ESUN Outpost 21

Chapter 4: All Hell Breaks Loose

Heero and Wufei watched over Noin in the infirmary while Sally searched for Treize. Both sat facing the door curious to learn of what action the station commander would take in regards to the incident. As the two resumed their vigil Zechs ran into the room trying to catch his breath.

"Is Sally here?" he said then noticed Noin in one of the beds. "What happened?!"

"When we went after the dogs one of those things attacked and knocked her head first into one of the snowmobiles," Heero replied. "We killed it and got back as soon as we could. Sally just went looking for Treize to arrange for Noin to be taken to Morganville station for medical treatment."

"I see. Yuy can I talk to you in the tractor?"

"What for? It's got to be fifty below out there."

"Its important and right now you're the only I can talk to about this."

"Why am I not included in this?" Wufei shouted.

"It's a delicate matter and your temperament would only exacerbate things.'

"Fine."

"Well Heero?"

"Fine. Zechs this better be important." He and Zechs then left leaving Wufei to guard Noin.

"That was rather unexpected."

Hilde walked into the room and began to look around. She then spotted Noin and walked over. "What the hell happened?"

"We got attacked by one of those things while looking for the dogs and it threw her into a snowmobile."

"Wait a minute. I thought we killed the only one?"

"That's what I thought but apparently there were more."

"I just saw Heero and Zechs going outside. What was that about?"

"I don't now. Zechs came in looking for Sally but managed to get Heero to got outside instead." Wufei got up and approached the young radio operator. "I have to go check the generator so you can you stay here until I get back?"

"Yeah I guess. Its not like I can reach anybody on the radio right now anyway."

"Oh yeah. That body that Heero and Sally brought back is in the far left corner. Don't let it creep you out." Wufei then exited the infirmary.

"Creep!"

Noin then turned here head and noticed Hilde. "Hilde."

"Yeah do you need something?"

"Can you get me a glass of water?"

"Sure. I don't see any reason why I can't"

"Would you please?"

"I'll be right back." Hilde then left the room and headed towards the kitchen. Noin relaxed and closed her eyes in an attempt to get some rest. In the corner of the room a blanket on a stretcher began move about. A slim blood soaked tentacle then began to descend.

Outside in the tractor Heero and Zechs were sitting covered in heavy clothes but still experiencing the terrible cold. "Alright Zechs what is so important you drag me outside in this subzero weather?"

"Relena has been acting strangely recently. You noticed haven't you?"

"Look Zechs the cold weather and isolation get everybody from time to time. Why else do you think I set the thermostat in my shack on a hundred and get drunk so much."

"Its not that Heero. Every since you guys brought that body back from Station 14 and the incident with the dogs she has become more withdrawn and every time I see her face she looks concerned, frightened even."

"So that was a pretty disturbing event. Besides it just sound like she's working too hard. Remember how she used to be when she was at the university?"

"That's not it. I managed to get her notebook out of the lab. You need to listen to this. As unbelievable as it may sound even after exposure to intense heat and the resulting cell damage there still appears to be cellular activity. What is more surprising is that both corpses display a small amount of cellular activity despite the fact one was burned and left in the cold for an unknown amount of time. What is more surprising is that the cells appear to be regenerating and at a phenomenal rate."

"Zechs its cold in here."

"Heero will you shut up and listen. Damn it!" he said glaring at the complaining pilot. "It appears that even down to the cellular level this creature has the capacity to survive. In one test one cell of the creature was exposed to a small sample of skin tissue. In a matter of seconds it had assimilated and imitated the tissue. The organism is neither bacteria nor virus yet appears to be capable of surviving even if only one cell survives. It most likely has infected countless worlds in the past and within its incredible genetic code lies the proof. The ability to able to change into any of the life forms it absorbed in the past at will is truly remarkable. Now it has arrived on earth, a world with a vast plethora of life forms just ripe for the picking.'

"Holy shit."

"It gets worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Relena was also running simulations"

"Go on."

"These simulations included how long it would take to infect the total world population, how many of us may be infected, and on top of that how long it will take to infect the entire camp. Heero I think she intends to take action.'

