Chapter 1: Introduction to a Nightmare (RW)

“The hell? No way that's possible… Roy, Are you seeing this? Shit, shit, shit, Uhhh Watchdog-1 to Elysium Observer, our scanners are showing Horror activity within Top Side District-3 Can you run a diagnostics check and confirm a system’s malfunction? …Watchdog-1 to Elysium Observer signs in your sector indicate hundreds of Horrors, please advise ..Elysium Observer this is Watchdog-1 please respond!! ''- Cataloged Audio recording between Guard HQ Observer to Elysium District Observer station.   1600 Hours FEB 29th 2344

 

Prologue: Introduction To A Nightmare.

 

   Fire and ash choked the air around Jack as he struggled to breathe beneath the rubble of what was once his family’s home. He could hear screaming, gunfire, and what vaguely sounded like someone calling out for help. But he couldn’t see anything since he was pinned down with his face buried beneath the debris. He tried to move but found himself stuck, each attempt to get free making it even harder to breathe.

 

Flailing around in a panic, Jack found that his left arm, however, wasn’t buried as he could feel the air and heat brushing against it. With effort, he began wiggling it around, attempting to dig himself out until suddenly, something tugged at Jack’s outstretched appendage, causing the boy to flinch at the unexpected touch.

 

He tried trying to pull his arm away from the rough, unfamiliar grasp but failed, as a vigorous grip took hold of his arm and pulled. The pressure on his back soon eased up as he felt himself being slowly dragged free of the debris.

 

“Jack? Jack! Oh dear Citri! I got you kiddo; you’re gonna be ok,” a familiar voice shouted out in a panic.

 

A man in a green uniform stood over Jack, dusting off the rubble on the boy who was struggling to see. 

 

Upon being freed, Jack was momentarily blinded by the extremity of the flames that raged around him, his eyes taking time to acclimate to the ash and heat before he could fully take in the destruction. Blinking, Jack could make out two similarly dressed men moving around the pair, sifting through the ruins of the destroyed mansion, in what looked to be them searching for other survivors.

 

Jack was stunned, what was once a vibrant suburban district of family homes and parks, now laid smothered in chaos and fire. There were people in green camouflage outfits and Peacekeeper uniforms yelling out orders and commands as they sifted through the debris; their faces obscured by the flames reflecting off their black visors as they worked.

 

“Jack, listen to me buddy, It’s me, Mike, Mike Crosby, your dad’s friend, remember me?” Mike asked, shaking the boy to get him out of his dazed state while he lifted his visor so that Jack could see his face. “I need to know where your father is, kiddo!”

 

Still, in a daze, Jack tried to recall what happened. One moment he and his dad were in the dining room preparing to eat, laughing about a cartoon they were watching, and the next it was all darkness. He tried to comply with Mike's request but as he opened his mouth to answer, a shrill screech rang out throughout the area, paralyzing Jack before he could utter a single word.

 

Simultaneously the entire area seemed to go quiet, with the sounds of Guardsmen and Peacekeepers rummaging through the rubble suddenly ceasing as if their presence were only a lie.

 

“Incoming!”

 

A panic shrill sounded out before it was cut short by the sound of choking and grunting, soon followed by a wet-sounding thud before another screech rang out.

 

“What the hell!? HQ said they had lured the Horrors away!” Mike yelled in disbelief. Quickly he grabbed Jack off the gurney and began carrying him away in his arms.

 

“Cover us!” Mike barked, ordering the nearest soldiers around them to shield the duo’s retreat.   Hugging Jack close Mike, pushed the boy’s head down into his shoulder while whispering in his ear to close his eyes.

 

Jack did as he was told, burying his head into the man's clavicle and shutting his eyes as he did so. As they ran; Jack could make out some of the conversations between the soldiers they were running past.

 

“What the fuck are the Awakened doing?!”

 

“HQ said this sector was cleared! We aren't geared to deal with this!”

 

"What the hell are we supposed to do?!"

 

“Incoming! eleven and four O’clock”

 

"I see them!"

 

“Another Contact!, Rameriz! Left! Left!, Left!”

 

“These damn guns aren’t rated for C-Class!”

 

The sound of gunfire filled the air whilst a distinct clicking sound began to play out, after a few seconds of this, the clicks seemed to crescendo every second that passed by until finally, it began to sound like a torrent of rapid clicking that threatened to drown out even the gunfire.

 

“Jack! Keep your eyes closed and cover your ears,” Mike whispered again, this time with a tinge of fear in his voice.

