The Hades Facility: 'In the darkest depths, lay your darkest fears...' (The Prometheus Series Book 1)

by Oliver Tuson

  "You ready then?” He asked instead.

  “Let's do it!” They both looked at their three comrades trapped in the elevator and with a final nod farewell they ran towards the entrance of the lab at the far side of the storage area. Behind them the survivors watched helplessly as the two leaders disappeared from sight.

  The two men kept running as they passed through the lab. Passing the bodies that lay strewn around the room, now understanding the madness and horrors that killed them. They jumped into the elevator and started ascending up. As they did, they silently checked their weapons. Millerchip still armed with only his pistol and Clarke, having picked up Jasper’s M4 assault rifle, checked it over.

  “It’s all open. Main elevator up is set to manual now,” Millerchip said, breaking the silence. “Just a straight run to the control room where we can get them up to safety."

  Clarke nodded just as the elevator doors opened revealing a stalker in the centre of the atrium. They both opened fire instantly slaying the beast in a few heartbeats. Its blood splashing the back wall. It’s gas beginning to seep into the air. With a deep breath they both rushed out of the elevator and towards the open one that would lead them to the levels above, and the valuable control room that they needed to access to save their friends.

  As they ran, they heard the smashing of metal. A vicious aggressive thudding that increased in rage until the panels of the lift’s ceiling ahead of them crashed down causing the pair to stop dead in their tracks. A creature dropped down through the lift’s roof space blocking their escape. It Shrieked its loud cry at them as another one of its pack dropped down next to it. They were cut off. Even if they killed the creatures the gas would make the lift unusable. Clarke wished he had kept the gas mask from the fight in the storage area, cursing his tired mind for not thinking ahead.

  “Fuck!” Millerchip screamed in rage as he fired into the lift. The bullets smashed against the creatures as Clarke’s tired mind desperately tried to think of way out.

  “The tunnel!” It was there only chance. Millerchip was already sprinting towards Clarke who was now slapping the elevator button whilst firing his M4 single handedly at the stalkers. As the doors opened, Millerchip tossed a grenade back at the creatures that were now surging at them. The doors slid shut just in time as the stalkers leapt, trying to catch their fleeing prey. Then it detonated. Causing the doors to buckle slightly as they descended down the lift to lab four. They stood for a second and caught their breath.

  “We can climb the tunnel, get to the power room and then to control. It's the only chance we have. The only chance they have!” Clarke was reloading whilst talking. Millerchip nodded. Then they both looked up as the shrieks of more stalkers could be heard echoing down the shaft. Many, many shrieks.

  “Jesus… they don’t stop!” As Millerchip spoke, he was unaware of the series of unfortunate events that had led to this. The rerouting of power by Jasper taking the sleeping beasts out of stasis. Millerchip’s own actions, of opening all the locks and access points to allow Sarah and him to get to the storage elevator. And the grenade that he dropped a few seconds ago that destroyed the outer elevator doors above them, allowing access to the shaft. The same grenade that loudly rumbled through the vents and shafts like a beacon to the pack of beasts that now surged towards them. A wave of deathly claws and teeth looking to kill them.

  The shrieks grew louder as the pack raced down the elevator shaft above them. As soon as the pair reached their destination and the lift stopped, the monsters would be on top of them. Clawing through the elevator roof to get to their prey within.

  Millerchip turned to Clarke. “Soon as those doors open, go. I’ll cover you. Move as fast as you can and don’t look back.” Clarke went to protest but Millerchip held up a hand to stop him. “Those things will be through the roof in seconds. Quicker than we can climb, especially with my arm. I’ll buy you the time you need to reach the control room and send our lads to safety.” Clark knew he was right, and they didn’t have the time to discuss it. He paused as he offered his hand, both shaking a final farewell with firm grips.

  “Either way we are both going to die down here brother, but at least this way they live.” Clarke nodded in solemn agreement and passed Millerchip his rifle and final spare magazine.

