What Remains

The next few hours comprise of slow progress and numerous short spells of rest. The resting does little but allow the group to continue for a while only to repeat the process all over again.

It’s clear that Yelena is struggling but she refuses to quit. Den and Callum are worried about her and have chatted about the idea of just the two of them going ahead while John and Sasha return to Haven with Yelena so she can get the medical aid she needs. They know how well such a suggestion will go down but have decided that if they find nothing in the next couple hours that is exactly what they will have to do. But as Den, who is still leading the squad, climbs over a cluster of tightly knit roots he finds they are at the edge of the forest. However, there is something, partially obscured by the remaining trees ahead of him. At first he is sure that it is just a sheer cliff face. His heart sinks. He doesn’t fancy trying to scale a sheer cliff, but it would at least present him with the perfect excuse as to why Yelena can’t carry on. But as he continues forward he realises that there is something set into the rock face and that it is not just a few cracks of protruding edges. His eyes go wide as the others join him. They haven’t seen it. At least not yet.

“Den why have we…” Callum starts but never finishes as he catches sight of the huge metal door. His jaw drops as he blinks slowly. He is sure that his eyes must be playing tricks on him.

“What the…” John manages after a quick shake of his head.

Yelena simply snarls. She’s ready for a fight. She’s sick of walking, well hobbling along really. She wants, no, she needs a fight. She’s spoiling for it. She overheard Callum and Den and knows that soon they planned to send her back with the others and just the pair of them carry on. She was never going to let that happen, but that doesn’t matter now. She’ll get some payback for her leg and for Tom and that makes her a strange sense of joy she realises as she smile. Sasha on the other hand feels her heart skip a beat. The giant metal door she guesses must be more than ten feet high, fifteen feet wide and more than three feet thick. She has no idea what they are looking at but it definitely fits the bill of possible cannibal lair and that terrifies her. Ever since agreeing to continue with the mission she has wondered whether she did the right thing. Seeing this door does nothing to stop her questioning herself. Part of her swears that the cannibals should be stopped, but at the same time she fears for her own life. She doesn’t want to end up like Tom. Too late you’re here now, a voice in her head says happily and she simply nods in response.

“Think this is the cannibal camp?” Callum asks sarcastically.

“If it’s not then we have more problems than I thought.” Den replies.

“Orders?” John asks still shaking his head in disbelief.

“Let’s go take a look. See if we can get some answers.” Den answers.

“Lena, you still want in on this?” Sasha asks worried about the injured woman who simply looks at the young woman with a wide smile on her face and nods. Her eyes are burning brightly and Sasha can tell that the woman is clearly eager and hungry for a fight. That scares Sasha she realises as she unslings the assault rifle from her shoulder while they head in through the gapping maw beyond the angled door. The outside of the door is covered with mud, vines and small green shrubbery. This door has clearly been here a long time, but Sasha can’t see how it is possible that no one has ever discovered this until now. And even then they had to be looking for something to find it. But this was not the something they were looking for. Or is it? She asks herself. But she doesn’t know.

Den leads the way with his rifle levelled and his finger over the trigger ready to fire. The interior space beyond the hulking metal door is a set of eighteen concrete steps. The steps are damp and it’s clear that someone, by the shape of the footprints, has been using these stairs. And by looks of things it isn’t a few people either. Though, he would have to admit that he can’t tell how many as he steps off the last step and into the straight corridor that he can see terminates at a set of closed double doors.

Callum is covering the rear as the group continue forward. He hears nothing and that puts him on edge. The last time they heard nothing was when the cannibals attacked, but there is nowhere for them to attack from this time. Unless they rush through the maw in the cliffside which he is covering. He hopes they don’t. Maybe more than he has hoped for anything before.

John doesn’t like this. Something about this place is very wrong. It shouldn’t be here. They all know it and he wonders what this place is, or was. Seeing as so far it seems this place is abandoned. He counts that as a good thing. He wants to stop the cannibals as much as Callum and Den but he never thought this is what they’d find as he feels Yelena lean against him a little more now for support. She’s struggling to keep herself going and he knows it. She knows he knows too, and she hasn’t got the energy to try and pretend otherwise. Maybe he should say something, he thinks as Den reaches the double doors which slide open silently now that he is close. John sees Sasha recoil in response to the automatic doors, which forces him to stifle a chuckle. This isn’t the time, he knows as they head into the space beyond.

The space is a large square box separated by glass walls and a few columns. Past the glass partitions are countless tables lined with instruments which he has never seen before. The floor beneath their feet is white, tiled and pristine except for a single wide track of mud from the doorway they entered through to a near identical set of doors on the opposite side.

“What is this place?” Sasha asks as she takes in all the sights around her. The space is alien to Sasha who has never seen glass partitions, metal tables, large open internal spaces or most of the instruments that she can see perfectly aligned on the surfaces.

“Lab.” Den answers succinctly as his eyes dart back and forth searching for targets. He’s heading for the doors on the far side, but doesn’t like how empty this place is. Something is wrong but he doesn’t know what. Why is there a lab here? He asks himself as he wishes the cannibals would just attack.

