NIGHTMARE SYNDROM CHAPTER 5: THE MASSACRE

Date: FEB-13, 2002/7:01 PM HAVN Facility-Upper Level/Research Area: Observatory Level The Korean soldiers were scrambling through the darkness of the Upper Level, for an hour already. All the while more of those humanoid creatures, have been chasing and attacking them, all they could do is try and fight back, with what little knowledge and understanding they have on their enemy. As more Creepers shrieked and scratched around them, Hyun-woo Dae's team were starting to panic. Hyun-woo seeing this situation was clearly a dangerous disadvantage, for them, he had his team look for another room to hide and recuperate.

As they did as he commanded, they were encountered another group of Creepers in front of them, immediately Hyun-woo and his team opened fire at the creatures. A lot ammo was used, but they managed to take down the five Creepers, that suddenly appeared in front of them. Then as they moved on, gasping for air, as all the sneaking, running, and fighting was taken it toll on them, that's when Hyun-woo heard one of his men say to him, "사령관님! 보세요!/ Salyeong-gwannim! Boseyo! (Commander! Look!)" looking at the direction that his subordinate said, he saw a door. Hyun-woo told the soldier, that he did good, as the sounds of more Mutates were getting closer, so under his command they rushed to said room. Entering what appears to be a office, they all rushed in, and fell on various spots on the ground exhausted, and seems that during their tracking in the dark, another of his men must have gotten killed, cause Hyun-woo noticed that they were now only twenty-four of them left.

Noticing this Hyun-woo, growled and yelled out, "젠장!/Jenjang! (Damn it!)" taking off his helmet and tossing it to the wall, making a loud sound. He never expected this, taking a sit on the swivel-chair, with his face resting on his fists, he thought at most they'd faced these "superhumen" that Barrow Corp. kept locked in this facility. Not monsters, calming down he heard one of his men speak to him, "사령관님. 이제 우리는 무엇을 해야 합니까? 명령은 무엇입니까?/Salyeong-gwannim. Ije ulineun mueos-eul haeya habnikka? Myeonglyeong-eun mueos-ibnikka? (Commander. What do we do now? What are your orders?)" taking a deep breathe, he got up his sit and walked over to his helmet. Placing back on his head, and securing it, he turned to his team and said, "무슨 일이 일어나든. 우리는 아직 완수해야 할 임무가 있습니다. 총격!/Museun il-i il-eonadeun. Ulineun ajig wansuhaeya hal immuga issseubnida. Chong-gyeog! (Regardless of what is happening. We still have a mission to complete. Fireshot!)" getting Chong-gyeog's attention, responding to him, Hyun-woo said to him, "총격. 정보가 필요해. 이 생물들을 어떻게 다룰지 알아야 해. 그래서 한 마리를 잡을 거야./Chong-gyeog. Jeongboga pil-yohae. I saengmuldeul-eul eotteohge dalulji al-aya hae. Geulaeseo han malileul jab-eul geoya. (Fireshot.We need intel. We need to know, how to deal with these creatures. So we're going to capture one.)" Chong-gyeog, understanding his commander's, orders lock and loaded his assault riffle, and got ready to do, as ordered.

Date: FEB-13, 2002/7:29 PM HAVN Facility-The Lowest Level: Shuttle Crashsite In the crash site 2X, Brick, and K, have just set freed Uncle, and Muse. With Muse only having some bruises and lossing her glasses, from the crash, but she was still unconscious but seems to be coming to. Uncle he was awaken, with some cuts on his face, once he help place Muse gently on the ground, they went to the others, and found Specs...he didn't survive the crash, as Uncle personally checked his pulse, and got nothing. So as cold at it may sound, Uncle made turned their focus on the others that might still be alive.

Muse moaned out in discomfort, so 2X decided to stay by her while, Brick, Uncle, and K, freed the other. K laughed and said, "Oye gringito. Don't mess with Muse, I know her a bit, and better not hear any complaint, from ella. Got it!" 2X, nodded his head, as they went away to check the others. The next one they checked was Lill's. She was not badly hurt, and also unconscious, her table was badly damaged letting her arms free, and dangling in the air. While Uncle and Brick held her so she wouldn't fall from her table and hurt herself, K took upon herself to set Lill free.