'Why didn't she go to Treize?"

"She did but he didn't believe her."

"Why not?"

"She didn't have any proof."

"If she showed him these notes and the simulations you mentioned he would have."

"By then she was probably convinced he was infected. The percentage that one or more of us may be infected by that creature was 75-80 percent."

Meanwhile Hilde was walking back to the infirmary with the glass of water. As she entered the room she noticed Noin had left her bed. "Noin?" She began to look around. "I brought you the glass of…" She then turned and found Noin in the corner with blood soaked tentacles wrapped around her and one coming out of her mouth. Hilde dropped the glass and ran.

"Okay. Zechs you go find Sally. I'll get Treize and we'll meet in Relena's room.'

"Think he'll believe us?"

"We have the evidence don't we?"

As they began to head back to the camp the saw Hilde running towards them throwing her coat on. "Its Noin."

"What?" both men said and followed Hilde back inside.

They raced into the infirmary to find nothing but a blood soaked blanket and torn up clothing. Zechs ran to one side of the room and Heero approached the clothes.

"I swear she was right here and that thing had her."

Heero then noticed a broken window. "It was." He pulled the alarm and the three ran outside and noticed a slow moving figure.

"Noin?" Zechs said as he dashed towards it. As he approached Hilde knocked him to the ground. "Schbeiker! Get the hell off me!"

"Its not her. Keep away." Hilde screamed as Zechs pushed her off.

Heero lit up a flare and the others except Relena dashed out. "Its not Noin" he said. The creature appeared as if it was the meteorologist but the deformed hands of the corpse were in place of Noin's. Heero then knocked over a drum of fuel, which flowed onto the creature they once knew as Lucrezia Noin.

"Yuy. What are you doing?" Zechs screamed.

"Damn it Zechs. Look at it. It's not her. She's dead."

Zechs fell to the ground and buried his hands in the snow.

Heero dropped the flare into the fuel trail igniting it and the creature. An inhuman scream emanated from the flame consumed entity. Zechs sulked, as the others stood horrified. Heero looked at the flames feeling both sadness and anger.

Inside the storage room Heero began to search frantically for the flamethrower. He found it next to an empty box. Treize stood at the door way as the young pilot began to carry lift the heavy tank. "Heero. What the hell happened?"

"If we didn't find it when we did it would have imitated Noin perfectly. All the way down to her voice and memories."

"But I've known her since she was an adolescent at Lake Victoria. She's both a comrade and a friend. Besides the thing was dead so how on earth did it get to her?'

'Did Relena talk to you earlier about the possibility that thing may still have been alive"

'No but she did start rambling on about infection and that she thought the whole station should be quarantined. What a minute…"

"Zechs found her notebook and what she wrote in it was horrifying. She said the things weren't dead. That one cell could easily infect and entire organism. She also ran some computer simulations in particular how long it would take this thing to infect the entire population and the possibility we might be infected.'

"If she had that information why didn't she tell me? I would have believed her then."

"The percent that that one or more of us may be infected was 75-80. I think she thought she was the only one still human." Heero then went outside.

Outside the tractor was plowed a pit in the snow in which the bodies of the alien were placed. Several crewmembers then began to pour gasoline, kerosene, and other fuels into the pit. Heero stood over top with the flamethrower and motioned them to back off. He then unleashed a stream of flame into the pit resulted in flames several feet high. "Is that all of them?" he asked.

"Every last one. Including the samples from the lab." Sally replied.

"Has anyone seen Relena?" Zechs asked as he looked over the crowd.

"Haven't seen her in a few hours," Sally replied.

The flames eventually died down and they covered the pit with snow. The others began to head back inside but Heero stayed behind gazing over the snow covered grave of his former friend. Zechs than ran up to him. "Heero I can't find my sister.'

"Alright. I'm gonna take this stuff back in and then I'll help you look. Where are the others?"

"Hilde is in the communications room trying to reach someone and everyone else is in the rec room."

