“Cmon Seb you heard that thing screaming again last night. You know whatever they have got down here with us ain't right.” Ava sat on the edge of Sebastian's slab dangling her feet. Sebastian leaned against the cold stone of his concrete slab bed. “Realistically what can we even do about it?” he itched his rough beard as he looked to the floor.
“One hundred and three.” Thomas shouted lazily from the other side of the room as he scratched another tally mark into the wall. “My thinking is that they have their hands full. They don't even do stuff to us anymore since they took his eye. They feed us sure but no more tests have been done and I've got no more wounds. If they had what they wanted we would all be dead.” Ava leapt to her feet as she spoke.
“So what? Man? I ain't never seeing the sun again man.” Carlos had fallen into despair in recent days. He spent much of his time beating his head into the wall in an attempt to end his own life. All he had accomplished were a series of round dents in the concrete. He rolled onto his side facing the wall letting loose a large sigh.
“Keep your will strong my friend. In nature it is the land that falls to the river, not the other way around.” Kazama had become more talkative of recent. He had shared stories of his long life with the group along with many words of wisdom that he had learned. He spoke of his time in the Japanese military and how it felt being at ground zero of an atomic bomb. The pain was indescribable.
“So what you're saying is that we are experimental failures and they have left us here in our cage just in case one day they might for some reason need us. Great. Just great.” Sebastian stood from the ground walking towards the large metal door at the exit of their cell. He pulled back a fist to hammer on the door but it was caught by Thomas.
“Hey, when I ran out I saw this place. We ain't the only group in here. I saw a good dozen more. Poor sods shut together in rooms just like us. They had em with see through mirrors though. They might not be a danger like us.” the old man's vacant socket stared into Sebastian's eyes. Its haunting visage sent a shiver down his spine.
“You saw the way out didn't you?” Sebastian's words brought a smile to the old man's face. “Think about it mate. We wait until the next time that thing is screaming and they all rush off to it. We start something. Get a guy in here alone, take him down and boom. We pelt it to the elevator and piss off.” Sebastian huffed at the simplicity of the plan.
“Great idea so we get out before or after the guard shoots us to shit. Dunno if you noticed but they started loading their guns now?” Sebastian's jabs brought a frown to the old man. “Well I'd like to hear your plan, detective. Ain't you supposed to be able to solve anything?”
Sebastian chuckled as he turned to walk away.
“Tom you know it doesn't work like tha…..” the lights shut off in the chamber as a monstrous primal roar thundered through the facility. Its deafening volume shook the ground to its core. Red lights began to flash as the metal door began to open. “All units initiate the clean slate protocol. Wipe it clean.”
A single armoured guard came through the door as its panels hissed open. Cocking his rifle he took aim as Sebastian's head. A flurry of bullets hit the roof as Thomas tackled the guard forcing his rifle upward. With a quick jolt of the rifle Thomas hit the guard to the ground as his nose shattered.
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“Alright son. You’re gonna answer some questions. Detective get over here.” Thomas aimed the rifle at the grounded man as he waved Sebastian over. The rest of the group rose to their feet and moved forward as Sebastian approached. “Clean slate? You guys are purging the facility. Why?” the guards radio crackled and came into frequency.
“It's loose! Subject zero has breached containment! Purge the facility and evacuate! Our only option is to…… Jenkins. God damn it, Jenkins close the bulkhead. Jenkins!” the radio chatter degraded into a storm of gunfire and primal screams as subject zero tore through every man present. Its heavy breaths and deep growls were heard as its wet footsteps grew distant.
“What the fuck is subject zero?” Sebastian pulled the guards sidearm from his holster and held it to his temple. The guard stayed silent. In a sudden move the guard floated up and slammed into the wall. His body glowed with a green energy as Ava stepped towards him. “He asked you a question, asshole.”
She began to close her held out palm into a fist as the guard began to struggle. Several loud clicks and pops emerged from his bones as she came closer to him. “I don't know. Please they told me it's this or the chair. I don't wanna do this. I have a daughter.” Ava’s eyes lit up shining green as she closed her fist further “Liar”
“Ah ok ok ok I heard Doctor Himmel say that it was the first thing they bought here. They had been watching it for a while and the opportunity arose when another one of you people hurt it. They kept it chained for years. He's only just started causing problems. Please, I can show you the way out. I'm sorry.” his knees clattered into the concrete as Ava released him from the wall.
“Your willingness to give up information so freely marks you as a coward. kuso.” Kazama calmly walked past the guard out of the door and into the metal corridor. The group followed suit with Thomas holding the rifle to the guards back. “Make no mistake, I can still shoot with one eye boy. You run, I'll put two in your knees and let your subject zero take ya.”
Walking down the long corridor they looked into the large windows that adorned the walls. Each displayed a room with its own subject. Each subject lay riddled with bullets on the ground in a pool of their own blood. “You people are fucking sick as.” Thomas pushed the barrel of the rifle into the guards back urging him to keep moving forward.
“What's your name?” Sebastian paced alongside the guard holding the pistol close at his side. “Uh Todd. Todd Roberts” the young guard stuttered nervously as he continued down the hall. “Todd where are we?” Sebastian put a hand on the guard's shoulder. “Somewhere in Asia I think? I don't really know. They bought a bunch of us here with bags over our heads.” the guard looked down to his feet in shame.
“What did you do Todd? You mentioned it was this or the chair.” the guard scratched his head and looked away. “I got drunk and high and shot a friend of mine. They came to me right before my execution and told me I could carry on living and have a secure job. That id have a purpose again.”
“You got fed some bullshit man.” Carlos waved his lifeless hand towards the guard as he spoke from the rear of the group. “I know that now. I'm just as much of a prisoner as you guys.” Thomas slapped the guard on the back of his head. “You get cut up and beaten on the daily boy? Get your eye ripped out?”
“No. I've seen guys crack though. If they refuse to work they get chucked in a room with the attack dogs. I've had to clean that up once or twice.” Sebastian winced at the thought of the dogs tearing flesh from bone. “No one leaves. Not even the Doctor.” The guard came to a halt as he rounded the corner to the elevator. His muscles froze as pure fear entered his heart.
Before him basked in the light of the fire emanating from the elevator shaft stood a horror beyond comprehension. Its long unkempt dark hair swayed from side to side as it swayed in the light of destruction. Its body was shielded by a heavily torn grey jumpsuit that allowed vision of a sea of surgical scars. It snapped its head to the group as the guard whimpered.
Reflecting in the flashing red emergency lights its face split from ear to ear in a sinister smile exposing sharp pointed teeth. With a flick of its hands sharp black claws emerged from the tips of its fingers. “Nah fuck that!” Thomas opened fire as the creature darted around evading each shot as it approached closer.
Jumping from wall to wall to ceiling and the ground it approached. All the while a thick trail of drool dripped from its gritted teeth as it snarled in its approach. The final shot in the rifle connected with the beast’s chest drawing a distorted growl from it as the guard lost control of his bladder. Reaching out a clawed hand it grabbed the man by the leg and vanished back into the darkness dragging the screaming guard with it.
“No no no please please! I never wanted to hurt anyone please! Doctor Himmel. Doctor Himmel made us! Take the other elevator, it's through his office on the other side of your chambe…….” a deafening sound of flesh tearing was followed by a loud slap as the guard's body fell to the ground. His head bounced and rolled to Sebastian's feet. Its terrified expression stared at him in the flashing red light of the alarms.