The BIG Horror Pack 2

by Iain Rob Wright

  The screen went black for a few seconds then reverted back to displaying the food shack’s menu.

  Lexi closed her eyes and thought. “What did he mean? What is the true nature of this place?”

  Boss cleared his throat, looked away. “He’s insane. Whatever sickness has found its way into him has warped his mind.”

  “He seemed pretty sane to me,” Hopper said. “It’s not like he’s making shit up. There are dead people walking around, and we all saw what happened when he opened that crate in the cargo bay. This was an attack.”

  Gellar sighed. “What better place for a terrorist to attack than the happiest place in the galaxy?”

  Trent was chewing at his nails. He pulled them away long enough to say, “He said they were coming. Who is coming?”

  As if to answer his question, there was a ruckus nearby as one of the park’s bins rolled over onto its side. Standing behind it was a dead man, who was quickly joined by a dozen others.

  Hopper leapt back over the counter to join the others. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Not this again.”

  The dead charged forwards like an army. Lexi started running, eager to get a head start, and the others quickly followed. They passed into the Forbidden Zone, which was designed to look like a Martian wasteland. There was real sand piled underfoot, which made keeping up speed a chore. Fortunately, it also made their undead pursuers less surefooted and many of them tumbled as their ankles twisted beneath them.

  “We need to find shelter,” Boss said.

  “There’s a building over there,” Trent pointed.

  They headed towards a giant citadel, an alien castle seeming to rise from the very sand itself. The entrance was a wide arch, but as they got closer, Lexi could see a metal gate folded up on one side. They might be able to lock themselves inside. She glanced back and saw that the dead were still giving chase, enough of them managing to make it across the sand to completely tear the group of cosmonauts apart.

  Hopper made it into the citadel first and quickly turned to face the others. They shot past him one by one until they were all inside.

  “Get that bloody gate closed,” Boss shouted.

  Lexi went back to help Hopper who had made a dash for the metal gate. It didn’t take long to realise they were screwed.

  Hopper howled. “It’s locked.”

  The padlock was thick.

  The dead were right outside.

  “Stand back!”

  Lexi spun around to see a man running at her with an axe. She was taken so much by surprise that all she could do was stand there and scream. But the man ran right past her and swung the axe at the padlock. It popped free and clattered to the ground.

  The first dead man made it inside the citadel and lunged at Hopper, going for his throat. The mysterious stranger swung his axe again and lopped off the dead man’s head with a single blow. “Get gate shut,” he said in an East European accent.

  Hopper grabbed a hold of the gate and Lexi helped him. It was thick and heavy, but once they got it out of its gutter it began unravelling easily.

  A dead teenager with massive hoop earrings came at Lexi, forcing her to let go of the fence and defend herself. She ducked out of the way and kicked the girl in her knees. She went to the ground awkwardly but was quickly climbing back up to her feet again. Lexi moved back to the gate and continued trying to get it shut.

  While the stranger with the axe took out another couple of the dead attackers, two dozen more where heading in from the distance. Hopper and Lexi managed to get the gate closed to within a few inches, but left it open a few inches and called out to their mystery saviour.

  “Come on,” Lexi shouted. “Get inside.”

  The man swung his axe into a fat Chinese man and then turned and ran. He slipped himself through the gap they had left for him and then Hopper shoved the gate all the way closed and pulled down a locking lever. He gave the gate a tug then stepped away, satisfied. “I think it will hold.”

  Lexi flinched as a dead man threw himself against the gate. “I hope so.”

  “Come on,” the stranger told them. “If we get out of sight, they should move on. They not sharpest bunch.”

  “Who are you,” Boss asked as they regrouped and headed deeper into the sand citadel. The inside was laid out like the catacombs of a burrowing insect. There were a couple of restaurants and shops near the entrance, but further on was a large queuing area for a ride called The Tunnels of Braxis. Braxis, it would appear from the posters on the walls, was some sort of beastly creature that dwelled within the dark pits beneath the sands. Lexi got a chill thinking about what the thing would look like close up.

  “My name is Norman,” the stranger told them. “I come here on company vacation. I the only one left.”

  “You mean the only one left from your company?” Lexi asked.

  “No, I mean only one left. Everyone dead, yes? Or they kind of are. They’ve taken to walking around, yes?”

  “Yeah, we noticed,” Hopper said. “Do you know what happened?”

  Norman shrugged. “I know what happen in the sense that I see everything descend into madness, but I no actually know what happen, if you catch my drift, yes?”

  “We think it started inside the cargo bay,” Lexi said. “There was an unmarked package and when someone opened it, all the humanoid units shut down and people started getting sick.”

  “Make sense,” Norman said. “Humanoid programmed to protect humans – I know because my company use them for shipping and packing – but they haven’t done anything since everything started. Last one I see was doubled over like it had tummy ache.”

  “They’re back online now,” Trent said, “But they’ve been corrupted.”

  Hopper huffed. “Technology, aye? Gotta love it.”

  “So tell us what happened, Norman,” Lexi urged.

  “Okay, but first we move somewhere safe. Gate might not hold forever if they decided to make lingering. Your friend looks like she need sit down.” He was pointing to Gellar.