 

Jack began to cover his ears, but out of curiosity, he looked up and opened his eyes to peek a little, just in time to see one of the police officers being ripped in half by a pair of large insectoid creatures that resembled mantises from his picture books.

 

Multiple bodies littered the ground around the creatures, and out of the 10 or so men that had been there originally, only 3 remained, desperately shooting at the creatures that were in the midst of devouring their friends. However, the bullets had little effect as they ricocheted off of some kind of invisible barrier around the creature's carapaces.

 

Seeming annoyed, one of the Mantises that was in the midst of gnawing on the freshly ripped-off legs of their victim, dropped the severed limb onto the ground, before turning and swiping at one of the soldiers, decapitating the man. The body crumpled to the ground like a marionette without its strings, erupting in a fountain of blood and dyeing the ground red.

 

Seeing their headless comrade, the surviving Guardsman lost their composure and abandoned their positions to flee. They didn’t get far, however, as narrow appendages soon burst through their chest, skewering the survivors and pulling them back towards the gaping maws of the Mantises. With a slight pinch of their sharp bloodied mandibles, the creatures effortlessly turned their heads into a gushing mess of bone and brain matter.

 

After devouring the soldiers, the mantises began to erupt into a dance, making clicking sounds with their heads pointed up, almost as if sniffing the air. The pair of oversized bugs let out a concerted squeal with pincers raised in what looked to be them reveling in joy before suddenly appearing to abruptly freeze. This didn't last long as their beady heads began rapidly twitching until their heads snapped in Jack's direction, making eye contact with the poor boy who was quivering in fear.

 

The two Mantises let off another series of clicks and squeals, excited at the prospect of easy prey, and started rubbing the gore off their pincers before they shot off towards the fleeing humans.

 

Jack screamed in terror, closing his eyes at the sight of the two Horrors now rushing in their direction. A wet sensation soon spread below his waist as the clicking sounds got closer and closer.

 

“God Damn it!” Mike yelled, still running and nearly dropping Jack in reflex to the pungent smell now wafting off his uniform.

 

As they ran through the shambles of the once vibrant neighborhood; Mike was hoping to find the Guard station that was set up nearby to help triage injuries and evacuate civilians, but most of all, Mike was hoping to find the Awakened that was assigned to the Triage team.

 

"C'mon, just a little bit more and we're safe!" Mike said to himself through gritted teeth.

 

However, as they rounded the corner past a collapsed house, Mike’s voiced hopes were dashed upon seeing the scene that lay before him. Instead of a fully equipped QRF(1) and dozens of armed soldiers guarding the location. Puddles of gore, bodies and crushed armored vehicles lay strewn about in their place.

 

To make matters worse, there were several Horrors of varying sizes, including three more Mantises munching on the fresh remains of the deceased. Judging from the onyx armored gauntlet jutting out from between the monsters, one of the dead was their Awakened.

 

 “Oh, fuck me sideways,” Mike muttered coming to a stop next to the checkpoint guardhouse coated in blood.

 

Mike could hear the clicking sounds from behind getting closer and the Horrors ahead, seeming to have noticed their presence, began to move towards the two survivors. For a second, Mike considered using the kid as bait and running off, but as he glanced down at the kid he was holding onto, who was tucked into his shoulder, pissed stained, and shivering in fear, he steeled his resolve.

 

Mike bolted, taking off towards the guardpost with Jack still in his arms, charging at the creatures that were now rushing towards him. As the two parties neared each other, a Mantis swung at Mike, attempting to remove his head. Without breaking his speed, Mike dropped to his knees, sliding past the creature's scythe to avoid being decapitated, he then pushed off the balls of his feet, tucking Jack closer to himself as he rolled past another scythe that tried to impale him from above.

 

Getting to his feet, Mike narrowly avoided being eviscerated by a giant bear-like creature with tentacles sprouting from its sides that leaped towards the duo, trying to swipe at them with its paw.

 

 

 

Mike ran past the creatures, scanning the area until he found what he was looking for. An intact KODA class armored carrier laying on its side with no visible damage aside from the intestines and sinew strewed across its hull.

 

The rear hatch of the vehicle was ajar, giving Mike some hope that his plan would work. Distracted, Mike nearly lost his head to a necrotic badger-like creature that suddenly shot out of the ground towards him.

 

He narrowly managed to dodge the creature thanks to blind luck and tripping on a severed leg. The badger made a loud screeching sound as its claws sailed past his head, and it embedded itself in the Tentacle-Riddled-Bear creature behind Mike.

