DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MASS EFFECT ONLY MY SELF AND THE PLOT OF THIS FIC...I AM BROKE PEOPLE!
A/n: Sorry it took so long guys I have been having trouble trying to get things underway as far as keeping up with my beta who is on the other side of the world. You are awesome by the way and dealing with my job and real life. So I apologize for it. When the last chapter came out it was around two or three weeks after I had gotten it from my beta! How bad is that! Anyhow if you people like the story please give a review and remember no FLAMES, LORE MONGERS OR BASHINGS PLEASE!
Thanks a million.
Mass Effect The Immortal Series pt 1: Flight of the Normandy
Chapter 8: Bad News and Rationing
It was nearly four hours after Dr. Alenkov had made the announcement, and so far, they had found six of the nearly thirty signals in the ship. Most of it was in the Tech division and the Analysis area of the labs. It seems that whoever wanted to know about aliens and alien tech wanted to do so with the sole purpose of using their technology against them. Martha was sure that they wanted this information for military purposes; if not for their own gains, then to spread anti-alien propaganda to help with their cause of making money.
After pulling out the latest bug from someone's laptop in the Marine Science Lab, Martha was starting to see a pattern. Using the device on her arm, she was able to see just where the device was; most importantly: what part of the lab that device was planted in. She also began tracking where others were planted and where the signals were originating from.
It was not just laptops that were bugged: it was also notebooks, tablets, and cell phones that were infected by viruses and spyware. Major Lawoski, who runs security on the ship, was a former analyst for the C.I.A. And, seeing as he can hack his way into the nit and gritty of the computer software, he was able to find out that all the Department Heads had been hacked. Martha luckily didn't have the sort of spyware on her computer thanks to Aaron's interference.
Martha's boyfriend Aaron is very paranoid and, as a precaution, would install security on to both his and Martha's computers. The various adblockers, firewalls, and anti-spyware programs on the computer prevent most viruses and other nasty programs from getting onto her laptop. Martha herself also checked her own computer to make sure it was not bugged. Thankfully it was not and she ensured that no one had access to it.
Martha then had Lawoski get rid of the malignant programs while she worked on taking out the bugs. She figured out that by simulating the signals of the computer the bug could be fooled into thinking that it was still attached while she took it out of the circuit board. When she was done she then squashed it with her foot. She used her device to allow her to create a three-dimensional view of the bugs to see if there are any identifying marks as to where they came from.
So far, there were none.
But that did not stop them from trying. The bugs are about two inches long and about one inch wide. They are at least half a centimeter thick which makes it very useful for hiding. They were well hidden just under where the hard drive and the R.A.M. chips are located. Which for Martha makes it a lot easier and faster to remove them. Laptops don't have all that much empty space inside them, so most likely, whoever were planting the bugs had to seemingly hope for the best instead of opening the cases on each computer. The only question they had to ask was, who wanted all this information this badly? Some governments are willing to spend a fortune to finding out such information. Others just wanted gain the alien tech to up other nations and gain supremacy. Which one nation or group of nations, the United Nations has a right to know. Martha and her team are determined to find out just who did it and why.
It was nearing lunch time and Martha stopped to take a break. The team has been working hard to try and get the bugs out. So far they had only just pulled out bug number seven, which by far was the most difficult. The bug had been hidden in one of the four communications computers used to send video messages to the surface. This angered some people about privacy - especially Dr. Alenkov, who had been sending messages to her husband. Martha was sure that whoever wanted the private information would gladly use it to their advantage. Martha was just glad she does not send video messages, just emails, and uses her own personal laptop instead of these machines.
After they had removed the bug which took a good forty-five minutes, Major Lawoski requested lunch. Since his stomach started to growl and protest, he needed to rest. The others felt the same and Martha had to agree. It was time to eat and to recuperate before going on the hunt for any more bugs.
Martha had just entered the restroom to wash her hands when her walkie came to life.
"All personnel report to the Mess Hall immediately," came Dr. Alenkov's voice.
"All personnel report to the Mess Hall immediately," it was repeated.
Martha quickly finished washing her hands and hurried towards the Mess area.
