Status: This writing is a bit dated. It'll progressively improve through the series.
Pandemic
Silverstrain
Dual Strain Industries
21:58 Hrs August 10th
Hydra elevator shaft
The sergeant heard a large explosion from one of the floors above him, and several diminishing roars from the hollow kind. Then all was silent again. He looked back down and saw the top of the elevator. It was too dark to see if the Dual Strain security were still there or not, as the flashlight undoubtedly broke in the plummet. The sergeant stealthily climbed down the rest of the way and placed one foot on the metal roof of the elevator. There was a small "ting" from the boot connecting, then all was silent once more. There was another subsequent "ting" and he was completely on the elevator. He stepped forward to pick up his machine gun and accidentally stepped on broken glass, the sound echoing loudly throughout the entire facility. The sergeant listened intently for several minutes, unsure if he heard clicking from below, then picked up his gun. It looked beat up, but otherwise it seemed undamaged. He tried reloading it but the clip was jammed badly. He swore under his breath and placed the useless gun back on the floor quietly. The sergeant scanned the area for his revolver, but it was nowhere to be found. In the middle of the roof was a large, torn apart hole. Claw marks, like at the entrance to the elevator shaft, surrounded the hole. The sergeant carefully stepped over to it, drawing his combat knife. Looking into the hole he saw the inside of the elevator through the fog of darkness. The walls were covered in even more claw marks and on the floor was his revolver. He could tell that the elevator doors had again been torn open, but couldn't see beyond them. He thought for a moment. -What could have done this? Those hollow people, even if they did have the strength to rip apart metal, would've left claw marks of four or five. Is this the creature that made the people hollow or was something else released as a result of the quarantine? Where is this thing now? It could be hunting me at this very moment.- He looked around quickly, creeped out by the thought.- How should I jump down into the elevator? Should I lower myself down quietly and risk being ambushed by the creature? Or should I just jump down, giving away my position, but ready for an attack?-
The sergeant didn't give it a second thought and crashed down into the elevator, knife ready to strike. Nothing. Then, faintly, he heard clicking, an infinite rhythm of it, slowly approaching. All he could see was darkness, yet the clicking incessantly closed on his position. He grabbed the revolver and hid in the corner of the elevator by the door. Fear rushed through every pore of his body. He was too afraid to put down the knife to reload the revolver, too afraid to move, too afraid to breath.
They began to file into the elevator, the door only torn enough to allow entry one at a time. At first they didn't notice the cowering soldier. The first one that walked in stood toward the far side of the elevator and looked up at the hole in the ceiling, examining it quizzically. The others followed suit. There were already about a dozen inside already, and more were filing in. Then the first on turned around and locked eyes with the sergeant. It's cold, dead, emotionless stare burned itself into his mind. It roared and the sergeant bolted for the exit. The others turned around to view their victim. He ran into a scientist trying to enter the elevator. He caught it by surprise, knocking it back, then dashed forward with his knife. He ripped through the person's gut, brown liquid spraying on him. The draining shell of skin dropped, revealing to the sergeant the full extent of his troubles. An entire horde was in front of him, and another behind him.
-My final symphony. Let's make it a masterpiece.- He rushed forward, slamming the butt of his revolver into their faces and slashing at anything he could. Hundreds of fingernails and teeth dug into his flesh. The sergeant stabbed into the eye socket of a scientist, brown liquid spurting into his own eyes. He let go of the knife and, rushing forward, tried to rub the pain out of his eyes. The liquid felt like acid and his eyelids were snapped shut trying to dilute the liquid with tears.
He ran headfirst into a person, was knocked to the side, and found himself flat on his face. The pain in his eyes intensified as the strange, decayed people surrounding him scratched and gouged him. The sergeant let go of the revolver and struggled to crawl forward in a final, but fruitless, effort to escape the onslaught.
There was a deafening roar coming from all directions, spreading fear likewise. The scientists stopped and looked around wildly. The sergeant's vision was returning, but was severely blurred. The war cry ceased and the remnants of it echoed throughout the catacombs of the facility to nothingness. The scientists ran into the shadows, dispersing away from the sergeant who watched from the floor wearily. He waited until they were all gone before he got up. His body almost failed but, by either sheer will or a reserve of adrenaline, or a combination of both, he remained standing. He limped forward, unsure of where he was or where he was going, unarmed. The clicking had ominously disappeared, total silence sweeping back in.
