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BEGINNING OF BASTION, Book 1: HOME
29 Lasal, Waste Removal

29 Lasal, Waste Removal

Markus comes in through the Liberty's speaker system, All military personnel in the infected sectors, switch to 102.1 FM! I repeat, All military personnel in the infected sectors, switch to 102.1 FM!

I switch my headset to 102.1 and slap them on, All infected sectors must clean the ship, Lasal, you're in charge of Dock 42, these things are vulnerable to fire. Anything unnatural must be burned.

Soldiers stand up and start mobilizing as I walk out the Dock. "Markus, Where am I headed?" Where's your team? "I'd rather work alone." Why? I growl, "They nuked us." I turn off my headset. A man bangs on the blast doors, "Let me out!" His skin's blackened, just like on Martus. I raise my gun and shoot him in the back of his skull. Before he falls, he turns and limps towards me. I'm sorry, but there's no saving you. Shrill distant screams come from his body, as if I'm an enemy. The black splotch travels towards his hand and he falls over. The arm grabs for the guy's gun. I run up and shoot the arm. I lean over and the black goo covers the bullet holes, then the arm moves slow. I dig my hand into the arm and the goo spirals up my arm. Another rush of adrenaline envelops me. I turn, a man twitches towards me. His arm inflates as he bolts towards me. I shoot at the mass, but he closes the distance and punches me, the weight of a hammer across my face.

I slam against the blast door and taste the blood in my mouth. The guy pounds down to crush me, but I roll to the side and dig into the arm. The goo once again rushes into my body. The man goes limp, lifeless. The goo stays on my arm, it turns a dark green. Gunshots go off, I run towards them.

A man screams, then a loud splat stops it. A fully blackened monstrosity turns to me with big blood-filled eyes. It leaps towards me and claws at me. I jump back and shout in pain, a gash going down my arm. The monster's near my face with a bony blade. I grab it, the green goo covers my hand. I snap the fragile blade off and start stabbing the thing. It roars and kicks me away. It's blood spirals up me, the monster huffs at me as the some of the victim's skin starts to show. I smile, I'll pick at you until I eat you whole.

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The monster charges in as my muscles ache to punch it, like an itch. A new feeling. I cock back my fist and the goo rushes to my fist. I punch into the monster, it's eyes pop out wide as it flies back. I jump and look at my fist. I just sent him flying? Small bits of black fiber squelch on the floor, I simply touch it, it all turns green as the monster stares at me. Yeah, think away. Shouting comes from behind as it charges again. I cock back my fist again, but this time, I fall over. Damn, too heavy! I push off the floor and flop myself onto my other side. Damn, too much strength. The monster leaps over me, I turn as flames engulf it. It flails about, desperate to put out the flames but it's like a wildfire. I jump, Damn, They'll think I'm infected!

As I breathe, the goo evens out around my body. I run away from friends to the feel of good muscle aches. An itch I'm begging to scratch, soldiers shoot at another monster, I charge at it and stab into it. It screams and falls over. I keep stabbing it as the soldiers open fire on it. It falls over, but I keep stabbing, the more I do- Oh god, why does it feel so good!? Wait a minute- I stop and look at my knife, it's just a green crystal. I turn to the soldiers as they back away. This feeling- it wants to be fed. They think I'm crazy. I shake my head, I need to think.

Another monster shambles into the room. I turn to the soldiers, then at it. Back at the soldiers, then to it. Focus on food. I charge at it, faster than ever before, "Sir! We have a monster, it's fighting the others!" I punch into it and the green goo sucks the black blood out with ease. My mind goes blank at the feeling. Markus comes on the speakers again, If you see a green soldier, do not engage! He's one of-

Kaylin tears me away from the microphone, "Markus!" "What?" "Lasal is infected!" "He's eating the infection." He points at the cameras, "He look human to you? He looks like a monster! Covered in that mess!" I lean in close and whisper, "He's solving our problem." "Wilkins will have him killed." A man with black eyes tilts his head at the camera, We both turn to it, "What is that thing!?" It smiles as the camera feed dies. I bow my head, "Uh oh."