Prologue

The small entourage of three turned the corner and began running down the droning grey corridors. The complex was confusingly repetitive; the group had now run around the hallways twice already. The two men weary from breaking into the facility were now slowing. Jerri the smaller of the two was obviously almost defeated. Thick stubble sprouted from his face and deep lines grooved beneath his eyes. Carl the larger males face was stoic and only his eyes displayed his concern.

As the group snuck around the hallway it became clear; they needed to make a detour before going around in yet another circle. Jerri pointed at a door a quarter of the way down the corridor on the right. Simultaneously a red light flashed and a resounding siren began to sound.

Silence was pointless now; the two men grabbed the last of the three a pregnant woman called Jane. They pulled her both delicately and vigorously towards the door. Grabbing the metal handle Carl pulled down with all of his strength. It clunked loudly as the lock jammed the door in place. Pushing Carl out of the way Jerri grabbed the crowbar he had attached to his back and wedged it in the door. Pushing forcefully a spray of splinters of wood flew through the air as the door gave. Jerri and Jane piled into the room leaving Carl momentarily out in the corridor.

Above the loud siren Carl could hear a buzzing. "They have a dark magician" he screamed. Flying around the corner a cloud of thousands of dark bugs, each one's poison packing a death sentence. This was one of the security formations of the facility, and a deadly one.

Carl slammed the door "Grey scarabs!" he shouted. Although the door slammed easily the lock and handle were broken; only weight could keep it shut. All three people flattened themselves against the door in an effort to keep the evil insects away.

"They're coming" screamed Jane. The thunder of the swarm almost drowning her out. "Keep pushing" Jerri shouted over the noise, the fear in his voice obvious; his body trembling at the attempt to keep the bulging door shut.

"We're trapped!" Carl looked at Jerri, tears brimming in his eyes. A lifetime of friendship had brought Carl here to help his best friend in his time of need. Jerri would have done the same for him in a heartbeat and he knew it. Despite that bond, leaving behind his children and his wife was almost unthinkable. Even now Carl was more determined than he had ever been to survive.

Jerri scanned the room hastily, not much was visible through the dim light from the single lamp hanging from the roof. They had retreated into a small square concrete room; it looked like a storage closet. Perhaps running into the first door visible had been an unwise decision he briefly thought.

After a quick observation Jerri noticed there was a small see-through hatch in the roof, it was made of thick glass. Possibly an old air vent, he didn't care; anywhere was safer than here. "Into the vent quickly!" he barked gesturing towards the ceiling with his nose.

Carl looked up and grabbing the hatch in one swift movement; the hatch falling to the ground. "I will go first and lift Jane; I will take care of her." Carl said whilst clambering up into the small vent. His face was red and his exhaustion was obvious as he glanced deeply into Jerri's eyes.

Jerri's mouth was a straight line as he nodded at Carl. A silent promise was made. This was the end of the long tiresome journey for Jerri.

Quickly Carl lifted his body into the vent; he threw down his muscular arm grabbing at Jane to help her up into the vent. She threw her arm up barely reaching. Carl lifted her up clutching her tightly by her wrist. Water hit the floor.

"My waters have broken!" Jane screamed her face a pasty white as Carl pulled her into the vent.

Jerri looked at his wife; a look of realisation came across his face. He smiled; he was going to be a father. A single tear rolled down his cheek. He crossed into the centre of the room in two long strides grabbing the vent hatch. The door behind him burst open thousands of poisonous bugs flooding the room. Jane screamed. Jerri was still smiling at her as he forced the hatch back onto the vent protecting them from certain death.

"We have to leave now" Carl said pulling at Jane's arm. She put her hand to the glass hatch and watched as her husband sat down amidst the flurry. Slowly as his body started to spasm, she turned and crawled down the vents weeping for the loss of her husband.

"I have to stop" Jane said her face pale with sweat. It had been only a few minutes since they began the crawl and she looked drained. Her crawling becoming more and more strained, she was sweating profusely and she was slowing.

"There is a room close it should be safe." Carl was uneasy, he knew the baby was early, and Jane was far too exhausted for a safe birth. The light coming from the room below seemed to be the safest place to retreat to for now.

Carl dropped into the room silently a small gas lamp hung from the roof illuminating the room faintly. It seemed to be an abandoned document room of sorts; the room was covered with shelving, a fine layer of dust laying upon them. It looked unlikely anyone would come in here; it seemed a good enough place to help Jane. He stood waiting to see Jane come to the edge of the hatch however she did not emerge.

"Jane! Jane!" Carl shouted back into the vent there was a deathly silence in response. Carl jumped up into the hatch, lifting his huge body to look back into the vent. Jane lay a few metres into the vent unconscious and slumped in a heap.

"JANE!" Carl screamed. He grabbed her body harshly and lowered her into the room. Her body landing loudly on the floor. She weakly opened her eyes and muttered.

"Cut it out". Her eyes fluttering as she suffered intense pain.

Carl grabbed his knife without hesitation and stabbed downwards. His previous medic history did not prepare him for this.

The womb opened blood pooling on the floor. He put both his hands in and cupped around the child's fragile body. Blood was pooling on the floor in a shocking quantity. How could there be so much blood! He was sure that he had avoided any arteries. He cut the umbilical cord quickly and tucked the child into his thick coat. He looked back at Jane; her eyes were open, sharp but there was no mistaking the pale parlour of deaths door.

"It's a boy." Carl stated looking at the tiny body within his arms. Despite the tragic circumstances of the birth nothing had looked so peaceful to Carl in many years.

"Ares" then Jane shut her eyes as her body collapsed. Looking at her body Carl shed a silent tear. Having known Jane for many years finally seeing her lifeless form was heart-breaking. He paused momentarily thinking of the vibrant personality the woman had in life.

Carl looked at the child, it was healthy and breathing deeply. It opened his eyes and looked up at Carl, its irises were pitch black and there was a queer look of understanding in its eyes. Something was different about the child Carl knew deep in his heart. Carl cupped the babe to his chest. Whatever the circumstances he would treat this child like his own son. He stalked off to search for an exit.