Aberrant: Dead Rising - [Fic] Leviathan Stirring In The Deep

[SalmonMax]

"Ready?" Dan called. His voice echoed eerily up the dark, still halls of the old medical complex.

Myfwany nodded, out of reflex, then yelled back, "Yeah! Hit it!"

There was a loud clunk, and the overhead lights started to flicker on. Then a buzz started, and one of the panels exploded in a shower of sparks. Everything went dark again. Myf tried hard not to let her heart sink. The complex was in terrible shape...examination of the walls had shown many of them perforated by small holes. The 'leech' creatures Jon created seemed to exude an acid that dissolved the metal and sheet rock. They'd been responsible for all the collapses in the lower levels...to the point where those levels were simply structurally unsafe to move within. Fortunately Jon had retained enough sanity not to let them munch at the main load-bearing struts that held the floors up...or they'd all be sitting in a giant pit full of rubble right now.

But even the first floor could be invaluable if the power could be fixed. If not though, it was good only for stripping of supplies. And supplies weren't what she needed. Well, weren't all she needed. What she needed most was space. Space away from settlements; secure space for the experiments that needed to happen. This would be a good place.

If the goddamn power worked.

"What happened?" she shouted.

Dan's swear echoed up, then he said, "There was a short...tripped a breaker. I'm on it."

Myf's big fear was that the leeches had holed the cables somewhere so remote...or so many times...that they'd never find all the gaps. Still...the lights HAD come on this time. Power had flowed. That was definitely a step forward.

Almost all the debris and rubble had been moved out. Sarah and Kristin had handled the big stuff, and a horde of normal folks that Myf had never seen before, but who apparently owed Fox a favor, cleared out the garbage and smaller rocks and crushed office supplies. The bodies were taken out by Sarah, just to make sure no one 'caught' Z from them. Myf didn't think Jon would be contagious, but it paid not to take chances. There were still a few desks and chairs, and the few computers they'd found which weren't obviously too damaged to function. File cabinets, folders and notebooks...everything legible was gathered in the large room Myf was in. It had been a lab once, and God willing, it would be again.

"Okay! One more time!" Dan shouted.

The thick electric buzz again...but this time it didn't suddenly stop with a clunk and an explosion. Lights came flickering to life. Oh, it was dim...half the bulbs had been broken...and it had the sallow bluish tinge that cheap fluorescents had...but it was glorious. Most of the sockets still worked. New bulbs could be gotten. It could work. It could come back to life!

Dan whooped and a moment later came into the lab. Myf felt like running over and hugging him, but remembered hearing he was in a relationship again (and with a sane woman this time), so she restrained herself. Not that it would have been a sexual gesture, but she didn't want to embarrass him. Or herself.

She couldn't help grinning at him though as she came over. This tangible step was the biggest, best thing she'd done since joining the Refuge. Already her brain seethed with ideas for things to do. There was still a lot of work though.

"This is awesome, Dan, I can't thank you enough. Do you have to run right away, or...well, I wanted to go over the plans for the zombie pen with you and start looking for where we can put it if you have time."

Dan grinned his 'aw shucks' grin and rubbed the back of his head. "That sounds good, but...well, I should be checking back in. What about tomorrow?"

Myfwany nodded. "Tomorrow's fine. And I have these computers and files and...all that to go over. Try to find out what happened to Jon and all. Yeah, tomorrow's actually better. Tomorrow then."

"You'll be all right here tonight?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. Way out of college and this is no haunted house."

Dan looked around. "Maybe not, but it's still pretty freaky. Especially after what we saw in here."

"If worst comes to worst I can fly back to the Refuge. Or call on the shortwave. I'll be fine."

"Alright then, doctor. See you tomorrow."

Myf waved as Dan ambled back out. "Seeya."

She heard the security door open, and close with a resounding, thunderous clang. All alone now, in the belly of the beast. Very deliberately she didn't look at the wall. The blood smear had long since been wiped clean, but she still remembered it.

She plugged in a laptop, and turned it on.