Author's Note: Just so everyone is clear, Ms. Green's name is pronounced 'Sah-lean' not 'Say-lean', as in the salt mixed with water sense.
One: "Fallen Angel"
We stood there, locked eye-to-eye, myself waiting for her to start hollering how 'I turned her into this abomination' and how 'everything is my fault' and how she planned on 'killing every single one of us godless creatures'. You know. Typical egomaniac banter. But I can say with all honesty, I was a bit shocked when she flipped the gun around and motioned me to take it.
"Take the gun, Doctor." She told me after I hesitated. I took a few seconds to size her up. What was her angle? Did she want me to kill her... or what? After another nudge to take it, I did. "What I have to ask of you, Doctor, is going to be a bit weird at first, but I ask you stick with me, and hear me through." She paused. "Will you do that?"
"Why not. I'm the one with the gun now." She motioned me to have a seat, which I did. "Okay, Saline. Ball's in your court. What's this thing about what you have to ask of me?"
"It started six weeks ago. I lead a... culling mission to the city of Texarkana, on the Texas\Arkansas border. It started off routine enough, we had everything to the science we trained with. But... about forty minutes into the mission, I got separated from the rest of my group, finding myself alone in a back alley. I was attacked by a single Infected, who managed to bite me before I killed it. At first, since I saw no immediate effects, I believed I was immune, a feeling reinforced by my three weeks of having no ill-effects from the bite. The wound sealed, and I thought nothing of it. Until one night three weeks ago. I went to have a shower before bed, and when I stripped, I had noticed this black, blotchy spot on my shoulder.
"My first thought was skin cancer, so I went to the doctor, who told me to take some antibiotics for it, and be done with it. Well... needless to say, the antibiotics didn't work, and the blotch spread and grew. Pretty soon, I had six small ones on my body, and this one had grown to an abnormal size. I then noticed this..." She rolled her left sleeve up, revealing her entire arm was covered in the same carapace-like material, small spines had begun jutting from her inner arm bone. She removed her glove and showed me her hand. Her fingers had become almost entirely bone. They were thin, lanky, and minimalist. My eyebrow rose at this site. Was this the F.E.V. mutating again? Or something... worse?
"This, Doctor, was where I was bit." She circled a small mouth-like indent on her arm with her finger. "Lemme show you how far it's progressed..." She began undressing, pulling her pants and jacket off, slipping her undershirt off her shoulders. I looked her over. The carapace-like material had spread to all of her left leg, beginning about mid-thigh, her entire right arm up to the shoulder was consumed with the carapace, and her entire back was black as night.
"Jesus Christ in a Handcart... I've NEVER seen that before in my life..." I muttered as she slowly turned around in a circle, showing me all angles. Another thing I noticed was the slight ridge she had running down her spine, almost like a row of spikes starting to form. She redressed, and covered her hands once more.
"Do you know what happens to members of the EFH who succumb to the F.E.V., Doctor?" I shook my head. "They're eviscerated, and then drawn and quartered. It's slow and painful, trust me. I have one favor to ask of you, Doctor..." She took hold of my unoccupied hand and dropped to both her knees, begging. "Get me the hell out of here! If they find me, they'll murder me... I can't take that."
"A Revenant-Killer asking a Revenant for help. The irony is not lost on me." I muttered idly.
"Yea... I'm asking for your help. I'm in a lot of trouble here, Doctor... please... if nothing else, put aside what we are... a pre-" She sighed. "A once-pretty woman is asking for your help. Please, Doctor..."
"You've gone through the trouble in abducting me to ask for my help, so intelligence dictates I assume you have some kind of plan, other then go out guns blazing." I muttered as Saline stood.
"I do. And it's so simple, those morons who follow the EFH could execute it. Here's the plan. You take me hostage, free your friends, and make your escape on one of the helicopters."
"Oh, that simple, huh? So, how do you suggest I do that?"
"Take the gun, put your arm around my neck, and use me as a hostage. Have you never seen a police movie before?"
"No. I play video games. What's to say they won't just shoot through you to get at me?"
"Because I'm still in command, Doctor. I can tell them to do what I like, and as long as I breath, I command them."
"Why can't you just command them to let you leave?"
"No one is to leave the base unless under direct orders from headquarters. Orders I don't have. I've done a lot of thinking, Doctor, and this is the only option. So... will you help me?" She asked. Motioning her to turn around, I put my free, gunless hand around her neck.