As they worked on Lill's restrains, Pig woke up and started coughing, as blood was dripping down his forehead, from a gash on the spot. 2X noticed that Pig woke up, and he told the others, K scuffed, as she said with hostility, "Great the cop, had to survive. That rock-nerd would have been better, than him." Brick shuke his head, while Uncle sighed and turning to Brick said, "Hey man. We got Lill, can you help out the cop?" Brick nodded and let go of Lill, letting Uncle support her weight alone. While he went over to Pig, and started to free his restrains, for now it was six of them alive, and one dead. That's when the shuttle shuke and sparks flew off the wall, making everyone standing lose their footing because of this. The shaking woke up Muse, and also Husk, who started to scream in panic at the situation that they were in right now.

K yelled at him as she was rubbing her arm, from falling, "¡Oyé idiota, callate! Sigues, guitando y te dejo ahi, para que te mueras. (Hey idiot, shut up! Keep on screaming, and I'll leave there dangling until you die.)" Husk, started to pant and try to calm himself, as he watched K and Uncle get back up and help Lill, while Brick helped Pig. Then Muse now conscious, with the help of 2X got back to her feet, she looked around as was shocked at all the damage that the shuttle suffered, and that they managed to survive it all...well almost all of them survived.

With Muse awake, she and 2X, went to Husk to set him free. Husk was mumbling, as the restrains were being loosen, and Muse was trying to comfort Husk, and he was grateful to her. At the sametime, K and Uncle have just freed Lill, and as Uncle was holding onto Lill who was starting to steer awaken.

When Lill woke up, and saw the state the shuttle was on, she screamed and mumble, questioned on what happened. Uncle tried to calm her down, and K grunted and yelled at Lill to calm down and shut up. Finally returning to normal state, she pushed Uncle and told her to get off of her, as K told her to help find a way to get put the shuttle, Lill "hmmped" and went with K to find a way out the deathtrap of a shuttle.

Muse and 2X finally helped Husk off his restrain table, and Husk asked Muse to help K and Lill find a exit, while him and the other went to check on Grinder. Meanwhile Uncle told Brick to help the girls, since he is the strongest amongst them, so he can move anything that the girls couldn't move. Uncle, Pig, Husk, and 2X, went to Grinder, who was completely out-cold, but fortunately both Pig and Uncle confirmed that Grinder was still alive, even with the nasty, wound on his left eye. Pig having some medical even if its on a basic level, immediately turned to other and told them, "Grinder alive, but his left eye is gone. Something cut it, once we free him, we'll need to treat him or it could be bad." 2X sighed, as this was more bad news, they'll basically have two people causing them problems, Grinder's wound and Husk's health, shaking his head he helped the others to free Grinder.

For now at least nine of them were alive, but two of them are not in prime health condition. But beside the danger that they're currently in, with the shuttle still at risk of either falling further down, or blowing up. The team situation was grave, but others in the facility are in a more grievous state.

Date: FEB-13, 2002/7:37 PM HAVN Facility-The Commute-area The Commute-area once the only safe haven for the Subjects, locked up in the HAVN facility, was a place of gorery mess. With the flickering emergency lights, showed the blood stains, gorery messes, body parts, and dead, mutilated bodies of victims of the monsters of HAVN. The stains of hand and arm-prints, some bodies laying from the walls, tables, and other areas, of the Commute-area. Some Creepers were still cutting, scratching, and stabbing the bodies of people that were killed by them. Reacting to any twitch or sound, a couple of Creepers were by the receptionist area, covered by some bloody shutters, as they smash and attack the shutters, since they heard some noises from the spot.

That"s when a new mutate, started walking through the blood and gore of the Commute-area. This mutate are very wicket looking, almost like a horror from outer space, that has landed onto Earth. This creature is very tall, withered physique, and one of the most noticable traits is that this creature has no arms, completely armless. As it walked in a disturbing faction, the light shun on it head, revealing that it has no eyes or lower jaw but a very, very long tongue, as well with twisted looking sharp spikes at the end of tongue, swaying in the air.