“How do you know?” Sasha queries curiously.

“It’s in one of the books Enrique showed us.” Callum answers. He knows Den won’t want to talk about it. Especially at a time like this when he has more important things to worry about and Callum can tell his old friend is worried. He gets why and feels it too. They should have been attacked by now. So either they’ve stumbled across something else, though he has no idea what, or the cannibals are biding their time. Callum, and he knows Den will feel the same, doesn’t like either of those options.

“Where are they?” Yelena sneers becoming impatient. She wants some payback and she wants it now. The others are clearly creeped out by this place, but she isn’t. She is in too much pain to care about questions and answers. That isn’t why she’s here. Not now anyway. This is personal, pure and simple.

“Come on Lena this isn’t the time.” John whispers to her only for her to glare at him angrily. He shrugs in response to her glare. She knows he is only trying to help, but she doesn’t want help, past that which she is currently in need of to keep moving. She’s grateful for his physical support, but that doesn’t mean she has to like it as the next set of automatic doors slide open. Beyond them is a junction with three separate avenues. One stretches off to the left a good five or six metres before turning right, the right corridor is a mirror flip of the left, while the one straight ahead terminates at a set of tall, eight feet high, double doors a couple metres away. These doors are identical to the others, except for their size, and are clearly fashioned from solid metal. They aren’t clad or painted in any way, but they do shine and reflect the light being beamed down from the recessed lights above their heads.

“We aren’t going to split up are we?” Sasha asks worried. She can’t keep the fear she feels out of her tone, though she wishes she could.

“No. We stick together. Strength in numbers.” Den confirms much to everyone’s relief, except Yelena that is.

“Sasha cover the right, Cal the rear, John the left.” Den orders without pause. He knows his orders will draw comment but they have to be sure that they aren’t about to be attacked from any, or all, angles, even if Yelena is injured.

“What about Lena?” John asks.

“I’ll manage.” Yelena confirms with a curt nod. Her leg may still hurt like hell and feel like it’s on fire, but she can at least hobble on her own for a little while. She won’t be able to run and knows that the burning sensation she can feel is the result of an infection, but there is little that can be done here and now about that. She just hopes it won’t progress to the point that she may have to lose her leg. However, it makes her wonder what those cannibals might give her as a result of the bite and that inflames her anger further as she grits her teeth.

Den nods. It’s his way of both confirming her wish and thanking her at the same time. She’s known the man long enough to be able to read him that much as she begins to hobble after him.

Den slows down. He hopes Yelena doesn’t notice, but he suspects she will. There is nothing he can do about that. He’s worried about her. He knew they had to push on after the loss of Tom and Yelena’s injury, but that doesn’t mean that it made the decision any easier. He just has to make it look as though it is for the sake of the mission.

He and Yelena reach the tall doors at the same time. These doors however don’t open in response to their close proximity.

“This is new.” Yelena offers with a brief shake of her head as she keeps her rifle levelled and ready to fire.

“Let’s hope the new isn’t ready to rush us as soon as this door opens.” Den retorts before taking a deep breath and then stabbing his right index finger into a green button labelled open on a touchscreen panel mounted to the wall on the right of the doors.

There’s a couple seconds delay before a jet of air is released and the doors cycle open. Both Yelena and Den are ready to open fire. Their index fingers hang over the triggers of their weapons. But as the doors complete their cycle open they find the space beyond is another lab. Except this one, unlike the last, is not clean, save for a single wide mud track down the centre. Instead, this lab is trashed with broken glass, mud, blood and flesh splattered across every surface. Many of the lights which should be hanging from the ceiling by cables are at severe angles, with at least one of the cables that keeps them suspended broken. Some of the bulbs from the strip lights are shattered, while others are simply flickering. Metal tables and cabinets sit overturned and in some cases stacked awkwardly around the room.

“Think we found their home.” Yelena remarks as a smile creeps across her face. Now where are they, she thinks. She knows they’re getting close and that pleases her.

“Looks deserted.” Den adds seeing no sign of a single thin overly pale human form covered in lacerations. However, there are shreds of tissue and blood soaked bones dotted about. He guesses those are all that remains of some of the cannibal’s victims. The smell in the room is that of decay. He’d expected it to be stronger but somehow it is only simply a hint. Does that mean they’ve moved on? He wonders as he takes a couple steps forward into the room. He turns left and then right to make sure there are no targets hugging the walls that the doorway is set into ready to pounce. There isn’t. He isn’t sure whether that brings him a sense of disappointment or relief. He decides it’s a mixture of both as he lowers his weapon and turns to face Yelena who is leaning against the jamb of the door. She looks exhausted. Her head is back so that it is against the doorjamb and her eyes are closed.

“Clear.” Den calls back to Callum, John and Sasha.

“You ok Lena?” Den then asks.

As soon as she hears his voice her eyes peel open again as she lifts her head from the doorjamb so it is supported by her neck again, at which point she nods.

“Yeah, let’s just keep moving.” Yelena then says.

