Liz looked out the window into the darkness and back at her two companions. She knew the danger they were in, for they had the conversation last week. They agreed to; two would asleep while one kept watch. Then one that was awake would remain awake with the one that was asleep and so forth. [You do not need them. They will just hold you back] ‘Hold m back from what exactly. Kia?’ [Survival. Humans hinder each other.] Liz stared blindly ahead of her. Yes, that is a fact but nevertheless, human interaction is also important for survival. She would go crazy if she went on this way much longer- just killing and nobody to talk with. An A.I. would never understand that. They were built on facts not feelings. Sometimes facts can be untrue when dealing with emotions. ‘Switch off Kia.’ [Goodbye Elizabeth] The blue words flashed for two seconds then disappeared silently. They had to move as soon as possible for she had seen movement in the far distance earlier. She figured it wa
Matt They were running out of supplies at the house they’d called home for almost a month and had decided to venture out with caution. Extreme caution. They would have gotten supplies and come back here but it seemed that the new creatures were searching and for what if not for humans? Besides if they got a supermarket or somewhere near a pharmacy would be good. Medical supplies were always something to be near to. The next place a few miles down, the rations had lasted a bit longer than they’d expected but it had been a fully stocked house- as if the people that lived there had just stocked up, but no bodies were found on the premises. Most of the canned goods were expired and could not be consumed and some though expired were still edible. A nutritionist's nightmare is what it is when it comes to food in zombie-land. “Perhaps they had died when they went to get pizza,” Matt had joked, earning him a slight frown from them both when they’d first inspected the perimeter of the
Matt “Down,” Randall orders in the same tone. Not needing any explanation, they both dropped to the floor stooping, too. That lowered tone would mean something was near- too near. Could either zombies or any one of the two new groups they discovered; the uniformed and the ununiformed were out and about. Too near, by Randall’s movements and lowered voice, Matt thought, glancing at Liz, waiting for Randall’s next words, still somewhat worried that the conversation between him and Liz just now was loud enough to be heard from outside let alone Randall. Matt is worried that he heard him playing matchmaker. The uniformed ones might be intel or humans …maybe aliens for all Matt knew. The others were a different kind of war-like humans that spoke their own invented language. It was sort of English words with sounds of letters mostly. It must be an adaptation of the English language and lack of words according to Liz and both men agreed with her. Which means when the zombie outbreak trans
Zombie. As in one single one. Randall cautiously made his way into the medium-sized grocery, rolling behind an aisle, listening. A quick scan indicated the others had left and the lone creature alone remained. He released a relieved breath and waited for the rotted-fleshed individual to move along as they sometimes did when unbothered and no humans were in sight. He would shoot it, but the sound would attract the ones that just left. Unfortunately, he didn’t have a long blade with him where he could easily slice its neck clean out but…ugh- the reek. The work they would have to put in to get rid of the stench. It’s better to let it wander off and he would kill it if he comes across it again, he swears to himself. Places were scarce now and he was grateful that they actually had food and shelter for the time being. This was a treasure find as almost all places were already looted. The live decomposing woman raised her nose in the air and sniffed, turning her head at different an
Lieutenant Sharp “Sir!” the man saluted and turned away when Sharp nodded. “And where are they now?” the tall, handsome but intimidating man, questioned the boy that his junior ranked officer brought forward to him. Sharp blinked his eyes repeatedly but slowly for five seconds while he scanned the boy. The blue-lit words only for his visual, float in front of his eyes. The boy's heart rate was steady. He isn’t lying. His intelligence also showed that the boy’s temperature had not risen since picking him up. The boy reared back looking scared and Sharp heard his stomach grumbling- definitely human. No need to be tested, the man thought with a little humor. They were so feeble, no wonder Biomedical started to work on making them stronger. He twisted his mouth sideways just as he’d practiced, bringing his cheeks up higher than usual but not too much to scare the kid away. “Well, boy, speak up so you can go back to your food.” Sharp forgot the boy’s name because they had rescued so m
[Level 98] “Kia, pray tell me,” Liz begged the machine, “What is the purpose of so many levels if it leads to nothing?” And as usual, Liz received the same answer just as she had in the past couple of years. [No Entry. I have no access to your question. Please rephrase the question] Liz mouthed the last part because she was so accustomed to hearing it by now. She shook the others awake when she saw a group of fast-approaching people coming down the road, weeks later. She knew they were humans by the way they walked. The 'not warlike' bunch of survivors. Randall observed them sleepily and decided they were safe, although angry-looking. But the odds were probably against them by numbers- there were only three of them and more than a few on the opposing side- if it came to that. Calculating from experience, Randall knew the chances were very slim that the group would just be passing along, and onto fresher pastures. A greater chance of them, setting up camp in the buildings
