Sam woke with a high-pitched ringing in her ear. It was almost like the sound of old television sets made when they are first turned on. It's so high you can barely hear it, but your head seems to be able to feel it instead. Her first breath filled her lungs with musty warm air, decay, and blood. She opened her eyes a crack. Three separate forms spun above her head. As Sam opened her eyes further, she found herself in a narrow airshaft leading to the air purifying system. Above her, three large fans spun around in the shaft. Dim lights connected to the wall gave the shaft dismal lighting, but enough for Sam to see her surroundings.
A rustling behind her told Sam she wasn't alone. There was a strange wet sound from behind her. Sam slowly turned her head above the grated floor. Her body froze when she found herself staring at the back of an Imp. It was crouching on the ground, eating the flesh from some person's leg. Sam closed her eyes tight, trying not to vomit. She took a deep breath and turned her head from it. She opened her eyes once more, hoping to block out the sound of the Imp's feeding, and looked around again. She spotted a ladder mounted to the wall not fifteen feet from her. Sam followed the ladder with her eyes up the wall. It passed each fan system and led up into a small vent duct.
Sam took a quiet breath and rose from the floor. She watched the Imp as she climbed to her feet and started backing towards the ladder. Her hand stumbled upon the ladder. Sam grabbed it tightly, like she was holding onto her savior. She turned to the ladder and began climbing up it every so quietly. She slipped through the opened beside the first fan when her boot slipped off the bar. Her foot slammed onto the next bar, sending an echoing thump through the shaft. Sam felt her heart stop. She took a risk and looked down.
The Imp was looking up at her, staring at her through the blades of the spinning fan. Its face twisted into a snarl, baring its teeth at her. It dropped the leg and rose from the ground.
"Shit!" Sam turned her head from the Imp and started climbing up the ladder. She didn't care about making noise anymore, just escape from the Imp's reach. She ignored the aches throughout her body by forcing herself up the ladder. Below her, Sam could hear the Imp screaming after her.
The Imp leapt beneath Sam and lashed at her leg. Sam screamed as the claws ripped at her flesh. The Imp leapt again and grabbed her leg. Its claws tore at her leg, trying to pull her down. Sam gasped as the Imp tried to pull her from the ladder. Her hands gripped the ladder tight, turning her knuckles white.
Suddenly a gun echoed through the shaft. Sam looked up to see Vera standing on the top grate, aiming her pistol at the. She fired again, the second bullet ricochet off the lower vent cover. The shots drew the attention from the Imp. Sam took the chance and kicked with her free foot. She slammed her foot down on the Imp's hand and face, kicking it down to the floor.
"Move it Sam!" Vera yelled.
Sam looked up at Vera and started climbing once more. Her leg screamed in pain as the blood rolled down her leg. She booked it up the ladder not wanting to risk a look down. Metal groaned beside her as she reached the second fan. Sam turned to see the Imp trying to pull itself through the slow moving fan blades. Sam let out a started gasp and moved up the ladder.
"Just climb, Sam!" Vera ordered. She walked out on the rib that held the fan. She aimed her pistol at the Imp and watched the fan move. She fired through the fan. The bullet ricochet off the fan only inches from the Imp. The Imp watched floor and then turned its head up at Vera, snarling.
Sam hurried up the ladder, watching the Imp out of the corner of her eye. It didn't seem interested with her at the moment, but with Vera. Sam reached the third fan and slipped through the hole. She turned to Vera, who was still out on the fan's ridge. Vera looked at Sam and started moving, but the Imp snarled and lashed out at her. Vera stopped in her tracks and looked to Sam.
"Get into the vents and go!" Vera ordered.
Sam shook her head. "I'm not leaving you."
"Just go!" Vera ordered.
Sam slowly climbed into the vent, keeping her eyes on Vera. She looked down at the Imp, trying to kill her. Sam looked around quickly. Something had to be done or the Imp would kill Vera. She spotted a metal box on the wall near her. Sam climbed out of the vent and reached for the box.
"What are you doing?" Vera demanded.