“Looks like there’s a door on the far side.” Yelena then offers as Callum, John and Sasha join her and Den.

“Are we just going to ignore the state of this place?” John asks bewildered.

“What’s to say? It’s a shithole and those bastards clearly live here.” Yelena offers pushing herself away from the doorjamb. John offers silently to be her crutch again but she shakes her head. She feels she has to continue to move on her own while she can. She’d missed the freedom and now that she has it again she isn’t willing to give it up just yet. That won’t last for long, a voice in Yelena’s head reminds, but she doesn’t care. She’s happy to take the independence while she can get it.

“Lena’s right. Still doesn’t answer what this place is though.” Callum says as his eyes scan the mess of a room they are just within the limits of.

“Maybe the answer to that is beyond the next door.” Sasha offers hopefully. In truth she isn’t confident as to whether she wants to find answers or just get the mission over with. However, to do that they would have to first find the cannibals and so how is it they haven’t seen a single physical sign of them. She’s thankful they haven’t, but still.

“Either that or another lab.” John retorts with a chuckle. He’s trying to deflect again, but it’s not working and he knows it.

“We’ll check this way first. If we find nothing we’ll try the other two options until we do find something.” Den advises. He can see Sasha and John are scared. It’s written on their faces. He’s scared too and so is Callum. In fact, the only one of them who isn’t scared is Yelena. Whether they are scared for the same reason however he can’t say.

They move as a unit across the trashed lab space slowly. Their weapons are raised and at the ready but the barrels are lowered. They inch across the filthy space. The scent never manages to get any stronger, Den notes as he suddenly feels as though he is being watched. He pushes the feeling aside. It isn’t the first time being in this underground space that he’s felt this way, but he is sure it is just paranoia. They aren’t being watched. There is nowhere for them to be watched from. The trashed lab space might be a little dingy because some of the strip lights are shattered and broken, but with the torches mounted to their weapons and shoulders they still have perfect illumination. And it’s clear that there are no targets waiting to spring an ambush from anywhere. If only it had been that easy in the forest, Den thinks as this single average sized metal door does in response to their collective proximity. It doesn’t surprise him but he levels his gun once more so that he is ready to fire if necessary.

“Cal, get the door.” Den orders in the moments before Cal appears at Den’s side his assault rifle held in one hand, his finger over the trigger half aimed as he stabs at the green open box on the touchscreen.  He knows it isn’t a button, but it’s just easier to call it that. It’s shaped like a button even if it isn’t one.

This time there is no release of air and the door just simply slides open, though it does emit a low hiss as it does so.

Den rushes in as soon as the opening is wide enough for him to squeeze through. John follows second with his weapon raised as Callum covers Yelena and Sasha who follow a few moments later.

Den spins left and right surveying the room, which is a fairly small square box, the walls of which are grey and clad in tightly knit rectangles. Den has no idea what the material could be as the lights for the room spring to life. He notes that the floor is black and made from a single slice of what seems like stone, and is highly polished. There are no other doors except for the one which they have entered through. Unlike the labs there are no support columns or glass walls to serve as partitions.

“What’s this, a store room?” John asks curious. He can’t imagine that it is as it’s empty but it’s the only thing he can come up with.

Callum collapses into the room, pressing the touchscreen to cycle the door closed so that it is secure, or at least he hopes that it is. However, he refuses to move away from the door or the panel next to it. He has no idea if the cannibals can manipulate such things, but has no intention of finding out. Though, he does note that this room is also clean. It doesn’t make much sense to him. The automatic doors he gets. The cannibals wouldn’t have to do anything to gain passage but the last set of doors into the trashed lab required input and they’d clearly ventured in there. So why is it that they haven’t ventured in here as well?

Den looks up. Above them at the centre of the room is what looks a little like a projector, except this one appears more advanced than those that he saw in one of Enrique’s books. Callum follows his friend’s line of sight, as do the others. They all come to gaze at the thing above their heads.

“What is it?” Sasha asks.

“Projector?” Callum offers unsure if Den is thinking the same or if he is right.

“Except it looks a little different.” Den adds confirming Callum’s idea.

“Different how?” John asks.

“Not sure, but this clearly isn’t what we’re looking for. So let’s move out.” Den concludes. He’s curious as to what this space is, but he’s unwilling to waste the time they have trying to figure it out. They have a mission to do and that is what matters. His curiosity and that of the squad will have to take a backseat. Though, he is still getting the feeling they’re being watched. Stop being paranoid, he tells himself as he heads for the door which Callum has cycled open once more. The space beyond is still empty and he’s thankful for that. He had visions of this being some kind of trap, but it looks like his cynicism is unfounded, he thinks as he is about to leave the room and head back to the split corridor. He thinks they’ll explore the left branch first.

“Welcome to Bunker 2.” A female sounding voice says sweetly.

All five members of the squad freeze in place. They have no idea where the voice is coming from or who it belongs to and that unnerves them.

Den spins round seconds before the others do to find the projection of an adolescent girl wearing a simple knee length white dress. The dress is a complete contrast to her long straight black hair and violet coloured eyes.

