The Abomination: Alpha Zero Project

Chapter 9: Into the Iron District

The rumble from the lift shaft echoed louder and louder, shaking the concrete walls around Zeven as the automatic self-destruction system began to incinerate the lowest level. Reddish flames and high-pressure steam burst from the ruptured subterranean pipes, forcing Zeven to act immediately before the entire place collapsed. Moving swiftly, he gripped the steel lift cables dangling in the middle of the shaft, letting his superhuman strength pull his body up through the roaring flames. The friction of iron chains and the sound of crumbling concrete accompanied every inch of his perilous ascent towards the collapsed surface lift area of the laboratory. The air inside the vast room felt incredibly stifling as dust from the structural ruins mingled with thick black smoke from the remnants of the main drive generator explosion.

"Lift stabilization system has failed, the entire superstructure will collapse within seconds," the mechanical computer system blared through the loudspeakers.

"I need to break through this surface gate right now before I am buried alive," Zeven whispered, releasing his grip on the steel cable.

He landed on the upper floor, which was already tilting, right in front of a wide open area that served as the boundary between the underground laboratory and the outside world. Amidst the thick plumes of dust, a massive, three-metre-tall silhouette moved forward with heavy hydraulic strides, creating a constant thudding sound. The figure was the final mechanical super-soldier guard, a heavily armoured killing machine armed with dual machine guns on both arms. The red sensor eyes on the robot's iron face flashed rapidly, immediately locking onto Zeven's position as he stood amidst the structural debris. The smell of hot machine lubricant and the hiss of hydraulic steam spread from the robot's body, creating an intensely oppressive combat atmosphere.

"Intruder detected in the surface evacuation area, target elimination to be executed immediately," the robot's voice echoed flatly, devoid of any human emotion.

"Have a go then, if you think an old tin can like you can stop me in my tracks," Zeven replied, clenching both hands until his veins bulged.

The mechanical robot instantly spat a barrage of large-caliber bullets from both weapon arms, shattering the remaining concrete wall around where Zeven stood. Zeven leapt to the side at high speed, using a collapsed support pillar as temporary cover from the rain of bullets. With a powerful stomp of his foot, he dashed forward, lunging at the robot's legs to damage the hydraulic balance system in the lower steel joints. The heavy impact of Zeven's fist created an incredibly loud metallic clang, but the robot's steel armour plates managed to absorb most of the kinetic energy. The robot swung its heavy steel arm, striking Zeven's chest so hard he was thrown back several metres, crashing into a heap of scrap metal.

"Subject's protective layer cannot be penetrated with level-one standard physical attacks," the mechanical analysis droned from the robot's sensors.

"We shall see how well that iron shell of yours holds up against my real fury," Zeven shouted, pushing himself up to stand without paying any mind to the pain in his chest.

Zeven concentrated all the remnants of his super energy into his right fist, creating a visible haze of heat around his knuckles. He ran in a zigzag pattern to evade the sweeping bullets, then leapt high, aiming straight for the central command module located on the mechanical robot's chest. With a single straight punch delivered with absolute full force, he smashed the final mechanical super-soldier guard until its armour plates buckled inward, sparking short circuits. The giant robot shook violently, billowing thick black smoke before finally toppling onto the concrete floor with a deafening mechanical crash. After ensuring his final foe was no longer moving, Zeven immediately shifted his gaze towards the ceiling of the room, which connected directly to an emergency air vent.

"The main lift path is completely blocked by rubble, this air vent is the only way out," Zeven said, examining the iron gap above him.

"Self-destruction countdown stands at ten seconds, evacuate the area immediately," the final warning blared from the facility's computer, which was beginning to melt.

Zeven leapt towards the iron bars of the air vent, ripping the metal barrier apart with his bare hands as if tearing a thin piece of cloth. He crawled out of the narrow, dusty ventilation shaft, relying on the strength of his arms to keep climbing against gravity. A massive explosion from deep within the laboratory finally blew, spewing tongues of flame and hot steam that propelled Zeven out from the end of the exhaust channel. His body was thrown onto the surface of the ground, landing heavily on the cold, water-slicked asphalt of the city streets. Zeven gasped for air, feeling the drastic change in the atmosphere as he managed to breathe the outside air for the first time after being locked away for so long.

"Where am I now, is this the city of humans they spoke of in the documents?" Zeven asked the darkness of the night.

"This is the outer district territory, a place where the elders' law no longer fully applies," the silence of the night answered from behind the shadows of the buildings.

Zeven crawled up from an iron manhole at the corner of the street, letting his body be drenched by the sky water pouring down exceptionally hard that night. The visual surroundings looked incredibly foreign and grim, filled with old buildings made of rusted iron and steam pipes crisscrossing overhead. Red, dim neon streetlights flickered unstably, casting the reflection of Zeven's soot-stained body over the puddles on the asphalt. The rumble of thunder in the sky merged with the sound of raindrops pelting the corrugated iron roofs of the buildings, underscoring the bleak atmosphere of this new environment. Zeven walked slowly away from the laboratory ventilation hole, leaving behind the plumes of smoke from the underground blast, which slowly dissolved into the night mist.

"This place feels incredibly cold and dead, not much different from that accursed laboratory," Zeven muttered, looking around the deserted streets.

He walked along the cracked pavement, feeling the cold rain starting to wash away the remnants of chemical fluids and concrete dust from his skin. His heavy footsteps were no longer pursued by security forces, yet the weight of the information regarding his tribe's betrayal made his heart feel far heavier. In the midst of the worsening downpour, Zeven halted beneath the canopy of an old, rusted building to gather his energy once more. He knew that his escape from the subterranean laboratory was merely the start of a long journey that would be filled with fresh bloodshed. His cold gaze pierced through the curtain of rain, locking onto the direction of the city centre where the traitors were most likely hiding.

"You lot think you can live in peace after selling me off to those scientists?" Zeven whispered with a menacing tone that was swallowed by the sound of thunder.

"Blood must be paid with blood, and I will make sure not a single one of you gets away," he continued, clenching his right fist.

Zeven felt around the chest area of his soaking wet cloak, ensuring he had not lost something of immense value during the battle in the lift shaft earlier. His fingers felt the presence of a thin object tucked inside the inner pocket of his laboratory clothes, which were torn in several places. Slowly and with great care, he pulled the object out to make sure it remained intact amidst the fierce night wind. The object was a sheet of paper he had taken from the main computer terminal before the upper observation deck was ruined and shifted to the lower level. Standing in the storm, Zeven reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, drenched in a mixture of blood and silver fluid.