"Shoot at it!" Sam ordered. She opened the box. The fan speed switch stood out from the others.
Vera looked at the Imp and fired through the fan. She missed completely, but it angered the Imp. It crouched low and leapt at her. Sam flipped the switch, triggering a full power surge through the fan. The blades sped up instantly as the Imp leapt between the blades. The blades sliced through the Imp's body, sending blood splattering onto the walls of the shaft. Sam powered down the fan, exhaling deeply.
Vera looked to Sam. The Imp's blood covered most of her body and face. But she smiled and nodded nonetheless. "Good thinking."
Sam smiled back.
Vera walked along the ridge of the frame towards Sam. She noticed the blood running down her leg. "Dammit." Vera knelt down beside Sam and inspected the wound. It was fairly deep, but she would survive. Sam winced as Vera prodded it. "We need to dress this fast."
"We need to find John." Sam said.
Vera looked up at Sam. "You think he's alive?"
Sam nodded. "Yes."
Vera pressed the bottom of her comm. "John do you copy? Over."
She waited but there was no response.
"John, it's Vera. Do you copy? Over?" Vera repeated. She looked to Sam. "No response.
"That doesn't mean he's dead." Sam replied stubbornly.
Vera smirked. She took out her comm. "Horoshyee. Take this, and let's go."
Sam crawled into the dark tunnel. Vera crawled in behind her. The tunnel was completely dark and the light from behind was quickly fading.
"I can't see anything." Sam whispered.
Vera reached onto her hip and pulled out the penlight. She flicked it on and tapped Sam. "Here. And take this too." She passed him Reaper's pistol.
Sam took the light and the pistol and continued through the vent. The vent was small, almost two and a half feet wide. Never had Vera been thankful for her small size, but now that it could be saving her life, Vera would gladly stay in her small frame.
"We need to find our way back to the store room." Vera whispered. "Do you know the way?"
"If we can get out of the vent, maybe." Sam answered.
From behind came a low grow. Vera stopped and looked behind. She couldn't see anything in the dark, but the sound and her instincts told her something was coming up on them.
"Sam, next vent you find, we get out." Vera ordered.
Sam turned back around and crawled through the vent. Her leg ached as she dragged it through the vent. She ran her light over the base of the vent, searching for a cover to a room below them. The growl behind them grew louder.
"Now, Sam." Vera urged.
Sam spotted a vent several feet from them. She crawled quickly and popped open the vent. Sam quickly looked into the room, checking for the infected. "Clear."
"Go."
Sam dropped out of the vent headfirst. She managed to catch herself on the desk below her before her legs dropped out. Sam kicked her legs around the desk and somewhat managed to stay on her feet. "Vera."
Vera climbed out headfirst. Her hands grabbed the edge of the vent and she swung her legs out. Vera touched the ground and straightened up.
Suddenly the head of an Imp broke through the vent cover. It lashed out its tongue, wrapping it around Vera's neck. The Imp reeled its tongue up into the vent, lifting Vera off the ground with quick speed. Vera dropped her gun and grabbed the tongue. She gasped for air as the Imp lifted her off the ground.
Sam raised her gun but she couldn't see the Imp from the vent. She looked around the desk and found a large pair of scissors. Sam grabbed the scissors and forced them around the tongue. She gripped the tightly and closed them, severing the tongue. Vera dropped onto the desk, gasping for air. The tongue fell from her neck and onto the ground. Beside the tongue fell most of Vera's white hair.
Gasping, Vera ran her hand over her throat, searching for an infected point. Finding nothing, she ran her finger through what remained of her hair. It fell just inches below her neck. A small price to pay for her survival.
"You okay?" Sam asked.
Vera nodded. "Yeah. Let's keep moving." She hopped off the desk and retrieved her pistol.
They jogged to the door. The Imp screamed in the vent above them. It ripped at the opening, trying to fit through. The door opened to the corridors in the facility. Vera stepped out first. She saw no Imps or walking dead, just dead bodies lying on the floor. Sam followed her out into the corridor.
