Chapter 15

Off in the distance, a faint light flashed at a seemingly random pattern, but to those who were acquainted, the blinking lights directed a clear message.

A single man surveyed his surroundings from the water tower he guarded. With a flashlight attached to his belt and an old rifle in his hands, the man searched for signs of intrusion. The tower was not adorned with any lights, permitting it to blend with the darkness. Before him, the grounds below laid unseeable. When the skies shifted from gray to black, not even the faintest of outlines could be seen. Thus, small fires were ignited at key locations, illuminating the paths that would allow for passage to their fortress. Although the man was armed, his main purpose was to notify the others at the slightest signs of trouble. He searched for a good five minutes, carefully inspecting the surroundings of every flame. Once sure that nothing presented a threat, he signaled back to the fortress with a series of blinks from his flashlight.

Sigh

“Why watch duty?” The man lamented. A lottery was held to determine their weekly obligations and the man had landed on his current position.

“Unlucky,” he said.

The metal scraps that scribbled together his armor wore him down. Tired and bored, he daydreamed of indulging on women and alcohol.

Clank

The man heard a faint metallic noise. Before he could react, a sharp pain struck the center of his chest. He glanced down, a blade-like object protruded from his torso. Slowly, he turned his head as his body became more rigid with each passing moment.

There, a pale monstrosity latched on the railings of the water tower. Its pale face contained no eyes but only holes where the nose should be. The creature revealed its perfect set of human teeth as it emanated a quietly eerie noise.

eeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Eyes tearing, the man wanted desperately to scream, to call for help, but he could not. Solid as stone, his body was completely paralyzed. Horror engulfed him as the creature retracted the tail that impaled him. The man collapsed to the ground as his vision faded black.

…

A few moments later, a small girl wearing a loose hooded robe noisily climbed up the ladders at a steady pace. The rusting metal had rubbed against the exposed sections of her tunic, smudging the white with dark red. Using her hands, she patted her undershirt, attempting to remove the splotches only to further smear the stains. While frowning, her eyes met the still body that laid on the floor with the infester next to it.

Clank-Clank-Clank

The abomination arrived at the top of the tower shortly after Anya. Despite its large and bulky body, the creature was surprisingly agile.

“Is he dead?” Anya was not yet accustomed to death, for it still made her uncomfortable.

“Not dead. Temporary paralysis as infection spreads.”

“How long will it take?” Anya crouched to inspect the body. The man’s eyes and mouth were still left open, revealing an expression of extreme dread. With her hands, the girl gently closed the gaping orifices.

“Inefficient. Unlike Queen. An hour at minimum. Attempted to improve. Failed. Extremely difficult.”

“Does it hurt?” She turned the man onto his back in what she deemed as a more comfortable position. To Anya, the man was simply adhering to his responsibilities before meeting his unfortunate fate.

“Paralysis prohibits expression. This one does not know.”

“You don’t have any memories of it?”

“Memories of the past. Limited. Cannot remember pain. Can assume pain was not present. However, lack evidence for valid conclusion.”

Anya stood up and leaned against the railing, she observed the large compound that was their target. The three-story building formed an “L” shape with chain-linked fences surrounding it. Multiple roaring motors provided the power necessary to run the many floodlights illuminating the exterior of the complex. The interiors were dimmer and held smaller lights; still, she found the sight impressive. Several lightly armored men patrolled around the building, seeding doubt in Anya’s mind.

“Are you sure we should attack that? The place seems pretty well defended.”

“Watchers. Observed compound for many rotations. Found blind spots. Weaknesses. Security lightest at present moment. Best time for attack.”

“Watchers? Another variant?” Anya questioned.

“Expensive. Created from crawler template. Heavily modified. Many failures before achieving success. Specialized for gathering information. Effective and efficient.”

“You almost seem like you’re bragging.”

“Directive five. Improve Brood. This one takes pride in work. Will demonstrate to Queen after.”

“No thanks… I don’t really want to see it...” Although usually curious, Anya did not enjoy seeing the twisted human forms that the abomination constantly created.

