Taskforce Spongbob

New Realization

“That was quite.. um, enlightening,” Bai remarked, scratching his head as he contemplated what he had just witnessed.

“Yoshi, could you pause the footage at the end, just before it concludes?” Michael asked. Yoshi nodded and complied, pausing the video precisely at the moment something shot out of the Captain’s mouth.

“Yeah, could you zoom in on this part?” Michael said, pointing to the object that shot out.

“What is that?” Hai inquired with a frown, gesturing towards the now enlarged image that displayed the distinct outline of the object that had been ejected.

“Seems like a tube,” Racheal replied, squinting her eyes at the image in an attempt to identify what it was.

“But there is something else emerging from the tube,” Henry added, indicating the sharp, pointed organism that was also protruding from it.

“What unusual details caught your attention in the video?” Micheal inquired with a furrowed brow, appearing to contemplate something with great depth.

“One strange fact is the zombie who got up after being shot in the head,” Bai replied, prompting a nod from Michael, who then turned to the others.

“Yeah, most zombies are supposed to be killed after a gunshot to the head, but this one got up after a few seconds as if nothing had happened, and still had the energy to murder two people,” Henry added, recalling the scene where the captain tore the necks of the two men.

“Yeah, and it seemed to be triggered by blood or something,” Yoshi said for the first time, his words finally bringing everyone to the realization that the Captain only awakened when the man split his finger and the blood trickled down.

“Hmm” Micheal remained quiet as he absorbed their suggestion, his gaze shifting to the canister holding the worm. He picked it up and glanced at the paused footage, his eyes fixating on the tube before returning to the canister and then back to the footage, as if he were connecting the dots.

“Micheal, what’s going on? You seem to know something,” Yoshi inquired of Michael, having observed his serious expression.

“Did anyone notice that the zombie only lunged at their throats and only gave one bite, just one bite?” Michael replied with a thoughtful expression, prompting the others to also fall into deep contemplation.

“What is your point?” Bai inquired about Micheal's destination.

“I suspect that the tube is designed to transfer the parasite to a new host, entering through the neck where it remains. That would explain why it still exists after a bullet to the head of its host,” Micheal added, his words shedding light on many aspects of the situation.

“Hmm, that actually makes sense. If it’s true, then this is on a whole new level. Most zombie infections are usually caused by viruses that reside in the brain, which is why they die when shot in the head. However, if this new version is a parasitic worm that resides in the host’s neck, we need to be really careful with those infected.” Hai acknowledged with a nod of his head.

“That should explain why it spreads so quickly; there must be a particular method to eliminate those infected. The others likely weren’t aware of it, which is why they were taken by surprise. It must have been shocking to witness a body shot in the head suddenly rise after just a few seconds,” Racheal chuckled with a grin.

“In the footage, the segment where the doctor was on the verge of explaining how to eliminate it suddenly became blurred, which was as peculiar as someone erasing the database. Now that we have this information, numerous other questions remain unanswered, such as the connection between the Octo-worm and this worm.” Bai retrieved a soda from his bag, opened it with a satisfying pop, and drank it down with evident pleasure.

“Hmm, that’s an interesting question, and I must admit I don’t have the answer. However, one thing is clear: to uncover more about what’s going on, we need to locate our main target, Dr. Grey, who is also a scientist. I’m not a psychic, but I have a strong intuition that everything might be linked to the V-Cell,” Michael said as he stood up, taking a deep breath.

“What are our next steps, Mike?” Bai inquired with curiosity about their next move. Upon hearing the question, Michael glanced at the timer on his watch before responding.

“We’ve spent about 4 hours here, which leaves us with roughly 116 hours out of the 120. While we don’t fully understand the threat we’re facing, that doesn’t mean we should remain confined here searching for a solution. We need to act while we still have the opportunity. I believe we should hit the streets and cover some ground; we’re still quite far from the research center,” Michael said, grabbing his gun and moving toward the window to take a look outside.

“Hmm, you’re right, we should keep moving. What are your thoughts?” Yoshi spoke up, turning to the others who exchanged glances.

“We’re with you, Cap,” Bai replied, turning to Michael with a grin.

“Alright, let’s get going.” Micheal smiled upon hearing the response, pleased that despite their recent acquaintance, they shared similar thoughts. Bai appeared to be gradually getting along with Yoshi as well.

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The sun's rays illuminated the streets teeming with undead of various forms. Among them were human undead and Octo-worms, navigating the streets, scaling structures, and engaging in battles with one another. A common trait among the undead was the presence of an Octo-worm affixed to each of their heads.

“That’s incredibly unsettling and revolting,” Bai whispered to the others as they observed the streets from the side of a car concealed in the shade of some houses.

“Keep in mind that our understanding of them is limited, so we must steer clear of a direct confrontation at all costs. If we end up encircled by an unending swarm of the undead, we could find ourselves in serious trouble.” Micheal whispered as he counted the red dots on his watch, feeling disheartened by the overwhelming number. This was meant to be the safe path.

“Hahaha, that’s amusing! When you mentioned that the undead can’t die, it implies, well, you know, it’s a bit… okay, I’ll just stop talking now.” Bai chuckled at the latter part of Michael’s words. When the others turned to him, he attempted to explain but ultimately fell silent.

“From the map, there are several routes we can take, but this one seems to be the safest. We just need to navigate around that building and then move past some apartments, and we would have covered a quarter of the distance,” Michael said before turning to Yoshi, who nodded before responding.

