Omega Virus (Book 2): Gamma Hour

by Jake A. Strife

  “Oh, shit!” Arik’s voice rose. “Tiffany, get back!”

  As I turned to the body, my eyes grew huge.

  Garrett’s severed shoulder melded back together, and his back arched, vertebrae growing into long, bony spikes. A screech escaped his gaping maw.

  We each backed away.

  Garrett climbed to one knee; his muscles bulging and ripping through his sleeves. Dark, coarse hair grew, covering every inch of his skin. Horns exploded from his forehead, twisting around backward.

  Just when it couldn’t get any worse, his mass expanded, until he stood at least a dozen feet tall.

  The beast stared with green omega eyes. Dante had injected Garrett with the virus. What the hell was his game?

  “Arik, you still want to get in that one hit?” I glanced, and he still held the dagger.

  “Hell...” Dyonna’s eyes widened. “He’s some kinda zombeast-corpse mix.”

  “I am calculating a proper name.” Lasers shot from Dragoon’s eyes, scanning the beast from head to toe. “We shall call him a Garrettaur.”

  “Dragoon, think I can have that cube?” I glanced over my shoulder.

  “You mean the L.A.B?” Dragoon tilted her head.

  “The what?”

  “The Lighting Attack Blaster.”

  “Just give me the damn cube!”

  She handed over the L.A.B. and I snatched it. I flipped it over and pointed it at the Garrettaur, with hope I’d aimed it in the right direction.

  “Hope this works!” I hit the button.

  A lightning bolt leaped out, striking the monster in the gut. It rubbed its belly, then looked up, eyes flaring.

  “You didn’t do it right!” Arik gritted his teeth.

  “You try!” I thrust the L.A.B. into his hand.

  Arik mashed the button. Bolt after bolt exploded out, but the beast walked against the constant flow of electricity.

  “Faster!” Dyonna held her hands before her, as if ready to fight such a beast.

  “I don’t think it’ll work!” Arik smacked the button quicker than a noob button masher.

  The Garrettaur lowered its head and charged.

  “Spread out!” I dove, dragging Arik by my side. Dragoon and Dyonna went the other way.

  The omega beast barreled past us, and skidded, gouging out huge chunks of dirt and grass. It switched directions on a dime and came for Arik.

  The lightning stopped though he continued mashing the button. Arik’s eyes shot up and his jaw hung.

  I threw my hands before me. “Forget the cube!”

  Arik tried to dodge, but the Garrettaur caught, and picked him up in one massive fist. He lifted our friend to his face and opened his mouth wide. I grabbed the dagger Arik had dropped.

  “Catch!” As with Charles and the zombeast horse, I hurled the blade. The dagger spun end over end and stuck into the monster’s arm. It didn’t notice.

  Arik cried out as the beast squeezed, trying to pop him. He couldn’t reach the weapon while being a human stress ball. Dyonna and Dragoon saw it too. They both scooped up rocks and hurled them at Garrettaur.

  The miniscule projectiles bounced off the beast. It roared and faced the girls, loosening its grip just enough. Arik yanked the weapon, and Garrettaur glanced back to receive a dagger in the eye.

  With a horrendous roar of pain, it threw Arik to the ground.

  “Get out of there!” I watched, terrified.

  Arik rolled back and forth, avoiding each of the beast’s stomping feet. One hit could kill him.

  “Come on, already!”

  We made eye contact as he tried to get to his feet. Arik’s scream pierced the air, as Garrettaur stomped right on his lower leg. My friend tried to crawl away, but the monster continued to stomp. Arik couldn’t dodge much longer. Any second he’d get put into a shallow grave.

  “Girlo, we gotta do something!” Dyonna stood on the other side.

  She was right. I couldn’t let Arik die. Not after Kiki, not after Charles. With as much speed as I could muster, I ran and slid under the giant’s tramping feet. One slammed into the ground, inches away. I rolled and grabbed Arik under his arms, dragging him out of harm’s way.

  His leg crushed, he’d be lucky to use it again.

  “It hurts so damn bad!” Arik shook his head as I dragged him next to a tree, several yards away.

