[4-14] The Town

[Albert Wesker]

Unsteady and lurching steps carried the soldier machine across the rooftops. The haze of heat from an impossible infection clouding his vision just as much as the damage to his systems did, making every step a precarious endeavor, and each harrowing transition from rooftop to rooftop an ordeal that would have been terrifying, if such emotions had registered to his perceptions at all. As it was, it was only a concern that he might get slowed down enough, or suffer one final jolt to his already damaged internal systems in the fell that might spell his doom. As sluggish as he was starting to become, if the encroaching ghoulish horde caught up to him one more time and overwhelmed him, he wasn't entirely sure he could get out of that predicament again.

"So, wh-" Trent tried to get out, only to catch himself as he stumbled over the rough landing between buildings. "...where are we...headed? We...we can't just...keep running!"

Now that was something that Colonel dearly wished he had a satisfactory answer to. They had several options open to them, none of which were all that appealing given the sheer amount of unknown still lurking among every choice they could have made.

They could continue on their insane, desperate flight, trying to find somewhere safe to hole up, even for a few moments, and just think clearly. It was certainly enticing. The prospect of some actual downtime, and relative safety, after their nonstop, pell-mell dash from death itself was certainly a pleasing one. Even an hour or two, to sit down, rest, and just...well, though it would do the soldier navi no good, just to have a moment to breathe might do Abner and Trent a world of good. A sharp, pained wheeze as the secondary clutched at his side, clearly in discomfort, drove the final nail in the positive side of that argument. But there was just as equally everything wrong with the plan. The odds of finding somewhere in this town that was reasonably secure, given what they'd been through so far? It didn't take NumberMan to calculate that they weren't great. That plan was out.

They could try heading toward the mines, and meeting with Okor. The festering, noxious giant was many things, but the type of being to let something like this island beat him he was not. Whatever danger there had been in the mines, it had by this point likely been dealt with in suitably grisly fashion by the menacing titan, or had failed to stop him getting through it and now making his way back to the surface. If they could meet up with him, the Dean of Security would be an invaluable ally against anything else this island could throw at them. The only issue would be getting to him. And there had been one crucial detail missing about the mines: where, exactly, they were, beyond 'on the outskirts of town'. It would be a wild stab in the dark to try and find them, and that effectively enough shut down that plan, too.

The docks...weren't all that appealing, either. The message, giving notice that there was apparently some means of rescue or escape from the island there, certainly was appealing enough. Getting the hell off this island was certainly among the top priorities of everyone still alive on it, without a doubt. But it seemed...too simple, somehow. Anyone on this island with a way off wouldn't have been likely to stick around and offer anyone else a way off with them. Not with things literally falling apart as they seemed to have been doing for quite a while now. Which left the options of it being an elaborate trap, set by...someone, or something, with dangerous intentions, or the last message of someone who had long since left the island, or never made it off the island. The loud, echoing sounds of what was unmistakably combat didn't make matter sound much more promising there, anyway. They had more than enough in the way of combat to deal with, right here.

Which left them only one option that made any sense: keep a look out for this signal that Abner had mentioned this Christa would set off. It was the least certain of the options they had available to them, but it was, paradoxically, the one that offered the greatest chance of success, and was least likely to turn overwhelmingly poor for them immediately. Any sign that was set off with the attention of drawing attention to it would be hard to miss, in this dead town, and would give them a clear location to go toward. Of course, it would also unquestionably draw the ghoulish hordes right to it, like moths to a single flame in a dark room. It was a point toward the negative side of things, but the prospect of meeting up with more survivors — assuming Christa had any other allies with her, that is — and strengthening their dwindling forces against the seemingly endless mutated islanders was a strong incentive toward the positive side of things. Anyone who could survive this long on some place so inhospitable was bound to be a strong ally.

"We keep moving, until we see the signal..." Colonel finally spoke up in response, turning a very pointed look toward Abner. "...that should be sent up in short order."

"That...that isn't a plan!" Trent wailed. "That's just...blind running and hoping!"

"If you have a better plan, I'm listening." The robot's tone was cold, and the secondary visibly flinched in response, lowering his head slightly. A bit harsh, perhaps, but there wasn't any time for being nice. And being wishy-washy wasn't something that he'd ever had the patience for. They needed to keep moving, and have a definite goal in mind, even if it was one they couldn't follow through on. They couldn't afford to waste time on--

He was interrupted, or perhaps more appropriately, distracted, by a sudden thunderous boom in the distance. Everything went quiet for a moment, as even the horribly deranged, twisted inhabitants of the town were drawn to stare at a huge plume of fire that briefly lit up the night.

"....yeah, that looks like a signal, don't you think?" Abner was the first one to speak up about it, as the explosive blaze of light started to dwindle, and all hell broke loose once again, as it seemed like every zombified ghoul within earshot and beyond let out a shrieking howl in unison.

"It does. Now move!" Colonel said sharply. They had a destination in mind now, and that was every reason not to waste any more time running aimlessly. Especially with a horde of flesh and violence-hungry abominations now racing them toward their goal, and none of them being in much of a fit state to be going anywhere quickly.

"If we get out of this...remind me to never come back here!" Trent gasped. "Because this...sucks!"

Abner almost laughed. "I think we're all in agreement there, buddy!"

1207 words, by on-site wordcounter.