The girl glanced at the landscape below her. Normally, one could only see the black void that sat beneath. To Anya, everything was clear but monochromatic. She could spot roughly seven infesters along with five other crawlers silently scurrying.

“Why didn’t you bring the Berserkers?”

“Operation success relies on stealth and minimized damage. Berserkers not specialized.”

“What about more Crawlers?” Recalling at least forty crawlers back within the hive, Anya could only spot five that were present.

“Crawlers not specialized in infestation nor combat. Specialized only in harvesting and scavenging. More Crawlers unnecessary.”

“Do we only have seven Infesters?”

“Including one present. Eight.” The abomination gestured toward the infester that awaited next to the still body. “Mutation process not streamlined. This one apologizes.”

The two remained silent as they watched the crawlers move into position.

“My Queen. We attack on your orders.”

Anya showed a bitter expression on her face. Within her, a battle raged. She continuously questioned whether she was doing the right thing, whether this was truly the only way.

“Can’t you just incapacitate them? Maybe I can convince them to join us peacefully.” Anya knew what she had said was naïve. Still, she wanted desperately to find another solution.

“Brood not specialized for incapacitation. Lack numerical advantage. Unlikely to succeed. Not advised.”

The girl remained quiet, contemplating, pondering for an alternative. Finally, she broke her taciturnity and gave her command.

“Only do what is necessary. If they are unable to fight back, then don’t hurt them.”

Without a moment of delay, the infesters and crawlers sprang into action, sneakily closing in on the compound.

“This one will see to it.”

The abomination became quiet, completely focused on controlling the other creatures.

…

Large spotlights were placed on the roof of their target structure. The exorbitant amount of electricity required for their operation made them into a situational luxury. Since no alarms were triggered, the spotlights were not turned on.

Anya watched from afar atop of the water tower. She had heard of well-defended settlements before, but the amount of security present seemed excessive. The colony lacked both mines and farms, making her wonder how they were able to afford and maintain all their gadgets. It became difficult for her to imagine how lively the compound would be if they were on high alert.

A large chain linked gate served as the entrance into the settlement with two guards idly positioned behind it. One sat on the floor smoking a cigarette while the other fought the drowsiness while standing. Though they were not attentive, they were too far from the fence to be reached by the infesters’ tails. While the infesters were quiet, they were not soundless nor invisible. Climbing the fence was not a valid option. Anya became curious as to how the creatures would infiltrate into the compound.

One of the infesters held an object in its hand, the movements made distinguishing it difficult. When the creature was near the gate, it threw the object towards the guards, landing just short of becoming in range of the lights. Anya focused on the object that lay on the ground, it was a rifle. She glanced at the infested man next to her and found his rifle to be missing. She then went back to observing the infesters.

Although it was not yet visible, the sound of the rifle hitting the ground reached the guard’s ears. The standing guard quickly shined his flashlight towards the origin of the noise as the other guard stood up. The man dropped his cigarette and aimed his weapon into the void. One of the guards swept the area with his flashlight until he spotted the rifle. As he approached the gate, the second guard stopped him, hesitant to open the gate. In the end, the gate was still opened as one guard walked out while the other remained ready to act. Paying careful attention to his surroundings, the guard that held the flashlight approached the rifle and picked it up, unable to spot the well-hidden infesters and crawlers that lurked in the shadows, unseen to the handheld light. The man gave a sigh of relief before turning around and heading back. Seeing this, the other guard pulled out another cigarette. In the few seconds, his gaze was not on his partner, the infester sprung from its cover to impale the out-of-position man, then quickly dragged him into the darkness. The swiftness of their movements ensured that the remaining guard held no idea as to what had just occurred. He panicked as he called out for his partner only to receive no response. With both hands, the guard attempted to close the gate. Before he could, the guard had been impaled and dragged into oblivion. Together, the eight infesters rushed into the compound while the crawlers hid the bodies deep in the surrounding ruins.