"I'll be in a few." Zechs then took off. Heero picked up the flamethrower but as he approached the entrance he heard something and turned towards the VTOL craft. He placed the flamethrower on the ground and moved towards it. "Relena is that you." He heard a door open and figure exited and ran towards the other entrance. Curious Heero approached the VTOL and finding a flashlight on a fuel drum he began to look inside. He noticed the control panel was smashed and the window broken. "Why would she…" A gunshot pierced the silence and Heero ran inside. By the communications room he found most of the crew against the wall and heard what sounded like Relena inside."

"NOBODY COMES IN HERE! NOBODY. NOW STAY THE FUCK AWAY!"

Heero soon approached Treize who was holding his pistol. "Stay back Yuy she's armed and apparently out of her mind."

"If any of you bastards try to come in here I'll blow you out of your fucking socks." She yelled and fired at the wall next to Heero.

"She smashed one of the VTOLs pretty bad."

"What?" Wufei said angrily. "Now why the hell would she do that?"

"Yeah she's usually so calm and peaceful." Quatre said as he clutched the wall.

"No you idiot. I meant it makes no sense to smash your only way out. She really is a stupid bitch isn't she?'

"Can the misogynistic talk and think of some way to stop her," Dorothy yelled as she pulled a knife out of her pocket.

"Wufei go out and check to see if she got any of the other vehicles," Heero said as he moved closer."

"Alright" he said and ran outside.

"We have to do something Heero she has Hilde in there."

Inside the room Hilde lay against the wall terrified as a crazed Relena began to smash the equipment. The deranged biologist soon took to smashing the larger pieces with an axe.

"You think I'm crazy don't you. That the isolation has gotten to me or I'm in some state of psychological instability. Fine. I could care less what you people think anyway!" she said as she started to beat the equipment with an axe. "You have no idea what is going on here. Well some of you probably do. BUT ITS TOO LATE NOW!" she yelled and continued her destructive rampage. "You ignored my warnings. You scoffed at my attempts to help you prevent this. So now the only solution is…NOBODY CAN ESCAPE. AH HA HA HA!"

"She has totally lost it," Lady Une said as she tried to glimpse into the room only to be met by a gunshot above her head.

"What did I say? I TOLD YOU TO STAY THE FUCK AWAY!!"

"God. What do we do?" Duo sulked.

"Don't worry we'll get Hilde out of there." Heero said as he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"If she hurts Hilde I'll kill her," the braided pilot said coldly.

Wufei dashed back with his coat flying behind him. "She smashed the other VTOL, the big snow tractor, and the snowmobiles."

"That's it I'm taking her out," Treize said as he cocked his gun.

"Wait!" Zechs shouted and placed his hand around Treize's gun.

"Zechs I know losing two people you care about in one night is hard. And I now nothing I say will ease the pain you feel. But if we don't stop her someone will die."

"Hold on." Heero said as he edged closer to them. "Wufei try to talk to her. Go around the back way.'

"Why me?"

"You're fast enough to escape."

"Fine." He then took off.

"Trowa get one of the lab tables." Trowa then headed towards the lab.

"So what's the plan?" Zechs asked curiously.

"Wufei distracts her and we rush her with the table."

"What if she shoots Wufei?"

"Then the women of the world will cheer." Dorothy laughed. Everyone glared at her. "What?"

Meanwhile Relena continued to destroy the communication room growing more fanatical by the minute. "That thing did not come here to be a sled dog. Oh no. How would a dog make it ashore? No it had a different agenda you see. It would become one of us and then go on to infect the whole world and possibly the colonies as well. But it never thought I'd figure out its little plan. Now I'm all that stands between it and massive infection. You see I'm a hero. SO WHY CAN"T YOU LET ME DO MY JOB!!" She paused for a minute to catch her breath and then continued with renewed fervor. "BUT NO. YOU IDIOTS THINK I'M INSANE AND ARE TRYING TO STOP ME. BUT HOW MANY OF YOU ARE WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE? YOU CAN'T FOOL ME. I'M NOT STUPID. CAUSE YOU SEE I WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH. POOR LITTLE IMITATIONS, YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY!"