~The creature rushed through the facility towards its next meal, tearing through anything that got in its way with its three-pronged claws.~
The sergeant came upon a strange object. A shattered cyrostasis tank. -Why wasn't this one in Laboratory Grid Hydra? And why does it look so much more sophisticated?-
~Its orange eyes darted back and forth as it rushed down the staircase, the smell of its prey strengthening.~
The sergeant found some loose papers dotted with blood next to the shattered tank. Holding them close to his face he scanned through them. Halfway through he stopped short.
…specimen 000330248, also known as "Silverstrain" is by far the most lethal specimen we have created to date. Fused with Theronite it is capable of walking upright or on all fours, among other things. It has twelve inch retractable claws, three on each hand and foot. Its strength is immeasurable, and all of its senses are far superior to any animal on Earth, particularly with eyesight. It can switch from light based, thermal based, and night based vision, along with others that we have yet to understand. Use extreme caution when…
The sergeant pulled out his radio. "Squad leader to Central Command. The thing that escaped was called 'Silverstrain'. But that breach was far below Laboratory Grid Hydra and probably resulted from the power cutoff. There are…what used to be Dual Strain personnel in the facility. But now they are, for a lack of a better word, zombies. I think a virus or parasite or something set off the quarantine and turned the people into these creatures. You must stop this at all costs or millions of people will be endangered."
~It raced down the final staircase and blasted through the double doors, knocking them off their hinges and across the room. It caught sight of its prey and four sets of claws shot out.~
There was a loud bang and the sergeant whipped around, straining with his blurred eyes. Nothing. Only an empty doorway and two doors knocked off their hinges.
~Its serrated claws clung to the concrete ceiling, completely embedded in it. Slowly, it made its way over to its target from above.~
The sergeant searched the room for something that he knew should be there, but found nothing. There was clicking and he turned to face more zombies but there were none. The sound wasn't exactly clicking either. More like bits of rock and gravel hitting the tiled floor. The sergeant realized something and instantly regretted it. As if to emphasize this saliva dripped down on his shoulder. He looked up to see orange eyes staring right back at him. Silverstrain.
~It dropped down on its knowing victim.~
21:58 Hrs August 10th
Hydra elevator shaft
The sergeant heard a large explosion from one of the floors above him, and several diminishing roars from the hollow kind. Then all was silent again. He looked back down and saw the top of the elevator. It was too dark to see if the Dual Strain security were still there or not, as the flashlight undoubtedly broke in the plummet. The sergeant stealthily climbed down the rest of the way and placed one foot on the metal roof of the elevator. There was a small "ting" from the boot connecting, then all was silent once more. There was another subsequent "ting" and he was completely on the elevator. He stepped forward to pick up his machine gun and accidentally stepped on broken glass, the sound echoing loudly throughout the entire facility. The sergeant listened intently for several minutes, unsure if he heard clicking from below, then picked up his gun. It looked beat up, but otherwise it seemed undamaged. He tried reloading it but the clip was jammed badly. He swore under his breath and placed the useless gun back on the floor quietly. The sergeant scanned the area for his revolver, but it was nowhere to be found. In the middle of the roof was a large, torn apart hole. Claw marks, like at the entrance to the elevator shaft, surrounded the hole. The sergeant carefully stepped over to it, drawing his combat knife. Looking into the hole he saw the inside of the elevator through the fog of darkness. The walls were covered in even more claw marks and on the floor was his revolver. He could tell that the elevator doors had again been torn open, but couldn't see beyond them. He thought for a moment. -What could have done this? Those hollow people, even if they did have the strength to rip apart metal, would've left claw marks of four or five. Is this the creature that made the people hollow or was something else released as a result of the quarantine? Where is this thing now? It could be hunting me at this very moment.- He looked around quickly, creeped out by the thought.- How should I jump down into the elevator? Should I lower myself down quietly and risk being ambushed by the creature? Or should I just jump down, giving away my position, but ready for an attack?-
The sergeant didn't give it a second thought and crashed down into the elevator, knife ready to strike. Nothing. Then, faintly, he heard clicking, an infinite rhythm of it, slowly approaching. All he could see was darkness, yet the clicking incessantly closed on his position. He grabbed the revolver and hid in the corner of the elevator by the door. Fear rushed through every pore of his body. He was too afraid to put down the knife to reload the revolver, too afraid to move, too afraid to breath.
