Rapture

Chapter 7

We made our way into the dispatch bay, where an exciting change awaited the camper. It had a new radar dish perched on top, hinting at Gustav's plans to turn it into a self-sufficient ride.

Curious about the radar dish, I popped open the camper's door.

Russ hopped inside, showing off his mechanical expertise. "Looks like we need a vehicle that can go solo, away from the mothership," Gustav explained with determination.

Sam eagerly joined us, her eyes shining with pride. "Hey big brother, I learned how to work the radars," she chirped happily.

Taking my place behind the wheel, I wanted to know more. "That's awesome, Sam. Did Gustav teach you how?"

"Yup! And big sister Sandra helped too," Sam replied, a wide grin on her face.

With Gustav cutting off our external communication, it was time to open the dispatch door.

As the door slowly creaked open, we were greeted by the grinding of metal and beeping sounds, accompanied by flashy red lights. It was showtime.

I fired up the camper's engine, but to my surprise, it was silent. I pressed the gas pedal, and the camper smoothly rolled out of the mothership and into the desolate wasteland.

Hours passed, and the landscape around us transformed into a crumbling urban maze. The shattered buildings and houses were a stark reminder of Marawi City's former glory, now a casualty of the devastating events of Rapture.

"How are you holding up there, Sam?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the road ahead.

"I'm okay, big bro. I've been reading some of the books Gustav gave me," Sam replied.

The radio crackled with a voice, "You're nearing the base. Park the vehicle behind the tree line."

I eased up on the accelerator, gradually slowing the camper down before steering it towards the tree line. The trees stood lifeless, their branches bare. The surrounding area seemed devoid of any signs of life, as if all vitality had been drained from it.

Standing up from the driver's seat, I turned to Sam. "Are you ready, Sam?"

Sam set her book aside and stood up. "Ready!"

She strapped on a gun case that was almost as big as she was. "Lead the way, big bro."

Stepping out of the camper, Sam appeared unfazed by the weight of the gun case on her back. "Sam, what kind of gun did Gustav give you?" I inquired.

"It's a sniper rifle, an anti-material one," Sam answered.

I couldn't help but wonder if Sam could handle such a high-caliber firearm. Its recoil would likely push her back.

"Alright, let's proceed," I said, making my way into the tree line.

The land was parched, the trees lifeless, and there were no signs of any animals. Something ominous seemed to be unfolding. Although we were too far from the mothership to establish communication with Gustav, I hoped he could still receive our messages.

We reached the edge of the tree line and found ourselves on a hill overlooking the base. The flesh base sprawled across the landscape, its walls appearing just as I had imagined. They resembled chunks of flesh melded together to form a wall, reminiscent of ground beef.

She unzipped the gun case, revealing a Barret M82 rifle. The weapon looked massive compared to her small frame. I couldn't help but wonder if Gustav had taught her enough to handle such firepower.

Sam carefully placed the gun on the ground, using its stand. She lay down next to it, mimicking a soldier's posture, and said, "Let me check the scope... Hey, big bro, there's a gate over there!"

"I see it. Now, can I trust Russ to watch over you?" I inquired, gripping my M16 tightly.

Sam nodded, her face filled with confidence. "Don't worry about me, big bro. Russ will protect me. But who's going to protect you?"

I smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll be fine. Just make sure you take your shots carefully."

"Okay, I got it!" Sam said eagerly, ready to take on her role.

"Take care," I said, stepping away from her spot. Russ remained by her side, a loyal companion.

As I made my way towards the gate, the atmosphere was filled with an eerie silence. Suddenly, a jet roared overhead, dropping bombs that exploded near the gates, engulfing the base in a fiery blast. Reacting quickly, I raised my M16 and scanned the surroundings, but there were no immediate threats. A message appeared on my goggles: "Move! Now!"

I sprinted towards the gate, the weight of the M16 reassuring in my hands. As I entered the base, the situation became clearer. Five fleshlings had spotted me, some resembling distorted dogs while others had twisted human features. They charged towards me with malicious intent.

Taking aim through my scope, I aligned the crosshairs with one of the fleshlings' heads and squeezed the trigger. The sound of gunfire echoed as its head burst open, splattering the surrounding area with fleshy fragments.

With precision, I swiftly eliminated the remaining fleshlings one by one. Their menacing advances were met with accurate shots. In the end, only one remained, lunging towards me. I evaded its attack, adjusted my aim, and pulled the trigger. Its head exploded, sending it crashing to the ground.

