Zone 10: Project Genesis
Chapter 2
Amy's POV, R.R.T.S headquarters, General Hoffer's office, 5:00pm.
General Hoffer got the door to his office as I stepped beyond him to see his well decorated quarters. Medals were placed along the walls and plaques by the tens that all showed his career.
As I looked around I felt his hands gently begin to urge me to a small seat in front of his desk.
"Miss Rose I won't pretend to know what happened on Zone 10, but I would like to understand."
Nodding my head as he sat down I stated.
"The lieutenant was a little dramatic with everything and I apologize General. He's just a little shell shocked with losing the Captain and his team."
Nodding behind his desk the General replied.
"Cruz was an astonishing team Captain. His life was dedicated to R.R.T.S and I never saw a man like him take control of a squad and bring them in as family. His role throughout the years as team leader made him what he was today. It's hard to believe he's gone."
Looking into his eyes I replied.
"I could see how this all must be a lot to take in. Losing men must be a hard trouble for you as a commander."
Nodding, General Hoffer looked to me and replied.
"It's not like I can say I feel what Shadow feels right now. I lost maybe a tops of two men during my time as a team leader, but not once have I lost everyone in my unit. I think it's best for his sake he gets a full psychiatric workup. I'm worried that this may be too much on him."
Looking to the blood on my hands I replied while wiping them off.
"He's not crazy General. He's confused."
"How so?" He wondered calmly as I looked back into his eyes.
"The reality. Losing the men he has served with for how long?" I wondered as he quickly replied.
"Almost three years now."
Nodding I went on.
"For the past three years he's been side by side with them. I don't know if you know this General but Shadow has no family back home."
The General looked surprised as I continued.
"No mother. No father. No one left in his life to call his own. And losing the only people he ever knew to be that close has, in a way, given him a reality check. He's lost we can all see it. But he's not crazy. He just needs to get back on track."
"So what do you suggest Miss Rose?" He wondered as I gave it some thought.
After some silent seconds, I look back up into his eyes to reply.
"I recommend he gets transferred to a new unit. Give him some time and I can see him forgetting about all this."
Nodding very slowly the General then questioned to me.
"I still don't understand the situation yet Miss Rose."
"What's to understand?" I asked in confusion as his head immediately went off to shout at me.
"How did all my men get killed on that planet!?"
With widened eyes he stared deeply at me as I hesitated to the question.
Sensing my confusion to his tone, Hoffer calmly recollected himself to say.
"I'm sorry. But losing seven of the best special forces operatives I had has gotten to me."
"I understand." I stated as he nodded to himself.
"I have two teams securing the VEX headquarters as we speak. What will they find there Miss Rose?" He asked politely as I gulped down some nervousness.
After collecting myself I replied.
"Like the lieutenant said General, everyone that worked there is dead."
In the need to understand the General then asked.
"So my delta team? The scientists I sent them to retrieve? And all the workers? They're all gone?"
In fear, I nodded towards the man as he lowered his head.
In confusion he then asked.
"How? No bullshit! Start from the beginning. I want to know what went wrong when Captain Cruz arrived with the lieutenant and the others."
Looking back into his eyes I started the nightmare for him with one simple sentence.
"The power needed to be restored."
Flashback, Shadow's POV, Access door, Zone 10.
"What's the threat in there Miss Rose?" Asked the Captain taking the mood off me as she looked back at him.
"Unknown Captain. All I can say is that the breach originated in genetics."
"You have nothing?" I questioned as she looked at me slowly.
"No."
"What about cameras? You have to have some eyes in there." I stated as she nodded.
"We use to before the breach."
"What does that have to do about it?" I questioned as she quickly replied.
"The lock-down shuts down the power which in return shuts off the cameras. So as I said before, we have nothing on what happened in there. You and your team are going in blind."
End of flashback.
The General sat in his chair edged up peacefully as I stated.
"We had no idea what was in there."
In confusion Hoffer questioned.
"You said you and the other scientists made this thing though? How did you not know and inform my men the second they arrived?"
Shaking my head I replied.
"At the time of the breach I had no idea what was going on General. I wasn't even in the sector when it occurred. On top of that I wasn't working on that project. I was assigned to do testing in the hydroponics section of the facility. It was unknown to me at the time what was in genetics with the others. I only found out later. And by then it was too late."
"What happened?" Asked Hoffer in concern as I replied.
Flashback, Reaper's POV, Hydroponics, Zone 10.
I waited in the darkness, surrounded by only plants and mulch. The only thing I could hear was my own breath. And as I waited patently by myself, I heard from my comm.
"Reaper, come in." It was the lieutenant.
