Purgatory, 12: The Lost Ones
18 Jan 2024Meowers
Warning: graphic descriptions.
"An escape is often an act of desperation, and where's the desperation, there's also a place for costly mistakes. Some of them may put you in a situation even worse than before."
Ah, here we go again, the marines woke me up... What is it, early morning... 54-46. They said they heard distant screams. Most likely human. So everyone's silent, trying to listen closely...
The heck?!
Yeah, the screams. I hear them too. Can't be anything else.
Okay, okay. T + 54h 50min. Early morning. Heard distant screams... More of them! Get the direction! No, it isn't the lab. Moving out. Might be those runaways...
T + 55h 11min. Reached the trap on the perimeter. The screams faded, but we have the direction now, following. Foster goes first with his big thermal visor. Whoever is the source, they're on the other side of the perimeter and the trap is too wide for our wounded to cross, have to chop some trees again...
T + 55h 39min. Clearing up ahead. Looks like a little rocky outcrop, about four metres high. Might've been the source, proceeding.
Gods-bloody-dammit, just look at this, what a mess... Secure the place, keep your eyes open, medics, follow me.
What's this... Wha... We have a survivor! Irena get over here fast! He's bleeding like fuck!.. Come on, come on, let me help...
T + 55h 57min. So, khm... One survivor. We moved deeper into the jungle to hide. Dragged him along, both medics are now providing at least some possible first aid. And this place was hellish.
So, the preamble. These were the runaways. Our distraction team had warned them about the trench-trap and we hadn't seen or heard anything to indicate that they hadn't been able to navigate their way through potential dangers, despite them doing so with very little light available to them. They had taken a few torches, and maybe a pistol or two, but had no other equipment between the ten or so of them that had made it through the crossfire and minefield in their attempt to run. So we weren't sure exactly what we were looking for. Whatever shelter they might have tried to put together, if any, would only be rudimentary at best as they had no means to cut, shape or fasten things. But they were in decent enough physical shape, so they were perfectly capable of moving and carrying wood. And, as it had only been a few hours since they left, we knew they wouldn't have starved to death or died of infection.
Originally, that spot looked good enough for building a makeshift camp, hugging the side of the rocky outcrop, a natural wall, and elevated well above the average water level. Piled branches and a couple of logs staked into the ground showed that this was what they had started to do. But, scattered around the rest of the clearing, is the evidence of why they hadn’t finished. Their remains.
There were body parts, limbs, bones and unidentifiable lumps of flesh strewn all over the damp, dark red ground, all bearing claw and tooth marks from those creatures that we had encountered, and had hoped that the captives wouldn’t. Poor bastards. They had been ripped to pieces by them. From the layout of the remains, and tracing back along the dragging marks on the ground, it looked as though the group had all been in relatively close proximity, all probably engaged in trying to build their shelter, and a pack of the creatures had surrounded them without them realising, and then attacked in unison.
There was very little blood or remains beyond the edge of the clearing, and what was visible was only present in one direction, and was accompanied by the footprints and claw marks of the creatures, suggesting it fell or dripped from them as they left after they had finished picking the group apart.
The bottom of one of the trees was covered in a huge number of claw marks, extending up about a metre from the ground, and the trunk of the tree was covered in blood that seemed to have streamed down from a large branch higher up. Laying on the branch, covered in leaves, face down and clinging on tightly, was a man, one of those that fled, the only survivor. His lower legs torn and shredded by the creatures as he tried to scramble up into the tree to escape from them. Luckily for him it looks like they can’t climb.
So, this is it. Okay, I'll try to talk later, once the painkillers kick in...
T + 56h 12min. He looks bad, but at least stabilised now. So...
Shit, his godsdamned blood is all over my datapad... Could anyone please toss me a paper towel? Ah, screw it, nevermind. Let's go with the recorder... Here, this thing, talk to it, okay?
So, what's your name? What happened?
"Steven... Damned beasts, swarmed us... All around us, in a second... We knew they're out there, but... Not in such packs, not that fast..."
We saw them too, local predators. Ugly freaking bastards. Who are you? Are you a prisoner?
"Kind of... We were lucky, until tonight. We were... selected. They treated us acceptably... Medical check-ups, normal food, not that shit I ate before... Many of us had a criminal record. They cleaned us... We lived nearby... next to the guards. Clean beds, showers, gym, training, those prop guns..."
Have you ever been to any other buildings? Do you know what this place is?
"Nnnnope... We weren't supposed to leave ours, and we never did... Nobody told us anything. Have you... found something? What happened to the rest... of the people? I've never seen any of them again..."
Human experimentation labs. Presumably Azimuth Biotech. A heckload of gross shit you don't want to hear about.
"Holy crap... Then it explains... Listen. They trained us, but then... Mad shit started happening. They separated us into two groups... Hell, I've got no idea why. Maybe some... Tricky brain things. They... observed us for two weeks or so, before that. Damn... That's over my head. Maybe we had listening bugs under our beds, I don't know..."
I think I've heard that before. So, the first group went guarding, and you weren't with them, right?
"Exactly. They moved me and like twenty more people into another building... No windows, one door, always closed... The food and the beds were even better, but those lectures, fuck... something mad. Basic discipline at first, but then the sick trash... Some fucking 'higher values'... Human life, damned Thargoid war, self-sacrificing... About the pain, mastering it... whatever that means, enjoying it, all that shit... Fuck, can't you see I ain't enjoying it... At all."
Pain? Enjoying it? What the?
"Yeah... Fuck... I don't know more... They said we were to be sent to some... C-03 place, no idea what it is... In two, three days, to train further. And then you came... We heard their chatters and knew something's happening... Many of us didn't like this shit, so... We ran for it once you... opened up and began folding the fuckheads. Fff... If only you could see... their damn faces. They totally shit themselves... Went to check that explosion... and then somebody machinegunned the living fuck... Out of them, right from the front gate. Losers."
Phah. You know, I did that. Personally.
"I'll be damned. Fine shooting, girl... Damn fine. So... Are you in the lead of that lot? Ah those painkillers... Are a blessing. What the holy fuck are you... Even doing here? This place is rotten."
Getting to know what this shit even is. We captured a truck that was supposed to bring more prisoners and got on the road. Never thought this is an entire complex... Trying to get to the centre and find whoever responsible for this. And they're going to die badly. You know, save people and then bomb this place to shreds.
"I see... Your guys are pretty roughed up already... But you're doing a damn fine job. Finally, a proper military, not captives trying to throw a riot... This place is a hellhole, believe me. Everything is secret... I'd like to... Help you, but, my legs... You got it."
T + 56h 28min. Yeah, talked to the survivor. It seems like Azimuth is trying to... Convert those prisoners. Able-bodied, at least. Definitely, that facility tries to be self-sust...
What?.. A movement? Foster get those big thermals running!
Armed people... Ten to fifteen. With dogs. Not the local fish-dogs, but dogs. Following the trail. Fffuck... No way we could hide now.
Everyone, hit the ground, take aim! Once they all get in the open, delete this way!
Shit I don't like it...
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Next part: #13: Mirage
Next part: #13: Mirage