Rise

Mission Log 4

It wasn't easy operating the elevator. When I got in, I began to press buttons. Most of them unfortunately didn't work. In fact, I need to note that levels three and one don't work. But anyway, I pressed the button to go up to level four. When I arrived, a familiar sight of darkness suffocated me. It's grip like a welcome hug of a distant relative. Alright, so I need to find Aiden. When I last saw him, he took the elevator up. Since this floor is the only other working floor, Aiden must be somewhere up here. I must find him; I have to know what's going on!

My first step into the suffocating darkness results in a strange sound. Ahead of me, something falls and clanks to the floor. I jump slightly and point my gun in the direction of the sound. A strange moan emanates from a nearby hallway. The moan comes ever closer to my location. What is that? What is doing that? But it didn't take long to find out. A person suddenly comes out from the hallway, their eyes red and their skin patchy. Their clothes are torn and dirty. But a few large letters manage to make it pass the dirt. SWAT, wait! Margret was talking about how the people infected are called Reaper Rejects. And how that body she shot was one of them. This thing must be one of them too! Man, poor SWAT. But I don't have time to grieve! I tried to shoot at it but it was no use. The bullets didn't phase it... just like mom said. The Reject turns it's attention toward me. It's red eyes intently focused on me. In the distance, it roars sending fear through my body. Back to the elevator! I run and try pressing buttons again. The elevator doors closed but not before that thing jammed the elevator with it's arm.

"Down! Down! Down!" But it wouldn't budge! Dang monster! The Reject pushes its arm through the doors just barely touching my face. A few inches stand between me and infection. I try and shoot at its arm. Maybe if I shoot at it, then the monster will pull back and the elevator will get unstuck! The Reject pulls back for a minute. Through the elevator doors, I see it's holding its arm in pain. Maybe it will pull back! I take a closer at it. The Reject's skin is a sickly pale with red patches of skin missing. Its eyes are a glowing red. And like I said before, its clothes are extremely dirt. It kind of reminds me of the police footage. The people were moaning and had patches of skin missing. But those missing patches were purple not red. And when they were shot at, a strange mist engulfed the camera. I don't think the Reapers threw a grenade. If these Rejects were infected with the Reaper virus... what were those people infected with? Did they have a completely different strain of virus? Was that why the Reapers shot those people? Maybe.

The Reject recovers and shoots its arm through the stuck doors. I didn't even have time to think. The Reject's claws scratched my cheek. I could feel its infectious claws penetrate deeply. Pain soars through my face like a thousand tiny needles. My body jerks back and hits the back of the elevator hard. Not only does my back hurt now, but my face hurts too. In a vain attempt to stop my pain, I put my hand over my cheek. The Reject starts to go rabid.

It squeezes both arms through the small jam and proceeds to push open both doors. The metal doors bend and start to slide open. The doors grind against the floor and produce a sound not unlike claws on a chalkboard. This is the end! I promised mom I would be okay but I should've known I couldn't keep that promise! Oh mom, please forgive me! I thought my life was over. I thought I ended my life with not only the threat of Reaper virus infection but with a broken promise. But someone saved me. A bullet penetrates the Reject's skull. Like a machine, it deactivates. It's body crashes to the floor.

"Aneira!" A familiar voice calls out to me.

"Captain?" A hand reaches through the large hole between doors. I stand and grab it. The hand pulls me through the large opening. The Captain stands before me. A look of concern permeates his face.

"You okay?" I nod. The pain has settled down but it still hurts a little. The Captains eyes instantly go to my scratch.

"You're hurt. I've go bandages but I don't think anything will stop the Reaper virus from getting in." The Captain hands me the bandages. I put a couple on my scratch. Behind us, something shuffles around. I turn around, the Reject starts to get up.

"I've got it" The Captain picks up a nearby crowbar.

"Back from the dead already. Then again you were always persistence. Even when you were alive." The Captain did something, but a sudden sweeping pain made my eyes shut tight. After a few moments of pain, my eyes reopen. The Reject that was before us is now dead and the crowbar mysteriously disappeared.

"Look, I don't want to scare you rookie. But that little scratch right there..." The Captain points to my bandages.

"That's fatal. Scratches like that are always fatal. In a few hours you'll end up like Chris over there." The Captain's head shifts to the dead Reject.

"Now, there is always a chance that you'll survive. But that chance is very small. But, if you do manage to survive, you'll become a Reaper. And you'll be hunted down just like the rest. That virus is deadly. Almost everyone who comes into contact with it usually dies and reanimates. I know all of this sounds harsh, but I'm telling it like it is. You probably won't make it." Despair starts to course through my veins. I won't make it? But... mom. I broke my promise. I promised her I would be fine but... maybe she'll understand. I mean, not all Reaper Hunters make it right? But I don't want to leave her. I can't leave her, John, and Maggie. But, what if I make it? The chance is small but I'm sure Aiden wouldn't have got a lot of Reapers if the chance wasn't doable. I've got to make it! I have to! For mom.

"I'm going down to level two" The Captain starts to leave. As he's getting into the elevator, I realize this mission was more than we bargained for. We can't go on like this. SWAT is dead and Margret is somewhere. We need help!

"Captain. It's getting too dangerous to go on like this. We need help! We have to contact HQ!" The Captain stops in his tracks. He doesn't turn around, but his tone suddenly changes.

"No. Contacting HQ would be a mistake. Communications are jammed. Plus, I wouldn't trust HQ. Now, let's stay here and do what we need to do." As the Captain was leaving, I noticed how angry he seemed. I don't know what I did to make him mad, but whatever it was it seemed like a grudge. Did HQ do something to him in the past? Wait a minute! The red shoelaces! What if he's mad because he's the mole! What if he found out HQ was on to him! Margret was right! He's probably trying to stop HQ from arresting him along with Aiden. I need to contact HQ! I have to let them know! My feet start to move. My pace starts to break out into a run. I have to get outside, there's a radio in one of the cars that I can use. While I couldn't go out the metal door for obvious reasons, I go down a nearby hall. Above one of the doors, an exit sign bathes the hall with red light. I take it and go outside.