Chapter Fifteen:

Peter's strength had surged drastically and Arynn knew that it wouldn't be long before the mutated scientist was no longer human. Page started for the exit at the head of the stairs but Arynn held her back.

"You're not going anywhere…" The dark skinned woman sternly stated.

Page gulped and the two looked down at the stasis tanks. The mechanisms that kept the tanks in place all seemed to show signs of movement. Each mechanism unlocked remotely in a unified rhythm. A male robotic voice over head rang throughout the enclosure.

Beginning Artificial Amniotic Fluid Depletion.

An ear piercing alarm echoed over the vast room and Arynn looked over at Tripper while Hernandez looked to Page. Peter heaved forward and rammed Hernandez clear off the stairs. The soldier hit the concrete floor below sliding towards one of the unlocked specimen. His back absorbed most of the impact but his torso and arms felt the pain. Groaning from the sudden outburst, Hernandez strained to get up.

"Eddie!" Arynn shouted as she tried to go down the stairs.

"No, you can't save him." Peter hissed.

He turned towards Page and picked her up by her shirt. She struggled but Peter wouldn't let her go. His grip was massive and seemed to take over her whole torso. With this much strength, what was he going to do? Page feared the worse. Her eyes widened as a rush of fear overcame her. Peter knew…

"Your only purpose was to bring Arynn back to me and provide a male host." Peter said as he turned on the stairs to face the now standing Hernandez and the tanks. Page remained quiet.

"I did what was I was told…" she answered.

"Of course you did," Peter began. "You really did do me a favor…if it wasn't for you, I would've never had the chance to continue my research with the Residvius line."

"Peter, there is still time." She pleaded with the man. Peter smiled and slowly shook his head. His expression was of regret but something sinister was brewing. Page could see a grin form on his face and the intensity in his eyes.

"Did you think that I wouldn't find out about Tricell's plans for me and my work?" The man abruptly shouted. His grip tightened.

"Wait, what?" Arynn struggled to say.

"That's right, Arynn!" The mutated man shouted. "You're little friend here," Peter hissed, "Is a Spy for Tricell." Page began to panic.

It was all starting to make sense to Arynn now. So it wasn't a coincidence…Arynn thought to herself.It just seemed too convenient for the young scout to be at the cafeteria the same time Hernandez and Arynn arrived with Adam.

"Listen to me," Peter shouted as he pulled Page close to him, "When I get through with you, they're never going to be able to identify your remains." He replied as a slight chuckle escaped his lips.

"Wait!" Arynn shouted. "Don't hurt her."

Peter lowered his arm and Page sighed with relief. As the mutated man lowered the woman, Arynn looked over to Tripper. The Lead Commando stood watching from the top of the stairs waiting. He caught the woman glaring at him and he slowly started to come down. In all of this, it was odd that he wasn't making an effort to detain Peter. He must have been under some kind of control.

Hernandez retrieved his shotgun from in front of one of the tanks and pointed it towards Peter. The robotic voice called overhead once again.

Artificial Amniotic Liquid Depletion Complete. Beginning Neurological Test, Mobility Test in T minus 30 seconds…

The soldier could see that some of the tanks were now completely empty of all liquid. The creatures inside were now standing on their own breathing without the help of underwater respirators. They were full-grown embryos about to be born into their father's dark dilution not knowing what the world had in store for them or what they were going to give to the world. They hadn't fully opened their eyes but their senses were sharp and as Hernandez cocked back the trigger, their eyes moved to the direction of the sound.

"Looks like your time is about to run out…" Peter hissed as the mechanisms next to each tank chimed. The mutated man smiled then started for the head of the stairs.

"Peter, don't do this," Page said trying to reason with the man. He ignored her. "They are not ready…"

"Not ready?" Peter shouted enraged. "For years, I have been perfecting my uncle's Residvius viral strand. My creations have never been more ready!"

"You do this and it'll fail." Page sternly warned as she narrowed her eyes. She leaned in towards Arynn. "Inject him with the Anti-virus…" she whispered.

"What?" Arynn whispered back.

"Trust me…" the young woman whispered.

Arynn started to reach for the syringe still nestled in her chest pocket. As she did, she heard a loud grunt. She looked over to Peter and gasped.

His face had become distorted, the flesh around his eyes and nose twisted inhumanly while his teeth grew long and fatally sharp. With his abnormal strength, he lunged at Page. She tried to avoid him, striking out at him with all the strength she could muster. It was not enough and instantly he pushed her clear off of the stairs.