“Have you guys noticed them long?” Matt ignored the smelly man, making small conversation with the Sam fellow instead while they waited for everyone to have something in their stomachs. He still held Randall’s Glock in his hand while he stood behind the crowd, who was sitting cross-legged in a circle on the tiled floor. Everything about the crowd seemed normal- like a bunch of friends on a normal day chilling out just sitting on the floor and having a fun chat while they snacked. Their clothing was clean and mostly new with sneakers and boots- except for Polo, of course, for nothing about him seemed normal. From his weirdly rotted teeth to his alien-wormy shape. The Outsiders was a movie that was a huge hit about an alien that became friends with the Earthlings and aided in the defeat of an invasion from another world. It was a teen hit back in the regular world and although a fictional character, it irritated Matt that this disgusting creature reminded him of the friendly, gun-sli
Polo the troublemaker, snuck off when he thought nobody was looking, going upstairs. But he was always under Matt’s radar. Using his eyes, he notified the spot where the man had vacated, to Randall. His eyes widened in alarm eyes and Matt tilted his head, indicating to him that he was going upstairs. Randall nodded and signalled Liz. Without giving anything away she nodded, and Randall followed Matt out. Sure enough, he was rummaging through their bags. Matt whistled and the man froze raising his hands in the air, quickly proving to Randall that his next words were a lie, “Hey man, I was just looking for a t-shirt- see?” Polo’s back was to him and he had no idea a gun was pointed at him so Randall knew the man must have known- which meant guilt. He was looking for a weapon. Matt was right- they had to be strict with these people- especially this one. The kids seemed okay but the trust in the group was zilch now. Polo turned around and looked at the pistol in his hand and grimaced.
The failed escape attempt was a disaster, more chaotic than anyone could have anticipated. The night air was thick with tension as Liz and Marcus Sharp crouched low on the rooftop, watching the flickering lights of the compound below. Everything had been meticulously prepared, down to the smallest detail. Sharp and Liz had scoped out the rooftop earlier in the week, calculating the exact distance they’d need to climb down and drop to each platform to reach the ground undetected because they had no rope. Angela had been set to free the frail man from his containment cell, with Matt and Randall stationed as lookouts to warn them if anything went wrong. Everything had been set in motion—until it wasn’t.The plan had seemed foolproof on paper: Angela would slip into the containment area, bypassing the guards and freeing the frail man they suspected might be a vampire- with the aid of the nurses- Polly-Ann. Randall and Matt were to gather the remaining supplies and prepare the escape rout
Inside the glass containment chamber, the man lay still beneath the weight of the silver bars that bound him. His body, usually pulsing with a cold, inhuman strength, was weakened by the silver. The memories of his capture flooded back, vivid and raw. He had been in the middle of a hunt, tracking a group of survivors who had crossed into his territory. They had been careless, leaving behind signs of their passage, and he had followed them with ease. But something had felt off that night. The air was thick with an unfamiliar scent, a blend of technology and something else, something dark and potent. But he did not know it was a trap- one laid out by BMA. He had ignored his instincts and continued, confident in his centuries of experience. But then they had come for him- armed soldiers, not the usual ragtag band of survivors but a well-coordinated team. They had moved with precision, their weapons loaded with silver bullets and other tools designed to subdue creatures like him. They
The days leading up to the escape were fraught with tension, planning, and a constant undercurrent of fear. Angela, Liz, Sharp, Randall, and Matt knew that if they were going to pull off this escape, they had to find a safe place to lay low once they broke free from Camp BMA. The area surrounding the camp was vast and overgrown, filled with remnants of a world that had long since crumbled into decay. It was a world where nature had reclaimed its territory, where civilization's ruins were hidden beneath a blanket of green. Matt was glad Blake was on board. He felt as if- if she could accept what he was, they could probably have something. Who knows. Among them were two soldiers as well. Mei and Troy- the one that zapped Liz. Randall and Matt still wanted to murder him for it but they put it on pause for now, seeing as Liz had other more important things to worry about. Humans who were on board as well were, all from the group that they’d taken under their protection except Polo. Nob