When she arrived, a lot of confused people were there, along with the security team she was assigned to. Sitting down near the exit - since it was crowded - she sat down next to Major Reynolds, another security officer onboard the vessel. He is a British man and a former pilot of the Royal Air Force. Nowadays he spends his time playing security guard. When Martha looked around, she spotted several other figures Hilary and Ichigo along with Dr. Kimber and Dr. Jackson. The noise was deafening, and for Martha's sensitive hearing it was nearly insufferable. It was only when Dr. Alenkov entered the room with a look of exasperation on her face did silence enter the Mess Hall.
"I am sorry for calling you here all so soon, but I have an announcement to make," she said. Her voice was quivering and it sounded sad.
"The call I had received this morning at breakfast was the Guam Harbor Patrol. They have reported that the Ocean Odyssey has gone missing." At this people started to whisper. Martha could hear some of the people wondering in both curiosity and fear what is happening.
"Maybe the ship went out of range of the harbor's sonar?" said one person.
"Impossible, most major ports have satellite feeds on all ships coming and going in and out of their waters. They are in constant communication with all vessels at all times in case of an emergency in international waters. The Guam Harbor Patrol would have been notified if something had gone wrong," said Major Lawoski who sat down in the front row with the rest of Martha's team.
"The Ocean Odyssey left the harbor as scheduled yesterday morning and started to make its way out of Guam Waters towards the escort fleet that was waiting for it to return. However when night fell just before it reached the borders of Guam waters it disappeared," Alenkov said.
Now the voices started to rise as people began to voice their concerns. Many of them worried for the crew and others onboard only brushed it off as not a concern. Martha's eyes narrowed at the announcement.
"It is the only vessel we have here that has the submersibles that provide us with food and supplies. Our desalination equipment was scheduled a maintenance check this trip and so we are going to have to ration our water as well. We needed those supplies to maintain our air also. The air we breathe on this vessel is harvested by our air scrubbers. They, too, were scheduled to be maintenance." At this, people started to panic and some even hugged others, crying.
Alenkov tried to maintain calm but to no avail.
"How could you do this to us!" someone shouted as they rose from their seats. All of them shouting and protesting such accusations at Dr. Alenkov. It was near chaos and Martha had a hard time trying to stay calm. It was to the point where her ears began to ring as she put her hands over them to shut out the screaming. Images began to go by of a time long ago and a scared child. She looked towards the ground hoping not to see what would happen next. Her mind began to shut down and her eyes began to see spots.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" a voice yelled over the shouts and screams of everyone onboard. The silence returned as every head turned towards the source. Major Lawoski was standing near the front of the room. His security officers all stood nearby just in case things had gotten out of hand. Some of them had batons and various blunted weapons. Major Reynolds noticed Martha was staring at the ground and rocking herself.
"Are you alright lass?" he asked her. Martha was hyperventilating and so the Major rubbed her back hoping to calm her down. Saying soft words to her trying to get her to calm down and relax.
"Now listen up! You all know that until we get further information from the surface, all crew members are to try and proceed as normal for as much as possible. We will still do the bug sweeps in the area, and until we get further information, all non-essential crew are to report to their quarters until further notice. Any problems, see Dr. Zenger with your issues, is that clear!" he said at everyone's protests.
"Good, the team that is doing the bug sweeps: you will proceed as normal. The rest of you, to your quarters," as he said, and the scientists and subjects began their trek to their quarters.
When the crowd parted and disappeared out the door, Major Lawoski offered something to Martha. Looking up, she realized it was a can of Mountain Dew. Giving her thanks, she began to drink and felt her mind begin to slowly calm down from its panic attack.
"Mountain Dew?" asked Major Reynolds.
"ADHD. Caffeine calms her down and slows the brain down enough where she won't panic," Lawoski replied.
"Oh," Reynolds replied back.
Martha started to calm down after about five minutes of drinking the can. She began to breathe better and started to move around a bit.
"How are you feeling, lass?" asked Reynolds.
"I feel better now, thank you," Martha replied.