It was stumbling around the area in search of any possible victim. But that when it stopped walking, and started to make, deep sounding smelling, and the scent of fresh blood, hit this creature's nostrils. Making some gargling noises, as it stalked away into the darkness, tracking it prey...

Inside one of the private squatters, was hidding, and laying next to the bolted down bed, it was a man with short brown hair, and large gash across his chest, staining his torn uniform. When the Mutates somehow appeared on the Commute-area, he was one of the Peon that immediately ran away, and a Creeper without any attachments managed to slash him, across the chest. As he ran he saw someone opening his private squatters, and pushing him out the way, leaving the man at the mercy of the same Creeper that nearly killed him.

Now this coward, was hoping he can survive by hidding away, until someone could take care of the mutates. He was panting and shaking in fear, he heard all the screaming, shrieking, along with the sounds of liquid hitting some surface and bones breaking, it was a total massacre. But now the noises were more quiet and lesser than before. Then he heard something hitting on the security door of the room, he immediately placed his hands over his mouth to block any sound that he might make. The tapping on the door, continued for a while and then it became quiet, he thought that whatever was outside the door has left. As he stupidly open the door slightly, so he can take a peek outside, but it was too dark and he didn't notice the danger, that is very, very close to him.

Just above him was a burgundy colored appendage with several sharp, slightly curved spikes at the tip of this appendage. It was dripping some transparent, viscous liquid, over him. He felt somethint warm and slimy around his neck, before he could react, something struck him, a wet, thick, appendage wrapped around his neck, and tightly squeeze around his throat, as spikes dug into his flesh. As he clawed at whatever was chocking and cutting him, lifting him off the floor, then he realized what was attacking him, it is a Lasher!

This is the main method of attacking for these armless mutate varient, making the Lashers very dangerous. As they use their tongues to attack their victims, by either lashing at them or shooting their tongues like a chameleon. But the other method and reason that a Lasher is a dangerous mutate, is because it a stalking predator, once they track a victim like the man who was still being choked, cut, and lifted by the tongue, for Lashers wrap their tongues around the victim's neck, both choking and cutting into the Subjects throat. Hence the reason that the man, recognized his attacker as a Lasher.

Still struggling to break free from the Lasher's tongue, as it was now pulling out the room, then he realized that this was both his salvation and doom. He was being choked to death, blood was dripping down his neck and the lasher's tongue, along with his body being still behind the door, so he can have his neck snapped, but he can also pinch the tongue of the Lasher, with the door. So gasping for air, he tried to pull himself back inside the room, and close the door, to save himself, but his actions alerted the lasher, and it started to tighten its death-grip around his throat. Immediately this increased the pain around his neck, and it was causing him to blackout.

Struggling to break free, was only delaying the inevitable death was tightly grasping him. Then in one strong pull, a sick snap was made, and he went limp, as the lasher broke his neck and killed him, but it didn't let the body go, and kept on pulling. Eventually the lasher's strength and the door pinning the body in place, tore off the head in gorery faction, as blood splashed everywhere on the spot. The headless body fell, hitting the floor hard, and pour out blood onto the floor, and the head was taken by the lasher, into the darkness.

This was the same allover the Commute-area, many Subjects were being killed by the mutates. But in a twist of fate, the Koreans, cutting the main power-grid, has opened the various doors and areas of the facility. Thus granting the peons, a chance to escape but it also allowed the Mutates, access to the various areas of HAVN.

Date: FEB-13, 2002/7:44 PM HAVN Facility-Upper Level/Research Area: Observatory Level-Outside a Random Office Chong-gyeog beside Hyun-woo were standing by the slightly open office door, as they were waiting for one of the creatures. After sometime, a couple of creepers, came down the hallway beside the office room, they hope that one of the creatures separated from the rest so they can capture, the straggler. It seems like luck was on their side, from the four creepers, one remain back. Chong-gyeog, turned to his commander, waiting for the go ahead, and Hyun-woo looked back at him, and nodded giving him the green light. Knowing that he couldn't use any firearm, Chong-gyeog's only choice is to use a blade to take down the creature, as quietly as possible.

