The Split

 Prologue: The Beginning...or the End?

Biome X, Olympia, Washington, 6:00 A.M.

“Are you sure that this is stable enough for clinical trial? What would we do if this all turned out wrong and something really bad happened? How would we be able to live with our-“the helper trailed off.

“Be quiet. I’m trying to concentrate on what we have to get ready to do.” The scientist looked around the laboratory biome and up towards the scientist safe in their compartments. “Is everyone ready to test Plaxo-4XR? I have to say, Plunos-I43 did alright, but we are here to try to do much better than ‘alright’ I will only repeat this once, is everyone ready?”

“Systems are all online. All that you have to do is inject each of the ten soldiers with the strain and walk back out. Shouldn’t be too hard. Good luck.” The scientists behind the screen of glass said.

The helper walked up to the bolted metal door reluctantly. He was the one that always had to inject people with things. On his belt and wrapping around his left shoulder, there were ten syringes hooked into his old throwing knife belt. He had fought in Iraq earning money to pay for his college education, and now he was a member of the Bio Team. The Bio Team was always trying new things to see if they could somehow create a warrior that was stronger than any other. A bio-warrior.

He unlatched the bolt and walked inside of the biome where the test subjects were waiting for him.  He walked down the line and passed each of the ten soldiers one of the syringes.

“Are you completely sure that you still want to go through with this? There could be side effects that could never be undone. Be absolutely sure.”

“Just go ahead and let us take our chances with this. We might be the first bio-warriors the world has ever seen. That far outweighs any small risks that we can suffer with this…this thing.” One of the soldiers said pointing at his syringe. The helper looked around as the other soldiers in the biome started to shake their heads.

“Alright. Everyone, use the needle part of the syringe to puncture the skin and push the plunger containing Plaxo-4XR on the count of three. One…Two…Three.” All of the soldiers plunged the liquid into their bloodstreams at exactly the same moment in time. They threw the syringes into the biohazard waste basket in the corner and sat back down in their seats. The helper went out of the room, closed the door, and bolted the door back up and walked back over to the scientists.

“What are the readings so far?” Mr. Code, the man who was  the helper’s superior, asked the scientist that had a clear view of the test subjects. The helper tried to look over Mr. Code’s shoulder, but standing at a whopping 6’2”, the helper was not able to see.

“This is very strange. Test Subjects 2,5,7, and 9 have all passed out, TS-1, TS-3, and TS-10 are coughing up blood, TS-4 and TS-6 has their eyes glazed over and TS-8… he is in the left corner of the biome just sitting there, rocking back and forth. No…TS-2’s heartbeat just stopped. What do have over there Chuck?”

“I have TS-2 and TS-7 confirmed as dead, for there is no heartbeat. TS-5 and TS-9’s heartbeats are slowed down...Hey helper! Check and see what the hell is going on with them. You are the one that allowed them to inject themselves."

"No. Fuck you. I'm sick and tired of doing all your damn work. If you want to check on the test subjects, then you do it. And why don't you take the time and learn my name? It's David. That's my name, and you, yes I mean YOU, go and check on the fucking test subjects, yourself."

"Okay then... " The supervisor walks into the passageway leading up to the biome slowly, looking inside every few seconds to make sure that all test subjects were still doing what they before he left the observation room. He unbolted the door and it opened with an audible click. He looked to both sides as he opened the door wider...and came in to see Test Subject 2 back to life.

"Subject 2...are you okay? Is everything al-" The supervisor got cut off as Test Subject 2 sunk his teeth into the supervisor's shoulder. The supervisor screamed as he attempted to push the soldier turned undead off of his body. The soldier fell to the ground, moaning. The supervisor started to look around searching for anything that could bash the undead's brains in. He busted open a compartment on the wall carrying a fire ax and reached for it just as the zombie got to his leg. He sliced the zombie at the neck, and looked sadly at the other test subjects. 

"I'm so sorry about this." He shot each of them in the head, splattering blood across the walls and floor.  He started walking back to the main room, holding his shoulder.

"Sir...are you okay?" I said.

"Of course dipshit...I just need my doctor to check this out." The supervisor pushed me out of the way, groaning in pain, walking to the infirmary.

"Wait...sir!" Two of the scientists working on the project ran in front of him, blocking his way to the infirmary. "Sir...you got bitten by one of those...things."

"Yeah...what about it?"

"We scientists think that you might be infected with the Plaxo-4XR virus...and you're putting Biome X in jeopardy by not realizing that you could...come back and infect the others."

"What are you saying?"

"We think you should be killed."

The supervisor ran into the scientists, bashing their heads together, and walked quietly into the infimary. What happened next, none of us expected.