A small ragtag group made their way along a derelict looking corridor. They were searching for the access point to the level below. Most of the group looked unsavoury, they all had visible scars on their bodies and each of them were heavily armed. The only exception to this was two of their number. The first was a woman, at a glance you might think she was one of their companions, but a closer look would reveal the truth. Underneath the stains and grime was the white uniform of the crew. She was bound by her wrists and pulled along on a rope by one of the thugs. She stumbled every few steps, as if she was barely conscious, most likely heavily drugged. Her face was marked with bruises, it wouldn’t take a genius to guess these came from the hands of her captors. The second was a small and nervous looking man. He wasn’t bound and drugged like the woman, but he didn’t look as if he belonged to the group holding the woman prisoner either. They reached the access point, just as the ground begun to shake and were almost deafened by the screeching noise.   

“Some idiots using the transport!” Said one of the thugs near the front of the group.

“Doubt they’ll get far. Asshole! We’re lucky it didn’t blow as it went past.” Replied the largest of the group. He appeared to be their leader.

Two other members of the gang struggled with the operating mechanism on the access point, until they eventually go it to open. There was a slight hiss and dust was blown into the air as they pulled the door ajar.

“You sure this is the way?” The leader asked while grabbing the nervous looking man by his shirt.

“Y-yes… I haven’t taken this route before, but it’s almost directly below here. Just two sections along.” He replied.

“Fucking better be!”

He let go of the man and then climbed through the open doorway. The rest of the group followed closely behind, pulling the semi-conscious woman in tow. It was a service entrance and it meant climbing down a rather long ladder to reach the layer below. It wasn’t the easiest way to access the level, but they were trying to avoid being spotted on their approach. It took a couple of minutes for the whole group to reach the lower layer. Somehow the drugged girl managed to make it down with them. Once down, they forced the door to main walkway open. They stepped out halfway along a steel corridor. One end connected back to maze of hallways that connected the different sections of this level. The other end led into a large chamber, at least according to the schematics. From where they were standing it looked like it was completely ruined and overgrown. The group’s leader grabbed the nervous man once again. This time by the throat and slammed him up against the wall.

“You said this was the way!” The leader said, virtually screaming in the poor guy’s face.

“I-it is the way… They’re just up ahead and through that.” He said shakily pointing his hand to end of the corridor.

“You know what’s going to happen if you’ve taken me for a run around, don’t you?”

“I do! This is the way. I wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise.”

The leader released the man. He slid down the wall and slumped down on the floor, his legs seemingly giving way underneath him.

“Get up! You’re leading the way through that.”

Clearly scared shitless he scrambled to his feet, almost stumbling a couple of times as he did. The rest of the group parted and let him walk up to the front.

“Follow me. It isn’t far now.” He said weakly.

The leader nodded and the rest of the group followed behind the nervous man as he awkwardly made his up the corridor. As they moved towards the opening the ground under foot became softer and the air heavy and damp. The one leading the way, already panicked, looked to be sweating profusely as the humidity rose.

“Smells funky in here.” One of the thugs near the rear said as they entered the chamber.

The group weren’t quite sure what to make of this place as they pressed on. It was entirely overgrown, as far as the eye could see. There was a single trail that led onwards and through the plant life. Someone was passing through here. It was only as the undergrowth and trees begun to thin that they noticed the shimmering wall up in front of the group. For the first time since they had reached this level it looked as if he hadn’t been leading them astray. One of the thugs walked straight up to the wall and bashed a fist against it. It made a strange sound, like hitting a stretched piece of rubber and ripples could be seen moving across its surface. There appeared to be no way inside. The leader turned back to the man that had led them and glared at him ominously.

“This is it. You’ll need someone with access to let you inside.” He said quickly in answer to the look before he could be roughed up again.

“Bring the girl here.” The leader shouted.

The one that had her on a rope dragged her up towards the shimmering wall. When he reached the front, he pushed her towards it.

 “Open it.” The leader ordered.