"Little word of warning, Saline. I'm an actor by choice, so anything I say I'll do... probably a good bet I will." She nodded at my order. "Now. Be a good little girl..." I turned to face the door, training the gun on the metal door. "And start screaming." She did so, calling for the guards as loud as she could. The door opened seconds later as the two guards from before came in. I fired once, the bullet finding one of the guard's foreheads.
"Don't move!" I commanded to the living guard, who stopped mid stride, gun trained on me. "Listen to me, buddy, or I plug you a good one, too." He didn't budge. "I want you to slowly take the clip out of that gun, and put the clip, nice and slow, into your beautiful commander's right jacket pocket. Slowly, now." His eyes darted from me, to Saline. The woman gave him a nod, her breathing labored. The soldier took a few steps forward, and unloaded the weapon, putting the ammo in Saline's jacket. "Good man. Now. Gimme her the gun, nice and slow." I placed the barrel of the pistol, making sure my finger was nowhere near the trigger, to Saline's head. "Now, listen up, honey. I want you to hold onto the nice man's gun for my friends when we bust them out. No funny business, just be a dear, and hold it." She gave another nod, this one to me. "Good girl. Do it." I commanded the guard. He handed her the gun.
"Good man. Now, have a seat in that chair, and be nice and still while I leave." I walked out the door, pushing Saline along and using my foot under the dead guard's shoulder to drag him out of the doorway. Closing the door, I looked around. Only one other guard in the hall. He reacted when he saw me, training his weapon on me. "Don't even think about it." I grumbled to him, pressing the pistol to Saline's head again. "You even flinch wrong, and I repaint this hallway with her brain." I noticed Saline starting to sweat out of the corner of my eye. Either she's a good actor, or she's getting hot in this hallway, or she was really nervous.
"Commander... what do I do?" He asked her, standing his ground, gun pointed at me.
"The hell kind of question is that? Do what he says!"
"That's what I like to hear. Alright, listen well. Who has the keys to these cells?"
"I do. Why?" He continued, not even moving.
"I want you to hand your dear Commander the keys to the cells. Slowly, and keep that gun pointed in a safe direction." He shuffled forward, his gun never moving. Reaching into a pocket with one hand, he pulled the ring of keys out, and handed them to Saline. "Now..." I watched him intently. He had the look of someone who was willing to be a hero. His trigger fingers started to twitch slightly, a sign he was gonna try something.
"Don't." I spoke to him, trying not to kill anyone else today. "Don't do it, man. Shit ain't worth your life." He didn't listen to me. He fired a short burst, which grazed Saline on her arm, and missed me. I reacted by firing at him, the shot hitting his shoulder dead on, the impact knocking him to the ground. "If you know what's good for you, you won't get up. I will shoot you again." I told him. He struggled, but didn't stand. "Good man. Slide your gun to me, would ya kindly?" He did so, probably in so much pain he didn't want to move. Tapping Saline on the shoulder, I nudged her. "Grab that gun, and unload it." She did so, slowly, making no sudden movements. She was good. She placed the clip with the others, and held onto the gun.
"If you can, crawl into that cell." I told the other guard, who struggled into the cell. "Lock the door, Saline." She did. Turning around, I drug Saline away from the door. I leaned close to her ear and whispered. "Where are the others being held?"
"Two floors down." She responded equally quiet. She seemed unphazed by the shootings earlier. Backpeddling towards the elevator, I kept my gun trained on the way I wasn't going, keeping an eye out behind me. Elbowing the button, I waited until the door opened, no one inside, and entered.
"Any cameras here?"
"No." Saline responded. I let go of her. She rubbed her neck. "Your grip is tight."
"Sorry. Have to make it look real. And I can't baby you to do that." She nodded an understanding nod. The elevator went down with good speed. When it stopped, I shrugged, and wrapped my arm back around the woman. The second the door opened, I spied two guards from down the hall. They, apparently, noticed me too.
"Halt!" One shouted.
"You first! Don't move, or I'll give the lady here a Bullet Lobotomy." I continued, pressing the gun again to her head, finger near, but not on, the trigger. "I'm looking for the people who came in with me, where are they?" I demanded. None of them answered. "Look, tell me where they are, or I'm gonna start shooting, starting with you two."
