They had gone to the kitchen to get the body. it had been waiting where it was left in the walk-in cooler. That was the only piece of kitchen equipment that had survived the transformation into an AROG facility.
The rest was out in a storage container in the parking lot. They had a few storage containers out there full of stuff from the hotel as well as equipment and supplies for responding to emergency situations.
After they had picked up the body, which was contained within a thick gray body bag emblazoned with biohazard insignia, they proceeded to the loading dock area. This was where the incinerator was.
"Come on you son of a bitch." Breckinridge struggled to get the body into the waist high opening of the incinerator.
The body was lodged against the sides, the shoulders were a more than a snug fit inside the narrow interior. He made very slow but steady progress. Victor heard bones break during a particularly violent shove and cringed.
"I can't believe I'm getting my ass kicked by a dead guy!" Breckinridge huffed, looking back at Victor.
Victor just shrugged. "You're sure you don't want help?"
Breckinrdige resumed shoving. "No, thanks buddy, kind of a one man job though."
As Breckinrdige got back to work, Victor eyed the blood samples under the writhing slime. It moved constantly, though it didn’t seem to be trying to get anywhere.
Victor reached down and tugged experimentally at the slime. It moved but it pulled the samples with it. It seemed like it had decided it liked the blood samples. The scientists of AROG were careful not to ascribe any feelings to the slimes.
They didn’t appear to have brains. However, victor was pretty convinced they were thinking things. He lifted the slime just out of the box and it clung to the small glass vials. Thankfully it had them wrapped up enough that they didn’t clink together.
He tried to pull one of the vials out of its grasp. It moved but the slime monster clung to it. The slime monster stretched out as Victor pulled the sample further away. It became clear to him that it wasn't going to let go easily. He set it down in the box again.
He sighed, inwardly. He had to do something, even if it would draw Breckinridge's attention. He repeated his mantra to himself: One Million Fucking Dollars.
"Our friend here is getting a little restless. I'm going to roast him." Victor said, trying to sound bored.
"Yeah alright." Breckenridge grunted as he worked against the body.
Victor pulled the torch from his hip and lit it up. He carefully carved the thin white line of flame down through the slime. He tried to avoid the vials of blood. It let out a shrill whine like a lobster dropped into a pot of boiling water.
As soon as the flame touched the slime it began to liquefy into black goo. After a few swipes of the torch the entire thing gave out and turned to black goo. The liquid started to boil like a viscous black flame on the ground.
The vapor came at him, it didn't dissipate into nothing like it usually would. His suit stopped it from getting to him. Slowly, as if realizing it couldn’t get to him, the vapor drifted off, heading back towards the lab.
Victor looked at Breckinridge who was still working on pushing the body into the incinerator. He quickly snatched the four samples he still needed and put them into the pouch pocket on the back of his suit.
That had gone well. Now he just needed to get out of here. Victor eyed the doors leading out of the loading dock area. Should he just leave? Would Breckinridge try to stop him?
Breckinridge made one final shove and the body was inside the incinerator.
"Fuck, finally!" He said. "Now let's get the rest of the shit in here."
He'd help load it up, then he'd leave. His mind was racing and teh adrenaline was flowing. He felt sweat break out all over his body. He did his best to contain his jitters. Hopefully Breckinrdige would chalk it up to nervousness over the changes in the building.
They took turns traveling back and forth from the cart to the incinerator. They put in all the assorted samples that needed to be destroyed, fitting them in where they could around the body.
After a few minutes of wordless work, they were done. Victor slid the door into place and locked it. With a nod towards Breckinridge the man pushed the large green button and… nothing happened. There was a brief moment of silence before Breckinridge kicked the incinerator.
"Well fuck me sideways!" Breckinridge reached up as if to wipe the sweat off his brow. "Of course it needs power."
Victor looked back towards the door. The generator was still running out there, though the power wasn’t getting to the building.
"Maybe we can run an extension cord from the emergency generator?" Victor said.
"Yeah, maybe." Breckinridge sighed. "We'll have to jerry rig it. Have you ever done any electrical work?
"No," Victor said, shaking his head. "You?"
Breckinridge stared at the machine for a second, then nodded. "A little when I was deployed... I think we need a baloney cord and a spider box, let's go check the storage containers out in the parking lot."
Breckinridge started walking towards the door. He slapped Victor on the back as he reached him. Victor heard at least one of the vials break. From the look on Breckinridge's face he heard it too.
"What the fuck was that?" Breckinridge said, his hands going to his gun.
He didn't lift it, not yet. He stared at Victor.
Victor watched Breckinridge, trying to control his face, to not let his utter panic show through. His mind raced. He knew that Breckinridge wouldn't kill him outright, but that was the fear that ran through his mind.
"I don't know..." Victor stammered. "I just found this suit earlier and-"
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Breckinrdige held up a hand to silence him. “Just turn around and let’s see.”
Breckinridge was smiling at him now but Victor could see through it. The man was shining him on, trying to make him feel at ease. He had to make a run for it. He told himself Breckinrdige wouldn’t shoot him.
Victor started to turn around and then he bolted for the door. It was as if time slowed down for him. He heard Breckinridge take up the gun and slap the stock into his shoulder. Victor threw open the door, pulling against it even as he opened it to launch himself outside. As he took his first step outside he heard a gunshot crack out.
A loud ting sound of the ricocheting bullet followed it up. Then he felt something hit him in the calf. It spun him around and he was on the ground. As he fell the building began to shake behind him. A blue rectangle appeared in his mind.
First Temple of the Harbinger has awakened.
Proceed to the main entrance if you wish to challenge the temple.
