Hiatus: Scene 4

Venessa: This ‘lab’ doesn’t seem up-to-date with health inspections.

Levi:(half-jokingly) Alright, let’s wait for Dortor. Everyone act nonchalant.

Dortor appears inside the car with them.

Dortor: Is this nonchalant enough?

Levi: Well, at least you didn’t appear outside the car.

Dortor:(to Annelise) Should we enter yet?

Venessa:(to herself) Why’s he asking her?

Annelise nods: I think they may be imprisoned in a room with many medical supplies. Be careful. Venessa, stay with the group. Levi and I will be waiting out here in case anything goes wrong. And, Dortor, keep Venessa safe.

Dortor: I will protect Venessa as best I can. If I fail, do not hesitate to bring the news of it before the Commander. I would be deserving of every retribution.

Annelise smiles: You’ve done nothing deserving punishment, and I doubt you will today. Now, go.

Dortor: Thank you, Annelise.

Cory kisses Annelise’s cheek before heading around the building with Venessa and Dortor.

Cory: Agent Dortor, you’re the Cyclone Sector Coordinator. The Hostilities are mutant Bridge-dwellers. Is it possible to sneak up on them?

Venessa: Wait, what?

Dortor shakes his head: It’s nearly impossible to sneak up on my kind or theirs. They likely sensed our arrival but haven’t retaliated yet. This worries me.

Cory: Why are you worried?

Dortor: It means that their focus is on something more important.

The three of them climb into the building through a low window.

Cory: Okay, Venessa, it’s really important that we stay together. That means no matter how scared you get, you can’t run off.

Venessa swallows: Got it. Don’t run from the fish tank. I think I can take whatever’s in it.

Dortor: No, you can’t. Not yet, anyway. And Wyverna’s chamber isn’t the only terrifying object in this place. This way! The sooner we leave, the better our odds are.

Cory: Of survival or success?

Dortor: Both.

The three of them reach a stairwell.

Venessa: Which way are we going?

Dortor: Down. Come along.

Venessa: I don’t wanna go in a creepy basement! That’s what every horror movie says not to do, and what lives in there seems like a vampire-type monster.

Cory puts his hand on Venessa’s shoulder: Don’t worry. We just need to incapacitate Second Law and rescue those people. I doubt we’ll even see Wyverna. Besides, there’s a plan in place if we do.

Venessa inhales: Alright. I’ll go.

The group heads downstairs, out of natural sunlight and into fluorescence.

Venessa: Dortor, can we talk or will they hear us?

Dortor: They have already been alerted to our presence, but speaking quietly might be more beneficial.

Venessa:(whispering) ‘Kay. Cory?

Cory:(whispering) Yeah?

Venessa:(whispering) There’ve been a couple of times recently when my powers stopped working.

Cory:(whispering) Was there a weird feeling when it happened?

Venessa nods:(whispering) Yeah. My neck feels cold.

Cory:(whispering) I see. The Hostilities must be using your Abramian Organ to block your gift.

Venessa:(whispering) They can do that?

Cory nods:(whispering) Sometimes, yes, especially if you’re inexperienced using your gift.

Dortor holds up his hand, signaling them to stop. The group sneaks up against the doorway of a room with many glass containment units. Inside one of the containment units appears to be a rotting, rabid fox terrier that’s somehow still alive. There are five people frozen against the wall. One of them is Hazel Grace Wilson. An eight-year-old girl is crying even though she can’t move the rest of her body. The rest of the containment units house various animals, all of which appear to be dead. The decaying dog barks and growls viciously at the people outside. Hazel is strangely calm.

Venessa:(to Dortor) Why does that dog look like that?

Dortor sighs: I think that the dog may be part of the project our enemies are working on.

In the room, Kate Cheng, the little girl, continues crying.

Kate:(sobbing) I want Mommy! I want Daddy! I wanna go home!

Second Law: QUIET! You won’t see your parents again!*she grins* Not until we run a few tests.

Kate sobs. Suddenly, the dog freezes and falls over.

Second Law: Ugh! Not again! *She pauses and seems to be thinking intensely about something*

Dortor:(whispering to Venessa and Cory) Telepathy! She’s probably communicating with other Sgnima! Hide!

Dortor seems to vanish and Cory and Venessa hide behind a corner. Venessa bites her lip to keep from whimpering. Two Hostilities show up. One is Webmaster, and the other is a male Hostility that Venessa doesn’t recognize.

