The Thing - Part 2

Chapter 6

— It's very simple, Mr. MacReady - said Phillipe Simon, after crossing his gaze with Childs - We want your cooperation. I know your intention is to destroy this discovery. I find your contempt for this being natural after all you have been through at the South Pole, but I ask you to reconsider your position in the name of science.

— In the name of science? You mean in the name of money.  Any breakthrough you get with this creature will put Syntronic in the monopoly of the global pharmaceutical industry. Not to mention applications in the military. Imagine a soldier with the morphing ability of this bastard! Do not give me that shit talk about the name of science!

As if meditating before speaking, he slowly swayed his pen in his right hand.

— You're a smart man, Mr. MacReady. I hope you reconsider your position. Think of it as a form of gratitude for the rescue we carry out in the South Pole. Without our help you and Childs would be two frozen corpses at this time.

He took one last drag on the cigarette before throwing it on the floor and stepping on it.

— That's true - he said, letting out the smoke- But none of this will be important by the time this thing goes out of control. When that happens, you will give me reason.

— You saw our security procedure. All experiments are performed within the modules and are incinerated at the end.

He interrupted his speech for a moment, as if he were measuring her words before saying them.

— Besides, we have an emergency procedure. This entire facility has a self-destruct mechanism whose control stays in my helicopter. We are literally sitting on several gallons of napalm. Our contracts with the military enabled them to provide this support during the construction of this research center.

— What? - Seth Garrett asked worriedly - I've never been told about this!

— It's confidential information. It is beyond what your credentials let you know. Moreover, this is totally irrelevant to the performance of your work.

— Not relevant? Does it mean that I can be killed at any moment by your decision and you find it irrelevant? - Seth Garrett said, with his face turning red.

— I thought you were willing for any kind of sacrifice for this project Dr. Garrett - said Phillipe Simon, raising his voice.

— That's not the point - he said before he began to cough.

Before Seth Garrett was able to complete his reasoning, his shirt ripped open revealing a mouth with sharp teeth at the pit of his stomach. A tentacle emerged from his bowels and grabbed Phillipe Simon's neck, pulling his head. Childs threw himself on the floor as MacReady screamed for the guards to attack.

The Thing rose, keeping Phillipe Simon's body immobile, while several guts exiting the huge mouth pierced his skin. As soon as the guards began firing, a horrid scream filled the meeting room. Two suction-cupped arms came up from the chest and slammed violently against the faces of the guards. A grim, gargantuan, grim sound came from his vocal chords as he absorbed the guards.

MacReady pulled Childs off the floor and they ran out of the room.

— We have to get on the helicopter - MacReady said as they ran through the corridors - It's our only chance.

— MacReady! - said the voice from down the hall.

Instinctively they both stopped to see who he was.

Nude, with his body all bloodied, Seth Garrett stood in front of the conference room door.

— Did you think you'd gotten rid of me at the South Pole? - He laughed - I do not die that easy. My people also tried to get rid of me with that spaceship, but I took care of them all.

With their blood frozen, the two stood still listening to the thing speak, through the imitation of Seth Garrett.

— Do you know what the people of my planet were looking for when they created me? - he said before starting to walk towards them - The same as you! The cure for all evil. I volunteered for the experience. But when they realized what I had become, they thought I had gone mad.

They risked taking a step back as they realized the thing was approaching.

— But I'm not crazy! - the wings appeared from his back - Seth Garrett is crazy! He also volunteered ... But he knew what he was going to become. He injected me into his own body believing he would be closer to his god - He laughed - His intention had an unexpected side effect. He was able to appease the voices! Millions of voices! I took the opportunity to stay hidden all this time, learning more about you. About your science, your customs ...

The lion, the ox, and the eagle head sprouted from the human head. He paused for a moment. His human face looked like an expression of pain as his height gradually increased. From where they were, they could hear the bones crackling as the Thing changed. With the adrenaline rushing in their veins, the two turned their backs and ran again.

— MacReady! - The voice of thunder shook the corridors of the basement.

They crossed the corridors in search of the exit when an armed guard appeared. Nervously, Childs began to scream warning about the Thing, when they were interrupted by a horrendous cry coming from the hallway. Taking advantage of the moment, he punched the guard by seizing his machine gun.

They were approaching the access gate to the staircase leading out of the basement, when suddenly the Thing spurted its blood on the face of the guard, who still remained on the ground. As she began to absorb the guard's body, its tentacles moved toward them.

— We're not going to make it - MacReady told his friend, seeing that ever closer.

— You will! - Childs said before pushing MacReady through the door. Immediately he began to shoot the creature with the machine gun, causing it to retreat. From the floor, MacReady screamed as he watched his friend close the heavy metal door.

— No! Childs! No!

It took a few seconds until the door closed completely. Instinctively her legs moved, climbing the steps of the exit ladder. Before it closes the lock of the main gate, you can see the first signs of the basement door being forced.

He ran as fast as he could in the heliport direction. He noticed that the few guards who were in the area remained watchman in the larger building, facilitating his approach.

He got into the helicopter and started the propeller, making the propellers start spinning slowly. From where he was, he can see the main gate being forced, catching the attention of the guards who went there. Frantically he opened the compartments in search of the detonator.

— Think MacReady! Think! he kept saying to himself as he searched.

He looked at a set case on the dashboard that stood on the side of the co-driver with the trademark of Syntonic printed in gold. He forced the lid to open, but everything indicated that it was locked. The propellers were in full speed, waiting for MacReady to put the helicopter in the air.

The main door was hurled away. The guards began firing as the first tentacles came up trying to grab anything from the front.

MacReady found a hammer in the toolbox and hit the cover of the case with all his might.

As he absorbed the guards, he increased his size, causing his body to emerge from the gate. The four heads moved chaotically while grotesque sounds were emitted from their vocal chords.

After much cost, it managed to cause a crack in the lid. With the screwdriver he finished the job by exposing a red button. He started the takeoff keeping his eyes on the underground gate. Without wasting time, when he reached about twenty feet, he pressed the button.

— Fuck you once and for all!

From a privileged place, he watched the entire facility being consumed by a large fireball. Little by little the flames of the explosion did not reach the helicopter. Confident in his experience as a pilot, MacReady pulled away from the huge flames.

Turning his back on the flames, MacReady aimed the helicopter north, where the blue sky awaited him.