Alan awoke cold and naked set in the middle of a white room, with a glass one side window with simple metal walls that hid behind the wires, pipes and vents. He could hear that there were four people breathing behind the window, he could tell that four people were standing, all living slightly differently, two were heavy and probably not very active, the other two were controlled even. He heard their voice before they spoke into the room deafening him, flinching he tried not to show how loud. "Hello, we realise that you might be scared, but we're here to help, can you tell us your name."
“My name Alan, What’s happening?”
The voice replied, "Very good, nice to meet you, Alan. We are isolating you since you got bitten and didn't change into the Maddened, we'd like to find out why?"
“Oh, yeah that apocalypse, what’s it like outside?”
“We’ve managed to contain it to just the city, it won’t spread any further the military got it all under control.”
Realising who the other people in the room he moved onward, shook his head and decided that he wouldn't act like a badass but hide everything he could. Give them the bare minimum and use them to learn what he could.
"Could you tell us what happened to you?"
He did some everything up to falling unconscious in the middle of the forest, they seemed to accept it. Still, he heard the two military men huff and whispered in a rough voice. "Ask him if he knows anything about the crater we found him in?"
Alan mind raced, ‘Crater, what crater?’
He waited for them to ask and answered in kind, "Crater, what Crater there wasn't one when I collapsed?"
The voice replied, "Thank you."
He then wandered around the room stretching, listening in on the four the rough voice started off as the man started pacing back and fore. "So he was there inside a mile-wide crater, and he knows nothing, like the others. They awaken, causing a huge amount of damage to there surroundings their abilities seem unique to each individual. Yet they exhibited their abilities straight away when they have awaked then why isn't he?"
Obviously, he'd asked a hypothetical and wasn't expecting an answer, but Alan learnt that the two other were scientists and gave the rough military man some potential answer which interested Alan, "sir, it could simply be the strength of his power, say he far out weight the destructive power of the others, it probably requires quite a bit of oomph or heavy emotions."
It was silent for a bit as the rough guy grunted, “Then you’d best start finding out how he ticks, and make sure the nuclear bomb that he is doesn’t go off in your face, understood.”
The scientist seemed quite a bit more nervous as he replied in affirmative. The two military guys walked out of his range, he instead listened to two left behind, "Great, let get volunteered to take care of the broken one."
"Don't be such an ass, the whole department's been put on this project. We happen to get the most dangerous one, but did you see the photographs the satellites took. Thinking of what science awards and recognition if we manage to get Alan to the top of the group, he'd be a God amongst man?"
"Yeah, but still caring for someone who could simply lash out and like a bug, we'd disappear. Well if we manage not to die, I hope he'll think of us as friends or at least nice people, and he might not kill us when things inevitably go sideways we've seen the movies."
Alan could help himself, he had heard them, he promised to do his best not to lash out and hurt someone, he needed to be calm and controlled. He much prefers it if they'd like him then feared him and will think go sideways? He didn't know, but he wasn't about to become some toy of the military.
Deciding that he need to provide at least some form of connection, "Hey, guys, I was wondering if I could get a bed or something for entertainment."
“Hey, Darl he asked us something.”
Then through the mic came the voice, "Sorry, Alan, could you repeat the please."
“Yeah, no problem but I was wondering if I could get a bed to sleep and rest on and some entertainment?”
"Sorry lad, but we're still in the middle of a destroyed city, inside of the R&D section and well the building doesn't have an apartment and was never designed to hold and entertain several thousand people. So those beds that do exist are already being used by people how are in more need then you or I are. If anything you've got it nicer not having to share a toilet, the room we lucky you. As you don't have to put up with John fats here. 'Oh' hahaha."
Alan smiled and in a mile of radios, life smiled, planets grew greener, people were happier, and it went unnoticed as flowers appeared in random spots around the building.
Darl continued after having taken a little of his own medicine from John. "As for entertainment we could get you a tablet and copy some movies, books and games onto it. We haven't got any internet at the moment so anything on there at you might want we probably can't get what you want. You'll have to put up with other peoples horrible tastes, including my own."
