Charles walked over to Elias and lifted him up off the wall, careful to avoid that oily substance from getting all over him and possibly infecting him.
But was this part of the virus infectious? To Charles it certainly looked that way, but there was still doubt gnawing at his mind. Too many possibilities. Too many unknowns. The virus was still too fresh and unique. Information was limited until he actually reached another base in another state.
'As long as I keep my badge as authority, I could go anywhere I want.'
The badges of special agents were unique. They worked like passports and IDs. Not only could he get a discount on everything he bought with his badge, but he also had the authority to access any branch of law enforcement in any state. These high ranking officers of the special agent forces could even overthrow a local police deputy just because they willed it!
It was all a matter of difference in power. But if he could use this card to get access to the scientific reports on the Stasis, humanity may have a fighting chance.
'So... I'll take a gamble.'
Charles grabbed a rope from his pack and slapped Elias awake, giving him a cold stare before saying:
"This one's on you."
Charles touched the back of his head and winced, leaving a noticeable handprint of crimson on his palm.
Elias looked up at Charles with a remorseful expression, his face twisted in guilt.
"S-Sorry sir. If I had not messed up your shot, you could've dismantled the beast!"
Charles dismissed Elias's statement and grabbed his shoulder, moving his body towards the end of the hall. Well, "hall" wouldn't exactly cut it anymore to say the least.
Elias couldn't believe what he was seeing. His face had gone pale, his eyes had widened, and his trembling got more severe. The entire corridor had transformed into something nightmarish, pulsing and breathing like the inside of some monstrous creature.
"W-what...? What happened?"
Charles scoffed. "Damn things have a defense mechanism, I think. If given enough time, these things can heal their injuries almost as if they never happened at all. That's probably what this entire mess of a hallway is supposed to accomplish. Give it time to heal."
Charles handed Elias the end of the rope before tying it around his own waist.
"I'm going to enter this forest of revolt. I'm trusting your intuition to know when to pull me out."
Elias jolted. "What? You're trusting my judgment, sir? But you can obviously tell I can't call good shots! Look what I caused!"
Charles took the rifle off the ground and holstered his two pistols on both flanks before looking back at Elias. His expression was hard, resolute.
"Do your best. Remember, we're soldiers still!"
Charles rushed into the oily, gelatinous, slug-like substance and walked through it. The bottom of the floor made it hard to run in, so he began walking slowly, each step squelching beneath his boots. Not only that, but the entire atmosphere and density of the hallway changed. It was almost as if the shape and form of this substance was forever changing, shifting like something alive.
Also, the way the slug-like texture was moving, almost like it was breathing. It resembled that of a heartbeat, just everywhere, constantly pulsing. But Charles had a premonition, or a miscalculation of such.
There is always another possibility when dealing with the Stasis. But could this possibly be an extension of the undead's body? Maybe it's a part of its flesh and it could work as a trap as well as a place for it to heal. It's like the ultimate cheat code in a game.
Despite his doubts, Charles kept moving through the sludge. It smelled revolting, like something burnt and rotten, sulfurous and wrong. The area above Charles began to move differently from the substance around him. The one above began to change shape and confine into something completely different, forming an eyeball. A true and real eyeball sticking directly out of the red gelatinous substance, iris dilating as it focused on him.
Without hesitation, Charles immediately pointed the rifle at the eye and shot. The eye exploded, spraying the oily substance all over Charles. Furthermore, it wasn't just the oily substance. It was blood mixed with it too, warm and thick. He also heard a loud screech at the end of the hall, right down to room number three hundred and five.
"Gotcha!"
Before Charles could bolt off towards the sound, a tug on the rope sent him gliding back through all the sludge. The force brought him through all the grotesque feeling of the breathing flesh-like substance, dragging across his skin. Despite trying to keep a cool head, the mere thought of the substance nearly brought Charles to vomit.
Once Charles was pulled out, on the end was Elias, panting after using all of his strength to get Charles to safety.
"Sorry! I heard a gunshot and thought maybe that thing had found you!"
Charles wiped the oily substance off of his face before standing up and holding his nose. Then he puked on the floor, his stomach rejecting everything. The place was truly disgusting. No ordinary human could possibly survive with that substance everywhere.
"Uh... you okay, man?"
Charles grunted before asking, his voice hoarse: "Why did you pull me out?!"
"I thought, uh, you were in danger."
"Urgh, this time we go together. Understand?"
Elias nodded before Charles handed him his rifle back and instructed Elias to tie the end of the rope to his waist so they wouldn't lose each other to circumstance.
"Alright, you ready?"
Elias nodded once more before Charles and Elias both walked back into the substance, as if traveling through a portal into another dimension entirely.
The two walked slowly and were very attentive to their surroundings, listening out for the tiniest of noises. Every squelch, every drip, every whisper of movement. Charles couldn't help but feel uneasy. It was as if everything around them was alive and that it could feel them walking all over its flesh. Like they were insects crawling across a sleeping giant's skin.
Furthermore, the way it was moving was almost as if the substance was spreading in some sort of odd, unnatural and inhuman way. The possibility of that thing still being in room three hundred and five seemed to be slimmer now. Maybe they were being baited?
But he certainly hoped that this was not a premonition and more of him just overthinking their situation. Though in his experience, his gut feelings were rarely wrong.