Artificial Earth

49

Marble City
Medical Laboratory

INSIDE THE MEDICAL LABORATORY, STRECHED ON A Metallic table, a dried, mummy like body of an old man lay naked. Hovering a few feet directly above him were a series of elongated light bulbs attatched to a rectangular piece of machinery . A tall slender man wearing a white lab coat was making a last few minor adjustments on his equiptment before starting, meticulously checking and re-checking the data on his computer while testing and matching the control switches on the panel beside it. In the past, he has done hundreds of procedures similar to this one, working hand in hand with other top forensic experts in solving various mysterious crime cases. One of his major accomplishment was solving Marble City's "Saturday Night Serial Murder Cases."
The door to the medical laboratory slid open and two men, also in lab coats walked through.
"Genko...Everything ready?" Dr. Wikins asked, walking towards him.
"Almost Doc..." Genko replied while punching in a few more commands on his computer.
"How's Margaret?" Dan asked.
"Same as usual. She and the kids are staying at her parents house 'till the storm's passed, told her I'd catch up as soon as I can."
"You should call them and tell them not to wait up for you, bodies been coming in every hour." Dan suggested.
"Like this one?" Genko asked, referring to the dried up corpse on the table.
"Nah...... So far they're just your regular storm related deaths, but it's still too early..." Dan said, grabbing a chair.
"What do you think of our corpse? Seen anything like that before?" Dr. Wilkins interrupted.
"I've seen a lot of crazy stuff over the years doc...but never like this one." Genko replied, putting on his latex gloves as he walked towards the cadaver. "Body looks as if it's in an advance stage of petrification....but of course that's impossible unless this is a four thousand year old mummy. And, those two puncture marks on the neck..."
"Think someone used some sort of sucking contraption?" Dr. Wilkins asked.
"I don't think so...look here.." Genko said, placing his finger inbetween the two holes. "These here are indentations, they're bite marks and judging from the size and distance of the holes....it's more similar to humans."
"Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Dan asked.
"I know it sounds crazy...but 'till we get it under a microscope and run a few test.." Genko replied. "
"Okay, let's say it's human with some sort of abnormality, a rare kind of disease...it still doesn't explain how it was able to do that?" Dr. Wilkins said.
"That Doctor is the million dollar question." Genko said.

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Primary Defense Center

DEEP BELOW THE PRIMARY DEFENSE CENTERS CORE, At the back near the center, connected to a metal platform several feet above the floor, a large cube like crystal began glowing. Colonel Henry Johnson walked towards it, paused for a moment, looked down at the sarchophagus below where a number of technicians were preoccupied with their respective duties, sighed then resumed walking towards the crystal. A tall brunette with glasses wearing a lab coat standing next to the crystal turned to greet her superior.
"Good Afternoon Colonel." She greeted.
"Good Afternoon Barbara. How's the creature?" Henry replied.
"Well, She's recovering.... We harnessed the electromagnetic energy from the Storm to feed her, it's sufficient for now but I think we need to open another portal to sustain her.." she said.
"I don't think we can afford that, the Storm's increasing in strength, we might not be able to control it."
"We only need to open at least one more, it'll buy us some time.....just until Major Willis returns with the package..." Dr.Barbara insisted.
"And what about the people? The number of casualties rising in an alarming rate....and God knows what kind of monster opening another portal would bring."
"A price we have to pay. Henry, We all knew we'll have to make a few sacrifices, we all agreed on that. In return, we get back the people we love...that's only fair.."
"Fair? Can you hear yourself Barbara?"
"We all agreed. We made a deal, their lives for your mens family, for my son, for your wife and daughter!"
"I know....but still..."
"We can't back out now...we already sacrificed so much. We're so near..."
"Maybe there's another way?"
"There isn't, we both know that."
Henry grew silent. He knew she was right. They have exhausted all possible resources, every option.
"Okay....We open another portal, just one more, only 'till Major Willis gets back with the package." Henry said.
"Fine. So that's settled. I'll coordinate with the crew about the time and date of execution." she said.
"Fine. Let me know when everythings ready, you know where to find me." Henry said as he turned around and headed for the elevator.
"We're so close.." Barbara wisphered, mostly to herself.