  “You’ll live! Just stay here. Leave this to us.”

  “At least… I got my hit in on the son of a bitch. Made him like me; a cyclops.”

  I couldn’t help but smirk. Arik still had a sense of humor, even when in immense pain.

  Garrettaur pulled the dagger out of his eye and threw it. He looked around with its popped eyeball; goo and pus running into its fur.

  I ran back to the battle. “Circle it!”

  “Affirmative!” Dragoon sprinted into the fray.

  Dyonna moved, and we formed a triple flank. “But how we gonna kill this asshole?”

  The hell if I knew.

  He spotted Dragoon, but I attempted to draw his attention, “Yo, ugly! Over here!”

  It turned to face me.

  “No, you furry hamburger, look this way!” Dyonna danced and waved.

  He spun around in circles. We’d confused the Garrettaur.

  I snatched the lightning box and hoped beyond hope it had a charge left. Mashing it hadn’t worked. As a gamer, I knew to try every variable. What if I held it?

  As Dyonna called to the beast again, I held the button on the box and after a few seconds, it vibrated. The power built up inside the L.A.B.

  “Fight me!” Dragoon waved her arms.

  Garrettaur faced her, and then Dyonna called again.

  The box in my hands throbbed with energy. The time had come.

  “Garrett, you mother effing assface, look here!”

  The monster glared as I aimed at its face and I released the button. A giant beam of electrical power erupted and blasted Garrettaur in the jaw. It lifted him into the air and sent him flying a dozen yards. The box made a dull clunking sound, and it was out of energy; maybe for good.

  “Hole-E-Hell!” Dyonna cheered. “That thing has a kick.”

  Was Garrettaur dead for good? I walked toward the monster, ready to turn and run at any moment, but when I arrived at the body, I found the beast with horrendous burns on its face. It still twitched and looked at me with its one eye. A hand landed on my shoulder, and I spun ready to strike. But Arik stood there, leaning on Dyonna. The kill, this time, belonged to Arik; he needed his revenge.

  “I doubt this has more energy.” I held up the L.A.B.

  Dragoon reached over and grabbed it. A spark escaped her hands, and the cube buzzed. “It should now have a sufficient charge.”

  “Thank you.” Arik took the powerful weapon, and we watched as the electricity built.

  The beast tried to sit up, but when its head came level with the box, Arik unleashed hell. A flash of light burst out and when the brightness faded, Garrettaur no longer had a head. Despite Dante’s indirect try, I’d survived, and his minion was dead.

  Arik turned and with Dragoon’s help, hobbled away. I stared at the beast that had once been my boyfriend. How had things turned out this way? A sigh escaped my lips. The battle with Garrett ended, and Charles won a sliver of vengeance. Still, there were more enemies; Brother, Sister, and Dante too. Who to fear most?

  LEVEL 30:

  STUPENDOUS

  To the north we had city streets, and to the south, across the lake, staggered the army of corpses. They’d given up the chase for the moment.

  I turned to my friends. “What do you want to do?”

  Arik, still supported by Dragoon, didn’t lift his eyes. Dyonna crossed her arms and looked off towards the streets. Dragoon wore a blank stare.

  I gave a deep sigh. “I think we should check this base. We might find something leading us to the siblings.”

  “What good will that do, girlo?” Dyonna caught me off guard. “Dealing with these freaks is
gonna get us killed. I think I’ve had enough.”

  “But we’ve come so far.” Arik’s fists clenched at his sides, and anger creased his face. He raised his head. The rage in his eye turned into intense sadness. “Charles would’ve known what to do. Charles always had a good idea; a good plan. That’s how we survived so long.”

  I placed my hand on Arik’s shoulder. “But he’s gone.”

  Dragoon turned her head. “Who was Charles and where is he?”

  “My best friend. And he’s dead because of Garrett and the siblings”

  “That is... unfortunate.”

  Dyonna motioned to the dead Garrett mutant. “Well, part of the problem gone, boyo.”

  Arik kicked the body. “It doesn’t make things any better!”

  “Hush!” I patted the air with my palms. “Corpses are everywhere! We’re lucky they stopped following us.”