“From my observation, the undead exhibit a notable sensitivity to blood. I’m not entirely sure how they developed this vampiric trait, but it’s evident. It’s always wiser to prioritize safety over regret. I also experimented with their sensitivity to sound; while it wasn’t as pronounced as their reaction to blood, it still holds significance. Therefore, it’s advisable to keep noise levels to a minimum, as things could escalate rapidly.” Yoshi stepped forward, offering some guidance to ensure safety.

“After pressing this button, the device we installed a few blocks away will emit a high-frequency pitch that will surely attract the attention of the nearby creatures, thereby decreasing their numbers. Our helmets will provide protection, and this will also reveal the weaknesses of our enemies. Once we pass this house and the apartments, our objective is to capture an undead without killing it, as we need it to gather more information about what we’re facing. With that in mind, let’s get this party started.” Micheal included some words clarifying the plan before pressing the button at the end of his sentence, resulting in a high-frequency pitch that echoed across several blocks.

This prompted the undead and Octo-worms to writhe intensely, their heads emanating a subtle green glow as the creatures perched atop the undead's heads scurried away, hastening toward the origin of the sound. Once the Octo-worms vacated their positions, the undead did not collapse; rather, they advanced in the direction of the noise, trailing behind the Octo-worms. As they progressed, Hai observed a hole in their necks, indicating that the worms had already made themselves at home within their throats.

“Let us proceed” Micheal whispered after a few seconds, once all the undead and Octo-worms had moved. He surveyed the area and took the lead, his gun aimed ahead, prepared to eliminate any enemy in sight. He quickly guided the others around the house, his eyes scanning the immediate surroundings with a serious expression. They soon formed a defensive formation, with some watching the left, others the right, and a few keeping an eye on their back to alert them of any approaching threats. Within moments, they had moved past the house without incident, which brought them a measure of relief, but there was still a block they needed to navigate, so they couldn’t afford to relax just yet.

“This is the challenging section; I can detect multiple enemies on the radar. We need to proceed cautiously, so activate your invisibility feature.” Micheal instructed then spoke to his watch, which vibrated slightly before enveloping him in an invisible cloak, rendering his body unseen. The others quickly followed suit, becoming invisible as they caught glimpses of each other through their helmets. Micheal signaled with his hand and moved forward, leaping over a wall that led them into an estate, allowing them to cut through and reach their destination more swiftly.

“RAWRRR” Upon taking five steps into the estate, a thunderous roar erupted from within, causing the squad to halt in their tracks.

“What was that?” Yoshi exclaimed in disbelief, recalling the sheer power of that roar.

“I’m not sure, but it sounded frightening,” Hai responded, attempting to identify the source of the noise.

“Let’s go,” Michael said, prompting them to look at him with a serious expression.

“Really? After that?" Henry inquired, prompting Michael to look his way.

“The roar echoed through the estate, but we’re not heading that way. We’re invisible, so stay calm and let’s stick together,” Michael said before turning to move on. The others exchanged glances before following him.

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“Rawwwrr” A solitary zombie stumbled through the streets, its head partially missing, while its right arm hung limply, supported by a mere shred of flesh that seemed on the verge of detaching. The zombie's right leg bore a significant wound, exposing its bones through the tattered jeans it wore. It continued its aimless walk until a pebble hit it from the side, prompting a confused growl as it turned just in time for another pebble to collide with its head.

“Rawr” The zombie growled and dragged itself toward the spot where the pebble had come from, unaware that it was being drawn into a concealed shade. As it stepped into the darkness, a mysterious force abruptly yanked it behind a massive bus that had collided with one of the houses.

“Ra—“ Before the zombie could emit a sound, it was silenced and forcefully brought down onto the pavement, its limbs severed almost instantly.

“Hold it down,” Yoshi's voice rang out as the squad emerged from behind the bus. Henry was visible, restraining the body of the zombie, his own form taking on a silvery hue. This was his ability; his skin could transform to match whatever he touched.

“I don’t know how you guys managed to convince me to do this,” Michael said with a sigh, staring at the zombie. After deciding to move on, the others had persisted about whatever had let out that roar. Following their relentless inquiries, Yoshi proposed a solution that would satisfy everyone: abduct a zombie and check its memories. This idea stemmed from Yoshi’s theory that since the worm didn’t infect the brain of the zombie, the brain might still be active, with only the part responsible for controlling thought being suppressed, thus giving control to the worm. This was what Yoshi aimed to confirm.

“You guys handle guard duty; I must verify this first.” Yoshi instructed the others, who nodded and moved to their posts. His hand transformed into the shape of a drive, with wires emerging that wiggled like snakes. He directed his hand toward the remaining half of the zombie's head, and in the next moment, the wires shot onto the zombie's brain, causing its body to twitch violently as if experiencing a seizure. This continued for a while before it completely ceased all movement.

“Is it—“ Just as Henry was about to speak, a swift tube shot out of the neck of the zombie, striking Henry's neck. His body glowed, deflecting the surprise attack just enough for Yoshi to capture and seal it in a canister.

“What the hell,” Henry frowned, massaging the spot where the worm had struck him. There was a small scratch on his neck; if it had been anyone else, they would have certainly been injured by that attack. It was only because of his ability that he remained unharmed.

“I was right after all,” Yoshi said, turning to Mike, whose expression shifted to one of shock.

“The brain of the zombie was still alive but slightly deteriorated. I hypothesize that the longer a zombie remains infected, the more the brain deteriorates until it becomes a typical zombie,” Yoshi explained after placing the canister away.

“Are you saying that the recently infected individuals can be rescued?” Rachael inquired, caught off guard by this unexpected turn.