ESUN Outpost 21
Chapter 5: Friend or Foe?
The storm raged outside the outpost. Inside the team members were working frantically to solve the situation that had befallen them. They had no way to repair the communication equipment Relena damaged earlier for although they had the parts the damage was far too extensive. Wufei and Duo began to search for parts to fix the VTOLs and tractor. They finally found them but repairs would have to wait until the storm subsided. In the supply room Heero and Hilde began to work on additional weapons in addition to the two flamethrowers.
"Think this will work?" Hilde asked holding up a blowtorch.
"It should," Heero said placing a tank on the ground. "Mind you it won't have the range of a flamethrower but if we rig these up right we should be able to get a four foot flame."
"Have you done this before?"
"No, but one of my trainers for Operation Meteor did. He called it a last ditch incendiary weapon." He finished adjusting the torch and stood up. "Lets give it a test." The two walked to the outside door and opened it. They were greeted by strong winds and snow. Heero turned the valve a jet of blue flame surged out. "I think that should do it."
In the rec room Catherine and Trowa watched over Dorothy, Treize, Lady Une, and Sally who were tied to a couch.
"Hey Trowa can you give me a hand?" Catherine asked her brother while placing a flamethrower on her back.
"Sure," He said and helped his sister load the heavy tank on her back.
"Its pretty heavy."
"No kidding. Why do you think Wufei hates lugging on around?"
"Do you think any of them are infected?" she asked pointing to the couch.
"Don't know. Zechs is working on a test right now to determine if any one is infected. I feel bad for him though."
"Yeah losing your fiancée to this freak and having your sister go nuts on the same night isn't exactly a pleasant thing."
"By the way where is Quatre?"
"Last I checked he was helping Zechs in the lab."
In the lab Zechs examined his sister's notebooks with the help of Quatre.
"Nothing in this one," the young cook said.
"Damn it! Why did she keep this thing's capabilities secret," Zechs said angrily.
"Don't get yourself so worked up."
"But if we knew that thing wasn't dead the Noin…"
"Stop blaming yourself! There is nothing you could have done."
"Shut up! You never…" He then noticed tears in Quatre's eyes. "Sorry I forgot about your father and sister."
"That's okay."
"I still can't believe Relena of all people would keep this secret and then trash the place like she did. It doesn't make any sense."
"Zechs, we never asked to be placed in this situation but we're in it anyway. All we can do is the best we can."
"I guess so."
Wufei and Duo walked into rec room with the spare parts followed by Heero and Hilde with the new weapons.
"Busy I see," Wufei said as he noticed the blowtorch in Heero's hand.
"You could say that."
"Does it work?"
"Both of them do," Heero said placing his on the pool table. "Four foot flame."
"Out of a propane torch? Yuy, you sometimes amaze me."
"Heero will you be heading back to your shack now?" Trowa asked as he approached the pilot.
"Not in this weather. Besides I brought my stuff inside already."
"If any anyone needs booze stop by Heero's room," Wufei laughed.
"Alright that's enough. We got work to do," the pilot said stoically.
"You heard commander Yuy, lets hit it!" Duo said jubilantly.
"Stop smoking that shit while you're at it Duo. You're already fucked up as it is."
Hilde then noticed something in the trash bag and walked over to it. Inside she found a pair of thermal underwear torn to shreds. She picked it up and walked over to Heero. "Look at this."
Heero took the ragged garment from Hilde's hand and looked at it. "Name tag is gone."
"What?" Trowa asked confused.
"It appears we have a clue as to who might be infected." Heero said holding up the torn underwear.
Quatre and Zechs then walked in and found the entire room with their eyes on Heero.
"What's going on?" Quatre asked.
"What size thermals do you wear Quatre?"
"Large."
"And you Zechs?"
"Large."
"So do I," Heero said staring at the object in his hand.
"So what's the point Yuy?" Wufei asked angrily. "I wear that size too. So does Trowa and Duo. Treize is the only guy I know here who ears an XL. As for the girls I have no clue."
"I wear a medium," Catherine said removing the flamethrower. "Dorothy and Lady Une wear large I think. I don't know Sally's size. What about you Hilde?"
"Same as you," the communications specialist replied. "As does Relena."
"So then its one of us then Heero?" Zechs asked the pilot.
"Could have been planted. We don't know how intelligent this thing is," said Duo.
"Perhaps you're right. But to play it safe unless absolutely necessary we stay as a group from now on or within a few minutes of each of at all times."