"Mart, do you feel up to looking for more bugs? If not, I will understand," Lawoski said as he leaned down to Martha's level. Being as he is much taller than her, kneeling is the best way to be eye-level with Martha.
Martha shook her head, "No, I nearly blacked out and I had a major anxiety attack. I think I should just return to my room for now," she said.
"Alright, I understand. We will recommence in the morning," Lawoski said.
"Thank you," Martha replied before getting up to slowly return to her room. But as soon as she got up, she began to see stars again.
"Woah there, mate, I think I should help you back to your room. You don't look so good," Reynolds said.
"Thanks, I would like that," Martha replied, Reynolds helping her to her room for a nap.
TWO WEEKS LATER
Martha sat in her room, finishing her latest sketch on her most recent and most vivid dream. It was the same thing over and over, and she was nearly done using the last of her pencils. She had resorted to sharpening them with her knife to keep the tips good. She also drew on her laptop to make sure the images stay alive. The same message keeps popping up in her dream every time:
'What is my name!?' It was always the same message, over and over again.
The same dream and the same images...
And frankly, she was getting tired of trying to figure out the dream.
"Hey there," a voice said, and Martha looked up to see Hilary standing there in thick wool pants and a parka.
Ever since the rationing began and the air scrubbers had started to go, the temperature in the ship had dropped. Now, even colder than before, they had to suffer with trying to keep warm. The warmest place on the ship was near the Element Zero leak, and that was considered dangerous. But that has not stopped the more determined members of the crew from going down to get warm. Martha was one of the smarter ones, preferring the confines of her room to the chaos outside.
"Hey yourself," Martha replied finishing up her sketch.
"Ichigo and I thought that maybe we can stay up with you, if that is alright," she said and both she and Ichigo ducked down into her room.
"No prob, sorry I don't have any rations," Martha replied with a laugh.
"Well, I do," Hilary said and handed Martha a protein bar and some chocolate milk. The milk was still fresh, given that the ocean around them is around three degrees above zero.
"No frost bite yet?" Martha asked with a smirk on her face.
"Nope. Ichigo keeps me nice and warm," Hilary joked. She then reached over and gave Ichigo a quick kiss before sitting down on his lap. It was times like these that she misses Aaron the most. Someone to cuddle up to when cold.
"Nice drawings," Ichigo said noticing one of Martha's sketchbooks. Martha handed him one of her books for him to look at. Ichigo whistled as he flipped through the pages.
"Martha, what are these?" Ichigo asked noticing that all the drawings look nearly the same.
"It's my dreams I draw them to help me visualize them better," she said.
Ichigo, being one of the subjects just like her, understood the need to keep a journal. Dr. Zenger had requested it of all Element Zero subjects. He wrote in his journal describing the scenes with words.
"The first ones were from when I first came on the ship. And as time progressed they became more vivid." Martha explained.
"Just like my dreams. Did you get to the room with the two figures?" he asked.
"Yes," with that Martha flipped a few pages to the ones near the end of the first book.
There she showed the images of her staring at the computer and the words, "Password," were on the screen.
"You too?" Ichigo said.
"Yes and when I got frustrated it said 'Say my name,'" Martha showed the image with the same lettering on it.
"I kept telling Hilary how frustrating it was seeing this and trying to solve it. It is like some sort of bad puzzle on a video game that you just can't seem to solve," he said frustrated.
"I know and I don't even have the dream," Hilary said.
"Yeah I wish I was like you," Martha teased.
Hilary rolled her eyes her dark skin making it seem as if her eyes were glowing.
"You know these are pretty good, have you shown them to Dr. Zenger?" Ichigo asked.
"No," Martha replied,
"Well you should, it would help him understand our dreams better," Ichigo said.
"Tell you what, why don't you give them to him while I go check on Dr. Kimber and see if she needs any help. Last I checked she was down by the Element Zero core." Martha said, getting up from her chair and listening to her knees 'pop'.
"You just want to get warm," Hilary said jokingly.
"That too, but I really need to see Dr. Kimber," Martha replied. She then pulled out her left arm and the light from her alien device shone.
"Cheater," Hilary said.
