"There are three floors. To minimize the danger level, we'll forgo covering more ground and move together. Destroy any camera you see using silenced mode, and keep your eyes peeled for any threats." Micheal instructed with a serious tone as they entered the building. They found themselves on the first floor, and given the spaciousness of the structure, it would typically have been prudent to split up to cover more ground. However, in their current situation, it was more sensible to remain together, ensuring that if any of them faced trouble, they would confront it as a united front.
The ground floor served as the general department, housing the reception area, security checkpoint, administration offices, conference rooms, cafeteria, storage rooms, maintenance areas, and employee locker room.
The team cautiously advanced into the reception area that presented a haunting scene: a partially devoured body slumped in the receptionist's chair. Her hands, still bearing remnants of decayed flesh, rested on a keyboard, while her head was tilted upward. Her eyes appeared to gaze at something ahead, and her facial expression conveyed a sense of terror.
"Victim of a Scraper attack, she probably didn't know how she died." Racheal spoke softly, her gaze fixed on the innocent corpse with a sense of sorrow. She noticed the hole that pierced the woman's forehead, identical in size to Anna's.
"Let us continue onward." Micheal sighed and spoke, then proceeded with guns raised and aimed ahead, as they navigated past the reception, stepping over several more lifeless bodies that had been slain but remained uninfected by the worms.
They soon arrived at the security checkpoint, where a different scene unfolded. Headless soldiers lay scattered on the ground—many of them. While they couldn't provide an exact count, they estimated the number to be around 30 or more. Guns lay to the side, with some soldiers having their fingers positioned on the trigger, as they had been killed before they could even pull it. This was clearly the work of Reapers, known for their astonishing speed and razor-sharp claws.
As they progressed to the next section, Micheal unexpectedly noticed something that lit up his face. He stopped the team and approached a fallen soldier to retrieve a handheld radio. The soldier's grip was so firm that Micheal had to force it free, resulting in the breaking of two fingers.
"Bai, if I recall correctly, there's usually a memory component included in these radios, right?" Micheal inquired with curiosity as he returned to the team.
"Sure, you can load it into the slot on the watch, and we can attempt to recover some of the recent audio," Bai said, nodding thoughtfully. His suggestion brought a smile to Micheal's face as he set to work, testing out Bai's idea.
The watch's screen flickered twice before illuminating in blue, followed by a voice announcing, "BZZZ, BZZZ, this is Alpha BZZZ, all teams report to BZZZ, the outbreak has spread, launch operation BZZZ.....SHIIIIIIIIII"
"It seems that there's either an encryption on the chip or some data corruption; regardless of which it is, that's all the information we have at this moment," Bai commented after the recording turned to static.
"It seems we have no alternative, though it would have been beneficial to understand the details of that operation. Let's proceed, as we are falling behind." Micheal exhaled, his eyes glimmering with disappointment.
"Let's check out the offices. At this point, we could split up. I'll take the rooms on the right with Racheal, and the rest of you can take those on the left. If you see something, say something. Don't try to be a hero, Hei," Micheal said with a chuckle before walking off with Racheal to inspect the rooms on the right for anything useful.
"Go stick your head in a bucket of water," Hei snorted before walking off with his group.
*********************************************
"It is locked," Michael whispered to Rachael, who stepped forward to melt the handle with her flames before stepping back.
"The watch indicates that there are no enemies present, but we must remain cautious. Let's switch to night vision and investigate. On three: one, two, three..." Micheal whispered to Racheal, who nodded and activated the night vision on her helmet. He counted down, and as he reached the final digit, he opened the door. Racheal stepped in immediately, her gun aimed, with Micheal following closely behind.
"Clear," Racheal muttered, lowering her aim to examine the room more closely. It resembled a typical office, except for the blood-splattered wall and the dead body slumped in a chair. His hand hung limply a foot from the ground, gripping a handgun tightly. A sizable bullet hole marked his forehead, a grim testament to suicide. He wore white robes, indicating his position as a scientist.
"Based on his position and the way the blood is splattered on the wall, it appears he must have taken his own life. That explains why the door was locked. Witnessing the events unfold, he was likely too frightened that he chose to end his life. It's disheartening to see this, when will people understand that suicide is not the solution," Michael observed after examining the scene for a brief moment.
"Cadaveric spasm, also known as dead man's grip, refers to a phenomenon where a deceased individual exhibits a firm hold due to extreme fear experienced prior to death. This explains why he continues to clutch the gun so tightly even in death, similar to the guard at the checkpoint. The fear evident in his eyes is striking; it's remarkable that a heart attack didn't claim him sooner." Racheal also remarked with an analytical gaze; once she finished speaking, she turned to find Micheal looking at her in surprise.
"What? I was studying to be a doctor before everything went south, and I was in my last year too. I wanted my parents to see me in the white coat before they passed away. They were crushed to death at their home by a giant rat. I was at a stronghold when I heard the news," Racheal added, her expression heavy with sorrow, her eyes revealing the deep longing she felt inside.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Michael replied with a heavy sigh, his eyes softening.
