The Lab

A beam of light danced ahead of Rebecca as she crawled on her belly through the ventilation tunnels, guided by the narrow cone of her flashlight. She paused at a grate overlooking the barred armory, taking in the racks of rifles and shelves of ammunition before resuming her advance. Her heart quickened at the sound of something scraping against metal in the distance—was it her imagination? With difficulty, she angled her light through a nearby vent just in time to see Danny's limp body being dragged into the darkness by an unseen assailant. Fear coursed through her veins but she pressed on, soon stopping before another slit just wide enough for her slender frame. Bracing herself against the vent, she drove her booted heel into the grate once, twice, until the screws gave way and she could wriggle through feet first. The shotgun she had carried clattered to the floor as she emerged and glanced warily up and down the corridor.Rebecca descended, landing awkwardly on her ankle. She stifled a groan as pain radiated up her leg, then pressed onward, shotgun gripped tightly in her sweaty palms. Her eyes scanned the corridor, taking in the robed corpse devoid of an arm. An open door yawned before her like a bottomless abyss. Bloody footprints led inside.She moved toward the darkness, senses heightened. The corridor turned right up ahead. Weak light outlined two rooms on either side, armored glass barriers revealing the disarray within—metal tables bearing lab equipment in chaotic heaps, more spatters of red marring the floors and walls. At the far end, an armored door stood halfway open, traces of blood oozing from the gap. Rebecca's gaze shifted between each shadowed corner. A guttural screech erupted from the left room, spurring her to flatten herself below the glass. Slowly she raised her head, peering inside. Three nude beings with skin like raw meat lay on their backs, pink protuberances jutting from their spines. They stared skyward, entranced by the white light beaming onto them. One creature sensed Rebecca's presence and whipped its head toward her with preternatural speed. She ducked just in time. Crawling on elbows and knees to avoid detection, Rebecca slipped into the right-side room. A dead scientist greeted her with a lifeless gaze. She wound through lab tables and debris, making her way closer to potential refuge. The zombies in robes took no notice as she passed by the doorway and arrived at the cracked-open armored door. With utmost care, she pushed it wider and slid into the space beyond.The sterilized white walls and vivid lighting of the antivirus laboratory provided little comfort. Rebecca secured the heavy door behind her with a resounding click that echoed in the stillness. She surveyed the destruction - operating tables overturned, glass cabinets smashed, equipment strewn across the tiled floor. The bodies of the scientists laid contorted, wounds telling the horrific ends they had met.The S.T.A.R.S officer approached the armored corpse slumped by the far door, military fatigues soiled by blood and dust. She rifled through his vest, finding a set of keys and a flare gun that she swiftly pocketed. Across the lab, a machine hummed rhythmically, rows of vibrantly colored vials on display behind thick glass. Consulting a nearby notebook labeled "Antivirus Sample 098" Rebecca began following instructions, combining fluids with deft precision until she produced a gently glowing blue solution. Opening the capsule, she deposited the liquid carefully inside the high-tech device. It began agitating the mixture, components hissing as they lowered the temperature. A dripping trail caught Rebecca's attention to a shattered capsule, over two meters tall. Jagged glass edges jutted out ominously, traces of crystalline residue dusted the floor nearby. She crouched down, gloved fingers grazing a viscous substance - this had housed something alive recently. The incessant beeping of a monitor broke the silence. Rebecca approached the gore-spattered screen, scrolling through emails titled "Hey Alice" and "Weird" from a Shaun Everett. As she murmured the messages aloud, the events played out in her mind."Good morning Alice, I hope you are enjoying your license. I am enclosing the 'Project Amalgam' update as you requested." The words elicit a furrowed brow from Rebecca. She lifts the chair off the floor with a scrape and sits down at the desk, leaning in to better view the screen. "Despite our efforts to control the mutations, the subject continues to grow new protrusions. The antivirus sample only seems to reduce the effects temporarily." Rebecca's gaze narrows at this revelation. "In good news, attempts at socialization and pattern recognition have shown evolution, however, he continues to exhibit highly aggressive, seemingly random behaviors."There is a rhythm to Rebecca's recital, almost as if confirming secrets she already knows. We glimpse the machine behind her, methodically beating an antivirus much faster than before, hastening the procedure. "Changes in diet have been shown to be counterproductive in the subject's behavior." Rebecca's tongue halts on the next words, her composure wavering. "It continues to exhibit a high propensity for living...human...meat." She appears stunned, eyes blinking rapidly as the information sinks in. The sound of the machine beginning to freeze the antivirus sample startles Rebecca from her stupor. She checks the next email titled simply "Weird," with trepidation. "How are you, Alice? I thought I'd give you the latest news because I know how you like to gossip."Rebecca's voice takes on a lighter tone as she embodies the email's author. We can see through Shaun Everett's eyes as he narrates. "Marcus visited us in the lab today. The odd bit is that he asked us to leave him alone, and before we knew it he was gone." Shaun's gaze follows the imposing figure of James Marcus across the lab. "The supposed tension with Spencer has driven him to act strange. Laura, who dared to take a peek through the window, said she saw him standing in front of the 'amalgam' capsule almost in a nostalgic way..." Shaun's lips twist in amusement. "Amazing how it sounds like she caught him showing human emotions."Indeed, Marcus stands solitary before the capsule, fiddling with his wedding band, oblivious to Laura's wide-eyed stare through the windowed door. The flashback ends as quickly as it began. We return to Rebecca, her faced drained of its previous mirth. "Anyway, I'll keep you posted if anything interesting happens. Get well soon." The machine gives an affirmative beep. Rebecca stands, striding with purpose toward a capsule emitting steam. She removes the antivirus and places it carefully into her medical kit. With a decisive swipe of her keycard, the unseen lab door grants Rebecca access. She exits swiftly, the computer screen left aglow behind her, one word on the last sent email visible between the streaks of blood: "hel".Billy stirred slowly on the cold metal exam table, struggling to regain consciousness. The fluorescent lights of the veterinary clinic seemed unnaturally bright, assaulting his senses. He tried blinking, but his eyelids resisted, too heavy to lift. His body felt leaden, his mind fogged. A sudden blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Billy's eyes shot open despite the heaviness, his heartbeat quickening. Where had that horrifying sound come from? The place after hours should have been still, quiet. But that scream - so visceral, so close - told otherwise. It spoke of something primal, something inhuman, something dangerous... lurking.