Chapter 10 - Outbreak [4]

(Pov – Dr. Laura Cavendish)

At this very moment, Laura was deeply frightened. In fact, "frightened" wasn't a strong enough term to describe her emotional state; "terrified" seemed more appropriate. Of course, this wasn't the first time she'd faced a situation like this.

Laura could confidently say she'd survived much worse situations involving anomalies even more incomprehensible than those running outside. However, that didn't change the fact that the current situation was terrifying. Strangely, despite everything, compared to other situations, Laura didn't feel more fear than before.

The reason for this was simple and even a bit funny. It all came down to the small anomaly still inside the aquarium, observing its surroundings with a cute gaze. Laura had no concrete evidence or conducted tests to confirm her theory, but she felt that the anomaly wasn't as fierce when it came to humans.

Laura didn't believe the anomaly actually favored humans or anything like that. However, it was clear that it wasn't extremely aggressive, because otherwise, Laura would have been dead a long time ago. Besides, she had encountered many anomalies, some with enough intelligence to establish some form of communication. Although this communication wasn't as clear or cooperative as scientists would have liked, it still showed a certain level of understanding.

Laura theorized that the anomaly wasn't exactly peaceful with humans but saw them as something relatively close or even similar. Perhaps that was why it hadn't attacked them in the forest earlier. However, these were just Laura's speculations, without concrete evidence. Therefore, she had already prepared an answer for Victor's words.

"We can't just leave it here; we need to take it with us"

Laura was resolute in her decision; there was no going back. Besides, this was a new anomaly, never before seen by them, with invaluable research potential. It was unlikely they would find another like it, so Laura knew she needed to take it for further study.

"Are you serious? If those creatures catch us while we're carrying this aquarium, we'll all be dead"

Laura acknowledged that Victor was right, but her decision was made. This was clear in her determined look as she fixed her eyes on Victor. No matter what happened, she wouldn't back down.

"Laura's right. This anomaly seems different from the others—why does it resemble a human so much? And why didn't it attack us? We need to take it with us to study it further. We must find out what its anomalous powers are and how this can help us understand anomalies better"

Laura breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Emily coming to her aid. Regardless of the reasons, the end result was what really mattered. With Emily by her side, Laura turned her gaze back to Victor, feeling her confidence grow even more.

"... Why are you all so reckless and suicidal? And more importantly, why the hell do I still accept working this horrible job?"

"Could it be because we offer good pay?"

Laura watched Victor sigh, resigned to his fate. In the end, he accepted the situation since there wasn't much choice. Even though Laura and Victor had been friends for some time, the hierarchy within the organization was clear: Victor had to obey Laura's orders, and especially Emily's.

"Since we're going to face this crazy situation, I might as well take charge of pushing. I'm the strongest, so maybe we can reach the van before those things catch up with us. But just to be clear, I still think this is a bad idea"

As she listened to Victor's lectures, Laura stepped aside to let him take control of the aquarium. She looked inside again and noticed the anomaly seemed curious about something. Its gaze constantly shifted between Laura, Emily, and Victor. Laura wasn't sure if the anomaly understood them, but it seemed to grasp that something was happening.

"Everything's set. I got the data we needed. We can leave now"

Emily's words brought a more serious tone to the environment. She, Victor, and Laura exchanged looks, and in silence, all nodded. Emily walked to the door and slowly opened it. The frightening sounds from outside grew louder, intensifying Laura's tension.

"For now, I can't see the anomalies. It's probably safe to go out now. Let's go"

With that, they were now outside. Victor pushed the aquarium while Laura and Emily ran a bit ahead, checking the path. Across the ground, mutilated bodies were scattered: monsters with holes through their bodies and humans with missing heads or limbs.

The path was soaked in blood, and with each step, Laura's shoes became even more stained. The increasingly frequent screams and gunshots echoed from the forest, suggesting that the containment team was desperately trying to hold off the monsters.

"I've contacted the organization. They should arrive in a few minutes to contain these things. Our exit will likely coincide with their arrival"

Laura felt immediate relief at those words—once they reached the main entrance, everyone would be safe. However, as she turned the corner leading directly to the gate, her hopes were completely shattered.

Resembling a dog but with human arms and walking on two legs, the creature had a grotesque mouth on its stomach, chewing contentedly on a severed piece of arm—or perhaps leg. Laura couldn't tell, as there was almost nothing left but bone.

However, the same scene repeated several times, not with one but with over 20 of those monsters. In short, the place was infested. Laura felt her legs tremble and her breath grow heavy.

"Laura, what's happening? Why aren't you responding? I asked if everything was okay… What the hell!"

Victor couldn't finish his sentence. Emily, beside him, had a similarly worried expression. At that exact moment, Laura, Emily, and Victor shared the same thought: they were completely screwed.

While all this chaos was unfolding, the small anomaly inside the aquarium watched the scene. Its usual expression of indifference was still clearly visible on its face. However, unlike its outward expression, only one thought was running through its mind as it observed the situation.

(Are these abominations multiplying, or what?)