Alan nodded, "Thank you, Darl."
Alan thought that he might actually enjoy these two company, until he heard from John, "Why aren't we allowed to give them the internet?"
Darl replied coolly, "I don't know, they told us to, probably don't want them talking to the outside world. Just imagine the world if they found out that we had superhumans who could blow up city blocks I don't think even our allies would take kindly to finding that out."
Alan told himself that he probably won't do that if someone had explained why but he could see the logic he remembered what his dad said once. "Humans are social creatures, we each have a tribe and if one doesn't belong there then there going to leave and they aren't going to care about what you do. But then again they're probably idiots who can't think for themselves as an individual, and with today share your shit culture. They're going to shovel it out at maximum speed."
He's happy mindset faded like the memory and sat in a corner and waited for the entertainment to get away from the memories that were swallowing him up. Remembering having to kick his sister in the face, running from his cannibalistic family.
Somehow he cried and fell asleep. Not that it was his exhaustion that made him fall asleep but that the wall had started dripping water and the very building started shaking. So the two Darl and John pushed the knockout gas and filled the room in second. When the building stopped shaking every phone in the building started going off as people went to find out what that was. The two soldiers who'd just left ran back into the with excitement written on the face.
“Was that It, He manifested his powers?”
Darl quickly replied "We think so unless there was someone else in the building who could've done so. He was feeling extreme sadness, and we hit the gas he's out cold right now. Still, we should do our best to remove any emotional stimulus he could've just taken the whole building down just then."
The military man said, “Brilliant,”
Before he turned and left, leaving the scientist haunted as they realised that the man wasn't going anywhere and that he was utterly infatuated with the power on display.
The commander walked back down the corridor heading for the lift a smile on his face, that stretched his scars. He started to talk to the second, "So, what do you think?"
"I think this is an amazing opportunity to create something great. We should let that doctor continue his experiments and give him everything we can and have him create super-soldier. We manage to do that, and we'll become the best army on the planet overnight, definitely if we could get smug of that kid's power he could've killed us all. If only it wasn't in some weak, innocent person. Regardless of the person, I think we should double the guards of all the super individuals and their scientists. I've got a bad feeling these guys aren't that blind for progress for progress's sake, so I'd not use any black site techniques. Still, we should split up the super so that they not all in the same place so if we lose one site we might not lose everything."
The eyebrow rose on the commanders, “You had a lot of suggestions, excited as am I. I agree could them split up and move them to three separate sites with some of the maddened, well leave the kid here and since I want Dr Gareth working on him.”
"Sir, yes, sir."
Snapping to the attention he moved off to fulfil his order, and he went to check on his soldier out on the defence that surrounded the skyscraper.
Staring the auto machines gun and seeing his face in them, he was happy with engineers to work. Moving along to the drone control centre he watched the small drones flying over the city in a continuous pattern looking rogue Madden. Who might pop their heads up for our men to shot them to death with a high calibre round. Watching the miles of roads and dead bodies that lined the street, unable to put them to rest, they slowly became the food for the maddened.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
When they'd first arrived, he'd thought that those things were simply humans turned mad. He was wrong, it was a trick at first they looked like a bumbling fool, but that was simply an illusion to their massively increased strength and durability. They ripped through the armour on the drone, people and tanks. Small's arms fire did nothing but tickle them, the cannons and railgun cut them down well enough, but they couldn't get into close combat. They'd thankfully managed to seal the drainage system, but he wasn't about to send his men down there.
So the drones had been assigned to fly out of range of the Maddened and only doing recon.
The patrols along the highway was a necessary evil so that their supply won't be interrupted. He then went to look if the sea access was coming along since it would be more secure to bringing in resources from the sea. With the sea being only a mile away instead of the dozens that their supplies were required to be brought through right now.
The only trouble was the buildings they were far closer when you got closer to the sea. Since there was no large open spaces or highways, they were making their own way. Clearing buildings carefully to see if they had any civilians hiding in them, he lost a few men trying that. However, he was forced to search, building by building since there were still quite a few people hiding. Once they'd cleared it, they'd blow up the surrounding buildings and placed automated sentries, flattened and created concrete walls. They were a good hundred metre into the project when an explosion rocked the command centre, alarms started blaring, and gunfire could be heard.
