Chapter 14: We Need Transportation
Attention. This is Director Tiedemann. A station-wide evacuation is in effect. In accordance with Titan Station Civic Code, I am declaring martial law. All citizens are ordered to evacuate. Looters will be shot on sight. This is not a drill. Move immediately to the nearest evac route.
"Nice to see that he still cares about the people living here.." Isaac mutters as the three crawl their way through a maintenance shaft, finding themselves in a store. "Of course, if he HAD any, he wouldn't have caused this in the first place." Sora and Kairi remain silent as they resummon their Keys. So far, they haven't been attacked in the vents, but they couldn't help but sooner or later, they would be.
Glancing outside the shop, they could see evacuation shuttles leaving the city enemas as the hallway before them lay empty. Boxes and belongings lay scarred all over the place, while the conveyor belt running up near the windows lay still.
"Just how many people do you think managed to escape, Isaac?" Kairi asks as she and Sora gaze at the city before them, lights still glowing despite the outbreak. Isaac sighs as they walk down the corridor, passing by a shop full of tv screens showing a high-ranking official on-screen urging people to leave.
"Honestly, I don't know. Thousands of people at least." He replies as they walk past the mutilated body of a woman. "Sure as hell, not everyone, that's for certain." Walking up to a security door leading to Titan Heights Apartments, the three enter it only to hear screaming from the passage to their right. They could see civilians running for their lives through the twisted metal barricade. At the same time, an unlucky man was pounced on by an Infector, who soon began to do its work. A young couple huddled near a fountain as they watched in horror just as the newly turned Slasher turned its sights on them.
Sora and Kairi aimed their Keyblades, ready to help, before a Slasher charged at them from around the corner, startling them. Isaac quickly unloaded several shots into it, but the distraction was enough, as they could hear the young couple's cries. Knowing that there was nothing else they could do, they continued on, moving past a person who had a Swarmer tearing them apart from the inside. Moving into a working lift, the three head up to a higher level, only for it to suddenly halt as a civilian tries to pry the door open.
"Whoa, hey, hey!" Isaac says as Sora and Kairi move forward to help him up. Only for a Slasher's blade to pierce right through his chest, dragging him back out and around a corner, as he cries in fear and pain as the door slams shut. "Damn it." Isaac says as the couple looks at the floor in sadness. Soon the lift stops on the fourth floor, to which the three exit onto. But as soon as they did, they could hear a voice calling to them. Looking over the gap, they could see the patient back at the Hospital, waving over to them from the other apartments. Soon, a comm link opened between them, his panicky face on the screen.
"It's the drugs, Isaac. They made us forget. All of us. Even the two next to you. But it's all coming back…." He says with fear in his eyes. Whatever it was that he had forgotten, it was not good.
"Look, we don't know what's going on. Why are you calling me?" Isaac says, hoping to get some answers out of him. But he doesn't reply, only pointing below them with fear as he runs away. He was pointing to a Leaper as it dragged itself over the railings before them. It didn't get a chance to do anything as it was soon encased in Ice by Sora. Kairi and Isaac lifted it up and threw it over the railing towards the floor below.
"This is crazy! There are Necromorphs everywhere!" Kairi exclaims as they can see them rampaging on the floors below and above.
"We can't stay here. We'll be overwhelmed if we do." Isaac says before leading the two deeper into the apartments. From inside, they could hear some people who had not escaped and were hiding away in fear. One person even shouted to them outside not to come in, for he was armed and ready to kill. Another, a woman, shrieked in fear as a Necro burst into her apartment from a vent before having its way with her. Grimacing at the tragedy unfolding around them, they opened a door leading deeper in. They saw two people running from a room, the woman shouting they couldn't leave her mom behind, while the man told her there was nothing they could do.
Sora and Kairi felt a punch to the gut at hearing that. Having to abandon a mother to save yourselves? While Isaac didn't care if it was his mother, he still didn't like how they were forced to leave a family member.
They soon found themselves meeting said family member as a Puker came crawling out of the room, and seeing the feminine look of it, they could guess that it was the person's mother. Shooting off one of the arms and ending its misery, the three continue on, with a Slasher bursting out of an apartment just as they pass by.
After dealing with the attacker and healing their wounds, the three enter a laundry room, with the power cutting off just as they leave. As their visors' glow lit up the green and silver space, several Slashers broke through the vents. Isaac opened up by slowing one of them down with Stasis as the couple brought down bolts of thunder down on the others. With Methodical precision, Isaac removed the Slasher's head and one of its arms, sending it to the ground.
Soon, power returns, and the three leave the room and enter the Terrance outside, catching a glimpse of another shuttle leaving, its engines spewing flames. Ducking back inside to the East Wing, the three prepared to move onward until they heard the cries of a baby coming from one of the rooms.
