The Salvation

Chapter 50

|Craig|

Craig hurried through the hospital, the commotion outside was the only sound to be heard. The hospital was deserted, corpses and spent ammunition the only occupants. Craig ran through, occasionally stumbling until his feet adjusted to The Apex's stomps outside. Craig shoulder charged the door and jumped down the first flight of stairs, hurrying down the second, third and forth as quickly as his legs would go. Craig ran into the basement door, but it was jammed shut. Craig shot the handle to bits and pulled the door open. Inside was a large metal reactor, with blue energy circulating inside it wildly. Craig seen the core, a metal pillar in the centre of the reactor. Craig seen the canister, a metal container rolling around in the reactor. Craig seen the slot, on the roof of the reactor by the entrance.

Craig opened the door to the fusion reactor, the energy eagerly rushing out to greet him. It was a static burst of energy that tingle his skin playfully. But when Craig took the first step inside, the raw energy was eating at his flesh. Craig fell to his knees and cried out in pain instantly. He crawled fourth, his skin crawling from the inside out. Craig forced himself forward, falling on the metal canister. Craig pulled himself up and then the canister. The metal container was heavier than it deserved to be, but Craig shoved it into its slot above him. The canister burst slightly, an orange liquid leaking out.

The blue energy around him became more violent. Craig screamed out again in agony as he fell over, his eyes clawing themselves out. Craig crawled forward towards the door, all his might pushing him forward. The energy grew stronger and stronger by the second, tearing at Craig's flesh. Craig blacked out.

When he opened his eyes, he wasn't in the reactor room... But in a bar. He looked around curiously. Andrew and Felicia sat at a table together, drinking happily. Craig walked over to them, but they vanished at his approach. Craig frowned and stepped back. What the...? Behind him at a table was Venelope, holding Mike and sitting with Nikolai Soloyvov, both chatting together excitedly. They also vanished when Craig approached. A blue wisp spun around his head annoying. Craig swatted at it, but it didn't relent. On another table was Jane, sitting with Malcolm and the man Andrew found in The Black Tower, Oliver Simpson. The three also vanished when Craig approached. What the fuck is happening?

Craig snapped back to reality, the fusion reactor in front of him. It took him a minute to regathering himself and figure out what happened. The reactor grew unstable, and Craig looked around. What happened to me? Then Craig remembered his mission. He heard the cannon fire of a warship and then the crushing of metal and splashing of water and the screams of men. I have to go!

Craig hurried to the hospitals garage and climbed into the first ambulance he could find, stomping on the pedal and smashing through the garage doors. Craig seen The Apex, but it was focused on one building in particular. Craig took the west exit of the city, driving until he was out of the city limits. Craig seen an APC sitting in the dark alone. Felicia...

Craig drove over and climbed out of the ambulance, not to see Felicia, but Venelope Chase sitting anxiously, watching in shock. "What the fuckshit are you doing here?!" Craig asked, his voice furiously stern.

"It's not my fault!" Venelope cried out in defence. "I tried to stop her from coming, but she wouldn't listen to me so I had to follow her! She went into the city alone on a motorcycle she stole along the way!"

Craig groaned tiredly. The Apex roared, but Craig tried not to look at the lumbering beast terrorising the city. "I've done my part of the job, they've got maybe a couple minutes before the whole city goes up!" Craig explained, turning around. "I have to... I have to go back in there..."

"What?! You can't go back in there Craig!" Venelope argued as best she could. "It will kill you too if you go back in there!"

"So what Venelope? You want me to abandon Andrew and Felicia?" Craig asked, horrified.

Venelope's face dropped and her eyes watered. "There has to be another way, something else we can d-"

Venelope was cut off by a mighty blue explosion engulfing the city. The Apex's roar burst Craig's eardrums, blood leaking out of his ears and down his face. The reactor imploded and destroyed the city.