Kyle West - Apocalypse

“As part of our research, we brought back a live rat specimen that was infected with the disease. Collecting one was difficult and dangerous, but ultimately successful. It was a nasty creature: hairless, pink, sticky skin, and totally white eyes. The turned rat was brought back to 114 and given into the care of a woman named Kari Wilson.”

Here Samuel paused, and gave a long sigh, as if dreading the part that came next.

“Dr. Wilson was a brilliant scientist, and my friend. One day, while transferring the rat to another cage, it escaped and bit her. We thought it was nothing at first. But then she became sick within hours. Apparently, whatever strain of the xenovirus that affected that rat could also affect humans. She left early that night to go to bed.

“That morning, she did not join us at breakfast. Me and someone else went to check on her in her room.” Samuel hesitated a moment before going on. “We knocked, but there was no answer. Finally, we opened the door. Kari was laying still, her face completely pale, her eyes open. I knew, without even feeling her pulse, that she was dead.

“We immediately quarantined her. We thought long about where to put her, but we eventually decided to cordon off an area in the labs that was not used often.

“Dr. Luken wanted to do an autopsy. I protested, but most of the other scientists wanted to know what happened.

“So she was there, in the operating room. I could tell she had visibly changed, even from that morning. All her hair had fallen out, and her face became deathly pale, revealing black veins beneath cadaverous skin.

“It became clear that she was not truly dead – her arms and legs began to twitch. There was hope that she might be saved.” He sighed. “Obviously, we were wrong.”

Samuel stopped talking. I thought he might go on, but what he had said so far had emotionally drained him. I wouldn’t be the one to push him on under those conditions.

Just when I thought he wouldn’t speak again, he willed himself to continue.

“What resulted was madness,” Samuel said. “They were able to restrain her, but she had fallen under the full influence of the virus. She was put in the holding cell, originally designed for prisoners. Dr. Luken told us that we were going to study the effects of the xenovirus on Dr. Wilson.”

Samuel shook his head. “Most agreed with him. I, and a few others, did not. I was the only one to leave. That is why I am the only one alive today. I went to Oasis, but kept everything to myself.

“Days later, Oasis received a distress call from 114. There were sounds of a struggle, and then silence.

“I knew what had happened, but Ohlan insisted on sending a team to investigate. Five other men and I were selected for the task.

“Even in the few days I had been away, the infestation had grown exponentially. Xenofungus covered the entire north face of Cold Mountain.

“The mission was a disaster. Kari ambushed us at the entrance of the cave. There, I got my first look at her. She had grown to twice her size, probably from having fed on the scientists who lived in 114. Whoever she had been was gone, now. Her face was twisted, grotesque, and she stank of death. Blood and flesh stained her mouth, where long, sharp teeth protruded. She had long claws, extending from elongated fingers. And those eyes – I will never forget those completely white eyes staring into me.

“I was only able to escape by running into the cave, toward the Bunker. There was another with me…but he did not get his mask on in time when we reached the area with the fungal spores. He was knocked out, and Kari dragged him away.

“I ran into the Bunker, right to the dorms. There was only one entrance and exit, so I sealed the door, and locked it tight.

“That was two weeks ago. I’ve been here ever since. The power still works, and there is enough food to last me months. I thought of leaving earlier, but I wanted to take the opportunity while I was here to learn more about what happened after I left.

“In the research database, I found Doctor Luken’s research notes – the first description, however brief, of the human xenovirus.

“The notes detailed Kari’s transformation from human to…something else. Infection, sickness, followed by a comatose state, then a reawakening brought about by a physical stimulus. It was noted, even after the transformation, that Kari would not move unless she there was something alive in the vicinity.

“Luken described pre-infection as Stage 0. Infection was stage 1. The coma was stage 2. And the final stage – stage 3 – was where Kari was no longer human.

“I will not go into the details of how this virus works on all its levels. I am only concerned with telling you its ultimate purpose. Like any virus, it is to self-replicate, and it accomplishes this by directing the host to attack all living things in sight. Live specimens were given to Kari, to feed upon. She ate them alive, and only grew stronger. Her biomass increased – not just her weight, but her skeletal structure, her muscles, her hunger.

“Eventually, it became too much. She was able to use her strength to break free from her cell. They should have killed her while they had the chance.”

I hadn’t said a word up to this point. It was hard not to be sick at what I heard.

“So that…thing…” Makara shook her head. “It’s still alive?”

Samuel nodded. “Yes, very much so. I don’t know exactly where she is. But she is most likely by the elevators. After all, that is probably where all the people ran.”

I tried not to focus on the picture that popped into my mind – Kari, gnawing on human flesh and bone in the darkness.

“But…how are we supposed to get out?” I asked. “Surely there must be a way.”

“There are only two ways,” Samuel said. “One is the tunnel, but the exit is surrounded by the sleeping spores. There is only one gas mask. And it is not as if that area is safe, either; after all, I had come in that way on my return to Bunker 114, only to be ambushed by Kari. Of the six men, I was the only one who survived.”

“Wouldn’t the elevators be worse, though?” I asked.

“The elevators are our only option. We will have to climb up the shaft and take one of the vehicles out.”

“Vehicles?” Makara asked.

Samuel nodded. “There are several Recons in the motor pool near the top of the mountain. We could use one of those. They run on hydrogen and are all-terrain.”

Bunker 108 had a Recon, but it was hardly ever used because of the attention it would draw.

“Look,” I said, “a Recon sounds fine and all, but it will be of no use if we’re all dead. What about those gas masks your patrol was wearing? I could go out, get them, and bring them back for everyone to use. Wouldn’t it be safer to get into the motor pool from the outside?”

“It is impossible to reach if from outside. Everything is locked tight, and it’s a long way to walk. I wish it were that easy. I have another reason why we need to exit by the elevator.”

“That’s obvious,” Makara said. “Free Recons. If we could each grab one, we’d be rich.”

“I have another purpose in mind,” Samuel said.

“Of course you do,” Makara said, sitting back.

“While researching the xenovirus, I discovered a curious citation in the databanks, by a certain Dr. Cornelius Ashton.”

Makara looked up. “Cornelius Ashton? That name sounds familiar for some reason.”

“Because he lived and researched at Bunker One. He is the author of a research paper called the Black Files.”

My ears perked at that. “The Black Files…I’ve heard my dad talk about them. He’d wanted to get his hands on those for years.”

Samuel nodded. “The Black Files contain a wealth of information about the xenovirus that was lost when Bunker One fell. No one thought to save the data and transport it back west.” Samuel sighed. “To think of all that information…there may even be something about a cure, or how to stop Blights from growing…”