The journey to Arcadia Biotech was a harsh one. The group moved through streets that had once been bustling with life, now nothing more than a silent graveyard. The remnants of civilization were scattered around them—abandoned cars, empty stores, and the occasional corpse of an infected, lying lifeless in a forgotten corner. The world had changed, and with it, the rules of survival.
Evan walked at the front, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon, the Genesis System pulsing quietly in his mind. Its data streams were relentless—constantly providing him with updates on the environment, enemy movement, and potential hazards. Despite the occasional notification offering him new abilities or upgrades, Evan felt a creeping unease. The more he relied on the system, the less in control he felt. It wasn’t just a tool anymore—it was becoming part of him, its influence subtly reshaping his decisions, his instincts, and perhaps even his very nature.
The others, though wary, trusted Evan. They had no choice but to follow his lead. Kara, as always, was the most skeptical, but even she couldn’t deny the results of his newfound abilities. Claire, on the other hand, had grown more resolute, her belief in Evan’s ability to lead unshaken, despite the dangers that lay ahead.
“We need to move faster,” Kara said, breaking the silence. Her voice was tight with impatience as she jogged to Evan’s side. “The more time we waste, the greater the risk of running into something worse.”
“I know,” Evan replied, glancing at her, his gaze distant. “But rushing isn’t going to help us. We need to be smart.”
Kara rolled her eyes. “I’ve always heard that the ‘smart’ way usually gets people killed. But hey, what do I know?”
“You’ve survived longer than most,” Evan said, offering her a rare smile. Despite the tension, there was an unspoken camaraderie forming between them. They had been through enough battles for trust to begin to build.
Up ahead, the twisted silhouette of the Arcadia Biotech facility loomed on the horizon—a crumbling structure of glass and steel that once stood as a beacon of human achievement in medical research. Now, it was a fortress of death, overrun by infected, mutated horrors, and the central hub of the viral infection spreading across the region.
The closer they got, the more the air seemed to thicken, the oppressive sense of danger growing with each step. They had no illusions about what they would find inside. The facility was a stronghold of chaos, an epicenter for the virus’s evolution, and potentially the last place where they could find the answers they desperately needed.
As they neared the outer perimeter of Arcadia Biotech, Evan paused, raising a hand. His senses were on high alert.
“Something’s off,” he murmured.
Kara tensed, immediately scanning their surroundings. “What do you mean?”
“I’m not sure. It feels like… something’s watching us,” Evan said, his voice low. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
Claire, ever the optimist, gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re just jumpy. We’ve all had a long trek.”
Evan didn’t respond. He trusted his instincts, and right now, those instincts were screaming that they were walking into a trap. But there was no turning back now. They had come too far.
The outer walls of Arcadia Biotech were covered in thick vines, twisted and gnarled from years of neglect. It was clear that the facility had once been meticulously maintained, but now it stood in a state of decay—forgotten by time and by the world. The once-sleek exterior of the building was now marred by black scorch marks, signs of previous attempts to eradicate the infection or perhaps even the facility's own experiments gone awry.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
“We need to find an entrance,” Claire said, looking at the rusted, high-security doors embedded in the wall.
Kara scanned the perimeter, her sharp eyes catching on a small hole in the side of the building, large enough for them to squeeze through. “There,” she said, pointing to the opening. “It’s our best shot.”
Evan nodded, signaling for the group to follow. They approached cautiously, moving quickly but quietly, as the tension in the air became palpable. The facility’s silence was deafening, with no signs of life, no movement. It was like the calm before a storm, and every step they took seemed to echo in their ears.
As they neared the hole, Evan’s gaze darted around, every sense straining for the smallest hint of movement. He was about to make a move when a faint noise reached his ears—a soft scuffling, like something moving through the rubble.
“Stay quiet,” he hissed. The group froze in place, their breath held, waiting for the noise to pass. The sound grew louder, closer. And then, out of the shadows, a figure appeared—a woman, ragged and covered in dirt, her eyes wide and frantic.
“Get back!” she shouted, but it was too late. The woman lunged at them, her arms outstretched, mouth agape as she screeched in an animalistic rage. Behind her, a dozen more figures emerged from the darkness—infected, but not like the mindless husks they had encountered before. These were faster, more aware, more cunning.
Evan’s instincts kicked in. He drew his blade in one swift motion, slashing through the first infected’s throat before it even had a chance to react. Kara followed suit, her crossbow snapping into action as she took down another with a precise shot to the head. But the group was surrounded. “Don’t let them close!” Evan shouted, slashing his blade in a wide arc to push the infected back. “We need to get inside!”
Jake, with his pistol drawn, fired shot after shot, taking out the infected nearest to him, but there were too many.
The system’s notifications flooded his mind in a whirlwind of data.
“Host Ability Activated: Combat Focus.”
The world around Evan seemed to slow as he honed in on each movement, his mind processing threats faster than his body could react. He struck with precision, each swing of his blade finding its mark.
“Move!” he shouted, signaling the group forward. The infected were relentless, but the team managed to force their way toward the hole in the building. As they neared the opening, Lila took a final shot, hitting the last of the infected in the chest. The creature fell, but not without a screech that echoed through the air.
Without looking back, the group squeezed through the hole and into the building, the heavy metal door slamming shut behind them with a metallic clang.
Inside, the air was thick with the smell of mildew and decay. The lights flickered weakly above, casting eerie shadows across the dilapidated hallway. The walls were lined with faded posters of the company’s former glory—advertisements for breakthrough medical technologies, promising a cure for every disease.
“Stay alert,” Evan said, his voice low as he scanned the empty corridor ahead. The Genesis system remained quiet, as if anticipating the danger that lay ahead.
The silence was unnerving. They moved cautiously, avoiding the creaking floors and loose debris that littered the hallways. They passed several rooms, each one more unsettling than the last. Some were sealed, while others appeared to have been abandoned in a hurry. Old lab equipment lay strewn about, half-destroyed by whatever chaos had torn through this place.
“This place gives me the creeps,” Jake muttered, his eyes darting around.
“No turning back now,” Kara said, her voice tense. “We find what we came for and get out.”
They continued deeper into the heart of the building, each step taking them further away from safety and closer to the unknown. The closer they got to the central lab, the stronger the feeling of being watched became. Every corner held the potential for new threats—infected or worse. Then they reached it—the central laboratory. The doors were slightly ajar, a faint hum of power still emanating from within.
“We’re here,” Claire said softly, her eyes gleaming with determination. “Now, let’s finish this.”
Evan stepped forward, his hand resting on the door handle. The final piece of the puzzle was inside. But what they found beyond those doors would change everything.