"I'm here." I stated quietly as he asked.
"How's hydroponics?"
Taking another look around the room, I replied.
"It's a ghost town."
"You find the breakers?" He asked next as I heard from the other end of the room.
"Smash!"
Immediately I grabbed my rifle and aimed across the room to see one of the vases had fallen from it's shelf.
"Reaper?" Said the lieutenant as I took a step forward; towards the pile of dirt and broken shards.
As my feet came in contact with the dirt, I aimed up on the shelf where the vase had fallen from and gently moved my hand in to try and find whatever caused it.
As I pushed aside another vase, I widened my eyes to see something white moving.
Gently I began to move the vase to find it to be a small rat.
The rat was trying to find a way out of the maze of vases and gently I went back to my comm.
"Lieutenant, you there?"
"What's going on Reaper?" He asked in concern as I chuckled slightly.
"Just got startled is all sir."
"By?" Questioned Shadow as I smiled and replied.
"A rat."
As soon as the words left my mouth, I panicked to hear the sounds of footsteps come from my left.
Immediately I grabbed my rifle with one hand and aimed to see the door to the office close.
Slowly, I lowered my comm to grab complete hold of my weapon.
I stopped outside the door to the office with my gun held high, and slowly I reached for the knob with my left hand.
As my hand gripped the cold steel, I slowly pushed my weapon in and then my body.
My eyes focused on my light and as I aimed it about the first room, I looked out the window to my right that led back into the main greenhouse.
Seeing nothing, I turned back to aim at the next door that I knew would take me into a dead end.
Whatever was in here, was going to be in that room.
Sweat ran down my head as I neared the door, and taking a deep breath, I grabbed the nob and slowly opened it to find it empty.
My eyes and my light moved across the room in confusion and as I stood there in loss, I realized the blood that was on the floor had something in it leading to me.
In concern, I aimed my light down to see what looked to be footsteps.
My breath left my body in a slow pace as I noticed they were not human.
Fear engulfed me as I realized this, and as I went to look up I felt the quills on my neck move.
My eyes widened as a warm breath hit me roughly from behind, and in nothing but fear, did I remain perfectly still.
My ears twitched as I listened to it breathe. It was huge.
Very slowly, I grabbed my weapon, and in a complete shaking turn, did I look back to see it staring at me with deep yellow eyes.
End of flashback.
"Reaper was the first to see it." I stated as the General slowly asked.
"Saw what?"
Looking into his eyes I replied.
"Project 23."
Our eyes locked as I explained.
Flashback, Shadow's POV, Med bay, VEX headquarters, Earth.
"What I'm going to tell you doesn't leave this room. Got it?" She asked in all seriousness as I slowly nodded.
Getting herself together, I watched as she took her care to look at Kid.
"This infection was not made. It was not found. It just existed according to Dr. Hemer and what we were able to find throughout the course of this excavation."
Amy got comfortable next to Kid as I remained standing alone in the center of the room.
"That thing that killed your men isn't an alien. It was made, as I already explained to you before."
"Made how?" I asked in confusion as she got herself ready for the explanation.
"Zone 10 is a secret for a reason, and a research facility for another. We get the best equipment and the best staff around the world to make sure the job we are assigned gets done to the best of our abilities. And when I say we get the best equipment I mean we get anything we need. Including bodies." Stated Amy as I gave her a look of loss.
"Bodies?" I questioned as she nodded.
"Convicts to be precise. Men and women who were sentenced for life in prison or death. No one cared how they died, so they sent some of them here to help us with projects that needed test subjects."
"You experimented on people?!" I stated in anger as she whispered.
"Shhhhh! Shut up! Do you want to hear the rest or not Shadow!?" She questioned in anger as I went silent in my own form of anger.
As I fell quiet Amy continued on.
"Yes, we tested on people Shadow. It had to be done. They were a waste of space on this planet anyway. They had no rights left to live. So we took the steps needed to make sure they paid for their crimes in full. Be it an instant or slow death." Stated Amy as I got my sensible side to return for some questions.
"So that thing is a human being?" I wondered in disgust as Amy nodded.
"David Chester was his name before Dr. Hemer turned him into what you are seeing now."
"And what is he now besides a monster?" I questioned as she stared on at me as if everything she did was right.
"Besides an abomination? He's a genetic marvel. Years of work and history itself is what he is, but beyond that is what the infection caused to happen to his brain. He has no intelligence, no main set anymore in the meaning of having a life to care about. He is only going off the one thing he knows he needs to do."
"And that is?" I questioned as she looked down to Kid.
"Survive."
End of flashback.
