Chapter 06 Encounter with Abominator

Sable glanced nervously back toward the open bunker doors, his fingers tapping rapidly on his holo-device. 

 “We can’t leave those doors open! If anyone followed us, or if something decides to wander in, we’ll be sitting ducks. I’ll seal them behind us, and I’ll also try to restore power. At least enough to light the place up.”

Dune shifted the steel beam across her back. 

“You’re saying you’re going to slam a few hundred tons of bunker doors shut? Locking us in here with who-knows-what?”

 Her smirk carried a biting edge.

 “Great plan, Professor. What could possibly go wrong?”

Sable shot her an annoyed glance but didn’t pause in his work. He knelt by the massive console embedded in the wall near the entrance, connecting a sleek hacking device to the corroded panel. Sparks flew as the device powered up, its screen glowing faintly.

 “This isn’t up for debate,” he muttered, hunched over as he typed commands. 

“The doors stay shut until we’re done here. It’s standard protocol for containment.”

Dune leaned against the wall, idly twirling a stray strand of her hair. 

“Containment. That’s reassuring. Because nothing says safe like locking ourselves in a bunker of dead scientists, bullet-riddled walls, and the lingering stench of experiments gone horribly wrong.”

Mia stiffened, glancing around nervously at the skeleton-strewn hallway.

 “Could you not? I don’t need the spooky commentary right now.”

Reed, on the other hand, laughed and slapped his knee.

 “Aw, come on, Mia. She’s just setting the mood. You know, keeping things lively! Well, as lively as they can be in a tomb full of lab geeks and their failed science fair projects.”

Dune smirked, giving Reed a lazy salute. 

“Glad someone appreciates my humor. Seriously, though,” she continued, her gaze sharpening as she looked toward Sable, “I hope your plan includes more than just ‘lights on, doors shut.’ Because whatever killed all these people…” She gestured toward the skeletons with her steel beam, “...might still be here. And I doubt it’s in the mood for visitors.”

Sable didn’t respond immediately, his attention focused on the flickering console screen. The hum of the device grew louder, and the ground shuddered faintly as the massive gears of the bunker doors began to turn. Dune tensed, watching as the titanic slabs of metal groaned to life, slowly grinding shut. The sound reverberated through the hallway like a giant beast exhaling its last breath.

The final clank of the doors sealing echoed ominously, and the bunker plunged into near silence, save for the occasional flicker of a failing overhead light. Sable glanced at his device, muttering under his breath.

 “Just a little more... got it.”

The console crackled, and with a loud clunk, the bunker’s emergency power system flickered online. Dim lights buzzed to life along the hallway, casting long shadows over the skeletons and bullet-pocked walls. The air seemed to grow heavier, as if the bunker itself were waking up.

“There. We’ve got lights,” Sable announced, straightening and brushing dust from his coat. “Not much, but enough to navigate.”

“Gee, thanks,” Dune said, her voice dry. She swept her gaze down the dimly lit corridor, the red-orange glow giving the scene an eerie, hellish tint. 

“You’ve really outdone yourself, Professor. Now we can see the monsters coming before they eat us.”

Mia shivered, gripping her sniper rifle tightly. 

“Can we not talk about monsters? Or eating? Or... any of this?” She glanced nervously at the darkened edges of the hallway, her eyes darting to the flickering lights. 

“Let’s just get to the lab and get this over with.”

Reed chuckled, clearly unfazed by the spooky atmosphere.

 “Relax, Mia. It’s probably just rats. Big, mutated, probably carnivorous rats. But hey, they’ve gotta eat too, right?” He gave her a cheeky grin, clearly enjoying her discomfort.

Mia glared at him, her face flushing red. 

“Reed, if you don’t shut up, I swear—”

Dune interrupted with a low chuckle, adjusting the strap of her SMG. 

“Alright, kids, enough bickering. Let’s move. We’re burning time. Professor, lead the way. Let’s get this over with before—”

Her words were cut short by the sound of scraping metal, faint but unmistakable. It echoed through the hall like nails on a chalkboard, coming from somewhere deep within the darkness of the hallway. 

“What was that?” Sable whispered, clutching his holo-device.

Before anyone could answer, the faint red dots at the far end of the hallway flickered, then began to move. 

 “Trouble!” Dune shouted, lunging for Sable. She grabbed his collar and yanked him, dragging him behind the nearest doorway.

The corridor lit up with a sudden burst of gunfire, rapid and deafening. Muzzle flashes from the far end cast flickering shadows, illuminating the horror for only split seconds at a time. A hulking, grotesque figure emerged from the darkness, its body a patchwork of rusted metal, rotting flesh, and grotesque cybernetics. Its red eyes burned like twin embers, scanning for its prey.

Bullets tore through the air with an unrelenting fury and slamming into the sealed doors behind them. Sparks flew like fireworks, painting the corridor in bursts of light. The sound was deafening, like a thunderstorm trapped in a bottle.

“Hell yeah!” Reed shouted, his eyes wide with excitement as he peeked out from cover. He smacked his wrench against his palm, grinning like a madman. 

“Finally, some action! I was starting to think this place was just dead nerds and cobwebs!”

“Reed!” Mia shoved him back into cover, her eyes locked on the hulking figure down the corridor. Her face was grim, her grip tightening on her sniper rifle.

 “This isn’t a joke. That thing’s built like a tank, and it’s not going to stop until we’re dead.”

Sable, crouched behind the doorway, was visibly shaking. His face was pale, his breathing shallow and rapid.

 “It nearly got me! I... I almost—” He cut himself off with a choked sound, clutching his chest as if to calm his racing heart.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dune said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she peeked out from cover, her SMG at the ready.

 “Try not to wet yourself, Professor. I’d hate to have to explain to your high-paying bosses how their genius scientist got turned into Swiss cheese because he froze up at the wrong time.”

Despite her sharp tone, Dune’s eyes were sharp, darting over the Abominator’s hulking frame as it stomped closer. Each step it took sent tremors through the floor, the sound of grinding metal growing louder with each passing moment.

Reed leaned out again, his grin undeterred.

 “Man, would you look at that thing? It’s like Frankenstein’s meaner cousin had a baby with a junkyard. Bet it’s got a killer handshake!”

“Reed, focus! This isn’t the time for jokes!”

“Relax, Mia,” Reed said, giving her a playful nudge.

 “We’ve got Dune Vega, the famous Crash, on our side! What’s a little zombie tank gonna do against her?”

Dune smiled, but her smirk was tight.

 “Appreciate the vote of confidence, Reed, but this thing’s not just any ‘zombie tank.’ That’s an Abominator. Pre-war super soldier, designed to wipe out entire battalions. Most of them went nuts when the world ended. This one’s been patching itself up with whatever it can find. And I’m guessing it hasn’t had a spa day since the apocalypse.”

Sable swallowed hard, his voice trembling. 

“Yes, this thing was human once!”

“Was. Now it’s just a walking nightmare with a grudge against anything that breathes. And guess what? We’re on its menu.”

The Abominator’s footsteps grew louder, closer, its glowing eyes locked on their position. The whir of grinding gears filled the air, accompanied by the low, guttural growl of its voice modulator.

“Unauthorized intruders detected,” it rumbled, its voice distorted and metallic, like a corrupted machine. 

“Elimination protocol... engaged.”