Once the creature was fully separated and was about to follow the others, Chong-gyeog, snuck out the office and stealthily approached the creeper, from behind. Chong-gyeog got into position and noticed the creature has something over it head, which could mean it was blind, and gave him a greater chance to take down the creature without any risk of being exposed. Drawing his combat knife, he got closer and in a swift action, kicked the back of knees of the creature, causing to grunt, as it hit the floor, and one swift and powerful move, Chong-gyeog, stabbed his knife to the side of the creeper's neck and in a swift motion, slitted across the throat. The creature, gargle as it bleed onto the floor, and was dying quickly. Hyun-woo seeing this he rushed out the office and helped Chong-gyeog, drag the creature into the office to examine.

Once inside the office, the rest of the team made way for Chong-gyeog and the Commander, as they drag the creeper, across the office. They placed the creature's body onto the desk-table, turning their flashlights onto the body, so they can start examine the thing. Aside from the fatal wound of the slit throat, and the attached helmet, over the upper half of the creeper's head, and some metal plating on various parts of the creature's body.

Aside from the sharp-teeth and fangs, as well as the slightly elongated, sharp-claws, this creature looks a lot like a human. As their "medic" performed a quick, examination onto the creature. Using a knife to cut open the creature, all the autonomy of the creature was similar to a human, with strong, compacted muscle structure. But as the medic cut, deeper into the creature, he saw the stomach was nonfunctional, the lungs and heart, seem to very important and crucial to the creeper to live. Hyun-woo understood that attacking the lower half of the creature won't be fatal, meaning kill shots should be the heart, lungs, and brain, as long as their not covered by armor.

Before they could act, and prepare to leave the office a spiked, long appendage enter the office through the vent. One of the soldiers, unaware of the danger, was attacked by a lasher, wrapping the spiked tongue around his neck and lifted him off the floor. The sudden action, made him respond by firing his weapon, wildly, and hitting three of his comrades. One was lucky that the shot was a shoulder wound, but the two others were hit in their heads, falling dead as their brain and sinue flew out their head-holes.

The rest of the team, turned to their comrade, being held by the throat being pulled into the vent. Choking and struggling against the tongue around his neck. They couldn't help him, cause the enemy held him in a position that they could shot, without killing their comrade. As he struggles, and the lasher tried to pull its victim through the vent, but the soldier's own body was both saving him from being pulled in, but it was also killing him, as the lasher was suffocating him harder.

Hyun-woo noticing that what was attacking him, subordinate was organic, he yelled at him, "칼을 써라, 군인아! 지금 써!/Kal-eul sseola, gun-in-a! Jigeum sseo! (Use your knife, soldier! Use it now!)" He was barely conscious, but he did hear his commander's words, the soldier reached down his right arm, and pulled out his knife from it's hoister. And in a swift and strong, thrust the soldier, stabbed the tongue of the creature, it bleed and struggle from the pain. As it released the soldier, and fell to the floor, he gasped and coughed for air, and bleed from his wounds. Now that the soldier was out of danger, Hyun-woo and the other started shooting at the tongue, piercing it with bullets and it thrashed in the air. As the medic, rushed to the downed soldier, the tongue escaped through the bullet hole-ridden, vent, Hyun-woo, saw some of men treating the bleeding soldier.

But that attack and sound of their gunfire, has alerted more creature. They had little time to leave, before they are overwhelmed by the monsters. Hyun-woo ordered, "서둘러서 그를 다시 일으켜 세워. 지금 당장 움직여야 해!/Seodulleoseo geuleul dasi il-eukyeo sewo. Jigeum dangjang umjig-yeoya hae! (Hurry and get him back on his feet. We have to move, now!)" hastings their emergency treatment of their two comrades, as they lost two more comrades in their team, now their only twenty-two of them left.