A message appeared on my goggles once again: "Sam has taken out three of the SAM sites. Hurry to the ritual site."

I raced towards the heart of the base, where more fleshlings came into view. I aimed and fired, each shot finding its mark. The goggles enhanced my perception, allowing me to navigate through the gruesome scene of flesh-like buildings, bones, and blood.

The base stretched out before me, its eerie buildings resembling twisted flesh. As a jet flew overhead, it unleashed destruction on the structures to the east. Blood, bones, and tissue were scattered around, evidence of the gruesome scene that had unfolded.

A piercing scream shattered the silence, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones breaking and flesh being torn apart. I turned a corner and came face to face with a towering beast, standing about ten feet tall. Its body was covered in sharp spikes. In its hands, it held the mangled remains of a person, which it callously tossed aside at the center of a ritual site. It charged toward me, its face twisted into a menacing grin. I managed to dodge its attack, circling around the site. A well-aimed shot struck the creature, causing it to fall to its knees.

"Thank goodness!" someone exclaimed.

I looked back to see a group of about ten people gathered nearby. Through my goggles, they appeared as ghostly figures in white.

"There are more people on the other side!" a determined voice said, belonging to a man of African descent. "Can you spare a weapon?"

"Yeah, go gather the others," I replied, handing my bag to them.

My bag contained only a few pistols and ammunition, but it might be of use to them.

"Now, hurry!" I urged, continuing toward the center of the site.

The group quickly moved toward where the slave chamber had once stood, their purpose clear in their determined strides.

Meanwhile, the wounded beast struggled to its feet. Its shoulders were injured, causing its movements to become slower. Its grin turned into a furious expression, resembling that of an angry child. It roared and charged at me, but I managed to dodge its attack, causing it to stumble and fall onto its own body.

Creating some distance between us, I consulted my goggles, which showed the presence of three more individuals ahead. One appeared as a ghostly white figure, while the other two were marked as black. It seemed that I had encountered either demons or Blessed ones.

I executed a sharp turn to the right, ensuring that the beast would not spot the figures. I wanted Sam to have a clear shot at the creature.

Another well-aimed shot struck the beast, this time hitting its knee. With a sickening squish, it collapsed, splattering flesh in its wake. Despite its injuries, the creature continued its desperate attempt to claw its way towards me. I swiftly put an end to its suffering with a shot to the head.

As I walked closer to the center of the site, I noticed two figures huddled together behind a woman with fiery red hair. Could it be Sandra's sister?

"Hey, you! Stop right there," the woman called out, her voice filled with suspicion. "I know you only saved us to sell us off to other slavers!"

"Hey, calm down," I replied, lowering my gun. "I'm not a slaver. Besides, your sister is with us."

The woman's eyes narrowed in doubt. "You're lying."

"Sandra Gutierrez, red hair, loves electronics," I explained. "It's fine if you don't believe me."

"Fine, I'll believe you for now, but I still..."

Before the woman could finish her sentence, one of the figures behind her rushed forward. I had no time to react as their arms wrapped around me... in a hug?

"Oh! A gallant knight has arrived to save a princess," the girl clinging to me exclaimed.

My heart sank as I noticed the horns, or rather, the remnants of horns on her head. I wasn't sure if she intended to devour me.

"My name is Venidith, or that's what they named me," she introduced herself. "I am a primordial demon of lust!"

"I'm Hannah, and don't worry, she's just delusional," the other figure, presumably Hannah, reassured me. "Venidith, back off from him."

Contrary to Hannah's doubts, the dark aura surrounding Venidith confirmed the accuracy of my goggles.

Venidith released her grip on me, expressing her frustration, "Hey! Just because I'm in a bad situation doesn't mean I'm not dangerous!"

"We don't have time to argue," I asserted as gunshots echoed from the direction of the slave chamber.

A jet soared above us, dropping a crate with a parachute near the source of the gunfire. Another jet swiftly followed, obliterating the flesh-like buildings in the vicinity. Gustav's strategic maneuvers seemed to validate the goggles' information, but would his efforts be sufficient to save everyone?

A message appeared on my goggles, urgently prompting us to leave. "Leave now! Support has been provided."

"Hey, can the girl over there walk?" I asked, gesturing towards the girl standing behind Hannah. "We have to leave."

"She's Juliette," Hannah replied. "I'll carry her. She appears to be mute."

Venidith clung to my back and exclaimed, "I feel so weak! Come on, knight, let's go!"

I let out a sigh, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. "Fine, let's go."