"Yuy. That's playing into its hands! If we stay together then it can get us all at once. Think about it?" Wufei said angrily
"Like separation is any help." Trowa added. "That'll give it plenty of chances to get us!"
"Better at least some of us survive than all of us going at the same time!" Wufei approached Trowa with a mad look in his eye.
"Are you mad! Together we stand a chance. Divided we fall to this thing."
"Shut up Barton! How do I know you ain't one yourself?"
"That applies to you as well Chang."
"Both of you stop it!" Quatre shouted as he tried to break them up. "Fighting is what it wants."
"Stay away!" Wufei said and threw the cook to the ground. "Don't you touch me! Don't any of you fucking touch me!"
"KNOCK IT OFF!" The group turned to their newly appointed commander. "Do whatever the hell you want. You'll do it even if I tell you not to anyway." Heero then stormed out of the room.
In his room Heero was enjoying a drink and examining the torn clothing. The atmosphere was growing pretty intense. If they didn't find a way to tell who was who soon the whole crew would start to kill each other out of paranoia. He pulled out a digital recorder and turned it on. "The storm has been hitting us for two days straight. Attempting to fix the vehicles and escape is hopeless at this point in time. On top of that we have a shape-changing monster that could be anyone of us. Heh. I had better luck when I was an assassin."
He stopped the recorder and poured himself another glass. He slowly began to sip it. However it was no use. Alcohol wasn't going to relax him. For the longest time alcohol was his escape but not this time. The ting killed all of their dogs, Noin, and drove Relena mad. Never before had he felt so terrified.
"Nobody trusts anybody now. Everybody is suspicious of everyone around them and the tension is so great it could explode any minute." Heero then looked at the clothes. "We found shredded underwear but there is no tag so it could be anybody. I think it tears through clothing when it assimilates. When it got Noin it tore her clothes to pieces. Like that matters anyway. If our head biologist was on the right track before she went bonkers then it needs to only transmit a few cells to a person in order to infect them. Well there is nothing more I can do. This is Heero Yuy, pilot at ESUN Outpost 21." He then put the recorder away.
In the lab Zechs was working hard on finding a new test. Blood serum was not an option since all the blood they had was destroyed. Genetic tests were out of the question to since Relena trashed the lab. But still there had to be some way. But what? As he read through his sister's notes it was obvious that the organism was much more dangerous than they first thought. It could imitate a single organism by contaminated its victim with one cell spread by any means. Fortunately it was not airborne and needed physical contact. But a drop of blood in a drink or food was more than enough. Also there was another problem: there was no way to make sure it was dead. While burning it seemed to be the best method they had every cell would have to be destroyed by fire or some other means to ensure it would not spread.
Zechs wiped his brow and grabbed the capped flask of coffee he had on his desk. He poured a glass and turned to find Heero in the doorway.
"Anything?" the pilot asked.
"No. Nothing concrete yet. However given a little more time I might be able to rig something up."
"The others are on the verge of locking themselves in their rooms."
"Great that's the last thing we need."
"This whole thing bothers me."
"You're telling me. Heero we may not be able to kill this thing."
"What?"
"The only way to be sure its dead is to kill every cell. But therein lies the problem. How do you know that you've killed every cell? Burning it works but is no guarantee. I don't suppose we have a stock of napalm."
"How about pouring acid on any blood and tissue it leaves?"
"That may work but it's not practical when you're in the snow."
"I see your point. Well if you find anything let me know." The pilot then walked out.
Zechs resumed his work until the lights went out. "What the?" He dug in his drawer and pulled out a flashlight. Wasting no time Zechs walked into the hallway. No sooner had he done so he heard the sound of footsteps. "Who's there?"
Meanwhile in the rec room the whole place was buzzing with activity.
"Damn that generator!" Wufei shouted turning on a flashlight. "Of all the times. Duo come with me." Wufei and Duo raced to the lower level.
"This is just great," Trowa said angrily. He turned on a lantern and heard Dorothy moaning. "What's your problem?"
"Bathroom."
"Can't you hold it?"
"I've been doing that for the last several hours."
"Fine," Trowa said and untied her. "I'll be right outside so don't do anything stupid."
"I'll try not to," she said and closed the door.
In the lower level Wufei and Duo converged on the generator. "Hold the light," the mechanic said as he looked over the generator.
"Whats wrong?"