Second Law: The most intelligent specimen just died!

Webmaster: Ugh! How long did it live?!

Second Law: Only a week! We need to increase infectivity or this won’t work!

Other Hostility: We’ve increased the infectivity as much as we possibly can! But with such severe symptoms, a survival rate of more than a week is practically nonexistent!

A raspy voice comes from the end of the hall where Venessa and Cory are hidden.

Wyverna: I did all the calculations. The creatures should survive more than a week.

Tears of fear rush down Venessa’s face as Wyverna walks past them. Cory slips in front of her defensively. Wyverna’s body is covered in spidery green veins and her eyes are cloudy. She appears to be covered in the fluid of the recovery chamber. Venessa notices a large, dark green bruise on her collarbone. She wears a thin wet gown that clings to her body. Yet, though Wyverna is out of the recovery chamber, her arm is still attached to the monitor and she has to pull it with her as she walks.

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Wyverna: WHY HAVEN’T YOU BEEN ABLE TO PERFECT THE WEAPON?!!!

The unfamiliar Hostility is thrown against the wall by something unseen.

Webmaster: Well, while you were taking your precious time lying dormant after…what happened, we’ve figured out that this universe does not allow creatures with such severe illnesses to survive!

Wyverna: What would it take to increase the infectivity of my little invention by, say, fifty percent?

Webmaster: Fifty percent?! Your invention?! I’ve spent decades on this!

Wyverna grins: Are you questioning me? You know what happens to those who question me. Those who question the will of the gods.

Webmaster: Gods?! We’re the same…

Webmaster is pinned against the wall by an invisible hand.

Wyverna:(through her teeth) I know very well that our forms are a lie, but I know what we are. Do not think that I don’t know how to make you bleed.

Webmaster falls to the ground.

Monitor: Maximum force exerted! Maximum force exerted!

Wyverna winces in pain: Why?! After all these years, why can I still feel it coursing through me?! What in Vrintoa was in his blood?! It should be gone by now!

Venessa begins to cry. Wyverna looks over, but she somehow can’t see Venessa.

Wyverna grins: Oh, it’s you! I see you’ve gotten some Keeper allies for yourself!*she is still taunting but now through her teeth* You even have a Bridge-dweller on your side who’s hiding you! I can’t see you, but I will find you, filthy child! Mark my words!

Cory: Venessa, our only option left is confrontation!

Venessa wipes the tears away from her eyes: Okay.

Cory: Hey, we’ll be okay. I promise.

Venessa nods and they both come out of hiding.

Cory: Step away from these people, Wyverna!

Wyverna laughs: Is that my name now?! Ha! I suppose your kind would consider it an upgrade from Resharitah!

Venessa: What?

Cory: Don’t listen to her!

Wyverna: Oh, Venessa! Let’s think about this. Why would any of the Keepers not want you to know certain information? Maybe…

Cory pins Wyverna to the ground with his bare hands and covers her mouth.

Cory: It would solve a lot of problems if you would shut up!

Wyverna throws him off and stands back up. Before she can recuperate enough to land a telekinetic blow, Cory pulls the needle connecting her to the recovery fluid and the monitor out of her arm. She screams in agony but recovers quickly. Dortor appears behind her and pulls her to the ground.

Wyverna: You! Why do you still work for the Vast?!

Dortor: Because I know my place unlike you!

Cory:(to Venessa) Get the people!

Venessa: Seriously?!

Cory: Yes, seriously!

Venessa nods and runs into the biohazard room. Webmaster and Second Law block her from the victims. She feels a chill in her neck.

Venessa: Oh, shoot!

She tries to break one of the Hostilities’ arms with her mind, but she can’t. In a blink of an eye, Venessa is pinned against the wall by Second Law.

Second Law grins: It appears we have one more test subject!

Venessa:(to herself) I kept my powers just to lose them again! Why…

Cory moves a metal pipe on the wall with his mind and knocks Second Law off of Venessa.

Cory: We have to get these people out of here now!

Venessa: How?! Webmaster travels through wifi and Second Law…

Cory: It’ll be okay! Just trust me!

Venessa looks at Cory and then looks at the people. She rushes toward the victims.

Venessa: Guys, we have to run!

Woman 1: We’re paralyzed! We can’t move!

Venessa sighs.

Cory taps his earpiece: Levi, we need you down here.

Venessa: I can try to carry Kate. She looks pretty light.