"Page!" shouted Hernandez as he looked on in horror.

The woman screamed as her body went flying hitting a few of the tanks and landing off to the side. A loud laugh escaped Peter as he continued up the stairs.

"No one questions me or my work!" he yelled piercing the glass of the tanks with his voice.

"M******er!" shouted Hernandez as he ran towards Page's unconscious body infuriated. The soldier balled his fists and clinched his teeth. "I will f***ing kill you!" he shouted.

Peter laughed again this time heavier and louder. "Look around!" he shouted. "Look around!" The ex-researcher said holding his arms out to the cave and the specimen. "In a few seconds, my army will destroy you—tear your arms and legs off your body and eat you outside in. You are nothing. You cannot kill me. You don't have the privilege to."

Ventilation Process complete. Neurological Test Complete. Mobility Test Complete. Vital signs fully functional. Beginning Decompression.

"I don't care, Ashford. Your ass is dust!" Hernandez yelled. He knelt down to help Page.

Arynn looked on in terror. She could see movement coming from inside each tank—as if the individuals inside were waking up from a long sleep. One mutation stretched while another simply yawned.

Decompression complete. Subjects revitalization complete. Announced the robotic voice.

"Get out of there, Hernandez." She whispered, praying that he'd make it through the ordeal.

Down on the laboratory floor, Hernandez had managed to push Page's unconscious body onto his shoulder. As he stood back up, he was left with few options. The creatures were looking around and examining their glass confinements, feeling the smooth surface and looking at their elongated fingers in wonder.

Hernandez started to back slowly away from the tanks and towards the staircase, hoping that he could at least get up a few steel steps.

Peter watched in adoration of his experiments and their unique assets. He let go of Arynn leaving her in Tripper's care and joined Hernandez at the foot of the stairs. The soldier turned and to face the mutated man front in center. He held his breath waiting for the ex-researcher to lash out at him. To his surprise, Peter let him be. The soldier watched as Peter made his way to tanks.

"Ah," Peter sighed aloud raising his arms out towards the stasis tanks, "My Children…we have come a long way, haven't we."

Hernandez took this opportunity to rush up the stairs towards Arynn and Tripper. Arynn put her hand on his arm and gave the soldier a smile, while Tripper gave Hernandez a nod.

"Now let's get the hell out of here, before that lunatic comes back," Hernandez whispered. The other two agreed and everyone turned to run up the last of the stairs.

Peter pressed another button on his remote device. Large gates came crashing down blocking the exit for the group.

"Shit," Tripper replied.

"What now?" Arynn asked.

"We wait until it's the right time," the Lead Commando said.

"F*** that, I'm not going to be a meal for one of those things." Hernandez said trying not to yell.

A large grid ceiling descended from the top of the room and latched onto each tank. It took off the glass structures taking each tank into air and up towards the ceiling. Each post where the glass tubes were remained a circular platform and a creature standing exposed to the outside.

Each individual humanoid stood between 6 feet and 9 foot. Their muscles were very distinct and well-defined. Their faces appeared human but there were obvious traits in their jaw structure, eye-color, and cranium–size that made them different. One creature in particular had green irides against black sclerae. It looked intimidating without the whites of its eyes.

Peter turned and faced the group. His features were different as well. The human flesh that he managed to retain was now all black oozing with the obsidian liquid inherited from Dorus.

"Thought you could leave?" he shouted, "I haven't even properly introduced my children!"

At the sound of his voice, the numerous individuals let out ear-piercing screams making Tripper and Arynn grab their ears in pain. Hernandez shut his eyes tight as he tried to bringhis hands to his ears without dropping both his shotgun and Page.

"See them, Arynn!" Peter continued. "They are us!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Arynn shouted back.

"The future!" Peter answered. "My offer still stands, Arynn." He said lightly. "Join me in my new order and I'll spare anyone you've ever befriended, ever touched…ever loved…" He looked at Tripper and the Lead Commando narrowed his eyes.

Arynnlooked at the soldier then looked away. She didn't want to lose any of these individuals. She knew that he would kill all of them. She came too far to see them suffer at the hands of a maniac. She had to do something. As she thought, she remembered the anti-viral serum.

Hernandez grabbed her arm and she looked at him bewildered.

"Inject him with the anti-virus." The soldier whispered.