Astonished by the sheer level of complex cooperation on display, Anya glanced at the abomination and questioned:

“Did… Did you order them to do that?”

“Cannot divert focus. This one apologizes.”

Understanding that she was not going to receive any answers, the girl continued to observe.

Six infesters entered the building while the other two remained outside, hunting the patrolling guards while hiding just out of sight. Whenever a guard fell, a crawler would retrieve the body and drag it out of the facility where it could not be found. The moment the patrolling guards were taken care of, the crawlers that lingered on standby rushed into the building, extracting a steady stream of bodies. Just like that, no shots were fired, no alarms were triggered.

After another ten minutes of unwavering concentration, the abomination spoke.

“Threats eliminated. We may proceed.”

***

“That was a lot of bodies,” Anya stated in a slightly unpleasant tone.

“Did only what was necessary. This one apologizes for dissatisfaction.”

The girl strolled in complete darkness towards the facility. Closely behind her, the abomination followed.

“Where did you take the bodies?”

“Hosts relocated to safe location. Infestation not instant. Visible bodies pose risk of detection.”

The two had arrived at the gate where a sign was imbued into the chain fencing. The sign was in a state of disrepair, however, Anya could still read the faint letters after her eyes adjusted to the light.

“Westwood High School,” she mumbled. The name implied that the facility was purposed for education. Anya never received official schooling due to the extraordinary expenses of hiring a tutor. The presence of a dedicated construct put her in awe.

“The Ancients… what were they…?” she questioned, not expecting an answer.

“Lacking information. This one does not know.”

Without delay, they headed toward the nearest entrance into the building. Within, was a large tiled room lined with many tables and seats. Some of the paint chipped from the walls while dirt muddied the floor. The few overhead lights that functioned, flickered, giving a sense of disorder.

Sniff. Sniff-Sniff.

Among the chaos that was the interior design, Anya sensed a familiarly pleasant scent. She followed her nose, which led her into a room toward the back. As she entered, her heart filled with glee.

“FOOD!” She screamed as she ran toward the pre-prepared meals. Seared meat and vegetables of various colors matched the descriptions she had only ever experienced in her journal. Faced with such spiced and seasoned delicacy, Anya could not help but drool. With her still dirty hands, she grabbed whatever she could and stuffed her face, creating a mess that intensified with each additional chomp. Anya stared at the tiny greenery in her hand, for it resembled the descriptions of a tree. She felt disappointed at its puny size along with its lack of fruited sweets; even so, the girl ate it nonetheless. Her gluttony continued, unhindered until the girl’s body began to refuse any further intake. Satisfied, she licked her fingers clean and proceeded to the other rooms.

As they passed a vacant chamber filled with makeshift hammocks, the abomination warned her to avoid making excessive noise. Anya didn’t understand the reasoning until she spotted the snoring figures that still slumbered. Infesters remained ready in case they wake with hostilities.

“Is there anyone I can talk to?” Anya whispered. Though highly doubtful, she still wanted to test whether negotiation was possible.

“Yes. However, large portion of population in unstable state. Communication may be difficult.”

“Unstable state? Difficult? What do you mean by that?” Anya’s volume raised slightly. Luckily, it did not wake anyone.

“This one will show you.”

***

“W-What is this?!” In shock, the girl shouted.

Under the dim lights, she saw it all. Undressed women, mostly young, some even around her age, either tied or unconscious, sulled around the room. Many wore bruised faces, some covered in lashes, and the rest laid unmoving. The scent of countless mixed bodily fluids made Anya want to hurl. In one corner, half naked men, young and old held still, petrified as they trembled with fear. Those who could shifted their gaze from the infesters to the little girl that stood steadfast next to the horrifying abomination.

“Assumption. Insemination chamber. Conflicting evidence suggests otherwise.” The creature pointed towards the corpses that seemed pregnant. “This one is unsure.”

Anya attention changed to the women that were dazed.

“What happened to them?!” Anya demanded an answer. Although the question was directed toward the perpetrators, none dared to answer.