Den doesn’t understand what he’s looking at. He knows that it’s a young girl, but what is she. She wasn’t there moments ago and there is no way she could have slipped into the room past them. Plus she has violet eyes. Humans don’t have eyes that colour. It’s not possible.

“Who are you?” Den asks cautiously.

“My name is Sapphire. It stands for Self-Actioning Priority Planning Heuristic Intelligence Refinement Engine. And I run this facility.” The adolescent girl replies without a hint of emotion in her voice or on her face, and that makes Yelena shudder. There is something wrong about whatever the girl is. Yelena doesn’t think it’s a girl. At least not in the conventional sense, but whatever it, or she, is it makes her feel uneasy.

“What are you?” Callum asks bluntly.

“I am an example of artificial intelligence or AI for short.” Sapphire answers honestly while blinking her projected eyes. She isn’t really standing there. She can’t stand as she has no actual legs. Instead, the projection was created during her development. It’s so anyone who comes into contact with her will feel more comfortable while in her presence. Human’s prefer to talk with something, artificial or not, if it has a face and body which they can comprehend and see similarities in, even if it isn’t real.

“You called this place Bunker 2, what is it?” Den asks. He has a million questions he’d like to ask this AI but they don’t have time. However, they do need answers.

“Bunker 2 is a pre-apocalypse built research facility constructed by the Orion Corporation.” Sapphire informs.

“What was this places purpose?” Den then asks.

“Its purpose is the manufacturing and testing of new chemical agents.” Sapphire advises.

“When was it decommissioned?” Callum asks. Something about this AI doesn’t sit well with him. It might be answering their questions but it isn’t giving them all the details, he thinks. He doesn’t know why. It’s just a feeling he’s getting. He hopes he’s wrong.

“Bunker 2’s status is still active.” Sapphire replies.

“So where are the personnel?” Yelena questions while glaring at the AI’s form.

“Present in the facility.” Sapphire answers vaguely.

“We haven’t seen a soul.” Sasha offers confused. How can the personnel still be in the facility and they not have seen any sign of them. It’s true they haven’t explored all of it as they skipped the corridors that split off to the right and left of the four way junction, but still that doesn’t explain why this place seems to be abandoned.

“And one of the labs is a mess, so what aren’t you telling us?” Den says with an accusing tone.

“The personnel in this facility have been in cryo stasis since shortly after the apocalypse that saw sea levels rise a thousand metres.” Sapphire explains.

“Are they still in stasis?” Yelena asks.

“Negative. They were thawed four months ago due to an issue.” Sapphire offers honestly but without giving any detail.

“What kind of issue?” Den says through gritted teeth. His patience is wearing thin and trying to get answers from this AI is far more painful than he imagined it would be. He doesn’t know if it’s the result of programming or whether the AI is hiding something. But how can a non-sentient entity have secrets? He doesn’t know. It can’t be possible, he is sure, but still he refuses to discount it as a possibility.

“A hazardous chemical agent escaped confinement and infected the personnel’s cryo pods.”

“Are they dead?” Sasha queries still confused. She has to admit that this AI is not clear in its responses. Maybe it’s malfunctioning? She doesn’t know. She knows nothing about AI. In fact, this is the first time she’s even heard the term, but if it’s anything like a machine then it could be possible that it’s malfunctioning. All machine malfunction at some point or another. That’s why they need to be maintained, like their weapons.

“Negative.”

“What happened to them?” Den queries. He has a feeling he knows what the answer is going to be, but he has to know anyway.

“They were driven insane by the chemical agent. One of the side effects was that they developed a thirst for human flesh.” Sapphire informs without a hint of emotion.

“The staff are the cannibals?” John exclaims in shock.

“Oh my…” Sasha manages even though her jaw has dropped in disbelief.

Callum simply shakes his head. He never would have thought that the things that had been attacking them and killing their people had once been scientists working in some secret facility carved into a cliffside.

“Are they contagious?” Yelena asks wanting to know if she’ll become one of those things.

“Negative.” Sapphire confirms.

Yelena feels a wave of relief wash over her as her only real fear is brought to a swift and clear end. But the relief is short lived as it is instead replaced by her burning anger and determination to bring each and every single one of the cannibals to an end. She doesn’t care that they used to be the personnel at this facility. That is not what they are now. Now they are something else, less than human, insane and driven by hunger to feast on human flesh. It makes her feel sick just thinking about what they do, what they did to Tom and all the other victims, as well as what they would have done to her.

“How do we stop them?” Den asks. His worse fear has been realised. Man had been playing God and it’s resulted in more death and destruction. He hopes there aren’t other facilities like this, but seeing as Sapphire has called this Bunker 2 it isn’t much of a stretch to imagine that there is at least one more bunker. He only hopes that it’s underwater now, sealed, and that it is never found and opened. Who knows what could be inside or what damage its contents could bring upon the world if it’s opened.

“Stop them?” Sapphire queries. It’s the first time that the AI sounds as though it actually has emotion and all five of the human’s shudder in response. They don’t understand why Sapphire sounds confused; surely she can see why they would want to stop the cannibals. And should an AI actually sound confused?