"Likewise," and then Martha was gone.
DR. ZENGER'S OFFICE
"Dr. Zenger?"
Dr. Zenger was a German man of middle age with several degrees in psychology and psychiatry, and he was well-versed with the human mind. On the walls of his office were his many degrees and accomplishments like any other medical field doctor. Unlike the doctor in the medic area of the ship, he is oftentimes more busy than the medic. But everyone having to ration has them on edge. Zenger could see the growing tension rising among the scientists and the subjects.
"Dr. Zenger?"
He looked up from his current report on the latest group of people that had entered his office. To find Ichigo suddenly at his door raises some concerns since he is not scheduled in till tomorrow.
"Ichigo. Come in, I was not expecting you," Zenger said, his German accent clear for all to hear.
"I know Doctor, but I have something I think you might find interesting," he said and produced a sketchbook.
"What is this?" he asked taking the sketchbook.
Going through it his eyes were scrunched up in concentration. Then as he turned the pages his eyes suddenly grew wider and wider. The realization of what it is completely caught him off guard.
"Where did you get this? And who drew it?" he asked
"Martha did sir, I was just up in her room with Hilary for a nice little chat with her when I saw her finishing her latest sketch. She draws these images instead of writing them down like the rest of us do." Ichigo replied.
Zenger looked at the images with concentration again and noticed as he gets towards the end how clear the images become. The first images were a bunch of blobs which is common with all new subjects. Then as time goes on it becomes more vivid and some frightening. Here in his hand was proof of what the images are.
"Martha's artistic ability just may come in handy with helping us solve this mystery," Zenger said.
"How so, doctor?" Ichigo asked.
"Well, you all have been experiencing more dramatic dreams lately, since some of you were due to shore leave. Well, seeing as Marty is the only one with any drawing abilities, why don't we present this at our session tomorrow and see what reaction with the others will bring," Zenger said.
"Sure thing doctor and are you bringing Dr. Alenkov in as well?" Ichigo asked.
"Yes, along with the other heads of the departments," Zenger said.
"Thanks doc," Ichigo said getting up and walking out.
ELEMENT ZERO LEAK ZONE
Now, everyone knows that this area is strictly off limits, except for those in hazmat suits. The heat alone from the core where the Element Zero originated from, is a hazard on its own. Already, Martha could see those who crowded down here for warmth. But the air was just thick with the smell of ozone.
"Dr. Kimber?" Martha said.
Walking further in, Martha noticed that some of the crew members were too busy trying to keep warm to pay attention to her. All of them thankfully were in hazmat suits.
"Dr. Kimber?"
Shit, what the hell is wrong with these people? Martha thought as she ventured further in. Her instincts instantly went up in alarm at the zombie state of some of the people here. Martha was asked to come down here to help Dr. Kimber explore the dangerous Element Zero Core or E.Z.C. as it is called. She was liking this less the further she walked in. Her hazmat suit was starting to smell with her sweat but she pressed on. Following the lights, she ventured deeper and deeper into the no-go zone of the ship. The part of the ship where the Element Zero oozes out into the open ocean. This was the part where it was super hot, heated by millions of years of being deep underwater. The magnetic fields that it creates makes things seem a bit… off.
As she gets closer to the core, the more the people seemed to act as if they were on drugs. They appeared to be dopey and unresponsive and Martha was starting to get worried for Dr. Kimber.
"Dr. Kimber, are you there?" she called out on her comm. unit.
"Martha, is that you?" the faint voice of Dr. Kimber could be heard over her headset. Her voice sounded faint meaning either she was in a place where there is too much interference, such as the room Martha was currently in, or she is in trouble. Also, Martha could have sworn that Dr. Kimber was breathing heavily. If that was true, something is seriously wrong.
"Yeah, it's me. What the hell is going on, doc, why are the people like this?" Martha said as she followed the signal's strength given by of Kimber's voice.
"Martha, you have to listen to me, ok. Get out now," she said, her voice strained and now, Martha could hear gasping breaths coming from the Dr.'s headset.