Wufei then poke his head around the corner. "Relena. Can you stop acting like an ass and put the weapons down. I know you have problems every month like all women do."

"Ugh," Heero sighed.

"She's going to kill him now." Lady Une said and shook her head.

"But that's no reason to go around destroying things," Wufei said in fear

"Ha," the biologist said as she turned towards Wufei. "You think you're pretty funny don't ya?" She then pulled out the pistol. "BUT THIS IS NOT THE RESULT OF MY GODDAMN PERIOD!!!" she shouted and fired several shots at Wufei who ran back into the other side. "No listen to me you stupid motherfuckers. THE NEXT PERSON WHO COMES IN HERE IS DEAD!"

Trowa then arrived with the table.

Wufei once again poke his head into the room. "Hi."

"WHAT DID I SAY?!" She shouted and fired several more shots missing him and emptying the gun.

"Now!" Heero shouted and charged into the room holding the table in front of him. Relena slammed the axe into the table, which got stuck in the wood. Heero then jerked the table removing the axe from Relena's hands in the process. Undaunted she grabbed a chair and resumed her attack. Heero soon knocked her to the ground and Lady Une punched her a few times in the head. They then lifted the unconscious girl off the ground.

Sally searched through the medicine cabinet and finally removed a bottle and a syringe. "This should work."

"What is it?" Zechs asked curiously.

"Morphine. A low dose won't hurt her and it will put in her in a euphoria for a little while."

"So you're going to drug my little sister?"

"She's dangerous right now so we have to sedate her."

In the communications room Treize looked over the destroyed equipment. "I never thought she would do this. I still can't believe this was all by her hand."

"Mr. Treize there is nothing you could have done," Lady Une said trying to comfort him.

"I have a bed feeling this is going to get a lost worse before it gets any better. One crewmember is dead, an old friend of mine and Zech's lover. All of the sled dogs are dead, the vehicles and communications equipment are destroyed by our usually calm biologist, and on top of that that thing may still be alive possibly as one of us." He sighed and walked away.

In the early morning Sally Heero, Trowa, and Treize are moving a semiconscious Relena through the snow. "Heero, why can't we use your shack?" Trowa asked trudging through the snow.

"First of all I don't want her anywhere near may place and second the last time she was in there she slapped me." Came the reply

"Well maybe you should stop putting centerfolds on the wall." Treize said under his breath.

"What I do in there is my business and not anyone else's. Got that."

They walked up to the tool shed and dragged Relena inside. "But why the tool shed?" Sally asked placing her medical bag on a table.

"Because A its warm in here, B the doors are strong, and C there is no way she can get out without us unlocking it," the pilot replied.

Sally filled a syringe with morphine and then gave Relena an injection. "What's going on?" the girl asked in a daze. "Why am I here?"

"For your own good," Heero replied. "And ours as well."

The others walked out leaving Heero and Relena in the tool shed alone. "Heero do you think I'm crazy?"

"After what you did last night I'm starting to think so. Just stay here a while and get your wits back. When you're better I'll come get you out." He said as he started for the door.

"Watch Dorothy."

"What?"

"Watch Dorothy and watch her closely. She was alone with that dog for quite a while so she might be one of them."

"Okay," he said and walked outside to find the others lost in thought.

"Now we have a problem," Treize said in a rather depressed tone. "Do we wait for a rescue team to arrive which might be any time since we haven't communicated with the main station for a while or do we take action?"

"Take action," Heero replied. "Somebody might be one of those things. We need to find out who is, if any and fast."

"But how do we do that?" Trowa asked the pilot. "If Relena is right and this thing can imitate us down to our very memories and behavior then how can we tell? The bodies we found were not complete imitations so it is possible that it can completely imitate cell structure as her tests have shown. So how do we find out who is who?"

"Yeah and the lab is pretty thrashed." Treize said in firm tone. "We just found out a little while ago that she ruined the lab equipment before destroying the communication room. She dumped or diluted all of the testing chemicals and fried the hard drive probably after she saw Zechs look at her simulations. So we don't have much in the way of tests to conduct."

