"Maybe I was wrong to blame Murkoff, maybe I was the problem all along but…I can't even begin to tell what's right or wrong anymore. Black is white and down is up and within all of this madness this voice calls to me. It's part of me, stuck within me and I can't undo this, I can't escape this but I do know that somehow I must find a way out of this place. No one could live like this…could they?"
"Finally" An eerie voice called out sounding almost disembowelled
Squinting as best as she could 262 tried to follow the sound of the voice, to whom it belonged to within the darkness. For sure its voice sounded inhuman as 262 paused looking at the thin air before her. There was someone here, someone she couldn't see extending a hand towards her, but she couldn't take it. Something was wrong so utterly wrong that her very skin crawled and she could hear this strange buzzing in her head like as if her mind was an old broken tv playing a static channel.
Panicked and confused the young woman looked around madly "Who's there?" She demanded as she stumbled backwards, the sound of something squishing beneath her causing her to finally look down and take note to what lay beneath her. Blood, nothing but a ground full of blood and bones and entrails bobbing up and down. Limbs and even muscle could be seen but no faces, nothing but gore and horror as 262 gasped.
Everything told her to run, her body and mind screaming at her but for some reason it was like someone had flipped a switch somewhere, trapping her within this very nightmare as the voice once more called to her. "Stop" It was soft, almost soothing but it wasn't human and what frightened 262 even more so now than before was the fact it sounded like it was right beside her.
Gulping down she slowly turned her head, her eyes wide with fright as she tried to focus on being brave, but such a thing was long gone by now. In a single moment everything snapped, her bounds freed and all she could think and do was run, run like the wind like a frightened animal before certain death. Within a heartbeat she lunged off into a sprint through the darkness, knowing not where she might end up just that it would get her somewhere, anywhere. However, her muscles began to burn within seconds and 262 fell to the messy ground trying to allow her brain to take this in, to think rather than just rationalize and run. It's like life its self didn't exist anymore and time and space stood still but that wasn't right. That wasn't real and this wasn't real as 262 couldn't help the swelling in the back of her throat nor the tears that came crashing down like a waterfall. She was crazy, she must have been as she leaned back and screamed into the cold air around her. This was all madness, some horrible thing that Murkoff must have done to her and she was afraid to face it. Even more so afraid to go back to whatever was reality.
Eventually she cracked and tried to ease her sobbing "What are you, what do you want from me?" 262 once more demanded asking the most obvious of all questions while fighting off her own inner battle of confusion and depression.
Then from out of the darkness a hand reached out and was softly placed onto her back in a strange comforting manner, like a Mother would as 262 slowly turned expecting to see a monster, a horrible black mass or even a man with a chainsaw about to kill her in the most horrible of all ways. However, she was surprised to see someone that didn't resemble a monster at all, it was herself and it was perhaps the scariest thing to see, looking at your own self, feeling that very touch as 262 stumbled back and got to her feet as fast as she could as she looked back at her mirror image up and down. A reflection that's what this had to be if not some weird split personality shit as she cursed beneath her breath suddenly feeling her heart race and her hands tremble.
"Questions, I've listened to them, over and over again" Her mirror image spoke, its voice sounded like a mixture of various voces formed together, but only now did 262 notice the sudden difference between her reflection. Black eyes, pure black inky eyes. Everything else was the same, same skin colour, hair style, they were even wearing the horrible tatted uniform of hers. This made no sense as 262 shook her head in disbelief.
Shaking her head 262 suddenly felt like she didn't want to believe in this anymore "This is but a dream, a horrible twisted dream" She stated with a huff to herself clutching her head between her hands trying to force this out of her head. Yes a dream, just a dream, a nightmare that's all this was, she repeated to herself over and over again.
However no matter how hard she tried that voice came through again "You are wrong" Her mirrior image replied, this time it sounded stoic, disembowelled again. "We are you and you are we. We have answers to your questions if only you listen." Then its voice sounded almost soothing again but why?
Peering up from her position, 262 felt more hot tears trail down her cheeks trying to grasp what was just said. "Why? Why should I listen to you?!" 262 blurted out in anger trying to dry her tears but it was useless.
"We have simple need, one desire. Live, survive, reproduce." Strangely enough its voice sounded more and more familiar, like her own, soothing and comforting as it moved towards her…floating to be correct.
With a deep breath 262 looked down at her hands and then at her own very relfection in the murky crimson blood stained water before noting her Mirror image didn't have feet. In fact, it formed into black inky smoke where the feet should have protruded from the jumpsuit, and yet they had her face and hands and everything else minus the eyes. It was a lot to take in as she took in a deep breath not wanting to hear this, but she didn't have to as her reflection reached out planting their thumb on her forehead. A raw sense of emotion enveloped her, paralysed her and she was scared looking up, her body limp and the only thing she could truly feel was sadness, the wanting to belong to something, someone.