“What happened? Somebody tell me what’s going on!”
“Sir, we’ve lost contact with Sentry Guns D3 to D8 sir.” said the drone officer
"Sir, men, reporting in says someone blasted through the concrete barrier, and the Maddened have made their way through the breach and attack worker and destroying equipment sir."
The communications officer said,
"Move the tank group 1 and 2 over to support, have A2 and A8 move forward, have tank group 3 in support, flank the area and tell everyone to keep an eye out for a rogue super."
This was possibly his biggest fear that they'd missed a super and that they've got some kind of control over the Maddened with superpowers just to make his life difficult. He doubts small arms fire will do anything, he'd need to refit his soldier before sending them back out with tank support. Still, he needs access to the sea for quick refit if Boris waits until all the materials came in with convoy's or airdrop it would take months, and he had a budget to think about.
The communication picks out, "Sir, ring A saying confirm big boogie, sir."
'Fuck' The commander thought, That wasn't what he wanted to hear, he didn't have anyone that he could put up against the super, there were two vets in their group of supers one was eighty. The other would be better suited, but he'd need quite a bit of time to get trained in using his powers. And then there's no guarantee since their ability differs they be weaker or stronger. Rubbing his forehead as that number of things he had to think about had increased, and they were entering new territory.
"Coms, order the withdrawal of the workers and get them behind A1, Arty I want an artillery strike on super to let's see how strong these guys are."
In return, he got two yeses, and the round orders ran through the centre, the coms Spoke up "Area confirmed clear,"
Then Arty replied “Confirmation, fire fire fire.”
A dozen boom could be heard, and they waited for the earth-shaking power that they should've felt with it being so close, he could feel his stomach drop and recon spoke up. "No contact, target …. Oh … target holding artillery pieces they had no effect."
Some explicative late, "Coms call the flyboys, I want an airstrike on that thing's location now."
“Sir yes sir” she started talking down the mic and gave directions.
About five minutes later, He had the woosh of the supersonic plane shoot within a few seconds of a massive explosion that he could feel through his boots. The thing about bombs is that they're no longer impact based since they cause more damage if they detonate above the target, unlike artillery strikes that were kinetic based. He'd assume that the target would most like stop it and found it going off in his face.
The Drone officer spoke. "Confirm target hit, target not destroyed, Closer inspection target vitals in serious condition major burns covering the body, similar to those maddened around him ."
‘Blood hell he survives close contact with an explosion was probably the heat and fire. “Orders frontlines to advance and capture or kill targets.”
The communication officer spoke, "Sir enemies retreating, sir."
They didn't surprise him, but he really didn't want to let the person go; they'd destroyed a good portion of the work equipment and set him back a week. "Recon, don't lose him, send direction to land units."
He thought things through they'd most likely had more than one person they'd not found everyone. If they grouped up and worked together, they'd most likely lose even on open ground. With the maddened working with them, it would difficult without their own supers to help.
He needed to get his own force of super's to match the wild ones, thinking about the power of that young man. He needed his help but could he kill someone, he knew his veterans could be put to immediate use, have them trained and practise they'd be able to hold their ground.
Giving out an order for the two veterans to be put back on duty, he wondered if he could somehow get the boy out and fight as he asked about the human mind. Then he realises that the Supers are sentient people, and they still look like people, "Recon, do we have a facial on the target?"
"Sir, yes, sir."
"Good, send the face-off to the border force and inform them of what happened here, make sure if they can't capture that they kill."
As he did the lad, he was thinking about was returning from the land of sleep and shaking his head. The two scientists had started yapping as Darl began as he noticed Alan, "Alan, awakening,
John said he voice squeaking “What even though he should still be asleep for another two hours?”
Darl spoke again "God damn, I haven't got the tablet ready yet, shouldn't go on lunch break."
John's voice quivered, "I'm just hoping that he doesn't bring the building down on us if he gets a little sad."