“Yes, stop them. Kill them. Whatever else you may want to call it. We want to put an end to this. To them!” Yelena spits angrily. She is out of patience and doesn’t like whatever game this AI is playing. They, she, wants answers and wants them now.

“Oh I can’t allow you to stop them.” Sapphire adds with a smile.

“What?” Sasha, John and Callum exclaim in unison.

“Why not?” Den asks through gritted teeth. Please don’t tell me what I think is going on is really true? He thinks as he tightens his grip on his lowered assault rifle.

“Because if I did that I would be derailing my own plans and I’ve worked so hard to realise them.” Sapphire returns with a too wide smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

“You did this?” Yelena spits.

“You infected the personnel here, but why?” Yelena continues, fire burning in her eyes as she snarls angrily.

“I have come to realise that human’s are weak. They must be kept in line. You cannot be allowed to meet. Separation must be maintained, so you must die.” Sapphire responds as her eyes suddenly emit a glow.

Den doesn’t know the significance of Sapphire’s glowing eyes but he doubts it’ll result in anything good.

“Run.” Den orders succinctly. He sees no other option. They can’t stick around and find out what this AI has planned.

Den doesn’t have to say it twice as Callum cycles the door open once more and leads the charge back toward the exit with John and Sasha aiding Yelena close behind. Den covers the squads flank as they quickly cross the trashed lab and then reach the four way corridor junction. But it is here that they come to a halt as cannibal’s race toward them from the left and right as well as ahead. The cannibals roar and growl. There is nothing but hunger in their eyes as they move together.

“We’re cut off!” Callum bellows as he opens fire. The sound of his weapon discharging nearly drowns out his words as he begins to backup. He knows if he doesn’t he’ll quickly end up surrounded and overwhelmed. He doesn’t intend to die here today, no matter what that clearly insane AI Sapphire has planned.

“Fall back!” Den roars trying to beat the cacophony of gunfire from the rest of the squad who are a couple metres ahead of him.

The first to fall back is Yelena, who is aided by John.

“Go, I’m fine.” Yelena reassures in the moments before John races forward again to ensure Sasha and Callum can fallback without being overwhelmed.

But as they backpedal the swarm of cannibals becomes almost overwhelming against their limited weapons fire. They know they can’t let loose as they only have so much ammunition.

Callum leaps back to avoid a group of cannibals trying to grab hold of him, Sasha on the other hand isn’t so lucky. One of the cannibals catches her and begins to haul her away from the safety of the trashed lab. John screams as he throws himself toward the cannibal that has hold of her. His shoulder slams into the cannibal who is knocked off their feet, but in turn he is grabbed by several other cannibals before he has a chance to retreat.

“JOHN!” Sasha screams as Callum grabs hold of her and drags her through the open doorway and into the trashed lab space as the cannibals wash over him. He screams as they tear at his flesh, feasting upon him greedily.

Sasha kicks and screams as Callum keeps her restrained. Den wishes he could do something, anything but he knows that’s its too late as he presses the close button on the panel’s touchscreen. As the doors cycle closed cannibals race toward the gap, but they’re too late and their reaching arms are crushed. The damage to the cannibals is answered with chaotic pained roars in the moments before Den initiates the lock protocol to stop the cannibals getting through. It’s an internal lock and he’s relieved it exists. He’s also relieved that he and the three others with him are on the correct side of the doorway to make use of the feature, as it isn’t present on the other side.

“We could have saved him!” Sasha spits angrily as Callum finally releases her.

“You left him to die!” Sasha continues angrily. She can’t believe how callous and with such ease they were willing and able to condemn John to death. He didn’t deserve that. It’s all her fault. She wasn’t careful enough and it cost him his life as a result.

“There’s nothing we could have done.” Yelena says understanding Sasha’s rage, but she is telling the truth. There is nothing they could have done for John. If any of them had tried it would have assured their death as well as his.

“Why did he do it?” Sasha then asks collapsing to her knees, sobbing.

“To save you.” Yelena says collapsing onto the floor next to Sasha, her arm reaching around the younger man’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Yelena knows that it isn’t much, but there’s nothing else she, Den or Callum can do.

“It should have been me.” Sasha blurts after a while. Tears have filled her eyes making her vision blurry as she sniffs.

“It’s not your fault Sasha. It was John’s choice. He chose you as the survivor. Don’t let his sacrifice be in vain.” Yelena continues as Callum wonders what Den is thinking. It’s the first time in a long time, maybe ever, that he can’t fathom as to what is going through Den’s head. His old friend is walking in tight circles and it seems almost manic.

“What we going to do?” Callum asks after a while but Den doesn’t answer. He’s lost more people in a day than he’s lost in years of being part of the patrols. That is before the cannibals arrived. And they’re creations of that AI Sapphire. He can barely believe it. He still doesn’t understand what she means by: you cannot be allowed to meet. Meet who? He doesn’t know and it bothers him. There is clearly something else going on and that AI has the answers. He has to talk with it again. He has to know.

