“What else do you have?” Neil questioned.
“Well, I got into the history files and saw what this maniac has been up to.”
“And…”
“Not too much. Other than sending coded messages into space, he’s been transferring files onto his private server.” Eddie stopped talking for a few seconds and then cleared his throat. “There is one thing that I just noticed. I don’t know if this is important, but Diamond Jack has turned up the temperature to the center’s biology lab. It’s about one hundred five degrees at the moment.”
“Oh my God!” Neil shouted. “Listen, find a way to regain control of the temperature control system immediately. Make that a priority one assignment. Drop everything else and concentrate on restoring the temperature to normal. Do it now!”
“I’ll have to get past this e-bomb first,” Eddie stammered.
“I don’t care what it takes, just restore the freaking air now!” Neil yelled and then shut off the transmission. “They should have never brought those things here in the first place…”
***
The loud roar was becoming deafening as the steady breeze from the large machines fluttered their clothes. It was also hard to hear anything as well.
“Neil, what is going on?” Steve yelled over the noise. “What in the hell is in that bio- lab?”
“We keep biological weapons and other toxins in there.”
“Like what?”
“Ebola, Smallpox, virulent strains of Influenza, and new forms of contagious cancer just to name a few.”
Steve tensed and looked back at Neil. “Okay, give me a worse case situation. Are we at risk already from any of that stuff?”
“No, those viruses and toxins are in a refrigerated security vault that is sealed behind a three- ton security door and six-feet-thick concrete walls. The cooling system to that vault operates on a different system that cannot be controlled from anywhere in the complex.”
Steve turned around and grabbed Neil by the collar. He knew that his partner was hiding something big. Already, he’d lost his father, his family had been threatened, and finally, he’d almost been butchered by a mechanical horror that shouldn’t even have been built. His rage was at maximum again. If he was going to risk his life, he’d at least know what he would be facing. “Okay, tell me what’s in that lab now! Do I need a germ suit or a radiation shield? Come on, I need answers!”
Neil looked directly into Steve’s eyes for a few seconds before speaking. At any moment, he expected to be punched in the face. But he could take that, but not the deceit and lies that he’d been forced to live. No, he would reveal the truth. “It’s something worse than all of those viruses in the vault combined.”
“What?” Steve yelled again, tightening his grip on Neil’s collar. “I need to know what I’ll be facing!” He then remembered that he was supposed to be the one with a cool head. He quickly let go and stepped back. “What has gotten you so rattled?”
“Those things from Signus IV,” Neil stated, stepping back after Steve released him. “We’re talking about a nightmare situation here—worse than anything you could imagine.”
“I don’t understand.”
Neil turned and headed down the tunnel. “Come on, I’ll explain along the way.”
Steve followed behind Neil. “Where is Signus IV? I’ve never heard of that place. And what things are you talking about? How are they a danger?”
“They were found on that alien ship on the ocean floor,” Neil said, reaching the first security door. He placed his key into the time lock and turned it. “This may take a couple of minutes. The system has to recognize my pass key code. Anyway, those aliens kept those things in cylinders of frozen liquid. They are like bees the size of a fully grown chicken with a thick shell. The liquid they are encased in melts at room temperature. Once that happens, they are released and become a very serious threat. They are extremely aggressive and have venom that is a thousand times more toxic than that of a cobra. Just one drop could kill a hundred elephants.”
“Oh boy, we’ll need plenty of ammunition.”
“It’s worse than you think. According to the alien’s records, they come from a planet called Signus IV. Once free, they multiply very fast—like viruses. They are born pregnant and give birth hourly. They feed on anything . And if they escape this facility, within a few days, we’ll have hundreds of them to deal with. In a couple of weeks, that number could be in the thousands. Ten years ago, just two of them got loose at a government facility on an island in the Pacific. Within weeks, they’d killed everything else on that island. Their numbers were in the hundreds of thousands. In fact the entire surface of the island had been turned into a giant hive. We had to nuke the entire island to get rid of them. Luckily, the island was far enough out to prevent them from flying to any populated area.”
“Good grief,” Steve whispered. “If given enough time, those things could engulf the Earth.”
“Now you see why I’m so upset.”
“What can destroy them?”
The lock on the steel door clicked, and the iron bar crossing the door slid back. Neil then moved up and grabbed the handle. “Come on, I’m going to need some help with this thing.”
Steve gripped the handle too, and they both pulled back on the door. It slowly opened to reveal a dark hallway.
“It looks like the power has been cut,” Neil said. “Did you bring the flashlight? It will help me see the digital keypad on the next door at the end of this hall.”
“Yes. Now, let’s get back to my original question. What can kill those things?” Steve asked, while switching on the flashlight. Its beam cut through the darkness to reveal a rat infested concrete cave.
