The Life After ATLAS

Blood of our Fathers

December 21, 2025
"Frank! How's it looking?"
"Ah, General. Sadly, it isn't looking too well."
"Whatd'ya mean?"
"The patient is showing clear signs of an infection, with the gas leaking through any openings; nose, mouth, ears, everywhere. We need to do more tests on this gas. What's the name again? M... Man-"
"Manticore. It'll stop the Spetz in their tracks."
"What's it's purpose again, sir? It's been a bit of a long day for me right now..."
"Well, being the lead scientist, I don't blame ya. It's purpose is to knock out fifty men with one blast. How big will the container have to be?"
"I'm sure we can get it within a rocket or so, since this early gas stage needs lots of oxygen. Hopefully, our technology will be more advanced in the future."
"I do too, Frank. I just don't want to add another defeat in American history."
"I don't want to either, sir. I feel like I'm so close at reaching the full potent up of this."
"Then I'll leave you to it."
Thank goodness he's finally gone. He doesn't know I have already made this harmless gas harmful. Should I inform Captain Jaurez? Or should I kill off this base?
-----
A couple hundred meters away, Gregory Strag sat in his apartment room, staring at the G.M.A building, the remarkable glass dome skimming the light of a sunset to another successful day. In a few minutes, his friend would be off his shift as Guard, and Gregory would go in. Cocking his M27 and holstering his Tac-45, he puts on his Officers cap and heads to get out into the fresh breeze before plunging into the world of gasses, science, and other stuff that all he knows is that he has to protect it. G.M.A is a gaseous testing facility, for both weapons and healing. It's basically all inside a dome, just in case an accident occurs. They don't want any toxic gasses escaping. He takes one last look of the family photo of his sister and parents, and is about to step out of the door when an alarm sounds. Like a first instinct, Gregory runs outside. When he turns the corner, a shock is brought to his eyes. The ground beneath the G.M.A rises up, and collapses, breaking the building's structure like a twig. In no time, a green gas they called Manticore spread. Officers ahead of Gregory, started coughing, and some started to collapse. Gregory lifted his shirt above his nose and mouth and ran to the Gates. He wanted to be reunited with his sister again. But, he tripped, and watched as a thick green cloud of Manticore washed over him, stinging his eyes. He rolled into the nearest building, and found a headband. Oh well, he thought as he draped it over his mouth and another over his nose. He continued running to the Gates, but a shriek made him stop. Gregory drew his Tac-45. He stood there, frozen in place. The shrieks were all around him. Something hit him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Oh god, he thinks as he frantically looks around, trying to find who or what knocked him down. By this point, there was no light. The shrieks don't stop. They only get closer. Something runs out of the smog. It looks human. But it has lights for eyes that leave streaks. Gregory fires, pegging the thing in the head. So this is hell? he thinks as he sees others walk out. He fires, but none of them seem to die. This is the world's end, he looks as all of the things like on top of him, red goes in his vision.
*********************************
July 5, 2031
"Irons," a man says as he runs towards Jonathan. "Irons, we found something." Curious, Jonathan Irons, a young field analyst of the ATLAS Corporation, follows his lead scientist to the Dig Site.
"Gorey," Irons calls to the excited scientist. He turns to look at his commander. "Is it about Manticore?"
"Yes sir, it is," Gorey says excitedly. "A small vile hold the gas that had completed the tests, while there is so much unfinished gas. What can we do with it?" Jonathan Irons, a gentle, kind man, grins an evil grin for the first time since joining ATLAS.
"I know what to do," he says as he picks up an unscathed vile of incomplete Manticore. "I know exactly what to do."
*********************************
Honestly, I don't know what to say. Dawn, my beautiful wife, is pregnant in this hell...
"Babe..." I try to find words, but I can't. "Baby. When-"
"I don't know," she says, but I don't know if she's annoyed or not.
"What are we going to do?" I ask, trying my best not to panic.
Dawn hangs her head, and I hold her close. I can feel her tears eek into my shirt. "Babe, I'm open to any options."
I can feel her head shake, and her grip on me tighten.