Martha did not like the sound of it. It did not sound like the doctor was having any sort of sexual activity. It sounded strained and hurt as if she was injured somewhere. That alone set up warning signs to Martha's already paranoid mindset.
"Where are you doc?" she asked.
"Don't come any closer they will find you if you do," her voice was clearly scared now. It was quivering and Martha now knew that something truly was wrong.
"Who will find me?" As she said it, something ran past her and Martha's ears started to strain through the hazmat suit. The thick plastic and rubber coating made it hard for her to pinpoint the origin of the footsteps. Her nose twitched as if she could smell through the thick layers that make up the hazmat suit that she has to wear. These specially-made suits protect people from the radiation of the element zero deposits, but not from the heat. Martha's vision became blurred by the steam created by her sweat. Her glasses were thick with fog making seeing in front of her nearly impossible. Unfortunately she can't take off the suit or else she would quickly die of radiation poisoning, and be badly burned before that. Looking around, she could not see anything, but the sounds of footsteps could be heard through the suit. The feeling of fear could also be felt. Martha started to get a chill down her spine.
She was not alone.
"Dr. Kimber there is something here," Martha said, trying to keep the doctor online.
"Martha you need to leave now!" Kimber said her voice was nearly frantic. This time she could hear the message loud and clear. The signal was no longer facing interference. It was sharp as crystal and the last message from Dr. Kimber made Martha determined to find her.
"Not without you," she said.
She could hear Kimber's ragged breathing and occasional hiss through her teeth suggesting an injury. She was sure that what happened to Dr. Kimber left her injured and she hoped that her hazmat suit was intact. The radiation from the element zero in its purest form is dangerous. In liquid form it is worse melting a person to nothing and leaving no trace of their existence. The only way to handle Element Zero is in powdered form and even then one has to wear gloves for it will penetrate the skin. It is like a drug on the black market one has to know someone to get at least a small amount of element zero. And it takes a long time to process it into powdered form. But it is the only way to transport it safely without a hazmat suit.
Martha came across an a clove of deep coral rock. She was sure she heard Dr. Kimber through here trying to talk to her. But as she gotten closer she saw something that turned her blood cold.
Blood.
Human blood.
Fearing for Dr. Kimber, Martha followed the trail, keeping her senses alert and her reaction to a minimum. Her senses were in overdrive as fear began to creep into her mind and her worry grew as she searched for Dr. Kimber. Following the trail of blood, she managed to finally see something yellow with her flashlight. Walking closer, Martha suddenly gasped at the sight before her.
It was a human leg.
Then the leg suddenly moved! Shocked and scared Martha shinned her light further up the leg. There she found Dr. Kimber sitting there holding it, trying to stop the bleeding.
"Dr. Kimber!" Martha said in shock as she came to offer aid.
She was badly wounded with a deep gash on her side, and her leg was twisted with the bone protruding out. If Martha had to guess, it was the Hazmat suit that was keeping the blood from fully bleeding out. The straps holding the leg in place provided a makeshift splint and tourniquet. Dr. Kimber's breathing was very erratic, and from the glazed look in her eyes, Element Zero poisoning was starting to seep in. Martha realized suddenly that they were very close to the Element Zero core, the heat rolling off in waves. It was a miracle that Dr. Kimber found the rock face to shelter her from most of the heat.
"Dr. Kimber, hold on, alright," Martha said as she looked at the wound and tried to remember all her lessons in emergency first aid.
Kimber grabbed Martha's suit, "Martha you have to get out!" she said, "You have to get out before they find you," she said, her voice was frantic and her fear was evident.
"Who?" Martha asked.
"There is no time! You have to get out now before they find you!" Kimber repeated.
"I am not leaving without you," Martha said as she tried to lift Kimber up.
A strange hissing was heard and Martha turned to find something she thought she would never see.
"Dr. Jackson?" Martha said to him.
Dr. Jackson was walking towards her slowly and Martha could see him holding something. It did not take long for her to realize what it was.
It was a gun.
Dr. Jackson's eyes were crazed and wide enough for Martha to see the veins surrounding the iris. Martha stepped back as he came closer. He was so close now that he lifted the gun up and pointed the barrel right at Martha's head. Even if he was a bad shot, he was close enough to guarantee a hit.