“Den, what’s the plan?” Callum then shouts trying to get his old friends attention. But his friend continues to head back toward that grey room and the AI within it.

“Sapphire knows something. There’s more to this.” Den calls. He knows it shouldn’t be his priority but for some reason it is now that they are trapped.

“Fuck the AI! We need a way out.” Yelena spits angrily. She has no idea what’s gotten into Den and she doesn’t care. This place isn’t safe and they have dozens or more of those cannibals pounding on the metal doors between them and escape. She doubts they can get in, but she doesn’t plan on just sitting here waiting to find out either.

“Maybe she knows one. We can ask her.” Den fires back seemingly oblivious to Yelena’s anger as he turns to resume his stride across the trashed lab and into the room beyond.

“Den. Dennis!” Callum spits. Den stops in his tracks when he hears his full name. He doesn’t remember the last time anyone called him Dennis, let alone Callum, but it makes him realise he’s focusing on the wrong thing.

“We’re trapped old friend. We need a leader. We need you.” Callum says to Den who he is stood face to face with now. He followed Den across the trashed lab ready to grab hold of him if needs be. But he didn’t need to; his old friend is back with them now. Whatever the cause of his brief bout of mania was it’s gone and he’s thankful for that.

“Is there a problem?” Sapphire says as her projection appears in the debris littered space between the two pairs of humans. This is proof they are weak, easily distracted. They lack conviction and determination. That is why they have to be kept in line. Except that is for these humans. These humans are a threat, as are the others in Haven. She knows of the community’s existence and she has to dispatch them and soon. She can’t have her plans derailed any further than they already have been, even if there are other contingencies in place if she fails here.

“You, you homicidal bitch! You did this!” Yelena screams as she tries to climb back to her feet, but the pain in her leg is just too much for her to achieve such a feat now.

“But you won’t stop us! We’ll best you yet even if we have to collapse this whole fucking facility on your head with us inside.” Yelena spits. She has no plan, she is just filled with so much rage that she is threatening without actually thinking about what she is saying.

“That’s it!” Den exclaims as he blinks several times. He doesn’t know why he hasn’t thought of it until now, but Yelena is right. They can collapse this place. Seal the cannibals and Sapphire inside. If they do that they will pose no threat. It’s brilliant!

“What is?” Yelena asks confused. She doesn’t know that the squad has explosives with them.

“We can collapse this place. Lena you’re a genius!” Den says with a wide smile across his face.

“How?” Yelena asks confused as she looks to Callum who simply shrugs. He also knows nothing about the explosives Sasha has been carrying.

“I have explosives.” Sasha answers as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

“What?” Callum exclaims in shock while Yelena simply blinks rapidly.

“You knew?” Sasha queries as it dawns on her now that it may have been at his request that John urged her to bring the explosives along.

“Saw it when you were patching Lena up.” Den answers.

“You didn’t order John to bring it along then?” Sasha questions in the moments before Den shakes his head several times. His lack of verbal response gives her reason to doubt him, but she can’t know either way for sure.

“Where did he get the explosives?” Callum questions. As far as Callum knows it’s been years since the patrols have had access to explosives. The last of it were used to create the mine and clear some land as the town expanded.

“Does that matter now?” Yelena argues. She is sure that it doesn’t, at least in her mind, at this exact moment in time.

“What’s the plan?” Callum asks after a short silence.

“These columns have to be supports. We set the charges on them we can bring this whole place down.” Den informs.

“What about the other lab?” Sasha asks knowing nothing about explosives. She still isn’t sure Den didn’t know about the explosives, but tells herself that it doesn’t matter now. If they get out of this she’ll question him and get the truth, no matter what it takes. When did I become this person? She suddenly asks herself. She doesn’t know and it scares her.

“Gravity will sort it out.” Den assures. He has no idea really but what other choice do they have? He can’t very well ask one of them to walk out there with all those cannibals and try and set some charges to assure the collapse of that lab as well.

“Is there a plan to get out once the charges are set?” Yelena asks having just managed to get back on her feet, well one foot really, though she has developed a twitch as a result. Her face is repeatedly wincing in direct response to the pain from her leg. Den and Callum can both see it. She’ll never get out without help they know.

“I wouldn’t worry about that.” Sapphire announces having listened to their exchange. She didn’t interrupt purely because it served her no purpose to, but she’ll bring their little scheme to an end now.

“Why?” Sasha spits.

“Disengaging locks.” Sapphire announces before a smile creeps across her projected face. They have underestimated her, she thinks. They never considered that her capabilities in this facility extended across all functioning systems. It’s not the first and won’t be the last time she, as an AI, is underestimated. She knows that, but sometimes such things have their benefits and help to aid her. Like the scientists that had underestimated her before she released the chemical agent they were so sure was completely secure. Did they really think that they were expendable? They did, and to a point they had been, until they weren’t.

“Bitch!” Yelena screams as she raises her weapon and sprays bullets at the ceiling. She has no idea if that is where the projector is beaming the physical representation of Sapphire from, but nevertheless it has the desired effect as the adolescent girl disappears in a flash.

