“How much longer?” Kane asked the woman.
“Just bringing up the feeds now, sir.”
The blank screens began to light up one after another: each one displaying an image taken from the subbasement 10 cameras.
Rimmer gasped. “Jesus Christ.”
Jerry shook his head as he tried to work out what he was seeing. The first computer screen showed images of the infirmary. Blood stained every surface. A man sat at a computer desk, yet he thrashed around in his seat like having intermittent seizures.
“Is that Dr Chandelling?” Jerry asked.
Rimmer nodded. “Something seems to have made him crazed. He’s behaving like a wild animal. What is he doing?”
“Looks like he’s entering something into the computer.”
The next screen showed the conference room and that was where the true horror was. Inside the vast room, a small group of people were taking cover behind the various desks. Mr Dennison was among them, as well as a handful of security guards and lab assistants. The security guards were all firing their assault rifles at a target in the centre of the room. The two nurses dodged the gunfire with ease. The way they crouched and leapt was inhuman, more like long-legged insects than people.
“What the hell is happening down there,” said Jerry. “Why are they firing at those nurses?”
“I don’t know,” said Rimmer, “but something concerns me more.”
“What?”
“There,” Rimmer pointed at one of the screens. “Mrs Dennison is alone in the cell block.”
“What is she doing?” Jerry asked.
General Kane stood up straight and snarled. “Isn’t it obvious? That bitch is opening up the cells?”
“Which one?” Jerry asked.
Kane shook his head. “The batling’s.”
• • •
Andy crouched down behind the conference room table and closed his eyes as yet another clatter of gunfire rang out. His ears rang with a tinny whine and his eyes stung as dust and debris filled the air.
Beside him crouched a group of Dr Gorman’s lab assistants and four security guards, including Corporal West. Each of the guards took turns popping up from cover and firing a quick burst from their assault rifles.
The nurses were a difficult target, leaping around with impressive agility and hurling flat screen monitors and keyboards across the room.
“I need to get my wife,” Andy yelled out above the gunfire. “Where did she go?”
“I saw her head out into the cellblock,” said West. “There’s no way to get to her until we deal with these two nurses. What the hell is wrong with them anyway?”
“They’ve been infected or possessed by the batling.”
West glanced down at a dead office worker at his feet, throat torn asunder. “They’re like animals.”
Andy nodded. “Yes, they are. But one of those animals is my wife. I need to help her.”
“I doubt that you can.”
“A doubt is not a certainty.”
“Then go. I’ll cover you.”
Andy nodded. “Thank you.”
Then he ran. As soon as he left the cover of the large conference table, West leapt up and fired a dozen rounds from his rifle, keeping the nurses pinned down at the back of the room.
Andy heaved open the steel door that led to the prison cells and quickly slipped through the gap. The lights inside the corridor were flickering, almost as if they bore witness to the madness taking place.
Sun stood ahead, loitering outside the closest cell; the cell that contained the batling and Lucas: Cell 18.
“Sun, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Speak not of Sun, for she weeps in hell.”
Andy swallowed a lump in his throat. “You lie.”
“I speak the delicious truth.”
Inside the cell, the batling rose into the air and began to cackle. “Yesss, yesss, my slave. You speak the truth. Now do my bidding. Release me from bondage and aid me in my quest for blood.”
Sun turned to face the LED screen beside the cell.
Andy released what she was doing and immediately lunged at her. “Stop,” he shouted as he grabbed a hold of her wrist.
Sun struck a blow to Andy’s jaw and sent him spinning to the ground. Stars attacked his vision and made getting up impossible.
Sun came towards him, crouched down beside him, drooling blood and laughing. “You have something I need, lover.”
Andy was powerless as Sun reached down into his pants pocket and snatched the blue rubber fob he’d been keeping there. He clawed at her weakly but the effort led only to more laughter.
The batling howled with pleasure inside his cell.
Andy cried out meekly. “Sun, what are you doing?”
Sun pressed the fob to the LED screen and began accessing the menus. It was not long before an alarm sounded from above the cell.
And the glass barrier began to slide away.
“Yesss, yesss,” hissed the batling. “The time to taste blood is here.”