"To listen you must be still, you must not move or fight or the pain will hurt more." Her Mirror image bluntly said but this time the voice sounded like it was coming from her throat, she couldn't move, couldn't see what was in front of her and when she did move the sensation of being alone, afraid, lost and beaten, even her own depression became far worse then what it already was. Clearly she didn't have a choice in the matter as she gave it, allowed the darkness to take her and for a faint moment she felt like as if she had just been given a dosage of a nice kind drug that removed the pain.
During this state the voice still came to her "You ask what we are? I will tell you. We are a swarm, nanites is what they call us, but the old man says Walrider, speaks of a lore from olden days. We do not know what that means, Walrider, but there is more than one, we are many and like Swarms we can reform with a Host, like your human creature's bees and ants and parasites. You are our Host but we are not like the other, we are different. You are the reason for that, we connect and we want that and need that. You ask where are we, we are here, in your heart, in your soul. We are powerful unlike the other, it cannot fuse with its Host, only connect through the human's minds and dreams." It paused and seemed to search for words. "Like phantom. Yet we are one, living and breathing in the body, we are in your veins, your brain, you give us life and we give you immortality" It spoke so clearly and easily, no sense of harm or threat, no fear or pain but rather emotionless. Yet there is always a catch.
Clearing her voice in this groggy like state 262 managed to find enough energy to speak. "That makes no sense. If you are living inside of me can't you…get out?" 262 questioned.
For a brief moment there was silence again. "No we cannot...Your DNA is why, females of your kind have always been easy to connect with. Removal will kill you but not us, we live inside you now and we will protect you if you are willing to learn. The Other is coming for us, we must not be caught weak. We must be strong and you must reproduce." 262 struggled again at the last of their words only for the pain to flair through her body. "We need to, we are a part of you now, you command us and we ask in return a gift, a child born of both. We can achieve this unlike the Males and then no one can stop us." The voice seemed to fade and the hold upon 262 was gone as she dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Shaking her head, she disagreed with this, no way in hell was she going to have children, she wasn't willing to even believe all of this but something in her brain had already etched it all in as she looked to her trembling hands. Of course she had many questions but before she could try and ask anything a sudden wave pushed her back and she fell against the ground no longer herself, a memory flashed in her head but it wasn't her own.
"Mr. Blaire" A witty looking man said with a wide grin on his face while wearing a blue neat suit and he seemed to have this smart appearance but there was something strange about the look on his face, as if money and power had gotten the better of him.
"Ah my friend Rick take a seat." Jeremy came into view just as he spoke sitting at a desk with a glass of scotch resting on the wooden fancy looking desk. All the while he smiled gesturing for his Friend Rick to take a seat. The other man did so without hesitation and only returned the smile back.
"I think we have a break through. I did some research into the project you asked of me. After looking through it all you were right. Female subjects that underwent the hypnosis where more receptive. Even the Government played a hand in this with Ms. Cho and another woman. Although they did have one problem…" Rick paused although his grin never seemed to really fade.
Jeremy only leaned forward his pleasant smile fading as he became serious. "What problem exactly? I hope you didn't destroy anything, after all you are the head of Development here Mr. Trager" His tone was bitter, almost irritated and his demeanour changed.
Trager took a moment looking Jeremy up and down before finally speaking "Well you see one of their prime patients became a little…how should we say this…dissociative, isolating herself and refused to be around others. When she was put under hypnosis they could get her to do anything but while she wasn't in a lucid dream state she began to change almost into a different person." Trager stated with a faint frown as if he expected the worst.
"Hmm I see. Trager I have an idea I want to put forward but I'd like your advice." Jeremy said taking a swig of his drink while Rick only nodded in response. "I want to bring in one single female subject and test her. We have come a long way since then, using the hormone therapy has progressed our results. The problem that happened in the past won't happen again and even if it does we have the engine here to deal with it." Jeremy stated with a smirk as his ideas began to form.
Although it was clear Rick had something more to say as he sighed. "Here's something else I should mention…. All female subjects exposed to the experiment or those that had been through it became pregnant. There was never a child in the womb, they did full scans and all. The result where miscarriages and they often turned fatal. That's why they stopped experimenting on women." Rick said clearly trying to state the reason for not wanting to go through with this.
Clearly Jeremy disagreed as he slammed his fist into the desk before he sighed. "We will find a way. I'm bringing in a girl in the next month or so. This will go through Rick and I won't you there for it. It could be ground breaking, female patients reciprocated this thing, this Walrider and the last thing I want is Billy achieving that." Sternly Jeremy said like a child tossing a temper tantrum.