Neil looked back momentarily and continued moving forward. “They seem to fear fire, but not much else—not even bullets. Once, a scientist on the island tried to get away from a swarm of them by diving into a pool. Two of those things went in right after him, dove down ten feet, killed the man, and flew right back out. Their poison is so deadly, it kills almost instantaneously. They also work in groups too. Seven of these things once lifted a hundred and ten pound woman out of car and carried her to a roof top where they devoured her.”
Steve’s eyes widened. “They bit too?”
“Oh yes. They can chew through wood, sheetrock, and even the glass windshields of most cars. And remember, the shell that covers most of the thing’s body is hard to penetrate too. If you shoot at them, you’ll have to hit the little monsters at almost point-blank range.”
Steve shook his head. “Oh boy, this just keeps getting worse and worse.”
“This must have been these aliens’ version of a biological weapon. We believe that they actually engineered these creatures on Signus IV as part of an experiment. Hopefully, we won’t have to face them again.” Neil reached the second steel door and placed his security key in the lock. “If we can get to the bio-lab before those things thaw out, we can just shoot them. We only have three of them frozen in that solution.”
“I’m right behind you,” Steve replied, cocked his gun, and prepared to dash through the next door when it opened.
A very warm breeze met them as the door fully opened. It was like standing in front of a sauna. The sterile smell of alcohol was mixed with a strange aroma that resembled rotting apples. The tiny lights of various machines could be seen through the darkness. However, no sound came from within this chamber at all.
Steve moved forward. “I hope that flashlight is still working.”
“Wait!” Neil yelled while grabbing Steve’s shoulder. “We need to get some lights on in there. One of those things could have already thawed out. If that’s the case, we’ll need to put it down immediately. They are extremely poisonous and really fast too.”
“Where is the switch?”
Neil leaned into the darken chamber and felt along the wall
with his left hand. “I’ll have the lights on in a few seconds if the power has not been cut.”
“That’s not likely because the heater is running full blast. It’s at least a hundred ten degrees in here.”
“No kidding,” Neil whispered. “Anyway, I’ve found the switch. Now get ready, those things react to light. If one has been defrosted already, it’ll come right at us.”
Steve stood back, got into combat stance, and gripped his 9mm pistol tightly. “Okay, let’s rock and roll.”
Neil flicked on the switch, and the lab’s main lights came on. The huge chamber was over a hundred feet across. This sterile white room had two main frame computers bisecting its center and several desks with supply tables scattered about. There were also four cylinder- shaped tanks in each corner. Beyond this room were two adjacent chambers. One was the sealed vault of biological weapons and the other was the isolation chamber itself.
Steve dashed into the lab and looked both ways. Everything was clear and spotless. “Okay, where are those things?”
Neil moved forward and looked both ways. “Over this way!” he loudly whispered. “We need to check the isolation chamber.”
Steve followed closely behind. “The isolation chamber is shielded by a heavy steel door that is almost indestructible? How can anything get out?”
“The electronic lock on that door is controlled by the central computer. If Diamond Jack is in control of the entire system, he could have easily opened it. And if that is the case, those things can be hiding anywhere.”
“That’s not very comforting,” Steve whispered, briefly looking about the huge lab.
Neil moved up to the isolation chamber’s steel door and punched in a digital code number into the time lock. “Okay, get ready. It’s no telling what going to come at us.”
Steve got into combat stance again, ready to open fire when the next door opened.
Neil pulled back on the handle and opened the door. Another even hotter breeze blew into his face. He then stepped into the chamber. “Oh no…” he whispered to himself.
Steve stood frozen in his spot, waiting for any word from Neil. However, there was nothing but silence. “Okay, are those things thawed out or what?”
Again, there was nothing but silence.
“Neil?” Steve called out again. Puzzled by the lack of a response, he moved into the chamber himself. Instantly, he was also stunned by what he saw. “Good God!”
Neil was standing over a horribly disfigured body. The victim was so bloated and bloody that it did not even look human. Not only that, but most of the face and internal organs had been eaten down to the bone. Even the clothes had been chewed and torn to shreds. “Lord have mercy. They’ve eaten this poor guy alive. His name was Bret Long. He took care of this lab.”
Steve moved further into the chamber and looked up at the ceiling before gazing around the room. He then slowly walked around the perimeter of the outer wall. The enclosure looked like the inside of a room with a hundred safety deposit boxes. Each box that slid into the wall was a thick glass cylinder. Two broken empty cylinders were on the floor beside the bloody corpse. Clear gel-like liquid leaked from these containers. His mind now was focusing on something else. He surmised that more was going on than was obvious.
Neil moved back from the body and sighed before looking around. “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”
Steve gazed back at Neil. “Would it change anything? I mean, that guy would still be just as dead even if I talked all night. He was obviously a victim of those space-age bugs, right?”
“Maybe so,” Neil whispered. “It’s not often that people react this calmly to a horrible sight.”
“I guess that I’m getting use to this kind of stuff. However, there are still some things that are not adding up at all.”
“Like what?”
“How did those creatures get out of this chamber? The floor, ceiling, and wall are solid steel. The door was sealed shut.”
