PROJECT: WONDERLAND

88. PAWNS

Glows, had a tragic origin. It was originally engineered as a beneficial parasite meant to eradicate deadly diseases, and there were even plans for it to combat cancer. But it turned into a catastrophic failure. Most of the data about the project remained encrypted... except for one word that appeared: Pawns. After that, the information became garbled and unreadable.

Roland, reviewing the info on his monitoring device, muttered to himself:
"Pawns? Well, whatever that is, I'm never taking Bloom to a zoo because of its animals beauty."

Dr. Eric Thomas suddenly noticed Ryan's absence, panic flooding his voice.
"Ryan? Ryan! Guys, we've lost Ryan!"

Private First Class Rebecca Harris stepped forward, resolute.
"I'll go look for him. He might be exhausted and in need of medical help. Permission to search, sir?"

Roland gave a quick nod.
"See? I told you!... just go, Private!."

Rebecca cautiously backtracked, calling out as she searched the dark corridors.
"Ryan! Ryan! Come on, Corporal! You're the team medic—how can you not take care of yourself?"

Her flashlight beam finally caught sight of a figure in the distance, standing with its back turned to her, hunched over and trembling violently. The figure's head was hanging low, its body wracked with shivers and strange, unnatural noises.

Rebecca, confused, cautiously approached.
"Ryan? Is that you?"

As she moved closer, a sudden chill ran down her spine. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she instinctively crossed herself, sensing something was terribly wrong.

When she finally stepped close enough, her flashlight illuminated a horrifying sight. Right in front of her stood what was once Ryan—now a grotesque hybrid monster, his head fused with the insect-like features of the Glows. It becomes a Pawn, its mouth gaping open as it emitted an unearthly, screeching wail.

Rebecca turn arounf, froze, paralyzed by terror. Her scream caught in her throat as the Pawn behind her lunged at her. Pawns growl, A slimy tentacle shot from its mouth, forcing its way into her mouth, transferring the parasitic organism into her body.

Rebecca's eyes rolled back, turning white as her body convulsed uncontrollably. She collapsed, lifeless.

At that moment, the rest of the squad turned their flashlights toward the grisly scene. The soldier that had been standing over Rebecca turned around—it was Rebecca, now fully transformed into a Pawn, his body controlled by the parasitic beetles.

Roland's face hardened as he stared at the abominations before them.
"Pawns..." he whispered with dread.

The two Pawns, Ryan and Rebecca, charged toward the group. Without hesitation, Roland and the remaining soldiers opened fire. But the sound and light attracted more Pawns, which began emerging from the shadows, their numbers growing as the swarm closed in.

Roland shouted over the chaos of gunfire:
"Fire!"

The squad fought as they retreated, firing at the advancing Pawns while desperately trying to escape. Suddenly, a large metal door ahead of them slid open, flooding the dark room with the blinding light of day.

Roland didn't hesitate.
"Everyone, get out! Move, move, move!"

The squad sprinted for the exit, chased by the horde of Pawns. They could feel the creatures closing in on them as they ran toward the blinding sunlight, fighting for their lives.

To be continued...