"Dr. Jackson? What are you doing?" Martha asked, scared beyond reasoning. Her breathing became erratic as she looked at the dark hold at the end of the gun.
There was no word that escaped the man's mouth, his hand was shaking, "You're not one of them?" he said, shaking. He was clearly scared. He looked around as if something was going to attack him from behind.
"What the fuck is going on?" Martha demanded, her mind finally coming to her senses.
"We need to get out of here," Jackson said.
"I know, but we need to see to Dr. Kimber," Martha said, reaching down to help the doctor up.
"Leave her! Let those things eat her alive," Jackson said.
Now Martha had gotten suspicious, "Things, what things?" she inquired.
"Some of the others thought that by trying to harvest the heat from the E.Z.C. we could restart the scrubbers. What I told them was that the scrubbers needed to be changed. The filters needed to be cleaned and redone, but they would not listen," he said with his head now hung low. Martha watched as if he was trying to replay a bad memory.
"The element zero was in a powered form and it somehow gotten into their hazmat suits turning them into monsters. The subjects that were with us..."
"WE ARE NOT SUBJECTS TO BE RULED!" Martha interrupted, her voice raised and her anger sparking, overcoming her fear.
"Alright, some of the volunteers who were with us started showing massive amounts of telekinetic power. The Eezo in their blood was amplified by the amount of it in the environment. It was too much for them and they turned on the rest of us becoming drug-induced monsters," he said, shaking now. The gun barrel in front of her was clearly quivering as he removed the gun from her face.
It was then that Martha's eyes widened when a shadowed figure appeared. She recognized him as one of her fellow volunteers, this one she remembered as a man from the Philippines. She did not remember his name, but she remembered his face as one of those who worked with communication. He was glowing blue as he approached and Martha knew instantly that she was in trouble.
Pulling both Dr. Keller and Dr. Jackson, she started to run. Having to hold Dr. Keller around one shoulder, the journey was not very fast.
She felt something hit her from behind and she was instantly on the ground. Luckily, she was short enough where it did not affect Dr. Jackson and Dr. Keller so much. Fear began to grip her as she mouthed, 'fuck' several times as she yelled at them to run.
The other two ran as she tried to crawl her way up, only to be slammed into the roof of the small cavern. It was with such force that she felt several bones crack under the impact. She was sure that her ribs were broken when she was turned to her front. The pain was immense as she struggled to get back up. She could hear footsteps coming towards her, but when she looked up, fear overcame the pain in her ribs. The people she passed on her way to find Dr. Kimber are now heading straight for her and they were not what she remembered them as. Screeching and moaning these monsters came at her. Their eyes hungry and mad with insatiable appetite. They no longer looked human as their bodies became like metallic zombies. The screaming that they created was enough to frighten anyone and Martha was sure as hell frightened.
They attacked from all sides as Martha tried to fight them off. The Filipino man who attacked her first grabbed onto her. His face no longer that of a human, his mouth opened wide, revealing metallic teeth as if he was never human. Screaming, Martha kicked him in the face and tried to get up again, only to be slammed into another wall by his telekinesis. Feeling the heat through her hazmat suit, she quickly realized that she was dangerously close to the core.
Suddenly, she felt herself being picked up by many pairs of hands. She screamed as she tried to fight, only to be thrown across the ways again, closer to the heat source. Martha felt something crack and, looking up, she realized that her glasses broke. Getting up, she could barely move from the amount of injuries she had on her body. When she put her hand to the rock to push herself up, the rock burned through her hazmat suit and burned against her flesh. Screaming, she reached for the nearest thing, and it was only a smaller rock. It was better than her fist, though, when one of them rushed her. The rock did not do any wonders, as the person's helmet protected him (and Mart assumed it was a he) from the impact. When she tried to punch him something happened, though.
Her arm flashed and the alien device around her arm flared to life.
Martha was shocked when a knife suddenly appeared right when she impacted the man's head, causing blood to spurt everywhere.