Andy shook his head, tried to clear his vision. He crawled away on his hands and knees, trying to get away.
But the batling was upon him in an instant. It struck his ribs and sent him onto his back, then hovered over him.
“Your death can wait a single minute, for I have a feast for your eyes to enjoy first.” The batling turned to face Sun. “Kneel,” it bellowed at her. “Kneel before me and accept death.”
Sun got down on her knees and lifted her chin, exposing her throat.
“No! No, please, don’t hurt her.”
The batling cackled. It raised a talon in the air. “Say goodbye to your bitch.”
There was a violent crash.
The batling was knocked clean out of the air by a flying net of steel. Sun, too, was knocked aside.
Andy narrowly avoided being hit from his position on the floor, but he was still left dazed and confused by what was happening.
The steel mesh fence fell on top of the batling, trapping it underneath. Sun lay to the side, unconscious and bleeding from a gash on her forehead. From inside the cell stepped Lucas.
The Irishman offered his hand to Andy. “Looked like you could use a hand, fella. Now let’s get the bejasus out of here.” Lucas yanked Andy, who wasn’t responding, up by his shoulders and set him on his feet. “Come on now, lad. Snap out of it and let’s get out of here.”
Andy blinked. “Sun, I have to get Sun.”
Lucas looked down the hallway, spotted Sun lying on the floor. “Then bloody well get her and hurry up.”
Andy raced down the corridor, dodging around the steel mesh fence that covered the batling. He grabbed Sun around her waist and manoeuvred her onto his shoulder. He took her back down the corridor as quickly as his faltering legs would allow him.
Lucas waited near the steel door at the end of the corridor. He urged Andy to hurry.
As Andy passed by the batling, the steel fence was suddenly thrust up into the air.
The batling rose up and hissed. “You will die.”
“Not today,” said Lucas. “Come on, Andy. Get your arse in gear.”
Andy picked up his pace; the batling hissing at his back urged him on. Several times he felt wind as a swipe of talons narrowly missed the back of his neck.
When he finally made it over to the door, Lucas gave Andy a shove from behind, sending him tumbling to his knees on the floor of the conference room. He barely managed to keep Sun from tumbling from his shoulders and onto her head.
Lucas slammed the heavy steel door shut behind them and joined Andy in the conference room.
The two nurses had finally been dealt with. West and the others in the room quickly came to Andy’s aid.
“What happened out there?” West asked. He nodded at Lucas. “And what is he doing out of his cell?”
“Good to meet you, too, fella.”
Andy eased Sun down on the floor and sat on his knees panting. He waved a hand. “Lucas saved us. He’s…I don’t know what he is…but just don’t shoot him.”
Lucas grinned. “That’s one of the kindest things anybody has ever said about me.”
West nodded to the door. “What’s going on out there? It sounds like a warzone.”
“It is,” said Andy, still panting. “And we need to prepare for battle.”
• • •
Dr Chandelling knew what he was doing was wrong. He fought back every second, throwing his body into fits as he tried to wrest control of his body; but as much as he fought, the buzzing in his head was winning the battle over his being.
He gritted his teeth as his hands worked against his will, typing in commands to the computer in front of him, some invasive force invading his mind and stealing away the information contained there.
He watched in horror as the final command was entered on screen. The worst command he could possibly have given.
Suddenly, Dr Chandelling was back in control of himself. He almost laughed he was so relieved. Immediately he reached for the keyboard, to undo what had just been done, but before he was able, the buzzing in his head returned. It increased and increased until the skin around his skull split open and his brain exploded all over the flashing red monitor.
“We have to help them,” Jerry cried. He watched the events unfold on the television screens, as did Rimmer and Kane. They had seen the batling’s release and the subsequent escape of Andy and Lucas.
“You will do nothing,” said Kane. “You are a nuisance I sought dealt with. Sergeant Rimmer, take him to one of the cells on subbasement 1. We will discuss the matter of his lingering presence, and the fact that you disobeyed an order, later.
Rimmer grabbed Jerry by the cuffs that bound his wrists. “Come on, kid. Let’s make this quick. I have a mountain of shit to climb out off without you dragging me down deeper.”
