Chapter 18: Spore Infection

Mark's POV

After discussing with us what we need to do, I had second thoughts. I reconsidered my opinion toward the woman, who knows how to throw a hard punch to the face. She also made sure that we all take notes of what we need and its appearance and for instructions on how to handle them.

"Still angry at me?" she looks at me as if it's still on my mind. "You nearly killed me 3 times already. I should ask you right now if you don't trust me at all?" she asked.

"To be honest, I should have paid more to the safety regulation!" I punched a wall in my anger. "I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTENTION AND THE PLANET ATMOSPHERE WAS CLEAN FOR US TO BREATHE, DAMMIT!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

"I'm sorry... You had no way of knowing, and I didn't consider asking at the time until ..." she trailed off.

"You mean A.D.P.E.N? The Bi-"I paused my words for a moment. "The computer program that nearly killed us, only to tell us we doomed ourselves by shutting it down."

"We stopped her from trying to kill us all. But... Without her." she stopped when she heard a noise in the area. "One of the infected... Remain alert!" she said as she pulled her gun.

As we continued to move toward the elevator, we noticed a man covered in vine and vegetation. I asked Jenny if she can turn them into batteries or clear them away instantly, but to no avail as she stated her immense power needed time to reactivate after the battle with the AI.

"There is an elevator is on the 1st-floor that can take us directly there and yes... It is magic proof and tamper-proof that can operate with or without the need of power," she said, looking at me.

"Then let's go there." I looked up suddenly to see something jumping down toward us.

A man, mutated with vines, blisters, veins, and distorted features on his body. His hands are cracking and his fingernails are black. His mouth has yellow-color and his canine teeth. The fucker is sniffing around for something or someone; I draw out my gun in reflex, with the others preparing for anything.

"Uhhh.." the creature moans. "I feel... Bliss..." he looked up at us. "Behold... we have blessed you with our bounty." the creature pointed its finger at us. "Come to us... Come... To your family..." the creature moans incoherently.

What the fuck is his problem?

"Don't even think about it! Don't even take another fucking step!" I shouted at the creature, but it seemed to ignore what I said.

"Discord... You!" he slowly stalked Millie and pointed his finger. "You have done this to us!!"

"Back the hell away from me, beast!" she shouted as she is slowly backing up. "I have done nothing to you!"

"No..." the creature shook his head. "No... No... No... No..." the creature shake as if to block certain thoughts. "No... Millie. You have made us and ..." the creature's arm stretched and became distorted. "You don't get it? You have ... Be... Become... the Discord!" the creature mutated further to where it is barely human and grows a tail. "YOU HAVE... BECOME A DISCORD!!" The creature let out an inhuman howl and leaps at Millie.

We fired rounds at the creature, but the creature was resistant toward our guns.

"STAY... OUT..." the creature shouted as used its mutated arm to sweep us aside. "YOU ARE A DISCORD... YOU WILL BE LAID ASIDE!!" it shouts as it pounces on Millie and begins attempting to tear open her suit...

Ack... Damn it! That fucker is strong, but Millie... I quickly grabbed it using my telekinetics and held him in place and called forth my psycho-kinesis. I rip out the creature's spine as it screamed in agony using my mind. With that, the creature is dead. I've quickly gone over to Millie, she seems no worse for wear as I helped her up.

"You alright?" I asked.

"Uh.. yeah, I'm all alright..." she said, but I noticed she seemed a little tired."We need to keep going!"

As we headed back to the floor, I noticed that Millie had used rails to steady herself and I noticed she determined to keep going.

"Millie! Are you all alright? Do you need-"

"I am ... alright..." she collapsed on the steps fall a flight of the stairs. We moved quickly to pick her up, but I noticed veins are showing on her body.

"Uh... I'm alright," she said definitely. "What happened? Oh right, the level 4 elevator on level 1!" she said, ignore our concerns. "Are you people coming or not?!" she suddenly yelled at us.

Victor's Pov

When I saw her fall on a flight of stairs, I saw that the veins were growing on her neck. That man was infected, but it seemed he kept some of his humanity before he suddenly attacked in a blind rage. She somehow became infected when that creature attacked her, but she is ill and unwell. I walked up to her to ask how she is feeling only to get an "I'm alright" response from her every time, I'm sensing it will not end well.