Sora and Kairi glance at each other, parental instincts waking, before rushing over to the locked door, grabbing Isaac's attention. "Where are you going?" He asks. The couple turns to look at him, the faces hidden by their helmets.
"Isn't it obvious?" Sora says before pointing at the door. "There's a child in there. We can't leave them here! The Necromorphs will murder them." Isaac looks between them, his face hidden by his helmet.
"Guys, this is not the time for heroics." Isaac says, hoping to dissuade them, but they were not moving.
"We're going to save that baby! We can't leave it here!" Kairi responds. Isaac looks between the two before sighing heavily. As much as he wanted to help them, he had to break it to them.
"Look. I understand." Isaac says, slowly. "I don't want to leave the tyke either. But can you say you will keep them safe? How can you be sure you won't be thrown into a wall? You'll live, but the child won't." Kairi and Sora looked ready to argue, but their gaze slowly turned to the floor. "And what about areas in a vacuum? I know there are suits designed for babies, but I don't think we'll find one in there." He looks between the two, his words sinking in while the baby's cries can still be heard. Slowly, the two walked away from the door, yet it could be seen with great reluctance.
"Sorry, Isaac." Sora says as they join him before leaving the flats. "We know where you're coming from, but—"
"I know, Sora. I do." Isaac says as he puts his hands on their shoulders. "Believe me, I also hate what we are doing right now. I feel sick just the fact that we are. But again, we don't have what we need to protect them." The two only nod as the door closes behind them. Stepping a few steps forward, two Slashers burst through the apartment doors before them. They were engulfed by flames from Sora and Kairi. Saying nothing, the three move on before entering a lift nearby and descending back to the lower level. During this, Isaac decided to make a call.
"There are Necromorphs everywhere, Daina! Is the entire Sprawl infected!?" Isaac asks as Sora and Kairi remain silent. "How did this happen? The Marker was destroyed, Daina. WE destroyed it!"
"You destroyed A Marker, Isaac. Tiedemann built another one." Daina replies calmly. "As for why on this station, it is powerful alien technology. Tiedemann wants that power. Get to the tram. It'll take you to Cassini Towers station. What's up with your friends? Not talking?" She asks offhandedly, annoying Isaac as he casts a glance at them.
"How would you feel if you had to leave behind a baby?" He asks hotly before ending the call, looking back to the couple. "You alright?" He asks softly. Sora raises his head before nodding slowly as the lift slows down.
"Yeah. We will be." Sora says as they exit the lift. Before them, the hallway's lights began to fail as a low orange light showed through the corridor on their right. None of the apartment doors were online, with no sense of life. Leaving the dead apartment buildings behind, they enter the Tram walkway, and another shuttle takes off before them. Before its engines suddenly gave out, careening into the complex they had just left.
The explosion shook the area as they stumbled in place while a blinding light showed through the windows. Now cracked and damaged, yet still holding against the vacuum of space. The impact had also knocked out all lights in the tunnel, save for the giant billboard flashing with white, blue and red lights.
As they walk down, they are ambushed by a Leaper, Slasher and Exploder, coming at them from both sides. While Isaac took care of the Exploder with a well-placed shot, Sora and Kairi froze the Necroes in front of them before slashing them with their Keys.
"I know I already said this, but I am glad you still have those weapons." Isaac says as they approach the Tram Station door. "Things would be a lot harder without them." The couple smiled behind their helmets as they entered the station, but that was when things got strange.
No sooner did they start to walk under a bridge, bloody handprints doting all over the walls and floor, did the strange glyphs from before appear in their visions. The screens turned orange, with strange images and symbols running across them. All the while, that pressure from before began to build up again at the back of Isaac's mind. But it wasn't just him. Sora and Kairi could also feel something, like a thick cloud, wrapping itself around a part of their mind. But what worried them was a similar feeling in their hearts.
The room is getting dark. I can't see you.
"What is going on?" Isaac struggles to say as the three stumbled up the blood-covered stairs. The voice echoed around them in sadness and grief. Before either could answer, they came across Nicole again. She was sitting on a bench, in a position where she had just stabbed her vein with a syringe. Before they could move closer, she suddenly looked at them. She screamed in a fury, her glowing eyes and mouth blinding them before vanishing into nothing. Just as a tram flew past them, its carriages engulfed in flames.
Attention: All trains to and from the Government Sector have been cancelled. All transports along the Public Sector loops A and B are reporting delays of 1 hour or more. Gamma station is reporting closed.
"Well, ain't that terrific?" Isaac says before looking at the couple, who still have their right hands on their heads. "Hey, you two alright?" He asks, moving up to them before placing a hand on each.