She scoops up Kate but finds that she’s heavy.

Venessa: I think that I can still carry you.

She runs as fast as she can out of the room. Her arms begin to feel tired, but she keeps sprinting down the hallway. Kate is bawling.

Kate: What’s happening?!

Venessa: I don’t know.

She reaches the stairwell.

Venessa: Oh, no! Can you move yet?!

Kate: NO!

Venessa sighs and begins hobbling up the stairs as fast as she can. She feels something breeze by quickly. Levi stops and appears at the bottom of the stairs.

Levi: I’ll take the girl and the rest of the people out of here! You help Cory and Dortor fight off the Hostilities!

Venessa: But my powers aren’t working!

Levi: Well, you’ll have to make them work!

He picks up Kate and speeds out of the building.

Venessa: But how?!

She touches the back of her neck, where her Abramian organ is attached to her brainstem. The spot still feels cold. She remembers what Cassandra and Dortor told her about it being a malevolent organ used to control the mind.

Venessa: Dortor, I think Wyverna’s using my organ!

Dortor: You’ll have to fight her off!

Wyverna: Ha! You can’t…can’t…

Wyverna’s face seems to grow a shade paler if that is even possible.

Wyverna: Agh! It was only three percent! Three!

Venessa looks at the monitor, which reads Recovery Completion: 97%.

Monitor: Warning! Disconnected! Five minutes and four seconds until depravity paralysis! Warning! Disconnected!...

Wyverna: NO!

Venessa dashes past the two of them and strikes a blow against the unknown Hostility.

Hostility: You don’t know what you’re doing.

Venessa’s arms suddenly feel like jello. Maybe she doesn’t know what she’s doing. The Hostility punches her in the jaw and she falls to the ground. Venessa touches her cheek and her fingers come back red.

Venessa: Aw, no!

Wyverna, though pinned down by Dortor, tries to lunge for Venessa.

Dortor: What have you done?!

Wyverna: You try living without your essence for eons! It truly makes one crave the first lifeblood they see! And you know…you know…who did this to me!

Monitor: Warning! Disconnected! Two minutes and fifteen seconds until depravity paralysis!

Cory jumps in front of Venessa and takes out the Hostility who hurt her. Venessa is still on the ground cowering.

Dortor:(to Venessa) You need to get up! Now!

Venessa:(weakly) I can’t.

Dortor: Yes, you can! And you can fight off Wyverna’s control! Please, Venessa!

Venessa cries: I can’t!

Cory is still fighting off the Hostility: Venessa! (to the Hostility) What have you done to her?!

Monitor: Warning! Disconnected! One minute and eight seconds until depravity paralysis!

Wyverna: Dortor! You knew me! Please! I just need a bit of her blood! Just a few drops! Surely…

Dortor: QUIET! We both know you’ll take all of it from her!

Wyverna: Venessa…

Venessa turns toward her.

Wyverna: Come over here. He’s hurting me. I don’t…know if I’ll make it.

Venessa: Who’s hurting you?

Dortor: Don’t listen to her!

Wyverna: The one the Keepers call the Commander. He hurt me a long time ago, and I’ve been attempting to recover. But I think I’m dying now. Please! I just need a few drops of blood.

Venessa comes closer to her.

Cory: Venessa, no!

Wyverna reaches her hand toward Venessa’s cheek: Just a drop…

Dortor: No! Don’t!

Monitor: Warning! Disconnected! Forty-two seconds until depravity paralysis!

Wyverna’s cheeks begin to sink inward: I can’t reach you. There isn’t much time!

Venessa freezes in place. The world seems to spin around her. She’s in a strange place that looks nothing like Earth. She catches flashes of a glowing white fluid oozing into the ground and causing it to slowly rot. Suddenly, Venessa comes to.

Monitor: Warning! Disconnected! Twenty-eight seconds until depravity paralysis!

Wyverna:(to the Hostility that Cory’s fighting) Make her bleed!

Venessa: No!

The Hostility rushes toward Venessa and grabs her arm.

Dortor stands up: GET AWAY FROM HER!!!

The Hostility is thrown against the wall at the end of the hallway. The air seems to stand still and yet be filled with noise. Venessa watches as Wyverna and Second Law are thrown against the wall. They seem to be seizing. Then, everything goes back to normal. Venessa looks back and forth, amazed. Then, her adrenaline drops, and the pain in her jaw emerges.