I Need A Hero
The once-black screen clicked to life with a cheery blue hue. Several icons appeared on the screen, one was labeled "Camera Feed", another was called "Research Logs" another "Lockdown Status" and the final was called "City Core Map". Maria was well-versed in the use of Drakel technology. Something she was very proud about. This computer was a very basic design as far as Drakel equipment went. She stared at the screen for a while, trying to decide what button to push.
She decided upon "Camera Feed" maybe she could see something of interest. She jammed her finger rather painfully down on the corresponding button. The cheery blue background disappeared, giving way to a black-and-white picture of several corridors. She could see several of the creatures scurrying about for no reason. One came up on the lens, took one slice at the camera with a claw, knocking it out. "Connection Lost" appeared on the screen, resetting her back to the menu with the blue background.
She cursed to herself. Those things were getting crafty. Next, she tried "Lockdown Status". This button brought her to a similar blue-back grounded menu in which were the following displays:
Reactor 1: 100 Efficiency
Reactor 2: 100 Efficiency
Reactor 3: 100 Efficiency
Time until next Cycle: 27 Minutes, 39 Seconds
City Main Gates: Locked
Trash Disposal Systems: Active at 100
Lockdown Engaged: 3 days ago
Time until Lockdown Ends: Unknown
This screen disappeared after some time, giving away to the menu. It appeared as if this mess started only three days ago. So that means that the head wasn't stolen recently…which would give way to the suspicion that Warlic knew about it earlier, and opted to tell Maria several hours ago… Something was fishy about that.
Maria moved on to the button labeled "City Core Map" the background was replaced by a wire-frame map of Ren 'Tkak. A little red dot appeared over one area, with a line coming off of it reading: "You Are Here" Maria muttered a 'that doesn't help' and pressed the 'back' button. Only one last button to push.
'Warning: if you proceed to record a new log, you will overwrite the currently non-saved one? Do you wish to proceed and record a new one, or play the old one?' appeared in the middle of the screen, with 'play' and 'new' under it. Maria pushed 'play' and watched as the screen went black. The visage of a Drakel scientist appeared. He was seated before the console. Maria turned her head to observe the back wall. The scientist was sitting where Maria now stood.
"Testing. Testing, one, two, three. Okay. Head Researcher's Log, entry one. The President will be happy to hear that modifications to our Tube Launcher have been complete. The clip has been tripled in capacity and it can now fire in either single-shot, burst, or fully automatic modes. Something that may be useful in the up incoming years." The record faded and the scientist reappeared. "Head Researcher's Log, entry two. The President himself has just informed me that we will be getting something big in a couple of days. He said our Stealth Assassins are having problems liberating it from the human mage Warlic, but he can only last so long. He wouldn't go into details, but I'm excited, as is the rest of the team. The chance to get a new toy is always better then playing with old ones." It faded again. "Head Researcher's Log. Entry Three. It's been a couple of days since my last log, and I apologize. I was having so much fun with my new toy. It appears as though the humans of Battleon were storing the Head of Carnax inside a small magic shop. Easily liberated. We've taken the liberty to do a preliminary scan on the creature's brain, and it appears that to have been fried from the inside. This must have been a result of the human Rinoa's efforts to psychically break the creature. It's a pity, really. In creatures such as Carnax, that part of the brain holds a great many secrets. We could have learned a lot. Oh, well. It's not good to dwell on the past. We'll begin the dissection tomorrow, provided Jo-und can get his ass out of bed." There came a pause while it switched to the next log entry. "Jo-und is dead. Don't ask me how, but I went to get him up this morning, and he was just, lying on his bed, perfectly still. I thought he was just sleeping. He does that a lot, you know, sleep. So I went over and poked him. Oh, god. He didn't do anything. His skin just, melted, his organs spilt over the mattress, a putrid stench assailed me, and I ran out, screaming for security. I thought he was poisoned. He had a lot of enemies, so I thought someone poisoned him. I don't know. We're getting a medical examiner in here, so he'll be able to figure it out." The screen went black. The researcher appeared again. "Head Researcher's Log. Entry Four. I've got a bad vibe in my bones. Something's not right. Half the research staff is sick. We don't know what they have, and nothing we can do for them helps. The medical examiner arrived yesterday, and he's about as stumped as I am. He says he's never seen anything like this. I am, along with the rest of my staff, very concerned that we may have done something to invoke this plague. I am, as of yet, unaffected. But I fear that I am next." The screen cleared once again, and this time, when it reappeared, it only showed the back ground. The same screams Maria heard earlier pierced the silence. "You like that, huh! Come on! Come get some more!" The researcher's voice shouted off the monitor. There came a sound of a door sliding shut. "That'll hold 'em." He said again. Maria watched as he leaned over the console, his face scarred and damaged, blood trailing down his cheek. "I've got to make this fast. I am the Head Researcher for this city. We released something. People died, and came back as…as…I don't know what the hell they are! Some kind of zombie, maybe. It's been five days since the entire morgue exploded with these things. They've over-run the city, they spread like wildfire! I think I'm the only one left alive. I don't know. I've been here in R and D for days now, three I think. All the weapons were taken by the Enforcers and Destroyers to repel the creatures. Dead. All of them! They kill and spread! If anyone from the outside is watching this, and you haven't been infected, get; out; NOW! It's a slaughter house in here. Don't fall prey to my fate!" Another hiss followed by a crash. "They've gotten in! RUN! NOW!" He was grabbed slightly by something off-screen. "There's a self-destruct mechanism for the city in the Center Core…AGH! If you can get there and activate it, you can destroy this city and everything in and around it for thirty miles! It's the only way to make sure these things don't…GAHG! Escape! Don't let our mistake be known! I'M TAKING AS MANY OF YOU DOWN AS I--" Maria heard him scream, followed by a series of bone crunching and flesh tearing sounds. The front of the screen got splattered with Drakel blood in an upwards angle. She turned her head sharply away, covering her mouth. Her eyes fell on the mutilated corpse of the Drakel in the room. By the looks of him, that was the corpse of the unfortunate scientist who made all those logs. He looked calm, almost pleased to have his life end.
Before she budged, the corpse began to writhe in place, squirming for no reason, pushed by no force. As the Guardian looked on, the chest exploded, spraying blood and flesh in a bloom upwards, some landing on Maria's face and chest. She screamed in shock, watching one of the zombies form from the twisted mangled corpse. It stood, stealing bone and flesh from its host body, mangling what it took to its whim. The creature began to be fully formed, growing legs and arms from the body. Soon, it was staring the girl in the eyes, its lone blue pupil bouncing around the room, looking for a focal point. After its gaze fell on the Guardian completely, it reared its head back and screeched, it's wide mouth open towards Maria. She didn't flinch. It looked at her strangely, just before the girl snatched a fast hold of the thing's boney neck, and ripped its head off in one pull. It fell to the ground dead. The eye was still bouncing from focal point to focal point even after its disconnection from the body. Emotionless, she pulled its lower jaw off and discarded it on the ground. By this time, the head had stopped moving.
Taking up some wire from a nearby table, she strapped the head onto her shoulder, the eye open for all to see. Looking at the corpse, she had an idea.