The woman just looked blankly at him, almost as if she had no clue what he was asking her to do. He didn’t take kindly to this and slapped her harshly around the face. She fell to the ground and lay there shaking by his feet.

“I said fucking open it!” He said making out like he was going to kick her.

“She needs to wave her hand in front of the wall. I’ve seen it done before.” The nervous man added from behind the leader.

“Fine.”

He grabbed the woman by her wrist, pulling her to her feet and dragging her right up to the shimmering barrier. Once there he waved her hand across its surface. Almost immediately a human sized door opened in the barrier.

“Everyone inside.” The leader instructed.

The group hurried inside through the opening. Once everyone had entered the leader stepped through, pulling the drugged woman with him. The opening sealed itself behind them. In front of them was a large grassy area, pens with animals inside and several simple looking buildings.

“What now boss?” Asked the next largest of the thugs. He was carrying a rather large looking rifle on his back.

“We go house to house and use the scanners the Doc gave us. Anyone with the gene is coming with us. Kill the rest.”

“Yes boss.”

“H-hold on. This isn’t what we agreed. You said no one would be harmed.” The nervous looking man suddenly and unexpectedly spoke up.

The leader spun around, and the back of his fist smashed into the man’s face. Blood and couple of teeth flew into the air as the man spun from the force of the impact, before crashing to floor.

“I’ve changed my mind. Another word from you and I won’t be keeping to any of our agreement. Got it?”

The man just nodded from the floor as he clutched his swelling face.

“Rest of you to work. Make sure you don’t kill anyone with the gene!” The leader shouted.

The gang fanned out and headed towards the houses up ahead. The only ones left behind were the guy that had led them here, the drugged woman and the leader watching over the pair. As the gang reached the first house, the largest of the group stepped forward. Without trying the handle or knocking first he booted the door. It was thrown off its hinges and fell inwards. As soon as it was down the rest of the members ran inside. The sound of a woman screaming could be heard all the way to edge of the barrier where the three were watching on. A couple of minutes passed, and the gang members started dragging the occupants from the house. There was one young woman, blond and slim looking, a young man, two young boys and finally an elderly man. All of them looked terrified as they were dragged out. The children were crying, but it was the old man who looked to be in the worst shape. He couldn’t stop himself from coughing violently.

The family were lined up outside their home and one of the gang members walked past each of them. He was holding a small device in his hands, that he waved over the length of each of their bodies as he went by. Once he reached the end of the group he shouted back to the leader.

“Boss, I’ve tested em. Looks like the three adults all have the gene. The grey hair doesn’t seem like he’ll make it back. What you want us to do?” He asked.

“Kill him alongside the kids.” The leader bellowed back.

“What! No, please don’t kill them. I’ll do anything you want!” Pleaded the girl getting down to her knees.

“I’d have my fun anyway, but the boss won’t allow it.” The man with scanner replied with a leer on his face.

“Release restraints. Deadly force authorised. All armed males in vicinity targets.” The eldest boy said quietly.

“What was that?” The man said turning to the boy.

He moved to grab him, but his attention was pulled away by a crashing sound that came from behind the house. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the automaton that had smashed through the doors of the shed and was hurtling towards them. Zap. A beam shot from the small gun in its hand. It hit the man in the head, and he fell to the ground. His feet twitched for a moment until he fell lifeless.

“Yes! Don’t worry Felicia. We’re going to be oka…”

The boy’s sentence was cut short. He was knocked off his feet by a blow to the chin from the largest of the gang, the one with the large rifle on his back. The boy was out cold, and the girl was screaming. The gang member calmly slung the rifle into his hands and aimed at the approaching automaton. There was a whirring noise, then a huge beam shot from the weapon. It sounded as if the air was being torn apart. The automaton fell to the ground, its top half completely vapourised. The beam had cut right through it. Not only that it had blasted a hole through the shed and the building behind it. Both had caught fire. It had even penetrated the barrier behind and burnt a path through the plant life that lay behind. That too had begun to smoulder. This was a weapon that should be impossible for them to have in their possession.

“You fucking idiot!” The leader yelled.