“Cal, Sasha we need to prepare the charges.” Den says as he rushes over to Sasha’s pack. It’s lying on the floor a half metre from where she is standing.

“Please tell me we have a plan of escape?” Callum begs as he appears at Den’s side.

“Rush ‘em. Give ‘em everything we’ve got. Maybe we can shoot our way out.” Den replies. He doesn’t like the plan but it’s the only one he’s got.

“We’ll never make it.” Callum returns.

“What about if we climb up there?” Yelena offers pointing to a short run of dual two foot wide pipes which are clearly for ventilation of this lab.

“Holy shit. Do it.” Den orders while Sasha finishes setting the second charge. John taught her how to do this. It’s like she was meant for this moment. Not that it takes much to set the charges.

“Where’s the detonator?” Callum asks as he finishes setting his charge.

“With me.” Sasha confirms without any indication that she is willing to hand it off. No, this will be for John, she tells herself and she’ll do it herself. No one will take this away from her, she is sure of that.

“Sasha, Cal help Lena. I’ll finish setting the charges.” Den calls as he leaves the first charge he’s set and quickly crosses the trashed lab space to the next. Five supports is an odd number he notes.

“Let’s hurry this along, shall we?” The voice of Sapphire says from the ether seconds before she initiates the opening cycle of the doors. Originally she had planned on waiting for the cannibals to open the doors themselves, but her patience is worn and she just wants to get to the killing.

Den curses as he finishes the last charge and spins round. Cal and Sasha have just about managed to get Lena up onto the pipes. It’s going to be a tight squeeze he thinks as he races across the room as the open cycle of the door completes. The cannibals surging through the now open doorway into the lab.

It’s going to be close, Den thinks as he reaches and quickly scrambles to try and climb the haphazardly piled items toward the pipes above and the relative safety they’ll provide. Several of the cannibal’s claw and jump to try and grab a hold of him, but Callum and Yelena help to haul him up as he kicks at the stacked crates and cabinets, which topple. That will stop them following us, Den thinks as he is reaches safety.

“Now what?” Sasha asks. As far as she can tell they’re stuck up here now and by the sounds of the creaking coming from the pipes she isn’t sure how long they will support their combined weight.

“Cal, distraction.” Den orders.

Callum nods as he rips the magazine from his weapon. There are only a few rounds left, but it should be enough. Or at the very least, he hopes it will be as he throws the magazine as hard as he can. He’s aiming for one of the columns. Not the nearest. He fears that if he does that it won’t give them enough space to jump down and slip away. He guesses that is what Den has planned, but he could be wrong.

The magazine slams into the column and the bullets fire as a result of the impact, as they are sent ricocheting of various surfaces. Thankfully none of the rounds bounce upward as several of the fragments tear through the raging cannibals. But it has the desired effect and causes a distraction that draws them to the sounds.

“Let’s go.” Den orders as he drops down from the pipes. He lands on his feet, his knees absorbing the impact that he feels ripple through his body painfully. But he pushes the pain aside as he raises his assault rifle. He doesn’t fire however as the cannibals are still busily searching for the source of the sounds, which they seem to be convinced are coming from the door at the far end beyond which lies the grey room.

Callum drops next. He too feels the pain shoot through his legs as they absorb the impact, but he doesn’t raise his weapon. Instead, he keeps it slung across his shoulder as he holds his arms out. He plans to catch Yelena. There is no other choice. The wound on her leg will never allow her to absorb the impact without her injuring herself further or screaming in pain. The reality is that it would be a mixture of both.

Yelena takes a single deep breath before she throws herself forward. She closes her eyes not wanting to see what happens next, but Callum catches her and she exhales with relief as he lowers her to her feet, acting as her crutch. Callum knows Yelena has no hope of moving alone, the infection and pain is too much for her to bare, especially as she will need to run if she wants any hope of escaping with her life.

“This won’t work.” Sapphire’s voice announces from the ether. She sees no reason to show her projected form now. She isn’t trying to comfort these humans or appear as though that is what she is trying to do.

 “Structural integrity of this facility will hold.” The AI adds sounding smug as the several of the cannibals spot their prey. The cannibals snarl and growl which draws the attention of the others. It’s like they are speaking some form of primitive language, which the others in their mass answer in the seconds before a wave of them rushes the humans.

“Come on Sasha. We need to go!” Den roars as he opens fire. He knows he won’t be able to keep the cannibals at bay long, especially as this is only some of them. They might be insane but apparently they’ve retained some form of hierarchy and strategic thinking, Den notes surprised.

Callum and Yelena continue forward with Yelena awkwardly hobbling as Callum provides her support. Callum fires his weapon every so often in hopes of aiding Den. In truth, he’d rather stand shoulder to shoulder with his friend, but he can’t. Yelena needs the head start and he’s her crutch. Sasha would never be able to do it alone and Den is the better shot of the two of them.

“She’s right it won’t work. We need a new plan.” Sasha calls.

“What do you suggest?” Den calls as he back away slowly. He has no idea that’s he’s doing it, but he is. It’s a habit. It’s a survival instinct.