Not knowing what else to do, Martha held her left arm in front of her. She was clearly shaking, as more of them came out. Breathing hard, she struggled to get enough oxygen into her injured lungs, as she tried to fight the next one off. The other two were clearly gone which left her. She would buy them time if they needed it.
"COME ON, YOU FUCKERS!" she yelled at them.
When the second one attacked, she had the weapon ready as she remembered all her years of living on the street. Blocking the next move by the Filipino man, she rolled behind a rock and then came up from behind, stabbing him in the back, severing the spine. Blocking with her right and killing with her left, the group tried to get her but she was fast on her feet.
Despite her broken bones, it was her sheer will that kept her going. That, and the massive amounts of adrenaline. She was soon swarmed by them and she counted at least ten to fifteen of the monsters. The strange part was she did not recognize any of them! All of them were wearing hazmat suits but most look like something out of a horror flick. With the exception of the Filipino man there's no one Martha knows at all! Who are these people and where did they come from?
What sort of secrets does this expedition have? She thought.
She struggled to fight them off as more of them arrived. She hit another one, causing it to burn into a smoking pile of burning blood when it came too close to the glowing core. She had not realize that she moved even closer to the core. The waves of heat were starting to cook her, she could feel it through her hazmat suit. She started to sweat profusely as the sound of more of them arrived.
Now desperate, her hand burned on the rock as she tried to grab for a purchase. It was the only thing sheltering her from these creatures. She could only hope that Dr. Kimber and Dr. Jackson made it out alive and had gotten help. She didn't know how long she could hold out like this, and prayed to God that help would be arriving soon. She just hoped that she'd still be alive when they did.
MEANWHILE
"Help! Someone help!" shouts could be heard from the core room as Dr. Jackson helped Dr. Kimber out of the chambers.
The Security Team that was watching the entrance quickly snapped to attention when the shouting was heard. Grabbing their rifles, they quickly entered the area to assist Dr. Jackson with Dr. Kimber. They notified the medical team onboard of the accident.
"What happened?" asked one man.
"There are people down there who have gone crazy! They became monsters!" Dr. Kimber said.
"Oh god! Martha is still down there!" Dr. Jackson said and someone radioed Major Lawoski and explained what had happened. When the affirmative was given Dr. Alenkov was also informed since she is the head of the operation. Things were happening fast and as soon as Dr. Kimber was settled down the security team quickly secured the room, keeping whatever was inside from escaping.
The medical team arrived there a few minutes later to carry Dr. Kimber out along with assisting Dr. Jackson. Major Lawoski and his men had their guns out and put on hazmat suits before going down to help out Martha. As they did, they had no idea what is happening down in the core.
ELEMENT ZERO CORE
Martha was running out of options. The suit had been melted in some areas, from where it was forced her against the wall, and it was warning her of dangerously high levels of Element Zero. She was badly burned from the melted areas and her injuries had slowed her down significantly. The knife on her wrist from the alien device was dripping with blood and the scorched bodies of the dead were everywhere. She was fatigued and injured, with only the alien device as her only weapon of defense. Panting and trying to stay awake, she tried to hold on long enough for help to arrive.
Looking behind her, she could see the results of the blasts from those monsters' biotic power. It had opened a hole directly into the core and heat poured out from all areas, filling the room with an eerie glow. Martha's hazmat suit had provided just enough protection that she was not fully cooked when it happened. But even with this protection, it was limited, and therefore not enough to protect her from the monsters that came from every nook and cranny. It was as if a whole army was waiting for her here.
Trying to run from them was hard enough, and when they burned trying to get to her another group came to replace them. She was fighting a large group of them just as one blasted away a good portion of the rock that held the Element Zero core at bay.
Waves of heat came pouring through like a burning wind burning up all in its path. Martha tried to escape, using the last of her strength to get away from the core.
MEANWHILE
Major Lawoski and his team turned down towards where the Element Zero core was located. It is on the far back side of the ship, where the most of the debris could be found. Chunks of ancient coral lay in places that were not accessible to anyone. After hearing the story from both Dr. Kimber and Dr. Jackson, his team came with M-16 rifles, hazmat suits and a radiation detector. The Element Zero is dangerous to anyone close enough to it.