"Don't be idiots, just tell him!" Saline called, both hands on my arm.
"They're in these cells. We're under orders not to let anyone pass."
"Well. I'm breaking these orders. Take the ammo out of your guns, and put them in Saline's jacket pocket." I ordered. "Go on. Do it." The hesitated, shifting where they stood, looking at each other. "Okay, lemme make it easier for you." I fired, shooting the left guard in the head, killing him instantly. "You. Unload your gun, then your buddy's, and put the ammo in her jacket pocket, or round three finds it's way into YOUR skull." He put both hands up, pulled the ammo clip from the MP5 and dropped the gun, doing the same with the other. He staggered over to Saline, opened her jacket, and slipped the two clips in with the older ones.
"Now, open the cells."
"I don't have a key." He answered. With my restraining hand, I took the keys from Saline and gave them to him.
"Now you do. Open the cells." He nodded, sweat pouring from his brow, and hastily opened the cell doors. "Now, get who's in, out." He nodded again, and walked in, pulling Emma and Christian from within.
"Jake!" Emma smiled as she saw us, coming out holding Christian's hand, as he was still probably half blind.
"Heya, Emma. Glad to see you. Commander, be a dear, and give one of those nice, new MP5's to Emma, would you?" She held her hand out, holding one of the guns to her. "She's got ammo in her jacket pocket, Emma. Take some, but leave some for Sarah. You." I turned my attention to the guard as Emma took two clips from Saline's jacket. "Where's Sarah?"
"Next cell over..." He muttered, taking a few steps back, his eyes locked with mine. Fumbling for the keyhole, he opened the door, and pulled Sarah out.
"Well, I'll be. The good Doctor has a pair, after all."
"I wouldn't leave you rotting in a cell, Sarah. Saline, be a dear and give her the other gun." Saline handed Sarah the other MP5 and the last two clips. Both Sarah and Emma loaded the weapons. "Now. You have any other ammo, my friend?"
"Just two spare clips... here..." He handed Sarah two spare clips, which she shared with Emma.
"Good man. Now. Hand Sarah the keys, and go into that cell. Hate for you to end up like your buddy." He nodded, and Sarah locked the man in the cell. Emma searched the fallen guard and pulled two more clips for her and Sarah.
"Where to now, Jake?" Emma asked, stuffing her spares into her pocket.
"There's a helicopter on the surface that'll take us home." I responded, searching the room for any more. "Okay, Saline. What's the fastest way to the Helicopter? Elevator, or something else?"
"The helicopters park on the roof of this building. You'll need to go up."
"If I let you go, you're not gonna try to do something silly, like run, are you?"
"No... no, I promise." I released her, and span her to face me. I gave her a quick pat down, and found two other pistol clips, which I stuffed into my lab coat.
"Now. Here's the deal, Saline. You're gonna walk in front of us. We're gonna be the ones with the guns. You do what I say, when I say, and I don't shoot you, okay?" She nodded, sweat still on her forehead. We all walked calmly for the elevator.
The surface was barren of all life, just dirt and concrete. There were two helicopters on landing pads up there, one was being fueled for something, and the other looked ready to fly.
"That one." Saline pointed to the closer copter. It was an MH-47D Chinook, a variant of the original Chinook introduced in the fifties. This particular model was equipped with several systems that made it a cut above other Chinook varieties, include a rappel system, and in-air refueling capacities. The MH-47D would easily hold up to fifty men, or any combination of cargo and men. This would serve our purpose well.
"Alright. Slow and steady, Saline. Slow and steady. Does it have auto-pilot?"
"It's got an Auto-Nav." She responded. Excellent. The Auto-Nav system was an improvement of the Auto-Pilot system most aircraft had. Using a system of advanced radars and scanners, it could navigate, on it's own, to any latitude and longitude location. Perfect.
"Does this base have any STA systems?"
"No... no Anti-Aircraft defenses." She muttered, stumbling over her words some. I nodded, nudging her forward with the gun. As we approached, I kept both eyes open for any trouble, but the surface looked rather clear. Trouble only occurred after we were aboard. The chosen helicopter was occupied by five men, but only two had guns. The other three looked to be maintenance crews.
"What the-" One of the crew spoke. I grabbed Saline again, using her as a shield, which I was pretty sure she was tired of by now.