"That's not true." Sally said as she walked towards the group. "What about blood serum? We can take a sample of everyone's blood and mix it with uncontaminated blood under a microscope, which Relena did not destroy. Any reactions and we'll know."

"We have blood in the infirmary." Trowa said jubilantly.

"Well then," Treize said removing a key from his belt. "Sound like a plan."

Sally arrived in the infirmary and walked towards the fridge where the blood was stored. She unlocked it and was horrified to find the bags cut open and dried blood on the floor. "Guys get in here." The rest of the team soon arrived and found the doctor staring at their only possibility of a test disappear before their very eyes.

"Was it broken into?" Trowa asked as he approached.

"No. It was opened and then closed," Sally said trembling.

"Who can get into it?" Wufei asked glaring at the doctor.

"Me, and Treize has the only key."

"That's true," the station commander said as began to ponder what could have happened.

"When was it last used?" Heero asked.

"Two days ago," Sally replied. "I haven't touched it since."

"I guess somebody could have taken the key from me." Treize said in attempt to rationalize the situation.

"Bullshit!" Wufei yelled. "That key ring is on your belt at all times. Christ you even sleep with it on."

"Are you suggesting Mr. Treize did this?" Lady Une inquired. "What reason would he have?"

"Figures you'd come to his defense," the mechanic said angrily. "How do we know both of you aren't in this together? You could both be infected."

"That's ridiculous Chang! How dare you suspect me and the commander solely on conjecture!"

"Really, as far as I am concerned you, Treize, and Sally could all be behind this."

"Stop accusing people because they're women or affiliated with someone you hate!" Dorothy yelled.

"Like you have say in this matter. You were near that dog all day long Dorothy." Dorothy snapped and lunged at Wufei grabbing his throat. "This is really going to convince you're not one of them." Heero and Trowa separate them. "Maybe we should just lock all four of them up. Yeah then we'd know."

"You're crazy!" Sally yelled.

"Wufei shut up." Heero said in an authoritative manner. "Wild accusations aren't going to get us anywhere."

"They aren't wild Yuy! The blood has been destroyed and those three had access. And Miss Catalonia was around the dog all day. I have proof Heero!"

"Lets be rational about this Wufei. What would be the motive behind this?" asked Trowa.

"Motive? Are you an idiot Barton? To keep us from finding out who's infected, THAT'S WHY!"

"Wufei, chill man. Can't we all just get along?" Duo said trying to calm things down.

"Fuck you Maxwell! You're little stoner comments aren't needed."

"This is nuts." Hilde said as she began to back away.

"Fine," Treize shouted. It looks like nobody trusts me right now so I guess I'll give command to someone else. Lady Une?"

"We'll leave command of the station to one of you. Trowa what about you?" she said facing the physicist.

"Me? Um I don't think I can." Trowa replied.

"I'll take it," Wufei said and stepped forward.

Dorothy then jumped in front of him with her knife. "Like hell you are. The last thing we need is a misogynist prick like you calling the shots"

Heero then stepped forward. "I'll do it. Does anybody object?" Nobody raised any objections.

"Fine," Treize said handing his pistol to Heero. "You're in charge from now on."

Later they burned the ruined blood and gathered in the rec room. "All right from now on there is going to be some precautionary measures," Heero said to the paranoid crowd. "First everybody stays together. Nobody travels in a group of less than two from now on. All eating and drinking will be done out of cans and bottles to avoid contamination. As far as sleeping is concerned we will take shifts from now on. Keep your doors open at all times. We have a storm approaching in about six hours so lets get ready. Trowa and Wufei you tie down Treize, Lady Une, Sally and Dorothy and inject them with morphine. Zechs you start on a new test. Hilde you come with me we're going to make some additional weapons. Catherine help Quatre in the kitchen and later stand watch. Things are going to get nasty so be prepared.'

"What about the princess?" Quatre asked.

"You can take food out to her later but whatever you do don't let out. Now lets get to work."