Alan caught the conversation and took a moment to understand, 'He'd been drugged to sleep because he got sad and did something to make them put me to sleep.'
"Guys, what happened?"
"You started using your abilities, and we had to put you to sleep. The building may be structurally sound, but we've got to keep it to the minimum, definitely with so many other people who start losing control. So please don't blame us, or think bad of us, we want you to have control. Perhaps you'd like to practise while you still have the feeling fresh in your memory."
Alan thought about what Darl had said, and honestly, he needed control if what they were saying was true. Nodding gave them affirmation, "I'd like to start learning!"
"Brilliant!" Darl started, "We've been ordered outside because of safety and your ranking."
“Ranking?” Alan asked curiously, he could audibly hear the gulp.
"Sorry Alan you weren't supposed to hear that, but since you did, the military love their order, categorising of all things dangerous so when they searching you guys out. The Sentient is infected; we organise the damages done to the surrounds since we don't know what powers were used to make them. It's merely an ABCD system, and they had to make another one just for you, beyond A and called you X. You're. X ranked infected and have been assigned to outside arena training.
We'll have to remove you from the room, do not be surprised we both will be carrying tranquilisers and there are four armed guards outside and will escort you out to train ok."
Alan appreciated the honesty and warning, "Ok, thanks for the warning."
A few minutes later, a door slid open, and two slightly overweight white-coated, baggie eyes scientists smiled at him. "Already Alan, follow us and don't mind the guards, we'll be heading out, and into the training ground there will be other people so please don't mind them."
Walking out onto the white corridors and carpeted floor and saw the beige soldier staring at him, hugging their carbines with helmets hiding the eyes.
Alan was guided through the corridor to a lift, through the lounge and his gotta say the stare was getting to him and before he'd known he'd tripped which made people giggled. Alan squashed the feeling of being embarrassed, and it evaporated when he looked down at why he'd fallen. The floor below him had bent and deformed even the guards, Darl and John fell as the very floor liquefied beneath their feet.
Panic set in as the soldier just back all looking at him wholly terrified as their weapons shook. Alan closed his eyes and ignored them all as he imagined the surrounding turn in an Eden green garden that was filled with luscious growth. He was listening to birds singing, and the wind whistles as he felt his muscles relax and in mind blanked.
A few minutes later, he reopened his eyes to a mostly empty room with only the two scientists and guards who were now aiming at him. John asked with red eyes, holding his injector up. "How are you doing Alan? got everything wrapped up?"
"Yeah, I just got nervous. Apparently, it doesn't take much, it didn't take much for me to go."
John smiled, “Ok that’s good, we’re learning as we go, next time I'll have a root cleared before we leave.”
Nodding Alan managed to stand up and apologised. John then asked "Do you want to continue? We could retreat to your room?"
Alan shook his head, "No, I'm here, and I might as well continue using the time, so I don't even feel tired."
So scratching made him notice that Darl was there with a notepad and was writing furiously when he noticed Alan staring at him he took the advantage to ask. “If you could rate how tired you are, 1 being not tired at all to 10 why am I still up.”
“1” Alan replied he really was awake and didn’t feel tired at all, and he looked down at the ripples in the ground with a dozen footprints. Scratch, scratch as Darl worked.
John smiled that great keep learning and find the limit of your new self, follow me, and we can take to outside. Upon exiting Alan saw the base that had built up around the tower, with a tank, artillery pieces, tent galore thousands of people were walking around civilian to military.
That least the people were purposefully ignoring probably having been told of what had happened in the building. He could even see some people moving into large armoured transports. The concrete walls, with auto, mounted guns and then soldiers patrolling back and forth.
They moved along the soldiers now glaring at everyone how come near him, he found that quite amusing. Some of those soldiers had flowers growing from their uniforms. They just made Alan smile more that even the ground started sprouting flowers. John then hit the back of his head made Alan realise he was doing and apologised to the guards how they pulled out the flower from their pocket and helmet root and all.
Dark took full opportunity to gather several of the planets before placing them into the sealable bags and wrote on them. Peeking out he was his name, the time and emotion he was feeling.
