Fortress 14

CHAPTER 2

The forest whispered and hissed as I darted across trees and plants. Various triffids snapped and whirled towards me but I carefully avoided the reach of their vines. A few annoying critters occasionally stung or bit me, but I took care of them quickly. Everything about the environment was dangerous. The plants were already bad enough and I knew I didn't want to come across an animal in this region.

The monsters were persistent. They'd kept up the chase for roughly 25 minutes and didn't show any signs of giving up. The forest thickened as I ventured deeper into it. The darkness grew bolder as the trees blanketed my path from the sun's rays.

I began to slow down. I was exhausted. The distance between the monsters and I had shortened significantly. The forest had gotten so dense that a detour towards another direction would prove futile. A path seemed to have been made to cut across the forest though. Though puzzled, I had no other option but to proceed towards the path. It was getting hard to breathe. The cramps had already begun. I gnashed my teeth, determined to make it.

The path led to a wall on the side of a cliff. A dead-end. I almost cried in frustration before I saw the slit that ran almost diagonally across it. It was just the right size for me to squeeze through.

What unbelievable luck?

Upon reaching the wall I adjusted my posture to fit into the slit. I managed to squeeze my chest, head, and thighs through then the rest of my body just a little before the creatures were within arm's reach.

It was dark. Dark with a few punctures of light sprouting from the wall and the flickering lights of alarms. A sickly stench hung in the air. I placed a palm over my nose as I looked around. My eyes slowly adjusted.

I was in a dark room that led to a small walking platform attached to the wall that had a railing running along its length. The wails of the horde that had chased me seeped through the narrow slit. The flickering lights cast a red hue on the environment, creating an eerie atmosphere.

I couldn't go backward so I proceeded to explore the area. I cautiously began making my way across. I ambled to the railing and peered down. An assortment of monitors and electronic devices, that sputtered several sparks from broken wires, decorated the crescent-shaped tables that littered the floor. A huge monitor—at most 100 inches—stood at the center.

The research lab, my mind supplied. It was all familiar yet I could not get a firm enough grasp on the memory. I could recall the names of objects and certain facilities but events remained a mystery.

The platform continued and dropped to stairs that led to the floor I'd caught a glimpse of. A few feet from the end of the stairs was another staircase that led deeper down. I knew I had no use for any of the equipment here.

It became infuriating. I could almost feel the link between me and this place. One minute it was strong and the next it was barely there. I ignored the feeling and took the stairs that led down.

This floor was designed to perfectly imitate a circle with a large radius. The ground was sleek with materials I assumed were tiles. Its design was plain and color lost beneath the red that coated virtually everything. The atmosphere was also cooler compared to the previous floors. Several box-like contraptions, placed on the walls between each door, gave off a green light. Sliding glass doors ran along the floor's circumference with an exception. A distinguishable large metal-plated door, built with a tank in mind, stood at a portion of the circumference slightly ajar. Largely broken cryotubes, huge cylindrical-looking canisters with tubes embedded at their tops and bottoms, were visible and arranged neatly in rows that extended beyond my vision.

I began from the right. Closet, my mind supplied again as I gazed at the equally partitioned compartments. A WC peeked out of a partially shut door. I approached the box-like contraption that was embedded into the wall between each door.

A g*n was visible through the lidless glass case that was affixed to the top of a mini box that glowed green. I reached in and took out the g*n. A soft chime pierced through the previously silent space.

The weapon was a marvel. It contained a screen beneath its scope that gave an account of the number of bullets in the magazine. It was cool to the touch and seemed bloodthirsty due to it being bathed by the red light. I placed my right index finger comfortably on the trigger and clicked its safety. Knowledge of the weapon flooded in. I knew the locations of the action, barrel, and stock. I held the g*n firmly.

The next room contained several oval-shaped tables surrounded by plastic seats. A counter stood at the far right corner with a variety of food on display behind a show glass. Cafeteria, my memory easily supplied.

The room was poorly illuminated by a single light. Several chairs had been hewn into pieces. The light was too dim. I was really hungry and the food was staring right at me, though I had no way of knowing how old it was. I threw caution to the wind and approached the counter. A dim glow emanated from a device that was placed at the top of the show glass. It pulsed slowly. A thermoregulator, I immediately recalled. They kept the food at a constant temperature in an airtight container to prevent rancidity.

I opened the cupboards behind the counter and was pushed back by the thick scent of decay that wafted out. I quickly shut the cupboard and faced the show glass. A button was visible beneath the show glass. I pushed the button and a section of the show glass slid down. I stuck my hand in and brought out the bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. They were all warm and had no signs of decay. I relished the taste of the bacon as I devoured it. I attacked the egg and the sandwich followed next.