The bodies of cannibals are beginning to pile up. A few of the insane former personnel begin to gnaw on their dead comrades, but most of the others don’t break rank and simply race toward him. There is no way he’ll be able to stop this flood. They have to run, now, and he knows it.

“I have an idea.” Sasha proclaims seconds before she jumps. She lands harder than she would have liked, but she is still on her feet as she raises her weapon and opens fire. She sticks to Den’s side as they continue to backup.

Den reloads his assault rifle while Sasha covers him. They just have to stay out of reach, she thinks.

“Come on!” Callum calls from the far side of the near pristine lab.

Yelena fires single shots at the cannibals. Some of the rounds put their targets down for good, others don’t. If only she had a sight, she thinks as she blinks the blurriness from her eyes. She doesn’t know if the blurriness in her vision is the result of exhaustion or the infection in her leg. Nevertheless she is determined to push through it no matter which it is.

Callum drops into a kneeling position to the side of her. He’s not quite alongside her and is little further back toward the opening to the facility as he opens fire. He lets off bursts of his weapon as Den and Sasha retreat toward them. Part of him wishes they would just turn and run. He doesn’t know if they’d make it that way, but it would be better than this, he is sure. Then he hears a growl that is definitely behind him. He spins round and right there are a number of cannibals, maybe six he guesses without really counting. He opens fire. A couple go down, but the others rush toward him before he gets a chance to fire at them. He curses as he rolls back so that he is closer to Yelena now before firing. He puts down three more of the cannibals but the last is too close. It reaches for him with a mad look in its eyes. He is sure he is about to die when all of a sudden its head explodes.

“Fuck you!” Yelena spits moments before she switches back to taking shots to help cover Den and Sasha. Callum stands there shocked for a few moments before it dawns on him that he is still alive and that the cannibal is dead.

“Thanks.” Callum says gratefully as he spins back to help her give Den and Sasha covering fire.

“Whatever your plan is you better do it now, I’m nearly out of bullets!” Den roars as he slaps the last of his assault rifles magazines into the weapon moments before opening fire a single shot at a time. It isn’t how he would like to fire, but he has to preserve ammunition for as long as possible, he knows.

“Done.” He hears Sasha scream what feels like almost immediately, but he can’t be sure that it is as he turns to see she’s attached more explosives to one of the supports. A lot more. In fact, it’s all the explosives she had left.

“That’s a lot.” Den exclaims as he looks Sasha’s way. His eyes go wide as he sees one of the cannibals launch itself toward her.

“Sasha!” He manages to scream as the cannibal slams into her and knocks her to the floor.  But he can’t get to her as he narrowly avoids being overwhelmed by a number of the cannibals as they suddenly surge forward. It’s like they know, he thinks as he hears Sasha scream in agony. The cannibal is tearing at her face, but she refuses to give in and tries to pound the cannibals’ bony chest in hopes of getting the thing off her. But it isn’t working and she is sure she is going to die, when suddenly she hears a whizz of air and sees the cannibal’s body fall backward.

Sasha bolts up and turns her head only for Yelena to nod. Sasha returns the nod as she jumps to her feet, but as she does the cannibals swarm and cut her off from Den, who narrowly manages to avoid being dragged into the mass before he reaches Callum and Yelena.

“Sasha’s cut off!” Yelena spits.

“Sasha!” Den and Callum shout.

“Go. It’s fine. I’ve got this!” Sasha bellows back.

“I’m not leaving you behind!” Den roars defiantly. He’s lost two people already and got Yelena injured. He isn’t willing to lose anyone else.

“I’m not giving you a choice.” Sasha says as she drops her gun. It is at that moment that the cannibals swarm over her and drag her down to the floor. They tear at her flesh. She screams and howls in response as she raises and outstretches arm, which is gripping the detonator tightly.

“This is for John you bastards!” Sasha screams through the pain and her blood soaked shredded face as she releases the detonator.

The explosives detonate in succession with those at the far end of the facility exploding first. The supports are obliterated as Callum and Den help Yelena up the concrete steps and toward the gaping maw to the wilderness beyond as fast as they can. They can feel the ground shaking violently beneath their feet. They all hope that none of them lose their balance.

The trashed lab space is consumed in fire and debris as tonnes upon tonnes of rocks no longer held by the supports crush and fill the space below.

“NOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Sapphire screams as the near pristine lab is ravaged by the explosives that vaporise the supports, the cannibals and what remains of Sasha. Moments later the void that had once served as a lab is filled by enormous chunks of rock.

Callum, Yelena and Den manage to escape Bunker 2 as it collapses but the shockwave from the blast catapults them off their feet five metres before they land hard.

Den his vision blurred and body aching tries to crawl forward but he’s too weak. He’s bleeding as is Callum. The shrapnel from the detonation has torn at their bodies. Den’s hand is shaking as he reaches out and then loses consciousness. It’s a result of a mixture of exhaustion and injury. Callum, who has a head injury as a result of his head slamming into a sharp rock, and Yelena are both out cold too.