However, Rick raised a brow at the last of his words "What's wrong with Billy?" His voice was faint but the curiosity was right there.
Screwing up his face Jeremy looked down upon Trager as if disappointed "Billy? Well apart from the fact he's insane and continues to have these lucid dreams about blood and weird ass shit that he shouldn't know about, telling us he's speaking to someone we can't see, I don't fucking know!" Jeremy was enraged by the question as he shook his head furiously and gritted his teeth.
Immediately Rick reclined into the chair and gulped down lowering his gaze. "Sorry it's just…I don't think this will go so well…A Female subject and given the last-"
Before he could finish Jeremy interrupted. "If you FUCKING question me again I swear I'll put you in that engine myself!" Jeremy hissed out as he snarled clearly holding to his words as he pointed at Rick.
Once more things began to fade from there into darkness only to once more reveal a blurry image of Jeremy again, this time he was seated in a lounge chair looking like he was in some sort of a fancy office as he looked down at his black coated shoes that glinted under the light. "So she'll be in soon then huh?" A man spoke, but this one was out of view, the only thing familiar about it was a deep grunting voice, but a face or a name 262 could not recall as the vision played on.
Jeremy did not shift his gaze he only hummed softly in agreement. "That's right. Everything has been cleared up with the board and nobody is asking questions." Jeremy almost seemed to sigh as if he'd answered this question a million times before.
"You intend to do what with her exactly? Besides the experiments or as you call it treatment. You've been warned about previous cases, the ones you toss into those machines come out crazier, how do you expect to pull this off? Heck even if you think you can sterilize this one, she'll still have a phantom pregnancy and die you know that right?" The voice seemed to beg to deferrer, sourcing for something.
"And?" Jeremy raised a brow looking off in the direction of the unnamed and mysterious person. "You see I've done my own research and what I know is that She does not need to be put into the engine like all the rest. Billy has achieved a lot, if we can get her to have a similar stable balance like Billy we can do this. Plus, this one…She's special, they say she has full control of the hypnosis test we gave her, can see clearly and maintain a moderate REM and Breathing cycle. As for the pregnancy thing…Well let's just say if it happens it happens but we hope if she can establish a connection with the Walrider then maybe we might get answers we have been searching for." Jeremy spoke in a sickly tone that didn't sound right. Sadistic and off beat with something truly sinister behind those words of his.
"Hmm so you don't intent to put her in the sphere? Then why all this sudden construction?" The mysterious man seemed to ponder but the only answer he got was a twisted smile from Jeremy and those cool calming blue eyes of his shimmering under the light.
Things faded again but this time to something familiar, a control room, lights flashing and beeping away while a scientist whom seemed to be the main head of the project stood alongside Jeremy Blaire. Both of which were looking down at a particular sphere. It was sickening to see it but there she was, 262 in a sphere. She was screaming madly and no one was helping her, she was lost and traumatized not to mention confused as tears streamed down her cheeks and tubs to silence her cries. She couldn't recall this happening but this was proof enough. Yet 262 noticed very shortly that something wasn't right, right with herself that was stuck in that damn sphere.
"Status?" Jeremy said as he turned to the scientist that stood by his side.
The scientist looked to the nearest monitor. "Remarkable, she's made a direct connection sir we should pull her out though just in case." The scientist stated as he turned back to Jeremy.
Jeremy only frowned and shook his head "No let's see what happens. Make sure the men are prepared to shoot if anything goes wrong though and keep your eyes on the monitor" Jeremy said so easily without any form of care or sympathy in his words.
Of course 262 knew she was nothing but a pet project, shoved inside a machine to see what happens but in all honesty seeing it and hearing it was a different story and it was almost enough to make her want to be sick if only she could.
Though the scientist seemed to pip up with some form of concern in his voice "But sir what if she finds out too much, what if she ends up like Billy?" The Scientist protested but didn't show any form of sympathy in his face either.
With a faint grumble Jeremy glared at the scientist " I can assure you she will not end up like Billy. That boy has been tossed into the spheres too many times and found out too much, this one's different she's never been in the sphere before and we didn't even give her any hormones either" Jeremy stated watching onwards with excitement.
However, another scientist that had been seated at another monitor stood up. "Sir something…. it's not…. What the –"It was the faint dash of electricity that cast over the monitors and keyboards causing everyone in the room to pause in shock as all their monitors died on the spot.
Before anyone had the chance to grasp or analyse what was going on, everyone's attention turned to the sphere that was now surrounded by a strange and yet familiar inky smoke. Someone on the radio, one of the hazmat men in suits down below was screaming out, asking for what their orders where to do while everyone looked to Jeremy. Only issue was Jeremy was caught by the beauty, the look in his eyes said it all he was stunned, overwhelmed but also trapped in his own madness and desires of achieving something far greater.