 

Fortunately for the survivors, the zombie badger knocked the gigantic creature back just in time to save the duo from being mauled to death by its bloated blood-soaked paws.

 

Wasting no time, Mike sprinted towards the transport, rapidly tapping Jack on the head in the process to get his attention.

 

“Alright Kiddo I need you to listen to me,” Mike said between breaths. “I’m going to place you inside the-shit!” Mike exclaimed, nearly losing his footing while running over a puddle of gore. 

 

“I'm going to place you inside that car and I need you not to open it; under any circumstances, ok, are you listening to me?!”

 

“Ye-yes.” Jack whimpered out.

 

“Good.”

 

Mike approached the turned-over vehicle, removing a severed arm that was attached to the open hatch lever, and quickly tossed the boy inside, who landed with an audible thud onto the bulkhead.

 

“Remember! Don’t open this no matter wha-”“argh!” Mike let out a cry of pain as his hand was suddenly impaled by one of the Mantises. Mike looked at his hand, a calm realization dawning on him before looking directly at Jack and smirking.

 

“Don’t open this door, kiddo,” Mike said, slamming the hatch shut.

 

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“No!” Jack screamed as the door sentenced Jack to darkness. The open hatch was the only ray of light to illuminate the interior of the turned Armored Transport. Jack closed his eyes and curled up into a fetal position, hugging himself as he began sobbing in the darkness.

 

The sounds of clicking and scratching on the bulkhead were the only noise keeping Jack company as he wept, alone and afraid, trying to ignore the scratching sounds. He desperately wanted to see his parents, but couldn’t, as his uncle Mike had told him to not open the door before being snatched away. So he sat and cried.

 

As he lay there for what seemed like an eternity. Jack began to open his eyes and acclimate to the darkness surrounding him. It wasn’t as dark as it had initially seemed as there were several blinking lights and flashing buttons reflecting little bits of light off the bulkhead.

Occasionally, about every thirty seconds a beeping sound could be heard coming from the front of the transport, nearly being drowned out by the constant scratching sounds coming from outside.

 

Jack, wiping the snot and tears from his face, mustered up his curiosity and courage and began climbing towards the front of the vehicle. Several times Jack nearly got stuck on a seating strap or open compartment as he tried to feel his way and maneuver in the darkness.

 

When Jack got closer he recognized what was making the sound. A radio, one similar to the one his dad kept in his basement. It looked like the receiver had been turned off by falling equipment, luckily Jack knew how to turn on and off a radio, due to Jack and his dad often using their radio to talk to Mike late at night while he was on patrol or at home to keep him company.

 

Jack crawled over to the driver’s seat to reach the radio. Reaching out, he pushed the blinking red light and hit the glowing button labeled connect. Suddenly a gruff voice boomed through the receiver, echoing into the interior of the vehicle, and causing Jack to flinch due to the unexpected sound.

 

“Watchdog-Zulu-One Observer, to all callsigns in the AO* Echo-Oscar garrison is confirmed combat ineffective. I say again. Echo-Oscar garrison is confirmed combat ineffective. Break. All available call signs are to maintain position in a defensive posture until further support can be mustered. I say again. All available call signs are to maintain position in a defensive posture until further support can be mustered. Watchdog-Zulu-One Observer, out.”

Jack was relieved to hear the sound of another human being. Anything beat the constant screeching, banging, and clicking sounds from outside that kept reminding him of the horrific abominations that awaited him away from the safety of the transport. Wasting no time, Jack quickly hit the send button and waited for the transmitting icon to light up green before picking up the microphone.

 

“Uhm... Hello? I need help please.” Jack nervously spoke into the receiver.

 

“Who is this? Identify yourself!” An immediate response shot back.

 

“Uhm, My name is Jack Knight, and I’m stuck in a tank,” Jack said trying to sound more confident. A momentary silence seemed to settle within the vehicle.

 

“Hey Jack, how old are you?” The voice spoke out of the radio after some time.

 

“I’m nine and a half, sir.”

 

“Nine and a half! Why you’re almost a big ten-year-old boy! Jack, my name is Rusul. Would you mind doing me a favor, Jack?”

 

As Jack went to respond, a loud bang rocked the armored transport, causing Jack to let out a yelp in surprise, dropping the receiver in the process, as he momentarily lost his balance.

 

“Jack! Are you still there buddy? Are you ok?” chirped the Radio.

 

Jack braced himself against the bulkhead of the transport waiting for the shaking to stop. When it did he picked up the receiver and began transmitting again.