They began to file into the elevator, the door only torn enough to allow entry one at a time. At first they didn't notice the cowering soldier. The first one that walked in stood toward the far side of the elevator and looked up at the hole in the ceiling, examining it quizzically. The others followed suit. There were already about a dozen inside already, and more were filing in. Then the first on turned around and locked eyes with the sergeant. It's cold, dead, emotionless stare burned itself into his mind. It roared and the sergeant bolted for the exit. The others turned around to view their victim. He ran into a scientist trying to enter the elevator. He caught it by surprise, knocking it back, then dashed forward with his knife. He ripped through the person's gut, brown liquid spraying on him. The draining shell of skin dropped, revealing to the sergeant the full extent of his troubles. An entire horde was in front of him, and another behind him.
-My final symphony. Let's make it a masterpiece.- He rushed forward, slamming the butt of his revolver into their faces and slashing at anything he could. Hundreds of fingernails and teeth dug into his flesh. The sergeant stabbed into the eye socket of a scientist, brown liquid spurting into his own eyes. He let go of the knife and, rushing forward, tried to rub the pain out of his eyes. The liquid felt like acid and his eyelids were snapped shut trying to dilute the liquid with tears.
He ran headfirst into a person, was knocked to the side, and found himself flat on his face. The pain in his eyes intensified as the strange, decayed people surrounding him scratched and gouged him. The sergeant let go of the revolver and struggled to crawl forward in a final, but fruitless, effort to escape the onslaught.
There was a deafening roar coming from all directions, spreading fear likewise. The scientists stopped and looked around wildly. The sergeant's vision was returning, but was severely blurred. The war cry ceased and the remnants of it echoed throughout the catacombs of the facility to nothingness. The scientists ran into the shadows, dispersing away from the sergeant who watched from the floor wearily. He waited until they were all gone before he got up. His body almost failed but, by either sheer will or a reserve of adrenaline, or a combination of both, he remained standing. He limped forward, unsure of where he was or where he was going, unarmed. The clicking had ominously disappeared, total silence sweeping back in.
~The creature rushed through the facility towards its next meal, tearing through anything that got in its way with its three-pronged claws.~
The sergeant came upon a strange object. A shattered cyrostasis tank. -Why wasn't this one in Laboratory Grid Hydra? And why does it look so much more sophisticated?-
~Its orange eyes darted back and forth as it rushed down the staircase, the smell of its prey strengthening.~
The sergeant found some loose papers dotted with blood next to the shattered tank. Holding them close to his face he scanned through them. Halfway through he stopped short.
…specimen 000330248, also known as "Silverstrain" is by far the most lethal specimen we have created to date. Fused with Theronite it is capable of walking upright or on all fours, among other things. It has twelve inch retractable claws, three on each hand and foot. Its strength is immeasurable, and all of its senses are far superior to any animal on Earth, particularly with eyesight. It can switch from light based, thermal based, and night based vision, along with others that we have yet to understand. Use extreme caution when…
The sergeant pulled out his radio. "Squad leader to Central Command. The thing that escaped was called 'Silverstrain'. But that breach was far below Laboratory Grid Hydra and probably resulted from the power cutoff. There are…what used to be Dual Strain personnel in the facility. But now they are, for a lack of a better word, zombies. I think a virus or parasite or something set off the quarantine and turned the people into these creatures. You must stop this at all costs or millions of people will be endangered."
~It raced down the final staircase and blasted through the double doors, knocking them off their hinges and across the room. It caught sight of its prey and four sets of claws shot out.~
There was a loud bang and the sergeant whipped around, straining with his blurred eyes. Nothing. Only an empty doorway and two doors knocked off their hinges.
~Its serrated claws clung to the concrete ceiling, completely embedded in it. Slowly, it made its way over to its target from above.~
The sergeant searched the room for something that he knew should be there, but found nothing. There was clicking and he turned to face more zombies but there were none. The sound wasn't exactly clicking either. More like bits of rock and gravel hitting the tiled floor. The sergeant realized something and instantly regretted it. As if to emphasize this saliva dripped down on his shoulder. He looked up to see orange eyes staring right back at him. Silverstrain.
~It dropped down on its knowing victim.~