  Gellar waved a hand. “I’m fine. One of those things took a bite out of me.”

  Norman looked at her suspiciously but didn’t say anything.

  “Where should we head?” Boss asked.

  “Down here.” He pointed to the entrance of the Tunnels of Braxis. “It is closed and secure and fire exit at back will take us away from nasties outside. You people have somewhere you want go?”

  “The comms room,” Boss said.

  Norman nodded. “Okay. No idea where that is.”

  “It’s at the rear of this zone,” Trent said, “accessed through a staff area inside a Mexican restaurant.”

  Norman’s face lit up. “I know place. Fire exit take us out right by it. Are you going call for help?”

  Boss patted the man on the back. “Damn right we are.”

  “Good. Because I was go say, if you people rescue party, you are sucking a lot.”

  Nobody said anything.

  Norman opened up the entrance to the tunnel ride and allowed them all to pass through into the dark chamber ahead. The sound of dripping water and whistling wind was being piped in from somewhere and in various places the sandy rock seemed to grow. A spotlight shone in one area where the shadow of a scorpion skittered back and forth.

  Hopper giggled. “This place is trippy. Look over there. Can you see that pile of bones sticking out of the dirt?”

  “This is reception part of ride,” Norman explained. “I was standing in here with my co-workers when first person attack. People very ill that day – you see it all around; folks sneezing and coughing. It was late afternoon when bunch of people cramped inside this passage start screaming. One of the ride actors – guy dressed like an old fashioned archaeologist with whip and hat – grab this little kid and start chowing down on his face. The father try to intervene but some lady take him down. Pretty soon whole room filled with blood and I ran and hide. Eventually things go quiet, and when I sneak out, everyone was gone. The people, the bodies
…all gone. I find myself this axe beside fire escape and hid out in restaurant where you find me. That all I know. A lot of big help, huh?”

  “It’s good just to have you alive,” Boss said. “If we get just a single person out of this place in one piece then our mission has been worth it.”

  “That still seems easier said than done right now,” Hopper muttered.

  “So why not entire army here?” Norman asked. “Why only send you?”

  “Because Earth doesn’t know,” Boss told him. “Someone got into the comms room and shut off all communications. All we knew back on Earth was that something had happened. No one had any idea…”

  Norman sighed. “Yeah, how could anyone imagine this place go all space zombie?”

  Hopper chuckled.

  “We don’t use the term ‘space zombie’,” Lexi said gently when she saw her father’s disapproving frown.”

  “Fair enough.” Norman led them through to a wider area that had been set out like an old tomb. There were three large sarcophaguses in the centre of the room and they each held four seats inside.

  “Are we supposed to get in?” Lexi asked.

  Norman chuckled. “Maybe, if you want full experience. Might be better if we walk, though, yes? Come on, through here.”

  Norman walked over to the wall and pushed. It turned out to be a plastic curtain painted to blend in with the walls. Behind it was a track, which the sarcophaguses were obviously meant to run on. Lexi shifted as a draft escaped the tunnel ahead, but when she thought about what was behind her, she had no problems forging ahead.

  Chapter Nine

  Water streamed down the cavern walls on both sides and hot air blew in from overhead. Lexi wiped a sheen of moisture from her forehead and didn’t know if she was just hot or if claustrophobia was setting in.

  “It open up and is little cooler up ahead,” Norman assured them.

  Boss spoke. “So, Norman, how long ago did the events you described take place? Communications were lost less than twenty-four hours ago.”

  “It happen a little before that, I think. Attacks I see, happened yesterday, yes, a little earlier than it is now. I not sure why nobody able to send out SOS. You say something jam all radios?”

  “Yes. We found a device inside the cargo bay that seemed to be jamming the humanoids, but the communications blackout was likely instigated from the comms room itself.”

  Norman sniffed. “Strange. Instead of radioing for help, someone stop all communication. Who would do this thing?”

  “That’s what we want to find out,” Lexi said.

  Huffing and puffing caused her to turn around. Gellar was limping along and clutching her neck. She’d didn’t look good.

  “Gellar, do you need us to stop?”

  “No…no. I’m fine. I just…”

  Boss saw the condition she was in and put up his hand. “Okay, let’s take five.”

  Lexi helped Gellar over to an outcropping of rocks and sat her down. The wound on her neck glistened and leaked brown, sticky fluid.

  “We need to complete our mission,” Gellar said firmly.

  Hopper came on over and said, “They’ll be time for that, Gellar. We need to look after each other first. You look like shit.”

  Gellar sneered. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “What happen to her?” Norman asked.

  Lexi turned around to answer him. “She took a stand when we were all under attack. She bought us all time but one of the dead people bit her.”

  “She’s a frikkin’ hero,” Hopper added, not sarcastically, but very much disapprovingly. Lexi thought it strange, as he was a bona fide, selfless hero himself.

  “I’m a soldier,” Gellar said, trying to stand up – but being forced back down by Lexi. “I have a mission.”

  Hopper shook his head. “What mission, Gellar? Our mission is to get off this rock in one piece. You’re not going to get very far if you pass out on us.”