"We need to lose that Imp before we find John." Vera explained. They started down the corridor. They could still hear the Imp falling from the vent into the office they'd left. They quickened their speed, trying to move ahead of the Imp.
They rounded the corner. Vera stopped quickly, causing Sam to run into her. "Get back." She whispered.
Sam moved back around the wall. Vera leaned beside her. "What was it?"
"Big one. Maybe the one that took Pinky." Vera explained.
"Did it see you?"
Vera shook her head. "Doesn't sound like it."
Sam looked down the corridor. "The little one's coming down the hall."
"I know." Vera replied.
Sam looked around the corner and saw the larger Imp. Its head was turned from her. Sam turned back to the corridor where the smaller Imp was coming through. Sam looked at her hand; she still held the scissors from the office. Sam threw the scissor around the corner, hitting the larger Imp.
"What the hell are you doing?" Vera demanded.
"Shh." Sam said. She pushed Vera into the closet and closed the door.
The large Imp stormed past them. It reached the smaller Imp, thinking it had thrown the scissors at him. The larger one snarled and swung its claw at the small Imp. The small Imp growled in response and avoided the larger claws.
"You're a genius." Vera whispered. They eased out of the closet and moved around the corner, leaving the Imps to fight.
"We have to get downstairs. The Ark chamber's on the lowest floor." Sam whispered.
"Are there any stairs or elevators nearby?" Vera asked.
Sam nodded. "Take a left at the next junction."
Vera led the way down the hall. Her pistol tight in her hand. She glanced back to Sam every few seconds to ensure her safety. They stepped over bodies and listened for the half-changed creatures. Vera slowed and eased herself to the corner. She turned her head and looked around. There was a small group of half-changed feeding on pile of bodies. Vera turned back around the corner. As she did, she nearly ran into Sam, who was looking around the corner.
"John?" Sam whispered.
Vera looked back around the corner again. If Reaper was out there, he'd find them easily, and kill them with just as much ease. But she inspected the group. She saw one of the uniforms that looked similar to hers. Thankfully it wasn't. Vera shook her head. "It's not him."
Sam moved from the corner and leaned against the wall. That may not have been John, but what if he had changed like them? What if we was hunting through the corridors, hunting them? Sam shook her head. She couldn't think that way.
"Where's the elevator?" Vera whispered.
Sam pointed. "There."
Vera tilt her head to look around the other corner. She could see the doors of the empty shaft. A man's body lay in between the doors of the shaft. The doors closed and reopened as they hit his body.
"The elevators not there but the shaft doors are opened." Vera explained. She pulled her cartridge from her gun and checked her bullets. "Odin. Shit." She slammed her mag back in.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked.
Vera turned to Sam. "I've only got one shot. And I'm out of clips."
Sam held up Reaper's gun. "What about this?"
Vera took Reaper's gun and checked the mag. She smiled. "Eight. It's not a lot, but it's better than one. Where are the stairs?"
Sam took Vera's gun. "Past them."
Vera sighed. "So it's the shaft or the dead."
"Nine bullets in two guns." Sam shook her head. "I'm not a Marine, but I'd say those are shitty odds."
Vera smirked. "Yeah." She paused. "Try the comm."
Sam frowned from a moment but remember the comm Vera had given her. She put it to her ear and pressed the center button. "John?" She waited for a moment, but no answer came. Sam took the piece from her ear and shook her head.
There was a sudden sharp snort from around the corner. Vera turned her head, but didn't look around. The half changed rose from the ground, slowly making their way towards the corridor.
"We move for the shaft." Sam said.
Vera looked over her shoulder at Sam. She opened her mouth to say something, but the look on Sam's face cut her off. "You know, if you weren't John's sister, I'd say you're insane. We go fast and together. Ready?"
Sam nodded.
Vera looked back at the corner. "Go!"