"Millie! Stop!" I said in the middle of the hallway near the elevator. "You are ill and unwell, you knew that infected by now? Your skin is turning purple.".

"Look, we're getting closer to the elevator and you bring this up now?!" she asked.

"I bring it up because I am worried you will not make the journey ahead. And I...," I stopped, hesitating to say any further.

"If I turn into one of those things... If I cannot take another step further..." she said while going near me. "I'm already dead for god's sake but I need to press on and if I can't then you guys would at least know what to do!" she stated, accepting her grim fate."You'll kill me if I turn into one of those things or you'll stand there and allow me to turn?" she asked me.

"No, I will end it if it comes to that. You have my word." I said.

"Good!" she said with a slight smile." We should get- " she violently coughs up green fluid from her mouth, falling to the ground.

We watched as she continued to cough. Her legs were becoming tree trunks. She is mutating into... oh god... I instinctively reach to the hilt of my blade to fire off a wave of energy... But...

"Run... Ahh... Run... now! You-promised...! Do It now!" she pleaded as she continued to hemorrhage blood from her mouth and her eyes are bleeding. "Please... Hurry!" as she continued to scream out to me. "Victor!!" as she suddenly screamed as one of her tendrils nearly hit one of us.

I can't... Why?... Why is my body frozen like this?! I can't draw my blade on her.

Then suddenly inhuman screams filled the air... Joe?! As I turned around, he was using pyrokinesis to set her on fire, to put her out of her misery. Sakura had to drag me to the elevator quickly as the others got in. As the elevator took up, I weep silently as she screamed in a torrent of flames, Sakura held my hand to ensure she understood me.

"I failed to honor my oath to her..." I said silently, lamenting that I couldn't do it.

"Hey man, look-" Joe tried to comfort me but I will have none of it.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO SET HER ON FIRE!" I suddenly yelled.

"What do you want to do?! Stand there and let her become one of those things?" he said with a straight tone. "Look at me, man. Do you want me to stand there and let her attack us?!" he continued to push the point.

"No... She wouldn't want this..." I said, turning my back on him. "I apologize, Joe. She didn't deserve this fate, I would wish it on anyone."

"Damn, Vic!" Jenny blurted. "And here I thought you would be cold as ice."

I briefly chuckled at that thought as we continue to head up to the 4th elevator. The boss gave a briefing on what we need to do now. We honored Millie first since she was a friend of ours, and we will remember her sacrifice that gave us the tools to do our task. Upon arriving at the 4th floor, he gave us the lay down on what we need to do.

"Okay team, here is the strategy." he begins the debrief. "We will split up to get the components that we need, traveling together in a group will draw unwanted attention from the infected and it would accomplish our goals quicker."

Sakura speaks up: Do you think, sir, that would be unwise? Split up is even more dangerous than staying together. Plus, we can get done if we work together.

"No, Sakura." Skip disagreed."We have 4 hours, 15 minutes until we become fully infected. It would be quicker to gain the items by ourselves if we split up and believe me, you can always manipulate gravity and use your immense telekinetic powers to hurl them around." he smiled.

Sakura teases him with a smile on her face: Oh, suddenly having an interest in Women?!

"What?! No!" he said, fluttering at the thought.

"Oh, come on, you need to get laid! Dude, it's not every day you would face danger daily and have the ladies swoon over you." Jenny said while doing a shoulder bump.

"Oh not you too, Jenny. I... already had.. a woman in mind and no, until the mission is over with. Then we'll talk!" he said while seeming to be eager to continue the mission.

I laugh, which Skip raised an eyebrow at me since I knew that he is into the company of men. I already knew of that long ago since he did not tell his father. Even Joe and Mark seem to join in and tell him he needs to get himself a girlfriend, much to his chagrin.

"Guys quit it! But though, we need to get the components quickly." he reminds us of getting back on track on the subject.

Team setup

Skip & Mark will stay up on this Floor to get the Orpilus qualate and some chemicals.

Joe & Me- will head to the botanical grove outside of the station to get the Rejuvenation and some chemicals there.

Jenny & Sakura will head to the Basement levels to get another Plant sample and Nanotite beads.

Then we'll meet up at the Scilab once we get what we need.

"You have your orders, team. Stay safe! You are not alone in these halls, be certain of that!" he said as we began going in separate directions.