𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐒

Chapter 1 : The Outbreak

Dr. Priya Menon jolted awake to the shrill ringing of her phone. Groggy and disoriented, she squinted at the glowing screen: 3:42 AM. Who could be calling at this hour? She fumbled to answer, her heart pounding with an inexplicable sense of dread.

"Dr. Menon, it's Arjun from the lab. We have a situation."

Arjun's voice was tight with urgency, cutting through the fog of sleep. Priya sat up straight, her senses sharpening.

"What kind of situation?"  She  demanded, already swinging her legs out of bed and reaching for her clothes.

"It's bad, Priya. Really bad. The new serum variant...something's gone wrong. You need to get here. Now."

Priya's mind raced as she threw on her lab coat and rushed out the door, barely pausing to lock her apartment. The drive to Genetech Corporation was a blur, the streets of Mumbai eerily quiet in the predawn darkness. She replayed Arjun's words over and over, trying to piece together what could have gone wrong.

Arriving at the lab, she was met with a scene of chaos. Red emergency lights flashed ominously, casting long shadows that danced across the walls. Security personnel and scientists alike were in a state of panic, their faces etched with fear.

Priya pushed through the crowd, her eyes locking onto Arjun, who stood near the entrance to the containment lab. His usually composed demeanor was shattered, and he was visibly shaken.

"Arjun, what the hell is going on?"  Priya demanded, grabbing his arm.

"It's the mice,"  he replied, his voice trembling. "After we administered the new serum, they started exhibiting violent behavior. It spread to the technicians. We tried to contain it, but..."

Priya's stomach lurched as she followed Arjun into the lab. The sight that greeted her was worse than she could have imagined. The lab was a wreck, equipment shattered, papers scattered. And then she saw them—her colleagues, transformed into mindless, feral creatures. Their eyes, once filled with intellect and purpose, now glowed with a sickly, otherworldly light.

"God, no,"  Priya whispered, horror clawing at her throat. She turned to Arjun, desperate for answers.

"How did this happen?"

Arjun shook his head, his eyes filled with regret.

"We don't know. The serum was supposed to enhance cellular regeneration, but something went horribly wrong. It's like the cells are regenerating too quickly, becoming unstable."

A guttural scream echoed through the lab, drawing their attention. One of the infected scientists lunged at the reinforced glass separating them, its movements frantic and erratic. Priya's heart pounded in her chest as she realized the full extent of the disaster.

"We need to shut everything down,"  she said, forcing herself to stay calm.

"Initiate full quarantine protocols and contact the authorities. We have to contain this before it spreads any further."

Arjun nodded and moved to comply, but it was clear that the situation was already spiraling out of control. As Priya looked around the lab, her mind raced with the implications of their failure. The serum, meant to be a beacon of hope, had become a nightmare.

Priya hastily reviewed the research notes and lab data, hoping to find a clue to the catastrophic failure. The serum, named Amrit, had undergone extensive testing. It was designed to enhance cellular repair and regeneration using a combination of advanced biotechnological innovations: