and pushed the door to the left.
They sprinted outside, only to be met by groans of agony. They flipped around, ready to face any who threatened them.
John and Dory lay on the ground. John was rubbing his sore shoulder, while Dorris's eyes were narrowed in pain and her hand was at her forehead.
Faladon could only stare. "How did you get here? Are you alright?" Sarah finally broke the silence. John stood shakily, then helped Dory up.
"Well, when you were captured, Sarah went back for you," said John after they got situated. John then spoke again: "After that, we ran down the street and turned to the right, to find this one way alley. We saw this door and I guessed that it led into the building you were in,"
John continued, "We were fiddling with it and then whoosh! It swung open and it hit us. Dory, you all right?" he asked.
Dory had been dressing a wound on her forehead while John had been speaking. "Yeah, just a scratch," she replied.
"We blocked up the only way into the alley with trashcans and other items in the alley. The Afflicted soon came and now we are trapped. Now, however, we can go inside. On the other side of the alley is a barbed wire fence," she explained.
Faladon walked over to the other side of the alley, to where the barbed wire fence lay. A large hospital had been built on the other side of the fence. Faladon smiled broadly before a crash issued from directly behind him.
Faladon turned to see four dozen Afflicted pour through the opening they had just made in the other side of the alley. "Hey! Over here! Let's go through this fence!" he shouted to the others. They ran to the base of the fence, just as more Afflicted streamed through the opening as well as the door that the company had just left.
They drew their weapons, while Faladon was behind them, facing the fence, opening the links with the sharp edge of his curved sword.