The Captain took in a deep breath with the acrid stench of burnt flesh and decay. Captain Dorian Kael gritted his teeth as he leveled his rifle at the swarm of figures charging through the smoke-shrouded street.
Their bodies jerked unnaturally, as if controlled by strings pulled too tight. Flesh hung from their faces, exposing muscle and bone beneath. Their mouths were open wide, unnervingly silent save for the sickening snap of jaws and the thud of their feet against the cracked pavement.
Dorian squeezed the trigger. The rifle barked sharply, and a spray of crimson mist erupted from the closest figure's head. It dropped, crumpling into a heap. Another figure immediately trampled it, its raw, bloodied hands outstretched toward him. "Kael, move!" one of his men shouted.
"Push forward! Hold the formation!" Dorian barked back. He switched to burst fire, aiming low to shred their legs. The crowd staggered and faltered, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. Some crawled, dragging broken limbs across the ground with relentless determination.
"They're flanking us, sir!" someone yelled from the left. The voice was cut short by a scream. Dorian pivoted just in time to see a soldier go down, a thrashing figure ripping into his throat. The captain fired twice, ending the nightmare before turning back to the main horde.
"We're losing too many!" Sergeant Halden called, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
"The lab is two blocks away! Keep moving!" Dorian ordered. The squad fought through the streets, their formation crumbling with each wave. The infected grew more aggressive the closer they got to the lab, as if drawn to it.
Finally, they reached the facility's fortified entrance. Halden and another soldier covered the group as they forced the doors open.
Dorian ushered the survivors inside, sealing the door as the infected slammed into it, their bodies piling up like a grotesque barricade.
"Report," Dorian demanded, wiping blood from his face—his or someone else's, he didn't know. "We're down to six," Halden said grimly, panting. "The rest... they didn't make it."
"Doesn't matter," Dorian said, his voice steely. "We're here for the samples. No one dies for nothing."
"Sir, we're outnumbered. Even if we find the samples, there's no way—" Halden began.
"Then make sure we find something that counts," Dorian cut him off. "We're not leaving this planet empty-handed."
The team moved deeper into the lab, the sterile corridors eerily silent. Flickering fluorescent lights cast long shadows that danced over the blood-smeared walls. Every so often, a faint moan echoed through the halls, raising the hairs on the back of their necks. "Stay close," Dorian ordered.
They entered the main lab, stepping over shattered glass and overturned equipment. The room reeked of death and chemicals. Papers were strewn across the floor, some soaked in blood. Dorian immediately began rifling through drawers and cabinets, searching for anything intact. "Cover the entrance," he said without looking up.
Halden and another soldier took positions at the door, their weapons trained on the dark corridor beyond. The others began searching alongside Dorian, their movements frantic and desperate. "Got it!" one of them called, holding up a small, intact vial filled with a luminescent green liquid.
Dorian grabbed it and examined it quickly. "It's not enough," he muttered, his frustration boiling over. He slammed his fist on the counter. "We need more. Where are the logs? Where are the full samples?" "This is all that's left," Halden said. "The rest is either gone or..." He trailed off, gesturing to the chaos around them. "Sir!" one of the soldiers at the door called. "They're breaching..."
His voice faltered as something heavy slammed against the metal frame. Moments later, a grotesque hand, its fingers raw and bloody, clawed through the gap. "Hold the door!" Halden roared. He and the other soldier braced against it, pushing back with everything they had. But the infected were relentless.
The door buckled, and one broke through, its mangled face frozen in a twisted snarl. Halden fired, the shot tearing through the creature's chest. It staggered but didn't fall, lunging at him with a horrifying wail. He emptied the rest of his magazine into it before collapsing to his knees, blood pouring from gashes in his side.
"Get the Captain out of here!" Halden shouted through gritted teeth. Another soldier dragged Dorian back toward the far exit, the glowing vial still clutched tightly in his hand.
Behind them, the infected swarmed Halden, their growls muffled by the sound of his last grenade detonating.
Dorian burst through the emergency exit and into the cold night air. He stopped for a moment, chest heaving, and looked down at the vial.
The green liquid glowed faintly, mocking him. He raised his comm to his mouth. "Command, this is Captain Kael. We've retrieved a partial sample, but it's nowhere near what we need. Requesting immediate evac."
The line crackled for a moment before a voice responded, calm and distant. "Captain Kael, we've received your report. The Aegis Virus... the situation is beyond containment. Prime Planet has decided to sever all contact with Cradle Planet."
Dorian's blood ran cold. "You can't be serious. We've sacrificed everything to get this far!" "Your service is appreciated, Captain," the voice replied. "But the safety of Prime Planet takes precedence. No further resources will be deployed."
Dorian closed his eyes, gripping the vial so tightly he thought it might shatter. After a long pause, he spoke, his voice hollow. "Make sure my kid is taken care of." "Understood, Captain. Thank you for your service."