Cough... Cough...
"Fuck! It felt like drowning..."
"Well, that's what happens when you go from breathing in liquid to normal air. Still kind of traumatizing, to say the least."
Martin climbed down through the vent, sweeping the area with his gun. The bridge below was empty.
"Is it safe to come down?"
Annie's voice trembled from inside the vent.
Martin scanned the area. They were now in a zone connected to the air vents and sewage system. The sewage water flowed downward into complete darkness, enough to trigger anyone's acrophobia. It flowed beneath a perforated metal floor, and there was an odd, sticky sensation near the shore. The surrounding dark concrete walls, combined with the endless corridor, made the atmosphere thick and eerie.
"Yeah, it feels safe here. You can come down."
"You sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Hurry up already."
As Annie tried to climb down, she slipped but Martin caught her in time. Classic Martin.
Tension hung in the air as they moved through the dim hallway. No signs of life. Only maintenance workers had access to this area, and they had likely been the first to evacuate when the outbreak began, using separate emergency exit routes.
Flashing lights lit the corridor intermittently as they walked. Annie took a closer look at Martin: a handsome Mexican man with hazel eyes, a firm black mustache, and a military-cut hairstyle now damp from the water. Screens were mounted on the wall, showing the site's status, though they flickered and glitched likely due to the facility running on backup power.
| 21-12-2025 | 09:41
Temp: 20°C | Status: Critical
Location: Floor 13, Site - Compromised
The flickering transitioned to an emergency broadcast.
| EMERGENCY BROADCAST
Evacuate the facility immediately. Protocol Eclipse is now in effect. If you are unable to escape, remain calm—operatives are on their way for rescue.
Stay alert and stay away from unusual creatures. Proceed to the designated safe zone and await rescue teams.
Your safety is our priority. Stay alert and avoid danger.
What the fuck!
Well, now it makes sense. We're Code 0 right now. At least rescue is on the way.
Do you really trust the rescue?
Well, as a rookie yeah.... What about them?
Based on rumors, they're a new team but their confidentiality is top-notch. We're not even allowed to see their faces or identify them. Total secrecy.
Maybe they're undercover assets. It makes sense not to risk them getting bought out by mercenaries.
Still that doesn't give me any kind of rescue vibes... you get what I mean..
Yeah, I do. A bunch of assassins aren't exactly the heroic rescue type... or maybe they do care. You'll never know.
Did you meet anyone like that?
Like what? A hero?
Yeah...
I did. But he retired.
Oh...
There were rumors he saved an entire city by taking down a whole mafia gang, just to protect his adopted son.
Damn, you've got better gossip than I do. (She chuckles.)
Well, compared to civilian life, we have some serious drama going on.
Can we get out of here? I'm still shaken from what we escaped.
Yeah. We can use the emergency exit route. Just two more checkpoints to pass, then we're clear.
As they moved forward, they noticed a person in the distance, clearly visible due to his black shrouded hoodie. Annie grew excited at the sight of another human and was about to call out to him, but Martin stopped her, signaling her to stay alert. They couldn't be sure whether the person was infected or not.
As they slowly got closer, they watched him turn back the way he came. Suspicious, they stayed silent and cautiously approached the building, observing as the door shut behind him.
At the end of the corridor, they came upon a thick green plant vein obstructing the sealed exit door. As they began trying to break through it, there was a sudden....
BOOM!!!
Floor 19: Emergency Vault
Twenty people were gathered inside, waiting for rescue. Some were talking quietly, while others ate from the survival food supplies, which had recently been restocked. Among them were two soldiers, fifteen scientists, and three maintenance workers.
They were all trying to manage the contamination and waiting for the rescue crew. A brunette woman in a lab coat with a white fur collar sat listening to an iPod playlist, Pretty Please by Toby Hobart and HANNI.
The maintenance crew were playing cards, the scientists were busy forming theories, and the soldiers guarding the door chatted among themselves.
The emergency vault was a long room stocked with rescue equipment, sleeping bags, and food supplies stored neatly in sealed shelves. The room was divided into three sections by partial walls. The first was a waiting zone, furnished with long sofas and desks. The second was a hospitality zone with bunk beds, medical supply shelves, and curtained-off areas for privacy. The final section was the storage zone, containing essential supplies.
Shelf access was controlled by card scanners. Each scan permitted one item per person, organizing distribution according to individual needs. Most people were in the first section, a few in the second, and one soldier was in the storage zone while another guarded the main door.
The woman continued listening to her music while the others relaxed. The atmosphere inside the vault felt completely different from the chaos outside.
"How the heck you're winning, man? Like, literally," said the worker, dropping his card, unhappy with the loss.
The two other maintenance workers, dressed in orange work-safety jumpsuits, looked shocked as the scientist across from them laid down the winning hand. He was lean young, with copper red-toned hair and dark circles under his eyes. Calmly sipping his coffee, he replied.
"Hey, I get that scientists are killer employees with some serious specs... but I wanna know the secret of winning," said the guy with a red cap, smirking with his head tilting.
"Well, it's all about the algorithm. Have you heard about the Las Vegas algorithm?" he said, sipping his coffee calmly.
"Well, that sounds complicated..." one of the guys with glasses said, kind of interested in it. He continued,
"Well, this job teaches a lot of shit. Shits even I can't comprehend."
"Oh yeah, I heard about the forbidden course they teach, that made many people drop their rank because of how horrible it was," Glasses said.
"Well, they balance out the status so people won't just use their rank to show off," the winner added.
Some of the scientists sitting nearby shifted uncomfortably, clearly recalling the trauma of that course.
"Well, now you can, right? I mean, you passed it," Red Cap asked, sipping his drink.