  “Tell me why!” He lowered his voice. “Why does it still hurt?”

  “Revenge.” Dragoon lifted a finger. “It doesn’t take away the pain; it only causes more.”

  Arik regarded her with confusion on his face. “What would you know about it? You’re not even human.”

  Although an android, her eyes glossed over, and a moment later, a tear streamed along her cheek, and dripped from her chin.

  “I may be a machine. But I am as a human. I suffer emotional pain, and I can understand you are in a substantial amount.”

  “Y-You do?” Arik was incredulous.

  Dragoon embraced him in a tight hug. At first, he didn’t hug her back, but then lifted his arms and returned the gesture of kindness.

  Dyonna shook her head. “This is sweet and all but we gotta figure out what to do. Fight or flight!”

  I smacked her arm, causing her to furrow her brows, but then sigh. I motioned for her to follow, and we walked away.

  We stopped and Dyonna stared at the elevator into the base. “Do you think we should go after Brother and Sister? We ain’t strong enough, girlo!”

  I frowned. “We’ll get them. We have to figure out how to locate their sorry asses.”

  “The base is down there, ya?” Dyonna pointed at the lift. “I realize it’s abandoned, but you’re right. We may find something out... if you wanna go through with this?”

  “Dragoon may say revenge hurts, but I’ll judge that for myself.”

  “Then we need to hurry before they get the jump on us.”

  I nodded and turned back to Arik and Dragoon who still hugged. “Time to wrap it up, guys. This is getting awkward.”

  Dragoon let go, but Arik didn’t.

  I waved at them. “Arik, are you serious? Stop smothering the poor girl.”

  He sighed and released her.

  “Boyo, be a creeper.” Dyonna rolled her eyes.

  I forced a smile. “That’s our Arik.”

  We joined on the elevator platform.

  “This base is number sixty-two.” Dragoon pointed to a control panel on the floor.

  I pushed the lower button with my foot. The lift hummed and sank into the ground.

  Dragoon once again was blank, but I had a question. “How did you end up in the bad guys’ crate if their enemy created you?”

  She tilted her head. “I am unsure. You were my first memory, although I had the urge to kiss you as if we were long, lost friends.”

  “I don’t go around kissing my friends on the lips.”

  “You don’t? Do you have a bug in your programming?”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Nope. No bugs here.”

  “If I had a friend like you, I’d greet them with a kiss!” Arik grinned ear to ear.

  She nodded to him and didn’t recognize his lame try at flirting.

  I fantasized knocking his head with my fist, and I might have done just that, but the surrounding walls turned to glass. There was only dirt at first, but they opened to show a surrounding underground cavern.

  The only light was from the sky above, but the door shut, leaving us in complete blackness.

  “We need light. Being in the dark with Arik is creepy.”

  “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Means you’re a pervert and you like to squeeze one thing or the other.”

  “I would never!”

  “Then why did you touch my posterior?” Dragoon’s eyes glowed blue, and they cast light on Arik when she turned. “Is that normal between friends?”

  Arik bit his lip and glanced away. “Between certain kinds of friends... But it wasn’t me, I swear!”

  “Given your heart rate, you are lying.”

  A crack echoed off the walls. “Ow! Who hit me?”

  “Wasn’t me.” Dyonna laughed.

  The elevator stopped, and we stood in the silent dark for several long moments before I spoke.

  “What’s the deal? Did Garrett turn off the power?”

  “Let me check the base’s mainframe.” Dragoon brushed by me.

  Through her eye light, I saw her kneel in the corner. “You can see, huh?”

  “Affirmative.”

  “Good one of us can—Arik!” Dyonna spun, and there came a heavy thwack.

  “Ow! Sorry! It was an accident!” Arik defended himself and I couldn’t help but giggle.

  “Do that again, and I will cut off your balls!”

  After a loud clank, blaring light forced us to cover our eyes.

  “A warning would have been nice!” I lowered my arms.

  “I second that.” Arik rubbed his eye. “How did Garrett see without light?”

  “The power is not out; the elevator lighting needed recharged.” Dragoon stood and turned. “I cannot break the encryption codes on the database files.”