“I told you that Diamond Jack could have opened it electronically from where he is.”
Steve turned around again to face Neil. “And who closed the door again after this savage attack? There is another thing, where is everybody? When I first came down here, all of the floors were full of people. Tonight, the entire complex is almost empty—why?”
Neil backed out of the chamber and started walking away. “They are all at a secret conference. It’s concerning this entire situation with Diamond Jack.”
“And who closed this chamber door?” Steve called out and followed closely behind. “Why wasn’t this guy at the conference too? Why was he not at the meeting?”
“I’ll explain on the way to the energy center.” Neil wiped sweat from his forehead.
“Before saying another word,” Steve said, ‘tell me what the final plan is for this mess. I know you, and there is always an alternate plan. What you cannot control, you destroy. If there had been no secondary plan to deal with these creatures, you’d destroyed them long ago.”
Neil looked back and nodded. “Come on, I’ll tell you on the way to the way to the energy center. But first, let me check with Eddie. Let’s see if he’s had any more luck regaining control of the computer system.”
All of the lights suddenly dimmed. The emergency flashers started rotating as the air conditioning system went silent.
“Oh hell, that maniac has cut the power to the central processing center,” Neil then whispered back to Steve. He then gripped the walkie-talkie tightly. “If Diamond Jack can’t spot us with the cameras, that fool can use the infra-red sensors to track our body heat. Besides, it will be harder to spot those creatures running loose down here without any light.”
Steve frowned. “What are you waiting for? Call Eddie and see what in the hell he can do about this situation.”
Neil lifted the walkie-talkie to his face. “Eddie, how is it going up there? We’ve lost power down here in the hallway next to the isolation chamber.”
There was heavy static for a few seconds before Eddie answered.
“I’ve regained control of most of the system. However, some of the base is completely off-line. I’m trying to cross-link into the main network right now. If I’m successful, I’ll be able to open all of the doors from where you are to the lower chambers. If not, the entire system shuts down and each blast door will have to be hotwired individually.”
“Well, do the best that you can.” Neil then turned off the walkie-talkie. He looked back at Steve. “We’re working on a limited time schedule as well.”
Steve turned and looked back at Neil. “What do you mean?”
Before Neil could answer, his cell phone started vibrating. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the device. After glancing at the number on the screen, he sighed again. “It’s Jenny.” He clicked on the view screen and swallowed as her face became crystal clear. “What’s going on? You know that we’re supposed to maintain radio and video silence in situations like this. That maniac might even be able to zero in on your phone signal and pinpoint your exact location.”
“Yes, I know, but this is an extreme emergency,” she replied. “I can hear that loud buzzing and lots of movement in the ventilation shafts—lots of movement. I think those things from Signus IV are loose and multiplying.”
“I was afraid of that.” Neil looked back at Steve and then turned away again. This terrible situation had gotten even worse. If those monsters got out of this facility and kept multiplying, they could do as much damage as a world war. “If those things are in the ventilation system, the poison will have to be pumped in. Put on your gas mask and sit tight. The military is on its way now. They should be here in about an hour.”
“Okay, but please hurry. Those things might find a way to the surface that we’ve overlooked.”
“I hope not…” Neil whispered.
Steve frowned and stepp
ed forward. Judging from the serious look on Neil’s face, it was easy for him to tell that this man had yet more to hide. “What’s the military carrying? I heard you say something about poison.”
Neil shook his head and took a deep breath. “I’m talking about the only thing that may stop those things, Termicide.”
“Termicide?” Steve gasped. “I’ve dealt with that stuff before and it’s super lethal. It’s the chemical version of an atomic bomb. If that stuff is released down here, it’ll be years before this place can be occupied again.”
Neil looked back momentarily before reaching the next security door. “Do you have a better idea? If those things get loose, we’ll have chaos all over the world. Our main goal now is containment. Those things must be stopped here.”
“What about us? Will we be able to get out and far enough away in time? The saturation radius of Termicide is almost twenty miles. Remember, we’ll have to get Jenny out too.”
Neil swallowed. “I’ll do the best I can. If we get the main security door open, get into the hanger, we can then take the express elevator to the surface. There is a high-speed armored vehicle in the central parking lot. With that car’s speed at maximum, we can be outside the blast zone in less than thirty minutes.”
“That’s cutting it mighty close. We also have to get Jenny out too!”
Neil ignored Steve’s last statement. “Help me with this door,” he said while inserting the digital key into the time lock. “This door is reinforced with tempered steel for extra precaution in case the base is infiltrated by enemy forces. The boardroom is just behind this door. It seats over two hundred people.”
The door’s digital timer raced down to seven zeros before the latch clicked.
“Come on, Steve, we don’t have much time!” Neil grabbed the door handle and pulled back.
Steve gripped the handle and leaned back too. “How much further do we have to go?”
“Just on the other side of the boardroom is the central processing center. Once we’re there, we can disable the entire computer system and lock out Diamond Jack once and for all.”
Machines of the Gods Page 17