A crash circled the room. I snapped my head towards the felled table at the side opposite the counter. The hazy outline of a figure gradually took shape. I squinted to get a better view, but I still couldn't see it. I was about to write it off as a trick of the light when I heard the bone-chilling wail I had come to know so well. Then came the second, then the third, and soon they came from everywhere.

I couldn't afford to waste time, so I grabbed my g*n and unfinished sandwich and zipped out of the cafeteria. The chamber with the cryotubes seemed the most logical location to make a stand because the cryotubes could help separate the creatures. I darted across and was close to the center of the floor when a woman, donning an elaborate lab coat and skirt, with a flashy smile popped right in front of me.

'He...". I didn't finish.

"Welcome to the...", she said before breaking into a spasm of buzzes and continuing,"... this is... detailed map...lity."

I stared at it in confusion before I recalled the name. Hologram. If the situation wasn't so dire I might have laughed.

I sprinted through the huge metal doors and ran into the grid of shattered cryotubes. It was cold and dark with just the red light and a dimly glowing cryotube, at the center of the grid, providing light. I kept running till I heard a light crunch beneath my feet. Hollow sockets stared at me as I gaped at the skeleton. The ground was littered with a few of them. The wails and clattering of feet announced the arrival of the monsters, cutting off any chance of retracing my steps. I couldn't risk moving around and mistakenly running into one of those creatures.

I listened intently for the sound of the creatures' footsteps or wails and shot in that general direction. The shattering of glasses or pinging of the bullet on a surface signified a failure while the pained shriek from a direct hit was a win. I continued the game till I'd estimated a total of 39 kills.

I heard a wail that cane from the direction of the glowing cryotube. This one was different from the rest. More horrifying was a better description. Two full-grown bull horns and a large ear sprouted from its bald head. Its thighs bulged with muscle above its calves and hooves. Yes, hooves. It let out a shrill wail and charged at me.

The display beneath the scope read 93. I leveled the g*n at the charging creature and peered through the scope. I fired twice and it a direct hit on its chest. it leered backward and charged again, unfazed by the shot. I took a breath and fired again; this time aiming for its head. The first shot wheezed past its head as it changed its direction and hit the glowing cryotube.

"Was it sentient? No". I couldn't leave everything to chance. I let out a short rapid burst of bullets. Several connected while the rest struck the cryotube again. A c***k grew and spread across the glass encircling the content of the cryotube. The glass shattered.

The temperature instantly dropped to freezing. An alarm began to blare. My tank top and camo pants offered no protection so I began to shiver. Luckily, the monster had also been affected. It convulsed and shrieked. I quickly balanced the firearm and peppered it with holes. It dropped to the floor and remained still.

I began to breathe easily as my shoulders relaxed. My grip on the g*n gradually loosened.

I quickly began making my way when a voice called out,

" Please what year is...?" Then it was gone.

"Holy...!". I yelled as I flinched, almost drilling a hole into my lower abdomen. I grasped my chest to calm my racing heart.

The sound had come from the direction of the larger cryotube at the center. I tightened my grip on my weapon and glanced at the display. It read 63. That was enough.

I made my way towards the cryotube slowly. I was shivering and my teeth chattered loudly.

A petite figure, sprawled face down at the bottom of the cryotube, slowly took shape. A human. A female at that. She held up a hand towards me.

"Please don't leave me here", she requested before her hand slumped and her body went rigid. I hastily rushed to her side and adjusted her to face up. I placed a finger beneath her nose to ascertain that she was breathing. Her breath was shallow and weak. I checked for a pulse and that too was present but weak. On checking for a heartbeat, my head came to rest on her left breast. It was just the right combination of soft and hard with a pleasant feel to it, even though it was cold.

I instantly straightened. I chided myself. I took off my tank top and, with great effort, put it on her. The tank top barely brushed her knees. "She is really small", I thought. I carefully lifted and placed her on my shoulder.

My eyes had adjusted somewhat. I exited the chamber. The hologram was running its speech in a loop. I began making my way to the next door, intent on finding the exit.

" map...lity", it said again in its cheery voice. I paused at the mention of the map. I quickly waddled to the hologram and peered at the map that popped up close to its right arm.

The exit was at my right, behind a sliding glass door that led to a room containing numerous security systems in place. Fortunately, the hologram gave directions on how to open the gate manually.

I arrived at the exit, an almost similar copy of the door that stood at the entrance of the chamber containing the cryotubes. The manual switch was fixed into a compartment close to its right corner. I slid open the compartment and flipped the lever.

The gate irised open between a series of loud groans and snaps. The rays of the setting sun bathed my face and body with its warm glow. I took a look at the girl's face and sighed. I felt like I knew why she had been put into the cryotube.

"Can't keep wasting my time on remembering. Focus", I reprimanded myself before I stepped into the light.