  “Take this, it’ll buy you more time and only slow me down on the climb.” He pulled out his last three grenades too. But Millerchip only took two. “Keep that, in case you get cornered,” he said with dark undertone. Clarke nodded and placed the grenade back and turned to face the door. The pair stood in silence for a few moments. They had no more words to say. Just a final task each to perform to save their comrades.

  ‘Ding!’ The doors opened. “Go! And climb fast!” Millerchip shouted as he fired up through the ceiling panels towards the creatures flowing down. Clarke was already running, making the most from his friends sacrifice as the stalkers reached the lift’s ceiling, smashing against it. Millerchip leaped out of the lift, allowing the doors to close as he did. He heard the stalkers crash through the ceiling panels and start smashing and clawing at the closed door. It took only seconds for it to start buckling and giving way to the sheer weight of monsters that were pounding against it.

  This was it. A final stand he thought solemnly to himself. Just got to buy Clarke some time. The doors buckled more. He imagined the final few survivors moving up the lift. He thought of them making it out of this hell. Out of this nightmare. Making it back home. Back to their loved ones, their families. He thought back to his own family. Knowing he would never see them again. His mind was suddenly with his wife and young children, stood in the zoo on a sunny day. The zoo they went to the day before he flew out here to Iraq. The zoo where the kids were fascinated by nature’s amazing and deadly animals. Only nature had evolved now. With the help of man. And nature was on its way to take him to the afterlife, where he would wait to see his family again one day.

  His thoughts were dragged back to the lift. Screeches from the foul beasts echoed towards him as the doors were about to finally break open. He could see the eyes focusing on him through the forming gap. The stalkers hunger suddenly intensified as they renewed their efforts. He checked his weapon. Loosened the spare magazine in his assault vest. “I got this,” he half spoke to himself and his family far away, and half to Clarke now climbing the tunnel to save his men.

  The creature that eyed him put its glistening claws through the gap, trying to pull open the battered doors that shifted open slowly. He moved up and put a burst of fire through its head. Killing it instantly. Its body dropped back allowing Millerchip to see in.

  The inside of the lift looked like a pit of snakes. A mass of limbs all sliding and darting about. Clawing and smashing until the door finally gave way enough for them to squeeze through.

  He tossed a grenade into the remains of the door and turned and started to sprint down the corridor as the explosion shattered the lift, taking with it the lead creatures. He turned, dropped to one knee and sent more bullets towards the mass of death now clawing over their dead comrades.

  He kept firing until the weapon clicked empty. He reached in to his pouch and pulled out the final magazine. The toxic gas from the blood was just drifting towards him now and he began to feel its affects.

  Whilst walking back, gaining some distance he fired again as the creatures were hurtling themselves down the corridor towards him. Three more fell before he dropped the empty rifle and pulled out the final grenade, pulling the pin without hesitation. “Come on you fuckers!” He screamed with defiance as he sprinted into the sea of death.

  The explosion shook the tunnel causing Clarke to almost lose his grip on the jagged rocks. He thought of Millerchip’s sacrifice below and renewed his efforts as he climbed as fast as he could. The grooves and holes the Scorpios creature had created when it smashed its way up offered ideal hand and foot positions for him as he used all of his remaining strength to scuttle up the almost vertical tunnel.

  He came a
cross his rifle wedged in the rock. Must have come off in the fall earlier. He tried to pull it out but couldn't. It was wedged tight in the cracks. Instead used it as a foot hold and drove up further into the tunnel.

  He was almost there. The dark bulk of the monster he had slain before was covering most of the exit. A slither of light just shining down from the power room above. Its blood was still running down the dry rock face, making Clark’s grip harder in the slippery fluid. Just keep going, Clarke thought to himself as he pressed on through it.

  A shriek resonated up from below him. Echoing off the walls of the tunnel. They were coming. He didn’t look down, but instead kept climbing. Muscles aching and fatiguing, he pressed on. He could hear them now. Claws scratching at the rock as they scrambled up to get their prey. They were close. But he was closer to the exit. With blood dripping on to his head, he reached the massive corpse that laid across the exit. He was just squeezing through the tiny gap, the scaly mass scratching his flesh enough to draw blood, when the creatures caught up with him.

