As Chuck eats an MRE Hudson takes stock of their remaining food while Builder waits with arms crossed.
Viona turns from one of the computers at the sound of Lily's voice. "Hmm? Food? There is many cafeteria's and vending machines in this building, including the Hive. Provided we can get to one, food should not be an issue. As for your other question", her eyes narrow, "I do not know. We did not make any of these creatures. They created themselves after the virus's initial spawning. The virus was meant to twist DNA and create something that could live forever, at least that is what Dr. Duncan believed. She was the one who created the final product, she was the one to choose patient zero. She was mad...perhaps too mad to have been allowed endless resources for her creations. Now we have this. The virus keeps mutating and creating new species out of existing DNA. From my observations it seems that stronger humans are generally twisted into more powerful beings and animals can be infected too...", she trails off, eyes going wide. "There were gorillas, wolves, and even a tiger down in the Hive's labs, I don't want to think what they could be now".
She shakes her head as if to clear such thoughts. "It's time". She moves to the elevator and presses several buttons on the dimly lit key pad. With a faint noise it slides over to reveal a thumb print scanner. She scans her thumb while her eye is simultaneously scanned by a laser. Then the elevator doors slide open with a hiss. The party moves inside the spacious industrial elevator. Viona presses a single unmarked button at the bottom of the panel and then it begins moving down. They see a digital floor display above the doors and are shocked to see it continually counting down at a very rapid pace. B10...B24...B36... B40...until B50. The elevator stops here. "This is the entrance to the Hive", Viona explains, "even more security is required after this point and soon...soon we should see signs of the malfunctioning AI".
The doors part and as they do the party immediately hears gunfire.
A lot of gunfire. Machine guns are being fired and yells are heard right before an explosion rocks the entire corridor. Beyond the parted elevator doors is several criss-crossing hallways, smoke and dust billowing out from one of them. Men in black uniforms with a red sash, full head helmets that are black and sleek, black glass covering their eyes are kneeled down at the intersection of the closest hallway firing machines down the hall at something the party cannot see.
Suddenly one of them turns to the party. "What the fuck"! One of them yells, his voice distorted and sounding deeper through his helmet. He raises his machine gun towards the party.
"Stand down soldier"! A booming voice yells, undistorted. "These ones are alive". As the sound of gunfire slowly dies off, a chatter here and there echoing down the halls a man stands up from his crouch. He wears the uniform that the others do, plus an insignia on his chest. He wears no helmet and appears to be of African descent. He has strong features and a strong bearing. His eyes are dark but intelligence gleams in them. He approaches the motley party eyeing everyone's garb. He takes a second before he speaks.
"Well I can tell from looking at you that you're fighters. Mercenaries huh? Probably come to wipe us all out and set off the emergency self destruct sequence so Parasol doesn't leave a trail. Sounds like them. Well I'll tell you something, Sergeant Johnson and his boys ain't going to go down easy". The two soldiers behind him hoorah. Sergeant Johnson eyes the party, looking from Builder and his large knife to Chuck and his axe, to Hudson and his AK, and then finally to the petite Lily and her revolver before settling on Viona and her lab coat, who appears to be in shock that people are still alive down here. "What. In. The. Fuck", he mutters, "You kids ain't mercenaries, although fighters you are without a doubt, what in the sam hill is going on here"?