  Gellar shook her head, equal parts confused and irritated. The clamminess of her cheeks and redness to her eyes made Lexi wonder if the American was beginning to hallucinate. “No,” she said, but didn’t say anything else.

  Boss was staring at Gellar intently, his brow furrowed into strips. Lexi went over to him, placed a hand on his arm and snapped him out of his daze. “You okay?”

  “What?”

  “I said, are you okay?”

  “Yes, Lieutenant, I’m fine.”

  “Maybe we should take a diversion and find the hospital,” she suggested, trying to hide her upset at him regarding her by rank and not the fact she was his daughter.

  Boss shook his head. “It’s too much of a risk. If we run into more of the infected guests we could all end up dead. No, we need to proceed to the comms centre and request rescue.”

  Lexi understood her father’s reasoning, but it was unlike him. Usually his first priority would be to help an injured squad member, not continuing on with the mission.

  “Okay,” Lexi said. “Maybe we can find a First Aid station en route.”

  Boss didn’t answer. He had gone back to staring at Gellar.

  Gellar herself seemed a little better now that she’d taken a breather. She stood up and brushed herself off. “Time to get going again,” she said firmly.

  “You sure?” Hopper asked.

  “Yes. We’re wasting time sitting here.”

  Boss nodded. “I agree. Let’s continue the mission.”

  Lexi frowned, but ended up shrugging her shoulders.

  “This way,” Norman said, pointing forward.

  They followed the tracks through the cavern until they entered into a wider area. Like Norman had said, it was cooler now. The larger cavern was littered with bones. They lay in great, huge piles, some climbing all the way up to the ceiling like grizzly totems. Lexi walked backwards whilst turning in a circle, taking it all in. Animatronic bats chirped overhead and some even swooped along invisible zip-wires.

  “Look out! Don’t step there.”

  Lexi flinched at Norman shouting at her, but was too late to stop her ankle striking something and sending her tumbling down onto her butt.

  There was an almighty roar.

  Lexi screamed as a spider the size of an elephant descended upon her. Its red glaring eyes bore into her while its spindly legs thrashed wildly. Arms grabbed her from behind and dragged her backwards just as the giant beast landed on the ground where it would have crushed her flat. The spider reared up on its back legs and hissed at her, then leapt away and disappeared behind the rocks.

  “What the hell?” she yelled. “What the goddamn hell?”

  “It’s okay,” Hopper said, clutching her tightly and making her look at him. There was a look of amusement on his face, but he did not allow himself to laugh. “It’s just part of the ride.”

  “You hit track switch with foot,” Norman told her, a slight chuckle to his words. “You just have close encounter with Braxis.

  Lexi looked around for the giant spider but it was gone, obviously resetting itself back into position for the next batch of riders – or whoever was clumsy enough to stumble into the trigger.

  “That was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” she said. “I nearly wet my pants.”

  Hopper helped her to her feet. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Norman was quick to apologise when he saw she was not calming down. “I should have thought to warn you. When ride cars pass by they hit switch that activate Braxis. He leap down and give riders scare of their life, yes?”

  “I’m not a rider,” Lexi said, her nerves still fraught. “I’m a pedestrian.”

  Hopped punched her on the arm. “No harm done. People usually pay a fortune to meet Braxis, so consider yourself lucky.”

  “If you all follow me,” Norman said. “I try to let you know if anything else is poised to jump out at you.”

  They exited Braxis’s feeding chamber and went into another tunnel. That
tunnel eventually led to a vast pond, lit by torches all around. There were a bunch of dead archaeologists scattered all around and a slithering beast would break the surface of the water periodically and snap its wide jaws. The ride tracks disappeared beneath the water, too – apparently at this part of the ride the sarcophaguses turned into boats.

  “Fire exit this way,” Norman said.

  They followed him to a door hidden behind a shredded canvas tent. They had to step over a life-like mannequin corpse to get to it.

  “Does this lead directly outside?” Boss asked.

  Norman nodded.

  “Then we need to be prepared.”

  Norman had his axe, but nobody else had anything to defend themselves with. Gellar stooped down gingerly and picked up a fire extinguisher from its pod beside the door. She struggled to hold it up and the pain was clear on her face.

  “Here, give it to me,” Lexi said.

  Gellar seemed embarrassed at being so incapacitated, but she handed over the extinguisher without argument. It wasn’t even that heavy, Lexi discovered. Gellar must be hurting badly.

  “If we find somewhere with medical supplies, we’ll get you patched up, Gellar.”

  Gellar nodded weakly.

  “Everybody ready?” Boss was standing by the door.

  Everybody was.

  Boss shoved it open and looked outside. “It’s clear.”

  They all funnelled out quickly. The coast was indeed clear.

  The Forbidden Oasis stood twenty metres away. It was a pavilion full of posh restaurants and bars, including the one they had been searching for – Outpost Mexicana.

  Trent pointed. “The entrance to the comms building is through the back of there.”

  “But you’re never going to make it,” said a voice.

  Followed by a gunshot.

  Chapter Ten

  Trent tilted and fell backwards like a board. The hole in his forehead was only the size of a pencil, but the back of his head leaked blood all over the floor.