"Lets see nothing appears wrong. Wait a minute. I'll be, somebody tore the belt off."
"Sabotage?"
"Looks like it. We need to get a new belt out of storage."
Back in the rec room Trowa grew increasingly concerned. "What is taking them?"
"Where are Hilde, Quatre, Heero, and Zechs?" Catherine asked as she looked around.
Trowa began to grow impatient. "Dorothy finish up in there will you." There was no response. "Did you hear me I said finish up in there?" Again silence. "Dorothy you get out of there now or I'm coming in." The door opened to reveal Dorothy.
"Relax," she said as he walked her back to the couch and tied her up.
Rustling could be heard from the supply room. "What the fuck?" Trowa said and dashed over with Catherine in tow.
"Hey!" Treize shouted. "Don't leave us!"
Trowa peered in to find Wufei and Duo rummaging through boxes. "What's going on?"
"Somebody tore the belt off of the generator so we came here to get a new one," Wufei replied.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. Ripped right off too." Finding the belt the mechanic and back up pilot took off.
"This is getting worse by the minute," Trowa said and walked back to the rec room.
It took a while but he lights eventually came back on. However when Heero returned to Zech's room to find the biologist missing he grew concerned. Entering the rec room he glared at the weary occupants. "Anybody see Zechs?"
"No." Wufei replied strapping on a flamethrower. "He's missing then?"
"The power was off for a while if any of us were infected that would have been the perfect opportunity," the pilot said trying to contain his anger.
"How do we know you didn't off him?" asked the mechanic.
"Good point. However I was nowhere near his room or the lab during that time."
"Where were you then?"
"Busy guarding the door to my room."
"Believable but not a perfect alibi."
"What about you?"
"Fixing the generator with Maxwell. Somebody tore the belt off."
"How do we know it wasn't you?"
"You don't. How do we know Zechs isn't one of them?"
"We don't. Anyway lets find him and ask him. If he acts strange though, burn him."
"Alright Yuy."
"Quatre come with me. Duo and Hilde check the inside. Wufei, you, Catherine, and Trowa guard those four."
"Wait a minute. Hilde was missing when the lights went out. How do I know she wasn't infected" Duo spouted. "I'll stay with Wufei."
"Whats your problem?" Hilde inquired.
"Nothing personal babe but I don't trust you."
"After all this time…"
"Look you went missing when the lights went out. How do I know it didn't get to you?"
"But it doesn't apply to you huh?"
"Sorry but I'm sticking with Wu-man."
"Well fuck you Duo Maxwell!" She shouted and tackled him.
"CUT IT OUT!" Heero shouted and drew Treize's gun. "Fine Wufei and Duo search the inside. Hilde you come with Quatre and me. Trowa and Catherine, if any of those guys try to escape torch them." Heero then led his team out.
"Why do you always have to piss me off Maxwell?" and irritated Wufei asked.
"Relax this will be worth it."
"Huh?"
"Lets head to the greenhouse."
"What for…Oh." They then headed towards the greenhouse in the western end.
Outside Heero and his team reached the tool shed they locked Relena in to see if she saw Zechs. Heero approached the small building and unlatched the slot on the door. He looked in to see the young biologist with her head down on the workbench. "Relena, have you seen Zechs?"
She then dashed over to the door. "Heero. Thank God. It's terrible out here. Please let me back in I'll be a good girl."
"Have you seen your brother?"
"No."
"Thank you," he said and began to close the slot.
"Wait a minute," she pleaded. "Its really scary out here."
"Scary?"
"Strange noises. Please let me back in. I'm better now and I promise to behave like a proper young lady."
"We'll see," Heero closed the slot and Relena's cursing blared from inside. He then motioned his group to come together. "No luck so the investigation is off out here. If he did run out he probably got caught in the storm and from what I have seen it would have most likely killed him. Hilde go back and tell the others we found nothing. Quatre come with me."
"Why," Quatre asked.
"I left my shack two days ago and when I did the lights were off." He then motioned to the illuminated shack.
Meanwhile inside Wufei and Duo just entered the greenhouse to find the window shattered. "Oh shit!" Duo shouted and converged on the marijuana plants. "My little babies!"
"Great all that weed. But wait we can still save it."
"No we can't," Duo said turning on the torch.
"The hell are you doing?" a shocked Wufei said as he watched Duo turn the valve.
"That son of a bitch got to our stash man.'
"We don't know that. Hell it could have been the storm."