"I think so?" Kairi says as she wobbles a bit, Sora steadying her as best he could while steading himself. Isaac looks between them and hums worryingly. Did that vision affect them that bad? Looking behind him, he breathed a sigh of relief as a tram stood there, waiting for them to board.
"Alright, just hold on a bit, okay? Soon as we get on that tram, take a moment to sit, okay?" He says, receiving nods in reply. Glancing to the left and right, Isaac led the two onto the tram, its carriages clear of any bodies. Which both worried and relieved Isaac. No bodies mean no Infector to reanimate them. Yet again, no bodies mean they have ALREADY been reanimated. Either way, no point in worrying about that until they see them.
Moving into the last carriage, Sora and Kairi collapsed onto one of the seats as Isaac worked his way to the back. Pulling the panel off, he began working on hotwiring the tram. One would think it would be impossible, but people forget that Isaac is an Engineer. Re-wiring panels were one of his specialities.
"Alright. Almost got it. Almost got iiiiit." Isaac says as he reaches deep into the panel before, with a mighty tug, he pulls the wires around and starts the tram. Smirking to himself, he moved up to join the couple, who were looking much better, despite the fact they were still wearing their helmets. "Should be smooth sailing from here. Best get as much rest as you can." Isaac says as he looks over the Cutter in his hand. Sora and Kairi nod at him before resting their heads against each other as a calm atmosphere falls upon them. It was almost like they were back on the Ishimura, travelling via Tram to each part of the ship.
But the peaceful feeling did not last.
The sudden impact of bone against metal echoed from the next carriage over as a Slasher worked to break the door open. "Can't we even have a moment to rest anymore?" Isaac asks in annoyance before aiming his cutter at the door. Sora and Kairi moved to someone their Keyblades, but nothing happened.
They look at their hands, baffled, before trying again. Then again. Then again. And yet, their Key refused to be summoned. "Isaac, we have a problem." Sora says with a building dread. This wasn't the first time he lost access to his Keyblade, but that time it was when it didn't know if it belonged to him or Riku. But this time, something was deeply wrong.
"What's up?" He says calmly. Cutter aimed at the door as the Slasher continued to pound at it. But he was not expecting the following words to come.
"Our Keyblades. We can't summon them!" Kairi exclaims in fear as she tries again to summon hers. Isaac tears his gaze from the door to look at the two, eyes widened in shock as he saw them trying to call their Keys. Before he could ask anything, the Slasher broke through the door and grabbed onto Isaac, its mouth wanting his neck as Isaac fought to keep it back. Sora and Kairi held their hands forward, hoping to freeze its arms like last time. But to their shock, their magic did not come.
"Isaac! We can't use magic!" Sora shouts in alarm. While trying to keep the Slasher from biting his neck, Isaac could feel more sweat dripping down his head at Sora's warning. Could anything get any worse? Until he realised that, at that moment, Sora and Kairi were vulnerable. What if another Slasher comes in from behind while this one had him! Gritting his teeth in anger, and with a burst of strength, he forced the Slasher off him before slamming his cutter right into its head, decapitating it and shoving it backwards. Not taking a chance, he aims his cutter at it before chopping off its arms, ending the threat.
"Shit. That was close." Isaac breathes before looking at the couple, worry radiating off them. "How did that happen? How have you lost your weapons or be locked from being able to use magic?"
"I don't know." Sora says as he rubs the back of his head. "We could use them no problem before we were hit by that vision." His eyes went wide with realisation, not that anyone could see. "Wait. During that vision, some form of pressure was building in my head. And I could also feel it building in my heart."
"You too?" Kairi asks with surprise. "It felt like a thick cloud had suddenly appeared, blocking out the sunlight." But before they could talk more, the roar of Necromorphs echoed through the tunnel, bringing them back to the current situation. Sora and Kairi were completely defenceless.
"Hurry! Move deeper into the tram! We're sitting ducks here!" Isaac says, pointing towards the next cart. The couple nod before rushing in, as Isaac keeps his cutter pointed behind them. Seconds pass and no sounds of the Necromorphs slashing into the tram are heard. They must have gotten lucky.
Now approaching: Cassini Towers Tram Station. Please remain seated while Tram is in motion.
Yet they had no time to rest. As the Tram made its way, a Slasher and Puker broke through the windows on either side. While Isaac shot the head of the Puker, he then tore off one of the arms from the Slasher before aiming at the arms and legs of the Puker. Sora and Kairi could only grunt in frustration, unable to help, until the sound of glass breaking behind them caught their attention. A Puker had managed to break through behind them, shambling forward towards them before reaching out to grab them.
Sora pushed Kairi back, getting himself caught by the Puker, who provided to try and tear his helmet off. As Sora struggled against it, Kairi looked at the Slasher's blade on the ground. She held out her left hand, praying to the light that not all their magic was gone. To her surprise and joy, her Kinesis activated, bringing the blade up to her. Turning back to the Puker, she aimed for its head before launching the blade at it, pinning it to the wall and freeing Sora. Before either of them could comment on it, the tram lurches to one side as the door before them opens up.