Barbara could still remember that unimaginable day back on Earth, the day it all started, the day her son got killed. She brought her son with her to work, to show him where momma goes everyday.
"Now remember what I told you, you can look but don't touch anything without my permission, okay?" Barbara said, getting out of the car.
"Yes momma." Ben replied.
"Promise?"
"Yes momma."
"Good. Now let's go inside."
Ben just turned eight two months ago and was wearing a spiderman t-shirt he got on his birthday, blue denims and sneakers. He was of average height, the same as any normal eight year old, with black straight hair, brown eyes like her mother and with a charming face that looks a lot like Barbara.
They walked hand in hand towards the entrance of Star Industries Incorporated, a six floor scientific research and commercial complex.
"Good Morning Doc." the security officer greeted.
"Good Morning Al." Barbara replied, smiling.
"Now who do we have here?" Al asked, turning towards Ben.
"This here is my son.... Ben say hello to Al our security officer." Barbara said.
"Hello." Ben shyly said.
"Well hello to you too Ben." Al answered back, shaking Bens hand. "You have a handsome boy." Al said, turning to Barbara.
"Hear that Ben? Al said you're handsome." Barbara teased. Ben blushed, moving slightly behind his mother.
"He's pretty smart too...His favorite subject's science, told me he wants to be a scientist when he grows up....must be in the genes." she said, glancing at her son. Ben sank further behind his mother.
Screams coming from outside, they all turned and looked out through the glass window. People were running in all directions, across the parking lot just around a corner, a man was strugglng with a woman with a bloody neck, across the lot, two teenagers with knives were stabbing an old man who tripped and fell on the concrete floor, sirens erupted, it was sheer chaos, pandemonium.
"Close the doors!" someone shouted from behind them.
Al immediately rushed forward and locked the glass doors then stood back still staring at the scene outside. From inside the complex, someone started screaming, they all turned towards the source of the commotion. One of the sales personnel, a young man was using a blender as a club, swinging it at anyone within it's reach. Some of the other sales crew rushed forward to try to subdue their co-worker, people around started acting strangely, some fell to the ground and began having seizures, others started going crazy, becoming violent. Other security personnels began arriving, one security officer began shooting everyone, even other members of the security group, the others started shooting at each other as people ran to avoid the cross fire.
"Get behind me Doc! Let's try to find you and your boy some place safe!" Al said, leading the way.
"Ben! Hold my hand and don't let go okay?" Barbara said, pulling her son.
Al led the way, dodging people, half running as they make a break towards the elevator where other people were also heading.
"Damn it! We won't make it...better use the stairs! Come on! This way!" Al swore, turning the other way.
They ran towards the stairs, a man was blocking their path, his eyes unfocused, crazed.
"Move aside mister! I don't want to hurt you.." Al warned, taking out his pistol.
The man rushed forward, his arms outstretched and his teeth clenched. Al fired and shot him on the shoulders but the man kept coming, he shot him again, this time hitting him on his knees, making him loose his balance as he tumbled down the stairs and fell unconscious.
"Momma.." Ben started crying, gripping his mothers hand.
"Is he dead?" Barbara asked, looking at the man.
"No, I don't think so...he's still breathing. Come on!" Al said.
"Momma...I'm scared." Ben said, wiping the tears from his eyes with the back of his other hand.
"Ssshh...Ben, it's okay, we're okay. I won't let anything happen to you." Barbara said, holding his sons face with both her hands.
"Promise?" Ben asked.
"Promise." Barbara swore.

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Authors Note

Hi there!!! I hope you're all doing well!!
I decided to write a flashback to help show how desperate things were for some of our characters like Barbara. I hope it adds a bit of perspective to why they act the way they do. I do hope you enjoyed the story, thank you so much for staying and iI hope you guys would stick around 'till the end. If you enjoyed the story let me know, Vote, Comment or Share the story with your friends...Thanks Again!!!