"Why should I?" she asked bringing out the object.

"Please…" whispered a faint voice. Arynn saw that Page was struggling to lift her head. "He'll be human…" the young woman whispered.

"How do you know?" Arynn asked.

"Once he's had a dose of your blood…you need to…anti-virus…" Page was losing her voice. She sounded tired and weak.

"Is this really the anti-virus?" Arynn asked her.

"No…" Page answered, "It's a viricide…"

"What does that mean?" Hernandez whispered.

"It eliminates the virus completely..." Tripper said.

Arynn's eyes lit up. Her hunch was right. The anti-virus did cancel out the O-virus for Hernandez, Adam, and now Tripper. She wondered if it could make Peter human and what it would do for her.

"Arynn," Hernandez said.

"Yea?" she answered.

"There's hardly anything left."

"I know…" she said as she turned to look at Peter and the ever-growing crowd of mutated tyrant-types.

"Arynn," Tripper said. She looked at him immediately. "It can't help you."

"She knows," Hernandez said giving the Lead Commando a look of assurance.

"Do what you gotta do," Tripper said quietly. "I'll come with you."

"No, man," Hernandez said, "They'll tear you apart."

"He's right," Arynn added, "I don't want to see anyone else die down here. Only I can do this. Just stay here and wait for me."

Both soldiers agreed to the compromise. Deep down inside they didn't want to see someone that backed them up so many times during this nightmare, go on a suicide mission. They weren't sure if they would see her again. Tripper stood his ground with eyes keeping back emotions that he had always tried to hide.

Arynn walked down the stairs and towards Peter. A grand smile was forming on his deformed face.

"Welcome back, Residvius," He said as he grabbed her arm and drew her close to him. "The one thing about these beautiful, powerful machines…" he started as he dragged her down the aisle and the creature followed. "Is that, they are very obedient and observant. They are very clever."

The gates rose and at once Hernandez ran for the exit. Tripper hesitated. Hernandez looked back and paused.

"Look, man, don't worry about her. She can hold her own. We gotta worry about getting our asses out of here and to London Central Control."

"I don't care about that." Tripper said. "Ashford's gonna take Arynn's blood."

"What are you saying?" Hernandez asked sternly.

Tripper didn't respond.

"What…the f*** are you saying, Joe?" Hernandez questioned getting up close to the man who stood a half inch taller than him. "It don't look like you're saying what I wanna hear right now."

"Eddie," Tripper said, "go to the roof and take everyone to Central. I'm staying here."

"No you're not. We gotta get back to Washington." the Latino soldier commanded.

"Look," Tripper said getting in Hernandez's face, "I'm not gonna let her die down here! Without Arynn, we have no evidence against the Pharmaceutical triad. She's living proof that Tricell is going to develop T-OR!"

"Alright. Fine, man." Hernandez replied taking a step back. "But I gotta get Page to the top; I'll come back for you guys."

"Thanks," Tripper replied as he rushed down the stairs and darted among the empty tanks.

"What's wrong with these people?" Hernandez said to himself as he ran up the stairs and towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Wait," whispered Page. Hernandez stopped immediately. "Go with him," She said.

"What?" the soldier said as he laid Page's fragile body on the platform.

"You heard me, American…" she coughed.

"No, Tripper can handle himself out there. He's taken on worse." The soldier replied.

"He hasn't dealt with Stalkers before." Page said as she strained to get up. "Stalkers aren't anything like Lickers or Gandharvas. They are different."

"How different are we talking?" Hernandez asked.

"Think of it this way," the young woman strained to say, "a Licker can strangle you with its tongue-gouge out your face. Gandharva can tear yea apart-eat 'cha piece by piece. But a Stalker can get to yea before you take step-decapitate your limbs in seconds and devour yea clear off the floor."

"Are you sh******* me?" Hernandez replied gulping at the thought of those things eating people whole.

"Like I said before, don't let 'em touch you…" the young woman whispered.

Hernandez attempted to pick her up but she refused and pushed him away. "I don't need yea help…" she whispered.

"Here then, take this," the soldier offered. He gave her his knife in hopes that she would use it. She responded with a withered smile and watched as he walked down the stairs and sprinted after Tripper.

"I'll meet yea there soon…" Page said.

Hernandez paused. There was no way that she could join him in her condition. Must be the shock, he said to himself. He readied his shotgun and followed the aisle.