"Dawn?" I ask, concerned for my wife's safety. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to have to abort this," she slowly and painfully says. I want to cry, but I hold back. I didn't get my elbow blown off again, did I? "I... John, I know how much this scares you, but-"
"You won't have to," I say, remembering the house I stayed at for a night. "I found somewhere where we could live for a little, until it's only us two."
Dawn seems to glare at me."Three of us," I correct, "are left."
The silence is deafening, the wind softly entering the room.
"John," Dawn begins to panic. "I... I still don't know what to do... What about food, water?"
Fuck, I mutter to myself. Didn't think about that. "There's somewhere where there is supplies," I say, trying not to bluff. "It's a little walk, but nothing Major Olsteen and his First Lieutenant can't handle." Dawn smiles, and immediately light floods the room for a moment. I don't care what goes on around me, but it seems like forever since I've seen Dawn smile.
"Let's do it," she says, grabbing her IMR off the ground and walks towards the door. I tightly shut my eyes. I just lied to Dawn. Well, not totally, if the Old ATLAS base is still standing. I don't think it is...
I lead Dawn down the stairs, keeping my BAL on my shoulder. I can hear Dawn's breath fearfully trickle out. The dark stairwell just doesn't sit well with me, especially when Dawn is following me. I have to keep her safe, I think as I kick down the Main Level door. Still empty.
"Oh god..." I hear Dawn whisper as she gazes upon the horrid scene that lay in front of her. I can hear her start to cry.
"Babe," I say. "I'll lead you out, I promise." I drop my BAL and wrap my arms around her. "Dawn," I whisper. "I love you."
"I love you too," she whimpers softly, I almost don't hear her. A scream makes me let go of Dawn, and pickup my BAL-27.
"Help me!" a man holding a KF5 screams as he fires at something. A hideous roar shakes the building, and a lamp post knocks the man several yards into a wall. There were heavy footsteps that followed, sounding almost like a Goliath. The cries of the man pleading for his life were barely audible.
"What the hell..?" I muttered, however, Dawn heard, and looked out. There was tearing and breaking of bone. She peeps her head out as well, her eyes still red.
"That's Goliath-class armor!" Dawn shrieks, and I cover her mouth before any more can come out. However, the thing already heard her, and turned around, it's yellow eyes burning into the both of us. Before I could get a look at the thing, a sound on its back makes me focused on that. I didn't want to see it.
"Rockets!" I yell, and grab Dawn's hand and lead her down the stairwell. A muffled explosion sends us, the door and part of the wall down the flights of stairs.
"You alright?" I ask Dawn, clearly shaken. She nods, and a blue light comes from a little ways underneath, probably a few flights down. It's moving slowly, but I can't see what it is. As the light moves closer, I can see it's crackling with electricity. And it's coming out of a zombie!
"Shit!" I yell before a flash of light blinds me. I shake my head, and immediately look at Dawn.
"You alright?" I ask, trying to sound strong even though I'm very afraid.
"I'm fine," she says, and kisses me. I smile, and when I go to check my wristpad, it doesn't work. What? I think when a little power meter appears. Exo Rebooting, it says. I shake my head. Dawn puts her hand on my shoulder.
"Babe," she asks, "what's wrong?" I still shake my head, looking at the dead screen.
"That blast." I say. "It knocks out the exo for a little. It just re-" A beep comes from the wristpad. My exo is rebooted, and so is Dawn's.
"Well," I say. "Looks like we have a new problem on our hands." I look up at the ruined staircase.
"We can't make that," Dawn says, but I don't care. I jump and boost, and I grab hold of the ledge. However, the metal grating can't hold my weight, and it falls, pummeling six stories. I hear Dawn scream, but I'm falling to fast to hear her words. I hit the floor hard, the exo battery feeling like its cracking my spine. I'm stunned. How did I ever survive that? I wonder. I should be dead. I really should be.
A thump of an exo lands beside me. I can tell it's Dawn just by the way she lands.
"You alright?" she asks. I nod my head, and get up off the cold floor. "There has to be another way out."
"Aye," I say, looking at the door to Sub-Level Six. "There has to be." I walk over to the doorway. There was only a pile of bodies in there, right? Right?