Instead of seeing the next tram, they are greeted by a veritable gap between them and the next one, with both going at top speeds through the tunnels. "We'll have to use the thrusters on our suits." Isaac says as he walks up to them, RiG still in the green. "Let's hope that your armour still retains that function." The two say nothing as Isaac leaps out of the tram, before thrusters on his feet and shoulders lit up, propelling him forward. The couple looked at each other, and when more Necromorphs boarded the tram behind them, they took the leap. When they thought they didn't have them, thrusters on their feet and back sprung to life, shooting them forward.
After the initial shock, the two quickly adjusted to the new additions, realising that it was similar, if not identical, to glide or fly. Just with a lot more thrust. Quickly catching up to Isaac and dodging the doors flying off the Tram in front of them, the three promptly board the carriage before any more debris can hit them.
"That was close." Isaac says as they take a breath, the carriages behind them soon falling off the rails, taking any Necromorphs on board with them. "By the way, I noticed you were able to use Kinesis Kairi. What about your other magics?" Kairi looks at him before looking at the ground, while Sora looks at her.
"I don't think I can use anything other than Kinesis." She replies before looking up. "I tried to use Stasis, but nothing happened. What about you, Sora?" She asks, looking at her boyfriend. "Can you use Kinesis or Stasis?" Sora was about to answer until an Exploder made his presence known. Reacting on instinct, Sora raised his left hand as a blast of blue left it, sending the Exploder into Stasis. Isaac soon blasted off its limb, killing the Exploder.
"Well, I think that answers that." Sora says as he lowers his hand. "If Kairi can only use Kinesis, then it looks like I can only use Stasis." He turns to look at Isaac, who is deep in thought. "But that doesn't explain why. We weren't limited while on the Ishimura, and when we woke up, we were also fine. So why now?"
"I think it depends on how long we have been awake for." Isaac replies as he shakes his head. "If we have had our memories of the past three years suppressed, then that would mean the dementia we have wouldn't have had a chance to take hold. But now that we've been awake for much longer than they would have—"
"—it means that it's only now starting to take hold." Kairi finishes with growing dread. Isaac nods his head slowly before a sudden explosion on the side of the Tram nocks them to the side. Soon, another one joined the first as the tram slowed down before the front carriages slowly disconnected from the rail.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." Sora quips before the carriage they were in tilts forwards sharply. Losing their balance, the three slide down the carriages, Isaac in front with Sora and Kairi behind him. The ride did not last long, for they soon fell out of the last carriage, with Isaac getting hung upside down by his caught foot while Sora and Kairi landed on the floor. "Well, that could have been worse." Sora says as the two pick themselves up before looking at Isaac, who has his arms crossed while looking at them, still hanging upside down.
"You think so?" he says, slightly irritated by his current predicament. "Now, can you help me get down? I can't reach my foot from here." However, several Slashers and two Exploders entered the room before they could move, charging towards the three.
While Sora slowed some down with Stasis, and Kairi threw some spiked pipes with Kinesis, Isaac used his cutter on the Exploders, taking out the Slashers next to them. Even if it was hard for him to aim for being upside down, but it wasn't the first time this had happened.
"You hanging in there, Isaac?" Sora asks as he slows down another Slasher before its arms are shot off by Isaac. Kairi shakes her head at Sora's unintentional joke before she uses a Slasher's arm to pin the last Necro to the wall, turning to look at Isaac, who was giving Sora a 'look'.
"What do you think?" He asks before pointing to his still-tied-up foot. Sora chuckles nervously, not realising what he had said till now. Until the sound of metal being dented in rapid succession, along with the tram being shaken ferociously, drew their attention upward. Appearing above them from the tram's doorway was a Brute.
"You have got to be kidding me!" Isaac shouts as the Brute glares at him. But instead of pouncing on him or the couple below him, it turns its attention to the Tram. Then, shocking the three, it starts to shake the tram, seemingly trying to force it forward to crush them. Unfortunately for it, its arm joints were exposed, the orange sacks free for Isaac to blast one of them. The moment he did, the Brute staggers back as its right arm was severed, but its movement caused the tram to tilt forward. Luckily, the rope around Isaac's foot loosens, dropping him to the floor. Sora and Kairi rush forward and help him up just as the tram falls down towards them. They run from it, jumping at the last second as the tram slams into the floor, exploding as fires and shrapnel burst from it, scorching the room.
I'll be honest. I really considered having Sora and Kairi rescue that baby and take them with them. But again, as I had Isaac say, it wouldn't have worked out.