You are unprepared fallow and untempered thing
The door slammed shut behind Victor. He heard a few gunshots hit it and saw holes open up. They closed up moments later, puckering wads of flesh taking their place. Glowing red light emanated from them. The cracks of the doors sealed up in a similar fashion.
Soon the door was nothing but a pulsing mass of flesh. An eye opened in the center of the door. It swivieled, looking all around then it fixed on Victor. He heard tiny whispers start in his head. He looked away and he ran. Limping on his injured leg.
He was bleeding but not so badly. He had been exposed to whatever was in the building. That would be ok, hopefully. Grant Walsh hadn'rt seemed that bad off had he? He actually had some magic powers. Victor wouldn't say no to that.
He tried not to think about the body they had just shoved in the incinerator. For now he just had to get the fuck out of here. He began to limp over to where his car was.
That eye was worrisome, but… well no he couldn’t rationalize that one. He made his way towards the car hoping that his contact would accept the blood that was soaked into his suit.
—
Eva watched as the Harbinger offered the soldier mercy. He was so wise. The tentacles growing from his back released the man. Would he embrace the man now?
That seemed quite christlike to Eva. but no, he did not. They stared at each other. Grant kept breaking the links of the felled trials. Gifts from God flowed into the two men.
The soldier began to glow with holy light. Perhaps he was the first true crusader in God’s army. That was well. She looked down at Eric who had been brought in by the AROG Woman. Olivia, they had called her.
Eric glowed dully, just as his compatriot, Rick, did. Rick had been in the line of fire and had caught a bullet as had the others. While the others had perished he clung to life. He was not conscious though.
The blood was coursing through him weakly. She sighed, why hadn't she thought to heal him? As the Harbinger had done for Eric she should have done for Rick. Stupid girl, she cursed herself.
She bit into her wrist and blood sprayed out. Her wounds closed up much more slowly than the harbinger. She felt a bit dizzy as she let the blood spray into the older man’s mouth and wounds.
“Be healed, in the name of Christ and the Harbinger!” She intoned.
Her head grew light and she staggered on her feet. Olivia, still cast in darkness because of her suit, abandoned Eric and rushed over to look at Eva’s wound.
“Let’s elevate it,” She said calmly.
She gripped Eva’s arm and raised it above her head. The wound began to close up more. THe bleeding all but stopped.
“Is that going to bring him back?” Eric asked weakly.
Eva glanced past Olvia to look at him.
“He hasn’t passed on yet, I don’t have the power to bring people back.” Eva said.
“Fuck! Is he going to die?” He shouted, then he turned to face back out towards the lobby “Grant!”
Eva shook her head and sighed. Then she looked to the harbinger as he approached, the soldier following close behind him.
“Fuck!.” He shouted rushing over to the policeman.
He had begun convulsing while Eva was distracted with Eric’s impertinence. She saw the surge of healing power emerge from Grant. And pass into the man.
The room stilled. Everyone stared at the old man on the floor as he came to.
“What the fuck are you all looking at.” he slurred.
Eva prayed for strength as she endured everyone’s cursing. Then a light broke into the corridor above them. Everyone in the room started. The soldier began to raise his gun.
“Isaac! Hannah!” She shouted and began to run up the stairs.
“Eva!” They shouted back.
Then the building began to shake violently. A window appeared in her mind.
First Temple of the Harbinger has awakened.
Petitioners may challenge Temple rooms to gain fruitful gifts.
Offer sacrifices at the Temple Core to increase the challenge.
Temple will expand to find new petitioners if none challenge it.
Serve well the Harbinger
—
Peter watched the AROG man, the heretic, limp across the parking lot. The man had exited the building right before the song had begun in earnest. He was just leaving, abandoning the sight of a miracle as if he couldn't get away fast enough.
He probably could not even hear the song. Peter shook his head and tutted.
"Elijah, Leah, go fetch him for me please." He said, his kind tone carried no hint of the malice implied by his words.
"Yes Father." Leah said, smiling at him.
Then she and Elijah took off at a run. The man finally saw them, but far too late. He limped at a redoubled rate but only made it within twenty feet of his car before he was caught.
Elijah got the man firmly in his grip before Leah removed the helmet of that ridiculous suit he was wearing. The man screamed as Elijah brought him back over towards Peter.
First he cried for help. Then he begged to be let go. He told them they had to get out of here. Peter shook his head again; imagine being afraid of a miracle. Some things confounded the mind.
"Father, we've brought you your heretic!" Elijah said, his elation shining through. "Now we can send him to Hell."
"Listen to me." The man said. "THis place is full of monsters and and-"
Peter ignored his ramblings. He glanced up at Elijah. Making a show of the confusion on his face for the benefit of the other parishioners present.
"Send him to Hell? Why Elijah, we're not here to damn the wicked. We're here to save them." He said, only lightly admonishing the boy.
A general murmur of excitement rose up around him. The words were hushed but all wonderd if they were about to witness a blessing.
Leah giggled with glee. "Can I give him his blessing Father?"
"What, no, you're not listening! we have to get out of here." The heretic screamed.
Peter nodded. "Please sister Leah, show him the light.”
The sweet girl reached into her satchel and produced a jar containing a small slime. It glowed with God's light, far more brightly than the garden variety slime that were found out in the wild. They had blessed it, sung to it, and made it positively glow with god's light.
Leah began to sing as she unfastened the lid. "This little light of mine-"
Peter listened and a thin smile graced his lips. He turned back towards the hotel, he took it in. He could see faintly, the light of god shining from within it. It glowed red in the nightt for all to see, but because of his blessings he could see more than that.
He could see Beyond. As the blessing proceeded he half listened. The man’s screams had died off shortly after the start. When they reached the end the man said the words with everyone else.
“Amen!” The flock said.
“Amen.” Peter said after them.
Then he began to lead his flock towards the miracle.