  He didn’t look down as he felt a clawed hand grip his boot trying to pull him back down into the tunnel and the pack of death. He kicked as hard as he could with his tired muscles. Again and again until the creature shrieked as it lost its grip on its prey.

  Clarke was through and rolling out. Instantly reaching into his webbing for the final grenade he had. With the pin quickly pulled out, and the firing arm still down, he wedged it under the scaly corpse by the tunnel as the creatures smashed against it trying to follow him through the gap.

  The trap set, he caught a glimpse of the claws and red eyes flashing from the tunnel and sprinted away towards the power room. Behind him the creatures pushed the creature enough to open the gap more. Their larger bodies now able to get through and continue the chase. Only the movement caused the grenade handle to open, allowing the device to detonate. The explosion and shrapnel cut through the mass of monsters in the confined space. Buying Clarke more time as he sprinted up the stairs towards the control room.

  Heart pounding and breath coming in ragged gasps, he reached the airlock. He slammed the button and stepped in. The shrieking sounds of more creatures racing up the stairs filled his ears as he waited for the doors to close. How many were there in this hell hole? The door began to seal just as a monster crashed around the corner and hurtled towards him. Clarke, unarmed and helpless, just looked into its eyes as the door sealed shut just in time, the monster slamming against the door.

  The inner door hissed open as he moved towards the terminals still trying to steady his breathing and calm his nerves. He collapsed into the chair exhausted. On the monitors above, he could see Sarah and bravo team all trapped in the cargo elevator. Jasper was sat against the wall with Hawkins tending to his wound. Sanchez was by the door looking out. No doubt still raging at his leader's decision.

  Clarke smiled. Knowing they were still safe gave him a sense of calm. He set to work on the terminal looking for the lift controls. A few moments later he accessed them and could see his team members moving up the shaft towards safety.

  Jasper and Hawkins were sharing a smile. Sanchez however, slammed his fist against the door in regret. Knowing they were leaving Clarke behind to die in this place. As the cargo lift disappeared off the camera feed, Clarke sat back in the chair and let out a massive sigh of relief. His team were heading to safety. He had kept his promise. The sudden burden he felt lifted made him feel completely at ease. The past that had almost destroyed him, somehow become easier as he thought of his old team members. Carter, Harvey and Pike walking with the children into the ink. And now Sanchez, Hawkins and Jasper maybe stood on the helipad in the warm evening sun.

  He knew he would never see them again. And he knew he had one last job to do so no one else would die down here. When his team finally made it back to the Green Zone, he didn’t want a rescue party coming for him. He wouldn’t risk anymore lives in this place. The thought of another good soldier dying here sent shivers down his spine. He wouldn’t allow it.

  He worked through the terminal, remembering Jasper discovering the self-destruct programme. The whole facility was rigged to cave in on itself. Sealing this hell from the rest of the world. Even the lunatics that built this place knew that maybe they would need it to disappear if the experiments got out of control. A few moments later and he found it. Clarke waited a few more minutes to make sure his team were out of the facility and safe.

  As he hoovered over the activate button on the screen, his mind darted back to Major Redwood. The conversation with the man telling him to go to Iraq, far from unit that held so much pain, and try to find some peace. With a deep breath he realised he was at peace now. He was finally free from his guilt and failures. With a final faint smile, he pressed the button sending the facility to hell.

  20

  Peace at Last

  20:50, 15th August 2003

  Control Room, Hades Facility, Northern Iraq

  Clarke had finally found peace. His tormented mind finally allowing him rest from the past and present alike. With a heavy sigh Clarke relaxed back in the chair as he felt the room shaking from deep down below. The destruction sequence had begun. Working from the bottom of the deathly facility to the top. He watched on the monitors as one by one the labs were drowned with rocks. Explosions around the structure sending the sea of rubble flowing in. He caught a glimpse of one of the stalkers, disappearing under a pile rocks before the camera feed died and turned to static.