With confusion all around, the General questioned.
"NASA gave you the right to experiment on living test subjects?"
Nodding I replied.
"Yes sir."
"Why?" He asked in confusion as I replied quickly.
"Zone 10 is known mainly for it's dig. But what most fail to understand is that the advancing demands for better medical care and the other needs of the people to date today, Zone 10 can be used to do things off the books, so to speak."
"So you took convicts and did what exactly?" He wondered as I calmly replied.
"Altered them. Physically, mentally, every way possible in the name of science."
"This is outrageous Miss Rose." Stated Hoffer as I shook my head.
"No sir, it's necessary."
I swear he now looked at me as if I was the devil. It was the same look Shadow first gave me when I told him.
In utter loss for words General Hoffer slowly asked.
"So this thing? It's the reason my men are dead?"
Nodding I replied.
"Yes sir."
Looking dead into my eyes he then asked.
"And you made it?"
Nodding again, I uttered.
"Yes...sir."
Gently starting to smile, I watched as he pointed to me to say.
"This is your fault. My men were killed because of this secret science shit! I'll have your ass Miss Rose. Yours and NASA's."
Slowly standing up to him I replied.
"You can't touch us General."
"Oh? And why's that?" He wondered as he got in my face.
"Cause like it or not, your men all went to that planet. They all agreed to the mission and they did what they were sent there to do. They killed that thing and they all died along the way. Your men weren't murdered by NASA. They were simply killed...in...action. You have no grounds to accuse us of a war crime, and Zone 10 is far beyond your reach. You can try General, be my guest. But don't be surprised when I tell the court "the truth" and your fired for lunacy."
"You don't have the balls." Muttered Hoffer as I smiled and made my way for the door.
"Try me General."
Watching as I shut the door behind me, I smiled and made my way off for the nearest phone. I had a call to make.
Gently looking down to my lab coat, I smiled as the vial of infection gently continued to dangle in it's glass tube. In a matter of hours my assignment would be done. And this crap would finally be over.
Shadow's POV, Armory, 5:00pm.
The photo soon was covered in a small wet puddle as I heard footsteps enter in the room behind me.
I had no reason to look back, but in concern for who it was I turned to find that marine from before standing by the door with his eyes lowered to me in respect.
"Is it okay if I...ahhh come in?"
The hedgehog looked as old as Kid. He couldn't have been in the core for more then two years at best.
Slowly nodding, I watched as he gently shut the door to reply.
"Thank you. The General wanted me to check on you. Are you okay?" He wondered in concern as I softly asked.
"You ever lose your whole unit kid?"
Slowly shaking his head he replied.
"No sir."
Letting out a sigh I ordered.
"Please don't address me as sir. Just call me Shadow."
"Yes sir...ah! I mean yes Shadow."
Letting off a thin smile to his response I then asked.
"What's your name?"
The kid looked surprised to be asked the question, and in a calmer way he approached me slightly to reply.
"Ralph."
Smiling, I began to look around his body.
A little white hedgehog with small blue eyes. He looked to be five eleven in height, but he also seemed to be lost in a way.
"Well Ralph, I did. I lost every one of them in a blink of an eye."
Focusing back on the wet photo, I stared deeply at it as he slowly wondered.
"How sir?"
Slowly I looked back to him as he quickly shouted.
"I'm sorry sir! Ah! I mean Shadow!"
Gently shaking my head I replied.
"Relax kid. It's okay."
In a refreshed way, Ralph let out a large held in breath as I said to him under my own.
"It's a long story."
Gently taking another step towards me, he urged.
"I have time. You look like you need to let it out anyway."
"You wouldn't believe me." I stated as he shook his head and urged.
"Give me a try! I don't judge lieutenant. Ah! I mean Shadow! I'll get it down don't worry."
Looking back into his eyes I chuckled and replied.
"Your sweet kid. But I'm alright really. Sorry about pushing you earlier by the way. I was just hurting."
Nodding, he finally reached my side to reply.
"It's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm used to being treated like crap anyway. Not like the General is the easiest guy out there anyway."
Nodding back, I then said to him.
"I'm okay really."
"You don't look like it. Are you hurt?"
Looking down to my legs I replied.
"Yeah."
Getting excited the kid urged.
"Let me see! What's wrong?"
Quickly sitting down next to me, I looked fully into his face as his eyes widened to the claw marks on my cheek.
"Holy shit. What got you? A Dog?" He wondered in awe as I chuckled to reply.
"I wish."
"What happened?" He asked in a serious tone as he gently began to try and touch it.
The second his finger hit it however he pulled back to stare into my eyes for the answer.