“Detected chemical influence. Impeded cognitive capabilities. Permanent damage present. Survival uncertain.”

For Anya, the pieces had come together. She now understood the function of this facility. It was not a settlement but a slaver camp.

“Can you treat them?!” Anya asked the abomination.

“Infected cells and human cells unable to cooperate. Can only infest. Damages amended after assimilation.”

Gritting her teeth, Anya stomped towards the slavers. She was disgusted by the uncovered genitals, but her rage overcame all else. The slavers quickly backed further into the corner, for they knew that the dreadful beasts answered to the little girl.

“WHO IS IN CHARGE HERE?!” She received no answers.

“ANSWER ME!” Still, only silence returned.

Growing impatient, Anya swung her tail, decapitating the frontmost slaver. The blood splashed all around as the room filled with screams from both genders. The headless carcass landed limply on the ground, unlike the other times she used her bladed tail, the body did not reanimate.

“ANSWER ME!” The slavers cowered and bawled as they pleaded and begged for clemency. Unfortunately, Anya was not in the mood for forgiveness. She wound her tail in preparation for another slash as none spoke the words she wished to hear.

She swung her tail toward the next contender, right before the blade connected with his neck, he spoke.

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk! He’s in the room l-labeled ‘Administrator Office’ on the third floor. P-please don’t hurt me!”

Anya retracted her tail and walked toward the door. Right before exiting she turn her head and gave another command.

“Assimilate the nearly dead and kill anyone who dares to move.”

***

An injured women, around eighteen years of age, wearing a nightgown, covered her head with bruised arms while she trembled in the corner of the room. A middle-aged man sat on the mattress of his handcrafted bed, sweating and dripping with fear as he stared at the infester. His eyes then turned to the silent girl that had recently entered his room, along with the abomination that awaited behind her.

“W-Who are yo-” He quickly closed his mouth as the infester drew one of its blades near his neck.

“I didn’t give you permission to speak,” The little girl asserted. She then approached the frightened woman who trembled with more ferocity after each small step.

“Are you hurt?” Anya’s voice was mellow and tender, wanting to imply no hostilities.

A brief moment of silence had passed before the woman moved her arms to reveal her injured yet pretty face, she then nodded her head timidly.

“May I have your name?” Anya gave another inquiry.

The woman hesitated for a moment.

“S-Sarah… Sarah of Steadhalls.” Giving a short pause, she spoke again, “A-Are you here to save us?”

“...”

“Yes... I am...” Anya’s ire threatened to surface, but she held it in. She pointed at the captive man that sat on his bed. “Did he do this to you?”

Sarah’s heart sank as her face showed bitter terror, she gave a simple nod in response.

“Do you want revenge?”

The question froze Sarah as memories of the pain and suffering inflicted by the slavers flooded into her. All the violation, the humiliation, and the torture twisted her expressions. With teary eyes and gritted teeth, Sarah gave her answer.

“Yes…”

Anya gently caressed the woman’s cheek.

“I’ll make the suffering stop…”

Shnk

The blade of Anya’s tail entered the woman’s heart. Her body leaned lifelessly against the wall as Anya retracted her tail. The man watched with widened eyes at the scene before him.

“Eeekk!” The man squealed as the woman’s body suddenly began convulsing and jolting violently. This continued for a few seconds before she began crawling on all fours while emitting an unsettling noise.

EEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Sarah leaped onto the stunned man and began to gnaw off his face.

“AHHHHH! Help-”

Glaawwwwww

His cries of help were quickly distorted the moment Sarah chewed a gaping gash on the front of his neck.

Anya simply watched with a cold gaze.

“The slaving scums…” she muttered, “kill them all...”

Upon hearing its orders, the abomination attempted to clarify.

“Purpose of attack. To infest. Extermination wasteful.”

“They do not deserve the second chance assimilation offers.” Anya shifted her icy gaze at the abomination.

“Kill. Them. All.”

The creature bowed its body.

“This one obeys.”