"I lost both of my parents, and fiancé in one day. I remember crying myself to sleep during the first few weeks after everything happened, but eventually, I became numb to it all. My heart sort of sealed itself shut, containing all the pain and sadness. In medicine, we refer to this as psychological desensitization." Racheal continued, sharing her story with Micheal, who closed his eyes as memories flooded his mind. He glanced down to see his hands trembling. He felt the urge to speak, to tell Racheal how he truly felt, but he sighed inwardly and clenched his fist, suppressing his emotions.
"Um... let's keep moving; we have a lot of rooms to cover," Michael suddenly said, his expression shifting to one of seriousness. He quickly walked out of the room, leaving Rachael wondering what she had said to provoke such a reaction.
*********************************************
"I'm seeing the same scene here," Bai called out to the others, a frown of disgust on his face.
"The same situation here as well; the door's torn down and the body is ripped to pieces, yet there are no enemies in sight. It's as if the entire place is deserted," Henry responded, his brow furrowed in confusion. They had already explored several rooms on their side, but each time they encountered a similar sight: the door was shattered by an unknown creature, and one or more bodies lay dismembered throughout the room, a gruesome mix of flesh and blood. Bullets were embedded in the walls, and claw marks stretched across a quarter of the surface prompting the team to ponder the
events that had transpired in this place.
"It's the same situation here as well; should we even consider checking the other rooms?" Hei inquired after exiting a room that mirrored the same scene. Given that most of the rooms he had entered appeared identical, he found little reason to explore the others.
"I believe we should check it out, just to be cautious; you never know," Henry said as he grasped his gun and moved toward the next room. Seeing this, the brothers felt compelled to follow suit. However, as they entered one of the rooms, they halted and quickly turned around in revulsion.
"You're right, perhaps we should skip the other rooms; they likely mirror this one," Henry said, struggling to suppress the nausea from the scene he had just encountered. The disfigured body of a scientist was strapped to the ceiling, his guts spread out before him. Blood dripped continuously from his intestines onto the table, then fell to the ground. The man's face was devoid of skin, revealing only a pale skull, and both arms had been severed.
"Ugh!" Bai, unable to bear the sight, dropped to his knees immediately and retched, his face drained of color from the terror of what he had just seen.
"Why? This is the second time I'm seeing this; what kind of twisted being could have done this?" Bai, after emptying his guts onto the ground, wiped his mouth and rose to his feet, a similar scene flashing through his mind.
"The second time? This is the second time?" Henry inquired, echoing Bai's words; however, before he could receive a response, an event unfolded.
"ARRRGGG" A scream shattered the quiet of the night, prompting the group to share looks of disbelief.
"Wait, that was Racheal," Henry said, and without hesitation, he dashed toward the source of the sound, with the others swiftly trailing behind him.
As they approached the source of the sound, they noticed Racheal and Micheal hurrying toward them from the opposite direction. The two groups came to a halt, exchanging shocked and confused expressions upon their meeting.
"What happened? We heard Bai's scream," Michael quickly inquired with a furrowed brow, pondering what had transpired.
"What! We also heard Racheal's scream." Hei replied in confusion, exchanging glances with Henry and Bai, who confirmed that it had indeed happened. If not for the fact that Micheal himself had said it, they would have thought it was a joke, but they knew that Micheal would never joke about something like this.
"What in the world is happening?" Micheal pondered over the recent events. As he and Racheal searched the rooms. Suddenly, a loud scream pierced the air, unmistakably Bai's. They rushed to investigate, only to learn that the other group had also heard Racheal's scream. While he could dismiss it as a prank by the two mischievous brothers, he knew Henry was different; he wouldn't fabricate something like this. While they were busy thinking, the answer presented itself before them.
"Hello everyone—"
"CLICK, CLICK, CLICK..." Weapons were swiftly directed toward the origin of the unexpected noise.
"Wow, what impressive reaction speed! I see you've all lived up to my expectations." An unsettling male voice emanated from a screen that flickered to life, revealing a dimly lit room where a figure was faintly visible in the shadows. The figure's face and features were completely obscured, lending an air of mystery to his presence.
"I assume you are the genius orchestrating everything. Please share your location so we can have a little discussion." Micheal lowered his gun and spoke to the figure through clenched teeth.
"Hello, Micheal! I am so looking forward to our conversation. There's so much for all of us to discuss. I'll be waiting at the top of the building, so no need to worry about any traps, Reapers, Creepers, or Scrapers; this building is completely safe for now. I hope to see you all soon, so please don't keep me waiting!" The figure responded with a chilling laugh that sent shivers down the spines of the group as the screen faded to darkness after the figure finished speaking.
"Sigh, I can tell from your expression that we're not going to blow up the entire building," Hei said with a
serious look after observing Michael's face.
"We're heading up; I have a strong sense that we'll find the answers we seek over there." Micheal replied, his gaze fixed on the screen, a frown etched on his face. Clenching his fist in anger, he recalled Yoshi, Anna, and Greg. He vowed to confront the one responsible for this entire situation himself, determined not to let anything stand in his way.