Necrocide

Chapter 31

FIVE YEARS BEFORE THE OUTBREAK...

Ares, Hermes, and four other test subjects exited a bright room. Each one of them had a bandage covering the wound from the injection they received. Ambrosia was now coursing through their veins as we speak. Anything could happen now that they had these mysterious nanobots traveling through their bloodstream. And it didn't help that they were already threatened on the first day. It was even less motivating given the fact three subjects were executed for retaliating.

However, Schaefer mentioned more test subjects arriving soon, the next few batches full of younger candidates to see Ambrosia's effects on youth. Ares was frightened by the thought of Schaefer harming newbies. Granted, he was new, too, but these upcoming subjects were newer to not just the Ambrosia Project, but the world itself.

"Stand in front of the AMBR-TRIG," Simon ordered. Unlike earlier, he and the other scientists in the room wore shiny silver helmets that kept their faces hidden. The only thing that provided a small glimpse of the wearer were small slits opening up to provide eyesight.

"The hell is an Amber Trig?" Hermes asked, lining up against the wall with the other test subjects.

"Glad you asked, sir," a young woman replied cheerfully, her voice followed by a slight echo due to her helmet. "I am Artemis, and this is the Ambrosia Trigger, AKA the AMBR-TRIG as Poseidon called it. This device activates the healing and strengthening qualities of the nanites in your bodies. Without this device, all those little bots would be swimming through your bloodstream for nothing. And we wouldn't want that, would we?"

Ares glanced at the AMBR-TRIG. From a distance it vaguely resembled a TV camera supported by a tripod, the kind he once saw recording the town fair back in Lancaster. However, instead of a lens and viewfinder, the front half of the device was a cylinder resembling a cannon aiming towards the six test subjects. Ares couldn't tell what kind of ammo was supposed to be fired out of the device, but it looked like the kind of weapon that would fire sound waves or electromagnetic pulses.

"Smile for the camera," Artemis said, her hand down on a lever next to the device.

"Well I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought it looked like that," Ares said.

A loud outburst of energy fired out of the AMBR-TRIG, knocking the test subjects to the floor. Ares crashed against the wall and slowly slid to the ground. He thought that would be it, but a burning sensation filled his entire body, like if someone was slowly prying a branding iron into him. It started out in his left arm--where he received the injection--and felt like nothing more than a sunburn at first, but the pain only increased and spread across his chest and his back. Then down to his legs and into his head.

"FUCKING HELL!" Hermes screamed in pain. He was painfully curled up into a fetal position on the floor, veins popping out of his forehead.

Ares remained on the floor leaning against the wall, his head overtaken by an agonizing migraine. The pain still burned through his body a little while longer, and he decide to take it out on the wall. He pounded his fist against the concrete with all of his strength, hoping the more he fought, the less pain he'd feel.

Simon and Artemis stared in shock, their mouths gaping open, as the impact of Ares's fist against the wall left behind cracks. Each hit only deepened the new hole in the wall, and a large opening formed after four more punches. Rubble burst through the wall into the next room and Ares brought his fist back, now covered in multiple lacerations.

"He's wounded!" Artemis cried. "What do we do now?"

"Just watch, love," Simon replied. "All we can do is watch."