"This is a hijack. We want the copter." I spoke, Emma and Sarah ready to fire. "It ain't worth your lives, man. Three of us, two of you. Weigh the odds." I spoke, trying to keep them from doing something stupid.
"What do you want, man?"
"Just the copter. If you get off, and don't shoot, you'll keep your lives." Sarah responded for me, probably not one for killing people either. Both armed men dropped their guns and slowly walked off. I took Saline to the cockpit.
"Make this thing fly." I ordered her, releasing her neck, but keeping the gun trained on her.
"Where?"
"Doesn't matter. Just get us off the ground. I'll see to the where once that's done." She nodded and started the helicopter. I waited outside, door open, as the hatch shut.
And like that, we escaped the EFH base. I kept my charade up on Saline until we were well out of the base's tracking ability. Both Saline and I laughed as we got away.
"Here's your gun back." I told her, handing her her pistol.
"Jake, what the hell?!" Emma shouted as she saw this. "You're just GIVING her her gun back!?"
"Yarp." I responded.
"You had me going, Doctor. I thought you were actually gonna shoot me. You're a good actor."
"Who said I was acting?" I asked. She stared, but laughed at the joke. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Why are they laughing? Why don't I get it?"
"Lemme explain..." I spoke, settling everyone down.
-One Explanation Later-
"...So, that's about it." I told Emma and Sarah, who seemed very confused at the whole thing.
"So... wait... lemme get this straight... she asked you to get her out of here... the Revenant-Killer asking a Revenant to help... Ironic." Sarah tried to understand it all.
"How do we know we can trust her?" Emma asked, keeping her weapon down, but in range.
"We don't, Emma. We don't. That's the beautiful thing."
"That's not beautiful, Jake. It's nuts. How do you know she's telling the truth?"
"Because, my dear Emma. She gave me the same look you give me all the time. A questioning look of 'what am I?', and the desire for knowledge and understanding. She genuinely wants to know what became of her, and I'm obliged to find out for her. Just like you want to know your past, she wants to know what turned her into this."
"Speaking of which..." Emma began. "There's something that's been bothering me for a time." She took a few steps towards me. "A while ago, you started to say that I'm 'no more a monster now then' but stopped. What did you mean?"
I sighed. I can't say I didn't see this coming, but I had wanted it to wait for a bit longer.
"Alright. I'll say this much. Emma isn't your real name, Emma. It's Melissa." I shut my eyes, and inhaled. "Melissa Cronson."
"WHAT?!" Sarah blurted out, the gun clattering to the ground. "Jake... you said... You said my sister was dead!"
"I did! And she is. In this weird... technical sense... If you two will wait for us to get back to Quarantine Zone Omega, I will be more then happy to explain it there. But... the rocking of this thing is making my train of thought into more of a... Bumper Car of Thought..." Saline unbuttoned her jacket. "And Saline's inability to keep her clothes on is not helping." I finished.
"What?" She muttered, taking the jacket off. "It's warm in this stupid thing."
-Quarantine Zone Omega: Some Time Later-
I woke, my head swimming, and the pain in my chest a prominent part of me now. The light above me was bright, straining my eyes after being unconscious for so long. I closed my eyes, averted them from the light, and groaned.
"Ah. You're awake. Good." Marie's voice came. Marie was Quarantine Zone Omega's stationed doctor, and was, even if she didn't look it, a Tank Revenant. Her slim, thin build was deceiving, but I've personally seen her punch down a steel door with no aid. "How are you, Trinsha? How's your head, and body?"
"I still hurt..." I muttered, coughing. "But other then that, I'm fine..."
"That cough sounds bad..."
"I'm a Smoker Revenant. Of course it sounds bad."
"Ah." Marie mused. "Forgot about that." She took my arm. "Alright, think you're ready to sit up some?"
"Yea..." She held one arm up, allowing me to sit. I swung my legs around the bed and sat in a hunched position. With my left hand, I rubbed my eyes. With my right, I rubbed my chest.
"You had a nasty stab wound a while ago, but I managed to patch you up. It was a clean hit, so you didn't loose anything stupid or vital. You drifted in and out of consciousness for the last day or so, but the EKG was pretty consistent."
"Where's Jake?"
"Gone. Left to clean the infected. Left about... two... three days ago..."
"Have we heard from him?"