"No it was that freak. It can imitate anything man." He let loose a meter long blue lance of flame destroying the crop. Smoke soon filled the room. He turned off the torch and sobbed.
"You stupid…"
"Goddamn alien! How dare that motherfucker mess with my babies!"
"Well we better get going." As they approached the door the wind blew it closed revealing a large figure impaled to it by a shovel. It was Zechs.
"Jesus!"
"How the hell did he get up there? Nobody is that strong."
"Hell of a way to go to."
At the shack Heero and Quatre just entered to find the roof torn open and wind blowing Heero's posters around. "Watch out Quatre. One of the girls might become attached to you," he laughed.
"Did the wind do this?"
"No. I'm certain it was that thing. Fortunately I moved my things and alcohol inside the other day." A centerfold flew right into Quatre's face. 'I think she likes you."
The cook tore the poster from his face. "Very funny. Well there is nothing we can do here."
"Agreed lets head back. You go ahead."
"Why?"
"Just want to say my goodbyes."
Quatre climbed down and waited for Heero. He then noticed something in the snow next to Heero's furnace. He moved over and dug it out. It was a piece of cloth with HEERO YUY printed on it. Quatre stuck it in his coat just as Heero climbed down.
"Shall we be off?"
"Yeah," the cook replied with a weary eye.
Inside Wufei stood impatiently awaiting any sign of Heero or Quatre. "It's been over half an hour already."
"Be patient Wufei they'll be back," Trowa said calmly.
"Maybe they're already dead," Duo said puffing a joint.
"Duo! That's a terrible thing to say," Catherine snapped back.
"Well they could be. Think about it. It took about ten minutes to partially absorb Noin. In half an hour it could easily get one person."
"Or it could just out right kill them," Wufei said staring at the door.
"Poor Zechs. A shovel embedded in my chest is not how I would like to go," the back up pilot said putting out his joint.
"Yeah. You want a harem on top of you when you die," Hilde mumbled.
'Speaking of Zechs why do you think it killed him?" asked Catherine.
"Maybe he was close to figuring out a test? I don't know," Wufei said checking his flamethrower. "Anyway lets start to board this place up. They'll knock if they need to come in."
Soon all team members that were not tied down had begun to board the camp up. It was then there was a knock at the door. They opened it to find a snow covered Quatre trying to catch his breath.
"Where is Yuy?" Wufei asked staring at the cook.
"I cut him loose outside."
"You did what?"
"I found this by his furnace," Quatre said as he pulled out the torn remains of a jacket with Heero's name on the tag. "He's one of them."
"It would have had plenty of time," said Duo.
"But when?" Hilde asked panicked.
"When the lights were out most likely. Wait a minute Hilde where you at that time?" Duo asked suspiciously.
"Oh got hell!" she replied.
"However we don't know if it got him," Wufei said grabbing Quatre by his collar. "How do I know you didn't plant it? That your not one of them?"
"I'm telling you the truth!" Quatre pleaded.
"Maybe we just out to find out," Wufei said igniting his flamethrower.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" the terrified cook shouted.
"Getting an answer." Just then there were several knocks at the door. "What the?"
"Hey let me in," Heero's voice said.
"Oh God. He's here," a terrified Quatre said dashing from the door.
"Do we let him in?" Duo asked.
"No human could have made it back here without a line in this storm," Wufei said aiming his flamethrower at the door.
"So lets get him!" Duo shouted torch in hand.
"The hell is wrong with you?"
"Wufei this our chance. Lets burn him and leave him in the snow."
"Why the hell do you want him in here? If he is one he'll attack the moment we open the door since he'll know we're on to him."
"Come on man!"
"No. Lets just let the storm have him."
"What if he's human," Hilde said as she approached the two. "You'll both be murderers."
"Yeah. Like they can prove I intentionally left him out there. Given the situation I think a court would understand."
Just then the sound of glass shattering startled the group.
"What the fuck?" Duo said as he turned from side to side.
"Shit! He's broken into the supply room," Trowa said grabbing a torch. They dashed over to the supply room and heard someone rummaging inside.
"The damn rope snapped out there," Heero's voice said. "Why the hell didn't you open the door?"
Wufei pulled on the doorknob to find it locked. "He has the key." He smashed open the glass case on the wall and removed an axe. He then began to cut down the door. "You're a dead man now!" He smashed it open to find Heero holding a flare to a bundle of explosives.