Alan was thinking about how he'd activated the ability. They wouldn't be shallow emotions, but the ones that hit you in the chest would definitely start the power whatever they're because he hadn't got a clue.
They'd moved quite far from the building in a hastily moved and cleared area that was surrounded by the rubble, he could already tell that someone had been here before him. They had left behind scorched markings and small dents in the wall and the floor.
He wasn't alone as there were individuals that were discreetly looking over the wall. He assumed they were scientists since none of them seemed to be under the age of fifty with their greying hair and wrinkling skin.
John got Alan attention, “Ok we’re going to start on something simple, do you remember how you felt before we put you to sleep? Please give us a few seconds to get away from you before you show off.”
Alan nodded and waited until he heard John shout at him, all too easily that sorrow flooded through the body and instead of focusing on his the reason why he was crying he looked towards finding the bit of him that could reach out and change the world,
Keeping his eyes open, aiming for space in the middle. He directed all of his sorrow towards the spot he had chosen to use, as he did so there was a part of him that that felt like a switch was flick into deep dark hole opened up, and something was sucked through. A portion of his thoughts that moved away towards the spot he was thinking about.
He was far too easily dragged into the sorrow that was used to open this space for him to grasp it, but he at least was able to recognise it.
As he felt and did his best to understand it the ground in front of him was shifting and modifying. Spikes shooting out the floor with, even more, spikes shooting out of the tips growing bigger and bigger until it dwarfing the surrounding structures.
Alan came back to himself and looked up and the spiked abomination that his sorrow had created he was in as much awe and in horror that he could make anything like that. It was quiet for a short while before the voice of Johns came out from some speakers, "You ok Alan, that was... pretty impressive... do you want to try again?"
Alan thought about it before looking back and shouted, "Yeah, one more time, please."
"Ok in your own time."
Alan instead brought forth the feelings of anger that he could have saved his family. It rushed down the hole looking closer then he felt that whatever was consuming it was like a clogged sink his emotions and thought pooled on top and slowly made its way through. This time he was focused on fire and watched as it travelled through the hole. His eyes dried instantly as a ball of fire consumed the spike monolith. The shocked made Alan step back the fire died almost immediately as he withdrew from the hole.
He could hear the sighs of those around I'm as the ground showed a mirage of the heat and the smell of ionised ozone—Alan the jump to put out the fire that had lit his clothes. Thankfully a dozen soldiers ran at him with fire extinguishers, putting him out, leaving holes in the front of his clothes and allowed him to see he changed body. Where there was once a bit fat was now a reddened and very toned muscular body.
One of the soldiers who had a red cross over on his helmet asked, “Are you ok, Lad.”
“Ha, Yeah just a little red!”
The medic stopped his eyebrows rose, "You sure, we had people behind the wall with mild burns."
“OH shit sorry, I should go apologise?”
Medic panicked, "Nononono that might not be a good idea what you just did terrify a lot of people. it's probably a good idea to avoid them for a time give them some time to get over it."
"They've got a good reason to be afraid after what I just did, hell I'm afraid of myself. You don't seem to mind you?"
A nervous laugh came from the medic. "I'm completely terrified, but I was ordered out here, but I can tell you that you just fell into your situation and the look on your pale face calmed me. I realised that you're no enemies just some innocent civilian."
He was a bit tired, and there was quite a bit of stress going about some he disused to head off back to his isolation chamber and see if the floor couldn't be made more comfortable.
"I think I'll take your advice and head back to my room for the night."
The medic nodded, "I gotta lad, I'll go get carer's to take yeah back."
"Thanks," Alan said as he watched the medic walk off as Alan slowly wandered his way back and was greeted by a red root faced team and Alan apologised.
They gave back some simple no problems, as they seemed slightly perturbed to be near him, not that it surprised Alan. Hence, he simply followed silently behind them as they walked back through the lobby and back to his floor, where he was greeted by the white walls and window of his room.
Dark didn't just close the door behind Alan, heading him a tablet, "Hey, Alan, I managed to get my new assistant to copy all of the movies onto this."