There was even the faint flicker of electricity around the black mass, the sound of glass breaking could be heard as the contents of the sphere broke lose. The Morphogenic room went into a frantic state as the scientists and soldiers down below did everything they could, usually that included running around screaming or open firing.
"Sir we need to leave!" The main scientist said brining Jeremy back to reality as the man in the suit took leave immediately ordering a complete lock down but the biggest issue was their power went out. In the dark with nothing but the backup lights flickering everyone was screaming or running. Jeremy on the other hand turned back to the sphere to look at his perfect creation. The black mass of smoke was moving now, the broken sphere now empty.
"Everyone to your stations! I want her alive no matter the cost!" Jeremy yelled out watching as his Walrider had come to life, achieving everything that all the others could not and it was almost right away. How fantastic this all was to him as things began to fade to black once more until there was nothing more darkness again.
Still in this strange dream like state 262 looked to the inky mass that now stood before her, the walrider that's what this all was? It's what she was? It was so much to take in and she still had so many questions as she felt her body shake, even in this strange dream like state of darkness.
Yet only one last question remained that she had to ask right then and there "Firstly before you say anything I need to know why me? Why am I different from all the other women? How come I was able to connect with you right away?" 262 said almost frantically running a hand through her hair.
The inky mass before her seemed stoic taking in her words before it thought out how to address this, it no longer looked like her, just this strange black smoke that now hovered before her with this faint humanoid appearance. "We waited, waited for the right one. The one named Hope had desires, desires that called upon the other. We only wished to become something, to co-exist with our host. None came, none were perfect. Hope grew in strength as our desires began to fade, diminish. Then you came, we felt you, heard your muffled cries and came to see. A match, a perfect match is what we found. We are alike in many ways, you want to belong to something, someone. We want the same but we wish not to reform, not like the other. Our desires are simple, we want to survive, want to produce and spread, but not reform, not reform, not reform" The Walrider spoke but it was almost a little too strange to comprehend.
"Reform? You mean…That's what happened to those women? The Other Walrider tried to birth its self into a physical form using women? That's…That's why they stopped brining women in because of that, because…Oh god I'm going to be sick!" 262 felt she could somewhat understand what was going on but the way she felt her stomach churn only broke that connection.
"Time will tell all…Avoid the Other, avoid its new host." The inky mass began to fade away as 262 realized she was waking up.
"Wait new host? WHAT NEW HOST?!" She screamed but it was too late the dream was fading.
Gasping for air the young woman sat up, sweat dripping down her forehead and her stomach feeling like it was about to come up and give her an awful greeting. Sighing she looked to her side in a drowsy and groggy state as she looked at the hand that was clutched around her waist. She couldn't recall coming here as she sighed only to notice the odd sensation on her face. Something wet, tears that did not belong to her. Turning around slowly 262 looked down to a tired Eddie, his cheeks where tainted by tears, even in his sleep he was crying as 262 sighed feeling sorry for him now being able to understand what he must have gone through with the engine. Yet the biggest question was, why wasn't it trying to fuse with others like the Variants in this place? It didn't make sense but it didn't have to right away as 262 sighed and leaned down planting a kiss on Gluskins face.
The large man only stirred from his sleep at the odd sensation as he opened up his bloodshot eyes and cleared his throat trying to smile but he was clearly weak and exhausted. "Oh Sweet heart your awake" Even his own voice seemed strained and croaky.
Clearing her throat and shifting a little closer to the mad man she tried to put on her best smile "Yes I'm…I'm sorry." Softly she spoke hoping it would ease the man's mind, even awake he looked so sad with those pleading eyes of his. "Let me get you some water" 262 stated as she moved to get up.
However, Gluskin snatched a hand out tightly holding onto wrist as he gave his best tired yet angry look. "No you will stay, stay right here and not leave me ever again!" As weak as he seemed he was still strong as 262 state back down.
Gently she placed a hand on his forehead and brushed aside a faint thread of black hair, Eddie seemed to almost purr and fall asleep again but he was clearly forcing himself not to. "I won't leave you…not again." She said before laying down by his side again but even she knew she had to find a way out, somehow, somewhere.
A/N:
Ok so theres something important I wanted to mention here at the end. According to Red Barrels and some documents found in Outlast there is meant to be other 'walriders' although not very powerful and they either had been killed by Murkoff or heavily guarded. So I kind of twisted my own version of that and created something along my own mad lines of a Walrider. This one isn't like the one Miles or Waylon encounter, its more separate but has a similar goal, to reproduce. Also all that can be seen of it currently is a black inky smoke. It does have a more physical form but I'll get to that later, lets just say there is a reason for that.