  The rumbling of the mountain drew closer, bringing with it Clarke’s death. He was unmoved. Completely at one with himself and the impending death flowing towards him. He watched the monitors. Room by room vanishing under rubble and the feeds shutting off. The cameras destroyed. He looked at another screen. The reception area they had passed through so long ago. The stairs that originally led them down into this hell. And the locked, unmarked door they had tried to access. It’s red locked light still shining.

  Then a thought struck him. A thought that ruined his calm and instead gave him a small slither of hope that tugged at his survival instincts. A chance he could escape this place. He accessed the terminal’s door controls for the facility until he found it. ‘Helipad Personnel Access Corridor’. Of course! He imagined the helicopter landing on the rocky pad and researchers getting off. Walking through a hidden door towards the reception area of the facility.

  When Bravo team walked over the mountain at the start of the day, they must of walked straight past it. A hidden door leading in.

  Clark accessed the door’s lock from the terminal. The monitor showing the door panel go green as he unlocked it. The rumbling of the mountain was close now. Far too close. A few more moments and he would be crushed under the rocks as the explosions blasted about the control room.

  But he was up, and sprinting across the room and hitting the airlock access panel. “Come on!” He screamed at the airlock slowly opening. He was then through, sealing the inner door and waiting for the outer lock to open. The room shaking violently. He imagined the door opening and stalkers leaping on him. Tearing him to shreds before the rocks revenged him and crushed them. It was a chance he had to take now. Unarmed and with death crumbling down to greet him. He could only run as fast as he possibly could.

  The door started to open but stopped half way as the weight of the mountain came down, buckling the door frame. He squeezed through the gap. Dust and rubble were falling down around him. An explosion behind him pushed him out as the control room disappeared in the cave in.

  Stumbling forward he was across the centre and charging up the stairs. The whole facility vibrating as the cave in and explosion picked up momentum. Half way up the stairs and the stair well shook aggressively. He fell against the wall then tumbled down a few steps ending up looking down. Down towards the teeth and claws that were racing towards him as a stalker was hurtling up the stairwell. Clarke couldn’t tell if it wanted to kill him, or to escape the death chasing them. Either way he was up and sprinti
ng towards the exit.

  He burst through the reception just as the explosion detonated. Rocks showered down. A few struck him as he darted through the newly unlocked door into a long corridor. He heard the pursuing creature shriek in pain as rocks hit it hard causing it to stumble and trip.

  Clarke didn’t look back. But he knew it was still behind him. Its shrieking growing closer. The corridor was collapsing. The whole thing shaking as he reached the final door marked ‘Helipad Pad’. He slammed the open button and turned. His back against the door willing it open quicker. The creature was meters away. Teeth and claws tearing towards him. Behind it the corridor was disappearing into a rocky abyss. Clark closed his eyes ready for death to greet him.

  Then it opened. He fell back on to the ground and was instantly scrambling back. Desert camouflage netting was dropped all around him trying to tangle him. He kept going back, through the lines of nets. The monster reaching out to grab his foot. He could suddenly feel the intense heat of the Iraqi desert. Sunlight light hit him as his head emerged out of the netting into the evening air of the desert.

  He felt the monster grab his ankle and try to pull him back. The rocks were raining down, trapping the beast that shrieked in agonising pain. Clarke couldn’t break its grip as the sea of rocks washed over the beast towards him.

  Then the deafening sound of the cave in stopped. The shaking of the mountain steadied. Dust was floating out around him. Clarke looked to his foot. The creature's hand was still gripping him. But its arm disappeared into the rocks that had smashed down on it. Burying and crushing the creature. Clarke laid back on the ground. Gasping for breath. The dust drying his mouth out.

  “I got you!” Sanchez appeared over him, pulling at his shoulders dragging him out of the camouflaged entrance. “Jesus Clarke, what were you thinking!” Sanchez was still angry about leaving them, his surprise at seeing the man alive not even registering past his rage. He thumped him in the chest, forgetting he was his superior and went to shout at the figure laying battered and broken on the ground. Covered in cuts and scrapes. A thick layer of dust covered him. Sanchez shook his head as he calmed down and then a slow smile started to form. Which spread to both men before Sanchez started laughing violently. Clarke joined him. The euphoria of survival hitting them.