  I lolled my head. “Well, what else is new? Let’s see if we find anything.”

  Dragoon placed her hand on a wall panel and the door slid into the wall. We gasped. On each side of the hallway were windows, inside corpses shambled. They didn’t notice us.

  “Do not worry. The windows are one-way.” Dragoon walked into the hall.

  “At least we have that.” I shrugged.

  We walked with Dragoon and Arik taking up the rear.

  Even though I knew the corpses couldn’t see us, my nerves were on edge. We approached a security station, and my mind flashed back to Wesley’s game studio; a flat steel desk with built-in security screens. It looked the same, but the letters G.O.D. were on the wall behind it.

  Two hallways led away from the desk; the left and right wings.

  Arik scratched his chin and glanced both ways. “Should we split up, guys?”

  “Hells to the noes! I saw that movie. Black chick dies first. I ain’t dying.” Dyonna swung to smack him, but he dodged.

  “No one else is dying.” I still suffered in a lengthy déjà vu. “Let’s check out the west wing first.”

  They mumbled their agreements, and on we went. We walked past more corpse windows until we came to a series of offices. I pictured Wesley’s studio. He admitted to killing Serenade Kennedy, and it caused us to get into the fight where he tried to get himself killed. He’d said he killed her cold. Was it karma that now he had joined her in death?

  “Tiffany?” Arik snapped me back to reality. “Are you all right?”

  I closed my eyes. “Yes, I… Never mind. Let’s keep going.

  We wandered past another office, I stopped. There was a filing cabinet.

  “Hold on a sec.” I entered the small room.

  “What did you find?” Arik followed me.

  I pulled open the top drawer and flipped through the filed folders. One had the name Serenade Kennedy written on it. I furrowed my brows and continued through the names until I confirmed my suspicions. I found a folder labeled Wesley James.

  “Wesley?” I opened the file, but it was empty. Why was his name in this base?

  Arik looked over my shoulder. “Why is this office so important?”

  “Wesley, what was your angle?”

  “And Wesley is...?” Arik
rolled his hand in the air.

  “He was someone I met when the corpses invaded. I never thought him associated with G.O.D. Mode or anything, but he ran a game design studio. And so does the enemy.”

  “The plot thickens... I think.”

  I looked at Dragoon. “Tell me. Do you know anything about Wesley James?”

  She stared and nodded. “Yes, I have several files on Director Wesley James.”

  “Director?” I scoffed. “He was the leader of these guys?”

  “Negative.”

  “Then what part did he play?”

  “Wesley James was director and founder of Epic Possibilities Games. When his fiancée Serenade Kennedy sided with G.O.D. Mode, he ended her life. Wesley knew my creator, Beauregard, and was around during my construction. Wesley James gave me a message to give to one Zachary Mastiff, should his death ever occur.”

  My eyes widened. “Serenade was his fiancée? And what message?”

  Dragoon closed her eyes. “A corrupted file. I know not what it contains.”

  “Dammit all!” I sat on the desk and put my palms on my face. I felt so stupid for almost getting Wesley killed back in Milpeg. He’d shot Serenade because she turned on him. She’d joined the evil bastards who started the ZPoc. “You can’t tell me anything more about the enemy?”

  “My files are being restricted by someone.”

  “Someone?”

  She opened her eyes again. “Yes, I can feel a presence at my core. I cannot say who.”

  “What about those sibling jackasses?” I ran a hand through my short hair. “Why do they look like my friends Jessie and Jeff?”

  Dragoon nodded. “I contain information on that. Your friends and the family members are copies of one another. A DNA splitting machine was—was—was—was—was—”

  “A what machine? Are you broken?”

  Dragoon’s head tilted to the side. “I am sorry, that file has overwritten with a message.”

  “A message?” I scrunched my face. “From who?”

  “The message is from the one called Dante.”

  “Him again? Tell me!”

  “Tsk tsk.” She wagged her finger. “Tiffany Gainsborough. You are looking for answers to questions that do not concern you. You would be rather unhappy should you find what you seek.”

  Dragoon stood in silence as we stared at her.