Gently looking back down I replied.
"Tell you what. You help me to a shower and I'll try and explain it to you when I'm all done."
Taking my offer, he then asked.
"Can you walk?"
Shaking my blood stained head I replied.
"Not too good."
"Here, give me your arm."
Letting his body wrap under my shoulder, I gently forced my legs back up straight to reply.
"Thanks."
Giving me a small smile he replied.
"Not a problem sir. Fuck! I mean Shadow."
Giving him another smile and chuckle I stated.
"Your funny. Anyone ever tell you that kid?"
Smiling back to me as we headed off he replied in a serious tone.
"No."
Captain Rodriguez's POV, VEX headquarters, 5:00pm.
Johnson was a few meters ahead of Roger and I as we walked our way down the blackened halls towards the cafeteria.
"Did the General say what went down in here Cap?" Wondered Roger as I shook my head to scan behind us.
"Only what he was able to say."
"And what was that?" Wondered Roger again as I replied.
"One of the special forces teams working with the R.R.T.S got sent in to go investigate some kind of breach on that secret planet of NASA's."
"Zone 10?" He asked to be sure as I nodded.
"Apparently something big went down over there. Only one survived."
Letting out a thin sigh Roger replied.
"Damn that fucking blows. I hear all those special forces dudes are tighter then a nun's ass they've worked so long together. That has to hurt losing your whole team of brothers Cap."
"I couldn't agree more Rog. Charlie 2-4 got to see the guy in person before they moved in. I can only imagine the shape he's in."
"They say what it was that killed those boys though Cap?" Wondered Johnson from ahead as I shook my head.
"No Johnson they did not. I was only told it was clear to move in and our job is to link up with Charlie and secure this place so a cleanup crew can move in."
"Well whatever it was Cap it sure as shit made it back here, huh?"
"What makes you say that Rog?" I asked in interest for his answer as he calmly got next to me with his lowered rifle.
Looking around he replied.
"Well if that fail-safe went off it was only for a good fucking reason. I mean no one would just nuke all these people, right?" He wondered as I nodded.
"Well whatever it was Roger, we can get this mission going in peace knowing it's dead and over with."
Giving me a frown he replied.
"Ahhh, I was looking forward to shooting something for once."
Giving a chuckle up front Johnson stated.
"You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from five feet away with a shotgun Roger. What makes you think you'd hit a killer that can rack up some special ops boys?"
Giving a smile Roger replied.
"Cause I'm me! You just watch your own back up there Johnson and let the killing go to me!"
Nodding his head up front Johnson replied.
"Okay then killer."
Refocusing back to me, Roger then asked.
"So you think the others found them by now?"
Shrugging my shoulders I replied.
"Don't know yet Roger. Why don't you ask them?"
Handing him my comm link, Roger took it with grace and shouted.
"Hey Benny! Where you guys at!?"
Letting go to wait for the response, Roger began to worry as seconds went without answer.
"Hey Ben? It's Roger. Where you guys at? You find Charlie yet? Come in Benny." He urged as I took the comm from him.
"Ben it's Rodriguez. Where you boys at? We're just about to enter the cafeteria." I stated as I let go for a few seconds without a response from the other half of the team.
Looking back, Johnson asked.
"Should we go find them?"
Shaking my head I replied.
"Nah. Their probably fucking around with a chemical set in one of the labs. You know Kenny."
Chuckling Roger replied.
"Yeah we know Kenny. Our luck he's making some hydrogen bomb with a water bottle and some tic tacs and we're all about to blow up sky high."
Joining in with the laughter, Johnson soon stopped at the door leading into the lunch hall to state.
"Yo, cap?"
Looking ahead with Roger behind me, he pointed towards the handle to say.
"That blood?"
Both Roger and I looked towards the metal handle, and on the frame rested a fresh print of blood.
Gently looking up I ordered.
"Stack up. Get ready to clear the room."
Nodding, the pair got in order. Johnson, me, and Roger. They both waited as I rested my hand on Johnson's shoulder. After a gentle look behind us, I patted his shoulder to order him in.
In less then five seconds we were all inside to see the room empty with nothing but more bones resting in between some tables.
"Clear left!" Stated Roger as Johnson added.
"Clear right!"
Getting my center I finished.
"Room clear."
Everyone soon got on me as I slowly looked around to order.
"Johnson, me and you are going to check the kitchen. Roger, you stay here and cover the exit."
"Yes sir." Replied Roger as he made his way for the door we entered from.
With Johnson ahead of me, I stood in back as he slowly pushed through the kitchen door.
