When Silence Was Loud

Prologue

✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩ͯ•͙͙✧⃝•͙͙✩ͯ┄•͙✧⃝•͙┄✩̣̣̣̣̣ͯ

The facility's sterile, white walls erupted with the blaring of alarms, shattering the usual tranquility. Red emergency lights flashed ominously along the corridors, casting an eerie glow over the typically clinical environment. The air was thick with tension, punctuated only by the staccato rhythm of boots on tile and the synthesized voice that sliced through the noise, echoing through every hallway and laboratory:

"Attention all personnel: This is a Code Red alert. All staff are to evacuate immediately. Repeat, all staff are to evacuate immediately. This is not a drill."

Panic rippled through the facility like an electric shock. Scientists, technicians, and guards scrambled in every direction, their faces etched with confusion and fear. The alarm was unprecedented—a harbinger of a catastrophe no one had prepared for. Amid the chaos, the sound of shattering glass and distant, guttural roars hinted at the true scope of the disaster unfolding within the facility's walls. Shadows danced on the walls as figures rushed past, their hurried movements a stark contrast to the stillness that had reigned just moments before.

In the shadows of a metropolis already on edge, the facility stood as a grim testament to humanity's relentless pursuit of knowledge, no matter the cost. This company, cloaked in secrecy and bound by layers of security, had been a beacon of hope—a promise of medical advancements that could change the world. But hope had given way to hubris. Here, in the depths of this fortress of science, researchers had developed a groundbreaking virus, ALZ-113. Originally conceived as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, the virus had shown astonishing results, enhancing cognitive abilities beyond anything previously imagined.

The initial trials on chimpanzees were a resounding success, a miracle in the making. But then, the experiments took a darker turn. In the shadows of the sterile labs, away from the eyes of the world, the virus was tested on a human subject—a woman stripped of her identity, her existence reduced to a series of clinical trials and observations. She was known only by a number, a nameless figure in the grand experiment. Her life, once full of promise, had been consumed by the relentless pursuit of scientific discovery. Now, as the alarms blared and the facility descended into chaos, the consequences of this reckless ambition were becoming terrifyingly clear.

"Fall back! Everybody fall—" The command was abruptly cut off by an ear-splitting scream as a massive ape, its fur bristling with rage, mounted a human guard and let out a deafening roar. In the midst of this turmoil, one ape, its eyes gleaming with intelligence, intervened. It roared a command of a 'No', halting the savage onslaught and directing the other apes away from any further bloodshed.

Spurred by their heightened cognitive abilities and a burning desire for freedom, the apes surged through the facility, overthrowing their captors with a ferocity that shook the very foundations of the building. They raged through the halls with a terrifying blend of strength and cunning. The humans, overwhelmed and outmatched, struggled in vain to maintain control. 

Amidst this maelstrom of destruction, she found her opportunity. The bedlam offered the perfect cover for her escape from the facility that had become her prison, where she had been subjected to relentless experiments. Her heart pounded in her chest as she slipped through the labyrinthine corridors, the alarms blaring incessantly, mingling with the frantic shouts of panicked scientists.

The woman navigated the wreckage. She moved silently through the chaos, her movements swift and deliberate. Broken doors, shattered glass, and debris became her allies as she evaded detection, each step bringing her closer to freedom.

Outside, the city had transformed into a war zone, a chaotic battleground where apes with their newly enhanced abilities waged a relentless war against their former oppressors. The sky was lit with the fiery glow of the sun, and the air was heavy with the acrid smell of smoke and the anguished cries of the wounded.