 

“Yea, I’m ok Mr. Rus-szull. The tank won't stop shaking.”

“It’s ok, are there any adults there? Do you know where you are?”

“Uhm, there was uncle Mike, but he threw me into the tank and told me not to open the door. I think I’m uh near my house.”

“And where is your house, Jack?”

“0303 Elysium Street.”

 

As Jack told the radio operator his address, an audible “oh” could be heard from the radio. A few seconds passed before the operator’s voice came through the radio again.

 

“Jack, I need you to do me a favor, ok?“

 

“O-oh ok, yes, sir.”

 

“I need you to stay put for me, alrighty? We’ll be there soon to pick you up.”

 

 

“But my Uncle Mike said not to open the door for anyone!”

 

“It’s ok Jack. Your uncle Mike came to us and told us where to find you, and that you’re a very good boy for listening to him. I’m sorry bud, but I have to go back to work; just sit tight, ok buddy? Everything is going to be ok, just stay put.”

 

“Oh ok.”

 

The line went dead. The radio showing it was no longer connected.

 

Sitting down, Jack hugged the receiver close to his chest and leaned his head onto the radio, and began to cry again. Fresh tears rolled down his cheeks as Jack sat sobbing.

Unexpectedly the banging from outside seemed to intensify once more, causing the vehicle to begin to rock, tossing Jack onto the bulkhead; who promptly hit his head on the wall, causing his vision to go blurry.

 

“Go away!” Jack screamed in frustration. He was scared… and tired. Tired of the monsters, tired of the darkness, but mostly he was tired of being abandoned. First his father, then his Uncle Mike, and now Mr. Rusul. It was unfair. What did he do to deserve this? He was a good kid. Jack screamed in frustration, rapidly banging his hands against the bulkhead to match the tempo of the creature outside.

 

Unfortunately, this only served to agitate whatever was shaking the vehicle, causing the shaking to intensify even further before it was knocked back onto its tires; flinging jack off his feet and slamming him against the floor of the vehicle.

 

Jack curled into a ball, clutching his shoulder as he let out a wail in pain. “I’m sorry! Please! Go away! Go away!” Jack screamed as the vehicle was rotated once more. Luckily, Jack was still curled up. Instead of being flung to one side he merely slid onto the bulkhead side and tumbled again when it was flipped upside down.

 

The scratching sounds soon reached a feverish pitch, the occasional roar, and clicking, compounding the terror Jack was feeling. Abruptly, light began to flood into the transport as a bloodied paw punched through the floor of the armored car.

 

Jack screamed, but a roar from the bear drowned out his shrieks of terror. Dents began to form above Jack who backed away and hastily crawled towards the radio. More light illuminated the interior with the dents soon becoming holes as the bear-like creature continued to rip away at the transport.

 

Occasionally, a scythe would stab into a hole made by the bear in an attempt to skewer the boy. Jack desperately looked around for someplace to hide but to no avail. In a last-ditch attempt, he proceeded to grab the receiver and screamed for help; but was only met with static as the connection had been cut by whoever was on the other side.

 

With a loud screeching sound of metal being ripped, the floor of the vehicle was torn off and tossed to the side. The flames, clearly illuminating the bear-like creature, its eyes crazed, with blood and flesh covering its fur while tentacles flailed in the surrounding air around it. The creature opened its grotesque mouth, showing tentacles that visibly wiggled around, and roared at Jack who simply collapsed to the ground.

 

“Jack let out a shriek of pure terror screaming “NO!” as the crazed Horror leaped towards him with a roar and a paw.

.

AUTHORS NOTES:

 

REFERENCE H0/C1-D3/C/Y/T-M1*

 

H0=Horror

C1=City/Floor 1/Surface

D3=District 3

C/=Casualties?

Y=Yes

T=Threat

M1= MASS CASUALTIES

 

QRF(1)= Quick Reaction Force- A military Unit designed to quickly react and handle threats

KODA Class Armored Personnel Carrier It looks like a Bradley but with Mega Wheels.

AO=Area of Operations

 

MILITARY TIME

0100= 1:00 AM

0200= 2:00 AM

0300= 3:00 AM

0450= 4:50 AM

 

1200= 12:00 PM

1300= 1:00 PM

1400= 2:00 PM

1530= 3:30 PM

1645= 4:45 PM

 

2000= 8:00 PM

2200= 10PM

2400= 12AM

 

LOOPS BACK TO 0100= 1 AM

 

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