Almost a century ago In the cold, sterile corridors of Facility X, where the air hummed with the quiet whirr of machinery and the faint scent of antiseptic, the pursuit of immortality had long been a silent obsession. The capture of a vampire- an ancient being whose very existence defied the natural order- had catalysed an evolution in their research that no one had foreseen. Dr Addison Carter, the Head of Genetic Engineering, sat at the helm of this clandestine project. Her sharp blue eyes were fixed on the digital readout of DNA sequences on the screen before her. Each line of code represented the unravelling of millennia-old mysteries buried within the vampire’s genetic makeup. The creature’s cells, unlike any human’s, held the secret to rapid regeneration and a kind of cellular immortality that had eluded scientists for decades. Addison’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Dr Marcus Min Lee, the Chief Biochemist, whose mind was just as consumed by the potential of their
Matt and Randall sat in the dark corners of the bunker room, the air thick with silence and the weight of their newfound knowledge. The revelation that they were clones- replicas of people who had lived and died in another time-had shaken them both to their cores. They had always known that their lives were anything but ordinary, given the post-apocalyptic world they inhabited. But this? This was something neither of them had ever imagined. Randall leaned back against the cold, concrete wall, his brow furrowed in deep thought. The moonlight from the single window, cast long shadows across his face, making him look even more haunted than he felt. Matt, sitting across from him, was no better. His usually easy-going demeanour had been replaced by a quiet, troubled expression as he stared at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. To make things worse they couldn’t even talk freely because the room had others in it. "I feel fine, you know," Matt finally said, breaking the silence. His voi
The next few days were a whirlwind of covert activity. Liz, Marcus, and the rest of the group worked in silence, each of them fully aware of the gravity of their situation. Liz found herself spending more time with Randall and Matt, trying to gauge how they would react to the news she had yet to break to them. The air was thick with anticipation. She could see the tension in Randall’s shoulders, the way Matt’s foot tapped nervously against the floor. “There’s something we need to talk about,” Liz began, her voice steady despite the nervous flutter in her chest. Randall looked up, his brow furrowed. “This sounds serious. What’s going on, Liz?” Liz took a deep breath, glancing at Marcus, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. “We’ve been planning the escape for a while now, but there’s something you both need to know. The man we’re trying to free…there’s a chance he’s not human. Marcus thinks he might be a vampire.” The reaction was immediate. Randall’s eyes widened in shock, wh
Marcus Sharp paced back and forth in the brightly lit room, the rubber flooring silencing his boots. His thoughts were a whirlwind, and his normally sharp focus was clouded by suspicion and doubt. Liz watched him from the corner, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, waiting for him to speak. She could tell something was gnawing at him, unsettling his usually unflappable demeanour. The lieutenant had visited the frail man again some nights back and he had reacted the same way as before. “He despises me,” Marcus thinks. It was as if he could have sensed what he was and it repulsed him to know that Marcus was created from his DNA. “Marcus, what is it?” Liz finally asked, her voice cutting through the tension in the room. “You’ve been on edge since we started planning this escape. If there’s something you’re not telling me, now’s the time. Marcus stopped pacing and turned to face her, his expression grave. He took a deep breath before speaking. “Liz, there’s something you n
They spent days meticulously going over the plan, discussing every detail, every possible scenario. They would start hoarding supplies gradually- nothing too noticeable, just a few extra rations here and there, some medical supplies, and tools. Sabe would be in charge of disabling the security systems, and Angela would help with gathering information on guard rotations and routines. Liz would take on the most difficult task- telling Randall and Matt the truth. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was necessary. They deserved to know that they, too, were clones. But unlike her and Marcus, they weren’t built the same way. They didn’t have the same capabilities, the same resilience. That knowledge could break them, or it could make them stronger. As the days turned into a week, the tension within the group grew. Liz could feel it in every conversation, every sideways glance. They were all on edge, waiting for the moment when they could finally put their plan into action. Randall and M
Liz leaned against the cool metal wall of the storage room, her fingers drumming lightly on a nearby crate. The flickering light above her cast long shadows, amplifying the tension that had been simmering for days. Marcus Sharp was crouched across from her, his eyes narrowing as he sketched a rough diagram of the compound's layout on a piece of paper. The trapped containment area was their target, the place where a man- a fellow clone, Liz suspected thought, had been confined for reasons still unclear. What could a clone have done to deserve such punishment? Marcus and the others told her that once they were no longer in use by the humans, they were discarded. So why was this guy locked away from all? Intriguing. Getting him out wouldn’t be easy, and the plan had to be airtight. They had been quietly monitoring the medical staff here, for weeks, and Liz could feel the weight of their decision bearing down on her. Marcus stated that their leader was a group of six made up of milit