"Last I heard was the signal to get underground. Which we did. Thankfully, you were stable enough to move at the time." There came the squeal from the PA system.
"Incoming helicopter. Markers indicate it as EFH. Security personnel should be on Elevated Alert Status."
"Helicopter? Quick... get me a crutch or something." I commanded, standing up, but not confident enough to walk under my own power. She handed me an oaken staff from the corner. I recognized it as the staff she used during her Role Play sessions with some of the other Revenants. Using the staff as a walking stick, I hobbled out of the medical room, and towards the surface.
I reached the concourse as the jet-black helicopter began to land, dust and leaves kicked up as the craft landed. Several of the Quarantine Zone guards, just survivors given weapons, not really military personnel, gathered around, weapons at the ready. The helicopter touched down and the blades addled to a stop. Who or what ever was in there took their sweet time to come out.
Minutes passed without so much of a peep from within. Finally, the door cracked open, and a head popped out. It was Jake's head.
"I say. If we come out, you're not going to shoot us, are you? That would be positively bollocks!" He spoke in a fake British accent. A HORRIBLE, fake British accent.
"Jake!" I called, hobbling over to him, happy he's alive.
"Hey, Gimpy. Miss me?" He smiled as I gave him a hug.
"Like you wouldn't believe. Who else is with you?" I smiled, hoping to see a big welcome home. I'd be sorely disappointed.
"Emma, Sarah, Christian, and someone we picked up." He opened the door as the aforementioned group filed out, stretching and walking about.
"Just... just you five?" I asked, my heart sinking. "What about Bill?"
"Bill didn't survive the crash."
"Louis? Coach? Ellis?" I continued.
"Louis and Coach died protecting me from the Infected. Ellis... died in the crash as well." I swallowed hard.
"Francis?" Jake closed his eyes, and took my hand.
"He also died protecting me." Deep down, I knew what had happened. To say I let Francis go and thought he'd come back would be foolish of me. We live in reality. There aren't always Hollywood Endings. "Trinny... I'm sorry." He saw me starting to cry, and hugged me, letting me know everything was alright.
"Trinsha..." Emma spoke, coming up from behind me. "He told me something... just before he died. It's a message for you." I began tearing up, my vision blurred and, be it from the pain in my abdomen, or pain in my heart, I couldn't tell if I was ever going to feel whole again. "He told me to tell you that he loves you very much. He wouldn't have sacrificed himself if he didn't believe in what Jake was doing." Opening up, I put one arm around Emma and pulled her into the embrace.
Jake was the first to pull away. He looked at me, just to be sure I'd be okay and, satisfied, gave me a loving pat on the shoulder, and faced Doctor Savage.
"Doctor, I need you to look at Christian's eyes. His left one is swollen shut, and I think his right might be lost."
"I'll get right to it." Marie responded, pulling Christian towards the medical area.
"Hey..." One of the guards spoke, looking at the other strange woman who came off the helicopter. "I recognize her! She's that... EFH woman who is always on the radio! Somethin'... somethin'... Somethin' Green... Can't remember."
"Saline." Jake responded. The guard snapped.
"Yea! Saline Green! You're supposed to be some kinda... anti-Revenant prophet... or somethin'."
" 'Or Something' is probably better terminology at the moment, Mark." Jake spoke to the guard. "As of this moment, Saline is no longer a member of the EFH. The F.E.V. saw to that." Saline rolled her sleeves up, her entire left arm engulfed in a black chitinous material. I gawked at it for a few seconds before recollecting myself.
"Great jeepus christ!" Emma sounded, staring at the woman's arms. I tried not to continue to stare, but I just couldn't help it. This was definitely a new evolution of the F.E.V.
"The F.E.V. is changing, Jake. Quickly." I muttered to him. He just rolled his eyes.
"Yea, yea, I know. It is the Forced EVOLUTIONARY Virus. Evolution is coded into it's structure, so it really doesn't surprise me. BUT, I propose DISSECTION! For science!" Saline, Emma, myself, and Marie, who was still in earshot, glared at Jake, who smiled, interlinked his fingers behind his head and smiled. "Not... literally, anyways. I just wanna... take you to my lab... run a few tests... harmless... totally harmless..." He chuckled, I could have sworn a few sweat drops ran down his face. He snatched Saline's chitinous arm, and started to take large strides towards his lab. "Come on, Saline. We're late. For a very important date."