A temperature gauge was also on-hand, to help tell the temperature of the core as they entered the area.
They were about half-way down the tunnel, when Lawoski could feel the heat build up suddenly. Holding out his hand, he aimed his rifle. Suddenly, frightened people rushed past them, all of them scientists. Even when they were not part of the group that went down there, they made it just as they shouted "She is going to blow!"
Looking down towards the tunnel, a beeping noise suddenly appeared on his gauge. Turning to his gauge, it became apparent that there was a sudden build up of heat from within the tunnels.
Then, out of the darkness several strange people began to emerge. Blue energy was shot out at them, hitting one man and sending him flying into a nearby rock face. More suddenly came at them, forcing them to duck.
"Open fire! Weapons free! Weapons free!" he called out, and both he and his team started opening fire on whatever it was that started to come out of the shadows.
Sounds of gunfire erupted from their rifles as bodies could be seen falling. The beeping from his device was warning him that the heat was building up even more, at an alarming rate.
"Fall back! Fall back!" he shouted and his men started to pull back as more bodies started falling in front of the security team. It was shocking to see that most of them if not all of them used to be human. The scientists who passed them probably had not seen them coming and were too fixated on the ship's temperature, failing to notice the creatures coming towards them.
Or the rising ball of fire behind them.
"MOVE! MOVE!" Major Lawoski shouted in alarm as he pulled a man up who had fallen over. Firing behind him, he led his team down the tunnel towards the exit, which was thankfully not far. Leaping over debris, and rocks he managed to get out just in time and shoved the last of his men through before closing the door behind him. The door itself was a huge metal sheet that was there from when they first started to explore the ship.
The door started to glow red behind him. It grew so hot that Lawoski thought that it would melt any second and cook them all. Several men started to spray fire retardants to hopefully keep the door from completely melting away. One person even went for a fire extinguisher to help make sure that no flames would start on their side.
When the explosion was done, the door sizzled and remained an angry red against the dark rock that surrounded it. Waves of heat washed over it, leaving those still in the room to back away from the door. When they did, the room got colder as the heat seemed to only flow from the door.
"What happened?" a voice sounded and Dr. Alenkov ran towards them, clearly frightened. She was quickly followed by Dr. Zenger. The medical team quickly assisted the security team in checking for any sort of injuries. Those who were watching the door had their rifles ready.
"You tell me doc," Lawoski replied, his face was slightly singed. His voice was raspy as he was catching his breath and manged to say those words between breaths.
"What do you mean?" Dr. Alenkov asked.
"It seems to me, doc, that someone has smuggled in the zombies," he said pointing, to one that was killed by the blast on the floor.
Her face went pale as she tried to keep her lunch in her stomach. She managed to succeed, but Dr. Zenger, the psychiatrist, did not, and he was off to the side of the room hurling his lunch. Lawoski turned towards the Head Director.
"It seems to me as if someone is deliberately smuggling bodies here to be burned by the E.Z.C. It killed one innocent person and injured several others." Lawoski was dead serious when he stared into the blue eyes of Dr. Alenkov.
"Who could do something like this?" another one of the scientists who was in the tunnels said.
"That is what I would like to know, Doctor. Why are there monsters and zombies in the tunnels. It's like something out of a horror flick," another said.
"I recognized this guy: He was here two years ago and was released when his mental state began to deteriorate. I thought he was back on the surface with his family in Beijing?" one of the security officers said.
Dr. Alenkov and Major Lawoski slowly approached the body - the face was in a permanent scream. The bloodshot eyes and burn scars gave it a look that was clearly frightening. What made matters worse was the blue rivers flowing on his skin and the blackening of certain parts over the now destroyed hazmat suit. Dr. Alenkov recognized the man instantly. He was a scientist that was here a few years ago before the ship started to get to him. Why would he be back here?
The question remained in her mind, until something clicked and her curiosity and her fear began to be replaced by rage. Who else would want to warrant the disappearance of such an important scientist.
"I have an idea who might be responsible," she said.
TBC