"That's confidential," the winner said, raising an eyebrow, clearly signaling the end of the topic.
One of the female scientists came to call them for a meal. As she walked off, Glasses joked,
"Man, even the women in your division look hot. Like, all of them."
Winner glanced at the girl listening to music and gave Glasses a suspicious look. Trying to play it off, Glasses added,
"Relax, she's not my type and I wouldn't even blink an eye on yours, anyway..."
"Wait, I never even told you the algorithm..." the winner started.
"Yeah, well you're the only one here who even talks to us. Everyone else just stares like we're some kind of dumb jail-suit workers," Glasses replied.
Surprised by the honesty, the winner nodded and gave him a dap before they all walked together toward the second zone for food.
BOOM!
A subtle vibration flows through the atmosphere. Everyone tries to hold onto something, the commotion lasts for a couple of seconds. The scientists are confused, but after the incident, they all confirm one thing.
The soldiers come in to eat, and one of the scientists whispers something to one of them. The female scientist continues,
"Members, we would like to inform you about the situation happening outside."
Another scientist adds, "We conclude, after multiple analyses, that there was an outbreak on Floor X1."
One of the workers, worried about the information, says,
"Do we even have clearance for this information? Like, Floor X1 is something we shouldn't talk about, right?"
The scientist replies,
"It doesn't matter. Once we leave the premises after this Protocol, it becomes dismissible and we'll be quarantined right after."
Another female scientist continues,
"The subject responsible for the Protocol is classified as an Arcane-Level Threat. And the safest place we can be during the incident is right here."
The soldiers then add,
"For this reason, we have to be careful and stay put until the situation escalates. There were suspicions of an imposter among us, but luckily, we checked all your IDs before the incident and locked out the imposter's credentials."
The other soldier continues,
"So, we're staying here for a while. There is accommodation, and we'll be assigning places. If there are any problems, please let us know."
Then the scientist continues,
"This is tough, I get it. It might take days and if they activate SD, we'll be notified. We'll engage if that happens. Until then, let's cooperate and survive the next session. For now, humanity's best hope lies in cooperation."
"What if the Self-Destruct sequence gets activated?" a worker asks.
"Well, it hasn't happened since 1970... it's better to stay on the optimistic side."
That's how the conversation ended. Some people began eating, while others were lost in their thoughts.
The next songs continue. The woman sits to eat her steaming hot chili ramen, blowing gently to cool down the steam. A hotdog packet slides beside the ramen cup. She says,
"Trying to break my diet, Tim?"
The winner sits beside her.
"I know it's your favorite."
They look at each other as she sees the egg-fried rice properly cooked and his excitement, ready to feast. She ignores his comment and says out of confusion...
"How did you get..."
He replies,
"Well, the perks of making friends. Zoey doesn't like eggs. Funny how she looks so buffed up, it's remarkable."
"Oh, now you're into workers. Ah, everything makes sense now." She slurps the ramen.
"Oh, I didn't know you were interested in watching me win."
"Shut it." she says calmly. She continues, taking the hotdog and peeling the wrapper.
Tim shows signs of happiness as she goes on...
"Thank you. Well, any chances on us getting out of these concrete walls?"
They start eating and chatting about the situation.
"Well, it's been 12 hours already. Chances are slim, but after the briefing... my take? It's better to hold for a day, max."
The ambiance feels lively as people continue talking about their next plan. She says...
"So another 12 hours. Great! I'll join your gaming club later."
"Oh, my pleasure! But after sleep, right?"
His eyes narrow as she looks confused.
"What do you mean..." she yawns as she says that, instantly understanding his statement.
Tim says,
"After sleep, you're welcome to our game club."
She replies,
"Yeah yeah, whatever! Have you ever played Durak?"
They continue their conversation. Across from them, on two benches, a group of three workers are chatting. A black-haired woman in a worker's outfit, in her mid-twenties, athletic, strong physique, with emerald eyes, looks curiously at Glasses. She asked him...
"Hey Ryan! Why are you close with that red-haired scientist?"
Ryan, busy eating a chicken burrito, says,
"Oh, Tim? Well, I just met him today playing Solitaire. That guy's good with his hands."
"Hmm, okay. Can I play Solitaire with you guys later?" she says with a smile.
"Ahh... lemme think..." He thinks while taking a big bite.
"Well..." (eating) "Nuh...h."
"What??"
(finishes chewing) "Well, you'll get competitive all of a sudden..."
He gives that annoying look as he sees her getting a bit pissed, still eating.
"Ah really? Me? Nah, I'm not like that... You really don't want to let me play because you might lose."
"Nah, you'll start bragging after losing, too big for your ego." He keeps eating.
"Just let her in already." Red Cap says.
"Yeah! Thank you, Mike!"
"Ahh, come on Mike, you always take her side. Like literally"
"The more the merrier," Mike says, busy eating his red sauce pasta.
As others are busy eating, soldiers take their food. One of the army members taps his ID card while accessing the meal box. It beeps...
Access Denied.
ID card is invalid or deactivated.
He looks at his card, pissed. As his camera stays a few feet behind him looks at him suspiciously and walks towards him. His expression changes as soon as he taps him.
"Well, there must be a malfunction, here take my instead, I am feeling a bit off with my stomach so here, take it." He feels uncomfortable replies...
"No, No it's fine..."
"That's an order! Spike."
"Ah... Yes Sir. Thank you, Sergeant Johnson."
"At ease, soldier. It's better to fuel yourself. Anything can happen in situations like this. Our main priority is the safety of these civilians."
"I get it that this isn't something you expect for your first shift. So better be safe, take care of yourself."
He says this and leaves, as Spike feels calm and finds a place to eat and rest.