Jerry didn’t argue. While Rimmer had spared his life once, he held little hope of it happening twice, especially within the boundaries of Kane’s radar.
They re-entered the elevator and headed downwards to subbasement 1. When they stepped out, they were met by a handful of security guards. The men on this floor had only side-arms.
“Sergeant, we’re waiting for orders.”
Rimmer shoved Jerry forwards. “Stand by for now. Take this man to a vacant cell.”
“Yes, sergeant.”
One of the guards reached out to take Jerry but, just as he did so, an alarm began sounding. It was exactly like the siren that had sounded above Wolfie’s cell before it had opened. This time, however, the alarm was coming from above every cell in the cellblock.”
Rimmer shoved Jerry backwards out of the way. “Shit! Men, stand ready. The cells are opening.”
“What, how can that be?” asked one of the guards. “You would have to override the entire system.”
Rimmer checked the magazine in his pistol before holding it pointed down the corridor. “Well, obviously somebody has. Get ready.”
The cells slid open, one after the other, like a cascading wave. The first cell held no movement, but immediately something from the second cell began to emerge. The long black spindly legs made its nature obvious. It was one of the giant spiders.
“I think I just shit myself,” said Jerry.
“I would not blame you,” said Rimmer, opening fire as the spider emerged from its cell.
Rimmer and his men hit home with their gunfire, their target large and bulbous, but they lacked the penetration needed to bring the beast down. As is the nature of a spider, it leapt towards the wall and moved itself up to the ceiling.
Its fellow cellmate quickly expelled itself from the cell and came upon the guards immediately. The men urgently fired on the second spider as a single unit. Their magazines all ran empty at the same time. As each guard fought to reload their rifles with shaking hands, the giant spider on the ceiling dropped down and landed on the man furthest forward.
It pierced the man’s chest with its abdominal stinger, sending him to the ground screaming. He lay there for a moment, writhing back and forth, until a gout of blood exploded from his mouth and his eyes swelled in their sockets. Slowly the guard’s torso expanded, blowing up like a balloon. Then he split open at the ribs and a thick white substance spilt forth from his carcass.
Rimmer strode forward and fired his newly reloaded pistol. He emptied an entire clip into the spider, leaving it without two of its eight legs. It let out a squeal and retreated.
Its cellmate took up the attack.
Rimmer dove aside and the spider struck one of his men. It quickly caught the guard’s skull between its fangs and cracked it like a hollow Easter egg.
Jerry screamed. He scurried down the corridor, back against the wall, wrists still bound behind his back.
Rimmer grabbed him. “Follow me.”
The attacking spider was engaged with the remaining security guards, giving Rimmer and Jerry the opportunity to make their way down the corridor. It was only a matter of feet, however, before they were faced with yet another abomination.
The creature blocking their path was a woman, yet a woman with the body of a serpent. Her skin was grey and olive-green. She hissed at them with a lizard’s tongue.
“It’s a basilisk,” Rimmer said, cursing under his breath. He fired off a shot, striking the snake-woman in her chest and doubling her over.
But within moments she was standing tall once more and approaching again quickly.
Rimmer glanced around, his usually unflappable manner quickly melting away. “In here,” he said, shoving Jerry into one of the cells.
Jerry tripped and fell to the ground, which turned out to comprise of sharp sand. Rimmer remained outside the cell, quickly tapping away at the LED screen on the wall.
The basilisk closed in on Rimmer, swiped a talon at his face.
Rimmer dodged the blow, abandoned the LED screen, and combat rolled into the cell beside Jerry. The basilisk slithered into the entrance and hissed at them.
Just when they seemed totally fucked, the cell door slid closed, separating them from the horrors in the corridor.
The basilisk swiped at the glass hatch at the top of the door, glaring in at them.
“It’s going to get in here,” Jerry said. “It’s going to get us.”
Rimmer leaned up against the wall. “No, it’s not. Three-inch steel. We’ll be fine.”
Jerry picked up a handful of sand and let it flow through his fingers. “Yeah, long as we don’t step foot outside again. I don’t see how being trapped in here makes us any less screwed. That’s a pretty big knife you have strapped to your belt. Can I have it? I don’t have a weapon.”