"One more step and I'll blow us all to hell!" The pilot said angrily. "Put down the weapons! NOW!" They dropped the torches and flamethrowers on the floor. "If any of you touch me we go. Got it?" They nodded. "Good." He then turned to Wufei. "Who the hell died and mad you judge, jury and executioner? Answer me!"
"Like it would have been any different if it was you inside and me outside," Wufei replied.
"Don't fuck with me Chang. Do you know what I'm holding?"
"Type 79B explosive in stick form. The strongest type you can use in this place. Industrial grade high explosive capable of withstanding extreme cold. You have enough of it in your hand to level most of the camp."
"Exactly so don't even think of torching me or else you'll be joining me in the next life." He then looked around. "Wait a minute. Two of you are missing." Just then Quatre and Trowa grabbed him. Heero elbowed Quatre in the jaw sending him to the ground and hit Trowa with such force it drove him into the wall. Quatre tried to get back up but was cut off by a gunshot above his head. Heero then holstered his gun and lit another flare. "Think before you act Winner and you might just live through this."
Quatre noticed Trowa had stopped breathing. "Oh my God?" He ran to his fallen friend under Heero's close watch. "He isn't breathing! You hit him too hard!"
"Untie Sally!" the pilot shouted. "From now on nobody and I mean nobody leaves my sight. And if any of you even move to attack me I'll kill you without hesitation. Heero then pulled more explosives out of the crate.
In the infirmary Heero stood with explosives in his coat clutching and a flamethrower in his right hand aimed at Wufei and Quatre. Trowa was lying on the table and Sally began CPR. Hilde was beside Catherine who was crying. Dorothy was standing in the corner by the doorway staring at the chaos. Treize and Lady Une were standing opposite of Sally.
"So you think I'm one huh?" Heero said with a look of madness in his eyes. "Did you ever think anybody else could have stuck the jacket up my furnace during the blackout or anytime before that?"
"I ain't buying it Yuy," Wufei snapped back.
"Well maybe you and your good buddy Quatre would like to find out what hell is like first hand?" Heero said aiming the torch directly at them. "Come on its first class. If you so much as move towards me I'll send you on your way guys."
"Heero shut up will ya!" Sally said realizing CPR was having no effect. "Leave it to you to hit so damn hard in one of his vital points. Hilde bring the defibrillator over here with you."
"Maybe I ought just let Relena loose and see what she does? You guys think I'm crazy well let's see what she can do?"
"You wouldn't dare!" Quatre said in disbelief.
"You'll have to sleep sometime Heero and when you do that's when I'll put you out of your misery," Wufei said staring Heero in the eye.
"Well I don't sleep much Wufei and I sleep light when I do anyway. Besides considering I'm an ex-assassin did it ever occur to you I might just booby trap my room."
'Will you both shut up!" Sally said charging up the paddles. "Clear!" No response. "Clear!"
"Maybe you can protect yourself Yuy but trust me I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do."
"Well let's see if you can Chang!" Heero then turned the flamethrower only on Wufei.
Meanwhile Sally was getting concerned for the defibrillator had no effect. "Come on Trowa." She placed the paddle on his chest again but just as it touched the skin tore open and a limb of some kind threw her against the wall.
"Holy shit!" Duo yelled and ran out followed by all but Heero.
The body on the table began to tear open spraying a green slime mixed with blood everywhere. Heero drug the unconscious Sally out of the room. As he returned the appendage grabbed on the table and out of the chest another emerged. Soon the intestines flew out and a long neck with a tiny deformed face emerged. Heero gazed at the hideous creature that was once his friend in horror. Yet it still was not done. Out of the bloody mass of intestines dozens of tentacles sprang to life. Heero aimed right at the creature's face.
"HEERO! NO!" Catherine screamed as Treize restrained her.
A stream of flame soon engulfed the hideous monstrosity. Heero looked on as it wailed and screeched and let loose another stream. The creature fell on to its form shell as the others rushed in with fire extinguishers. Yet in the confusion Trowa's head broke off and moved under the desk. The fire was soon extinguished and smoke filed the room with the sickening odor of burning flesh. The whole crew stood in disbelief except Catherine who was sobbing. However as they looked at the remains of the imitation of their friend the head sprouted legs and tried to get out of the room.
Duo turned around and saw the abomination on the floor. "No way!"
Heero then turned and saw the freak leaving the room. He then burned it in view of the others. However that image gave Heero an idea, a possible test to find out if anyone was who he or she said they were.