They both rounded the corner. The half-changed screamed and raced after them. Vera ran backwards toward the shaft. She fired two shots, managing to hit one in the head. Vera turned around and focused on reaching the shaft. Sam leapt over the dead body and into the shaft. She grabbed onto the cables and started sliding down them. Vera leapt into the shaft and grabbed the cables. She'd slid beneath the floor of the doors when the half-changed leapt into the shaft. They hit the wall, unable to grab onto the cables and fell.
Vera exhaled when she heard the impact below them. "Well that was fun."
Sam looked up at her. "Now what?"
Vera looked around the shaft. She spotted the emergency ladder several feet from her. She bit her lip, the distance wasn't promising, but there was no way she and Sam could slide down the cables safely. "I've got an idea."
Vera held onto the cables with her legs and one hand. She stretched out her body, reaching for the ladder. But after several minutes of reached, Vera relaxed. The ladder was too far. Vera shook her head. Her legs and hands were aching; she could only imagine how Sam was feeling. They had to reach the ladder.
"Sam, I'm going to try something." Vera said.
"What?" Sam asked.
Vera swallowed. "You're just going to have to trust me."
Sam said nothing but nodded.
Vera readied herself. She turned part of body towards the ladder while still holding onto the cables. Vera took a deep breath and leapt from the cables. She fell through the air like a chimp in a tree. Vera's hand found the rim of the ladder and held on. Her body slammed into the wall, but her grip held. Vera grabbed onto the bar and heaved herself onto the ladder. She looked up toward Sam. She'd fallen at least five feet before she'd caught the rim.
"Sam, you're gonna have to jump." Vera said.
Sam shook her head. "I can't make it."
"Yes you can." Vera replied.
Sam shook her head.
"Sam how much longer can you hold onto those cables?" Vera asked. "Not much longer. You have to jump."
Sam was still unsure.
Vera reached out and unclipped her belt. "Sam, slide down to my level."
Sam eased her grip on the cables. Her hands burned as she slid to Vera's level.
Vera tossed out her belt toward Sam. Sam caught the belt with one hand. "Okay. When I count to three, let go of the wall and hold on tight to this."
Sam nodded.
"One...two...three!" Vera called.
Sam let go of the cables and swung toward the ladder. She managed to grab the rim as Vera did, but her body still slammed into the wall. Sam groaned, but she held on.
"You okay?" Vera asked.
Sam looked up. "Yeah. Thanks."
Vera reattached her belt and started climbing down with Sam. It was slow, but they were moving at least. Vera's hands shook from adrenaline as she gripped the bars. Her right side ached from the collision with the wall. Her left side of her chest was slightly constricted but not too severally. Her cheeks stung as her sweat rolled down her open wounds. Below her, Sam eased her way down the ladder. Her hands stung from the cable burns. Her leg ached from the claw marks. Her entire body ached from one adrenaline rush after another. But she kept climbing down.
They'd nearly reached the bottom when a familiar growl echoed through the shaft. Sam and Vera looked down. One of the half-changed was still alive, if you can call them living. It snarled below at them. Its comrades were all dead on the elevator roof. It stood at a limp with its leg crippled. Blood gurgled from the corners of its mouth. Despite its physical state, it crouched low, reached to leap at them.
Vera reached for her pistol, but the dead leapt first. It soared up at them and grabbed Vera. It ripped her from the wall. Vera reached out, grabbing the cables. They slowed her fall but only slightly. She hit the elevator roof with a painful collision. The air was knocked from her lungs and the shaft spun around her.
The dead looked down at Vera and then back up at Sam. It growled and crouched again. Vera pulled out her weapon as it took off. She fired before it reached Sam. The dead hit Sam, knocking her from the ladder Sam fell onto the elevator roof, but her collision was less impacting than Vera's. She looked to Vera, only to see she wasn't looking back at her. Vera's eyes were looking behind Sam. Sam slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder.
"Hello ladies." Sarge said.
minor alterations again.
Note: yes Mira turned to Vera. It will remain that way throughout the rest of the fanfic. I did that to show that it's not a mission anymore, it's survival. plus Vera is cooler sounding than Mira.
translations
Horoshyee good