As soon as we entered, we both widened eyes to see more bones resting along the ground. There was one larger adult set and it looked to be about ten or so smaller, kid sized sets.
"That's fucked." I stated as Johnson made his way on towards the rest of the kitchen.
Approaching the bodies, I covered my mouth to the sight. I never once seen dead kids like this.
Slowly getting on my knees, I twisted my head to the bodies for a closer look.
Everything became wrong as I saw some of them had been shot in the head.
"What the...?" I said to myself in confusion as I heard Johnson shout from across the room.
"Clear!"
Looking back to him as he made his way over to me, I pointed to the kids and stated.
"Some of these kids Johnson were shot."
In confusion, Johnson got a look for himself to say in loss of the situation.
"Who would have done that?"
Both of us were lost in the conversation as we heard from outside the room.
"AGHHH!"
Immediately we knew it came from Roger.
"Roger!" I shouted in fear as we bashed back out into the cafeteria to see he was gone.
Johnson stopped behind me as shouted again.
"Roger! Where are you!?"
As silence took over, Johnson and I both panicked and looked towards the way we came as we heard a faint scream coming from down the hall.
In speed, we both took off to begin our pursuit after whatever it was that was after Roger.
As we ran down the halls we both stopped to the lights shutting off above our heads.
"Quarantine activated!" Stated an artificial voice as red dimmed lights began to come on around us.
Both Johnson and I began to panic as we began to hear all the doors around the facility shut tight around us.
"Captain!?" Shouted Johnson in need for an order as I was freaking out for a reason for all this madness.
As I went on thinking we heard as clear as day.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
Both our rifles raised to the ceiling, as whatever was in here with us; was walking right above our heads.
"What do we do Cap!?" Asked Johnson in fear as I heard something coming from the mess hall behind us.
Upon looking back I widened my eyes to the sight of a man making his way through the door and towards us. His body was limping and his voice gave off a nasty snarl as Johnson and I aimed towards him to order.
"Stop where you are!"
The man kept coming. It was impossible to see him due to the low light, but as he got closer and closer we began to see chunks of his body missing from in between the red glows hitting his shadow.
Shaking in my stance I shouted.
"I said to stop where you are!"
Not caring for my statement the man kept coming as Johnson opened fire.
"BANG! BANG! BANG!"
The rounds connected to his chest, we could see the blood coming out from the force, but both of us remained in shock as the man kept coming.
"Captain?" He said to me in loss of words as I ordered.
"Run."
"What!?" He asked in response as I turned.
"I said run!"
Johnson took off after me, and as I jetted for the exit I looked back to see more then one shadow now behind us. They were all coming from the mess hall. How? It was clear. I said to myself as I neared the VEX chamber that was still wide open.
In all my speed I ran inside to turn to Johnson.
"In here!" I ordered as he got inside to begin helping me shut the large metal door.
The thing turned shut so slow, and as it neared the end both Johnson and I panicked to see a hand try and makes it's way in after us, but as the door shut tight the hand soon popped off it's owner to land in front of us.
"Holy shit!" Shouted Johnson as I slowly back up in shock.
Both of us focused on the door, but as Johnson slowly turned to look at me I noticed his eyes completely widen.
In utter fear, I stopped in my tracks to feel the warm breath of something behind me.
Johnson wouldn't move as I slowly forced my head to turn and see what it was.
My eyes soon rested on it. It was huge. Yellow eyes stared at me with a bone chilling smile of razor sharp teeth. Johnson was completely frozen as I went to back up.
It's breath soon hit me as I took up my rifle to try and aim.
"ROAUGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
It was an instant. I felt large claws rip into my stomach and in agony I looked up to see it lunge at my neck with it's blood stained teeth.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHH!"
As I screamed in blood gurgling pain, Johnson panicked for his life and hit the switch on the door.
Dragging me to the ground under it's weight, I looked back with no chance of surviving to watch as the men behind the door began to pile in.
Johnson was soon overwhelmed in his efforts to run, and with my last breath I watched as he was tackled to the floor by what looked to be soldiers. They began to tare at his chest and neck as I widened my eyes to see Ben, Kenny, and Miller all joining in.
"AGHHHHHHH! AUGHHHHHHH! AGHHHHHH!" Johnson's screams echoed in my ears as I could see nothing but the beast on top of me tare off a large chunk of my skin.
He sucked it down his throat and in time came back for more. By then I had already shut my eyes and the pain was no more. But before I could die I heard one last thing.
"Quarantine lifted!"
I hope your enjoying the story so far. I have another chapter ready to post tomorrow. Stay tuned for it and as always please leave a review.
mT Shadow.