Shadow Empire(Mass Effect) by MeridianSKY

Synopsis: A second chance in another universe… in someone else's body? Would you have accepted? How far would you go to prepare the galaxy against the Reapers? Can unforeseen factors in the equation that even the Reapers didn't account for, in their billion-year existence, tip the scale of balance in the organic's favor?

Rated: M

Words: 174k

Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13462572/1/Shadow-Empire

Valmar Remarks: I've read through likely hundreds of Mass Effect fanfiction throughout the years but even then this one easily sits near the top for being the most interesting for me. It's currently sitting at only 11 chapters at the time of sharing this but each chapter is very meaty and the protagonist is pretty awesome. The SI arrives in the Mass Effect universe within the body of Albert Wesker, powers included, and an AI chip. Even though I have no personal knowledge about Resident Evil or Wesker I was able to follow it fine and it doesn't require you to know much about that franchise to follow the story as there hasn't been any other Resident Evil references, it isn't a crossover.

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Chapter 0: Prologue

"Please insert your key card."

...

"Key card verified and accepted."

"Please put both your hands inside the scanner, face straight forward to the sensors and answer the following questions."

"Designation and Security Clearance?"

"ZD-27-TAU-57i-ULTRA"

"Employee Name?"

"Dr. Levon James"

"True (Birth) Name?"

...

"…Dr. Ray Parker"

"Date of Birth?"

"2000/Aug/23, Wed, 07:10:04 PM [Age: 17]"

"Preliminary gait analysis and key card identification confirmed."

"Hand print, voice pattern, and passphrase confirmed."

...

"Heart rate, pupil dilation and blood pressure confirmed and validated."

"Please complete your final security measures by inputting passcode while under the monitor of electrocardiograph headset. And place your wrist under the DNA processor."

...

"Passcode authenticated, thought process validated and DNA markers & traits identified."

"Welcome to the Chirikof Base, Dr. James"

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Came a gruff reply from said doctor.

X-X-X

That's the everyday morning life of one Dr. Levon James or rather Dr. Ray Parker. Levon James is the name usually used in the base and everyone has their own made up names which means no one really knows their colleagues' real names. For the sake of security, says the protocol.

Paranoid much?

Very much and unfortunately it is warranted. After all, this base, the Chirikof was not just your typical run-of-the-mill military base.

To understand about what I do, let's talk about the origin of this base.

This is one of the most secretive facilities which specializes in bio-organic weapons and bio warfare. Not excluding chemical warfare as well. This base is located on Chirikof Island in the Gulf of Alaska approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Kodiak Island.

'Located on', would be the wrong choice of word since the actual facility is approximately a mile beneath the island and put together in cooperation with the world's superpower nations such as United States, United Kingdom, Canada and later Australia, France, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, and a few more European and South American nations.

Constructed way back in 1947 when a house-sized asteroid crashed near the Niagara Falls and the local inhabitants started to fall sick. The military was on the scene and before anyone got a whiff of what the hell's going on, it was collected and transported back to a secure military facility. The cover story was that the sickness was caused by radiation, emitting from the asteroid. And the sick people were quarantined and later declared deceased.

Of course, it was a total horseshit and those people were incinerated when the extensive medical test proved that it was a sickness caused not by radiation but by an extraterrestrial virus hitching a free ride deep inside the asteroid.

That virus was named "Entity Z-TRA_01". The people who were infected actually got lucky because the virus was initially weak and in the process of adapting to Earth's environment and human biology when it first infected, and the patients only suffered brain lesions, catastrophic nervous system failure, bleeding from, well every goddam holes and extreme fever. Then eventual death.

Many would say it's a horrible to thing to say that the patients were lucky. The first scientists and doctors that have firsthand experience would stand by their words because the later revelations were downright horrifying. So, the total of a hundred and twelve patients were infected with Z-TRA_01 and later incinerated in the incineration chambers.

The moment the doctors and scientists realized that the cause of sickness is due to a virus and extraterrestrial in origin at that, everyone went bat shit crazy because it just proves that life beyond Earth was no longer theoretical but a fact. So, the high-ranking brass were terrified to their cores and decided to move the asteroid to a remote island called the Chirikof Island, later a full-fledged military base was approved and built deep under the island. To contain the asteroid and study the virus.

X-X-X

It was a year later when the true nature of this alien virus was revealed when one of the lab technicians got contaminated with the dust from the asteroid and the idiot scratched it and the dust burrowed further inside the skin and that's how the whole thing started.

The subject became weak within four minutes, which alerted his nearby colleagues when he collapsed in the middle of the lab. The subject was quarantined immediately and another ten minutes later, weight loss resulted and the blood vessels became apparent all over the body and the color changed to dark purple and black. Weight loss became critical, the subject's mental state declined and became erratic. Despite the extreme weight loss, the body started to bloat and observers can see that there are, 'things' moving inside the subject's body.

After fifteen minutes of initial infection, the subject was clinically dead. But it's not done yet. The virus hasn't finished and the dead body started seizing on the dead bed and the next thing was the scene that none of the observers outside the room could ever forget. Insect-like creatures the size of ping-pong ball emerged from the patient's mouth one by one until every orifice was erupting with said creatures until the body literally exploded and the creatures spread to every part of the room.

Crawling every damn surface and the thing is these little buggers can sense any nearby living organisms so the army of them started coordinating with each other and started ramming the door. And that's when the room was purged with fire.

Actually, when the patient was moved, an incineration chamber was used as a pseudo patient-zero room and so when things went south, a button was only needed to be pressed and the chamber went up in flames.

You see, the island was not exactly uninhabited in first place, it was already used for storing and disposing leftover chemical arsenals (chemunitions) from the Great War (World War 1), and the incineration chambers weren't that uncommon.

Though a few of the creatures managed to hide inside the door frame. But then the scientists realized that without number they became docile and uncoordinated but still extremely dangerous as each individual creature can sense the living organisms. They were kept as samples in secure containment units with napalm charges ready to detonate the moment the containment unit fails.

These alien creatures were using the host body they inhabit as food source and incubator as later studies show. Their goal seems to be all about multiplying and devouring every organic as many as possible. The more there are the more intelligent and coordinated they became, something akin to hive mind mentality. Yet, there was no centralized system like queens or anything. It's always about numbers. Their strength and weakness.

Just as much as there were risk involving the study of "Entity Z-TRA_01", there were also boon from this. Like the toxin they produced was highly effective against certain types of cancer. It was believed that modified toxin might be the key to total elimination of any cancers.

Only if that modification didn't cause unpredictable partial to full paralysis, heart failure and occasional brain death.

Aside from medical applications, the shell of these creatures proved to be highly resistant to kinetic impacts such as bullets. Superimposing these shells and weaving them in layers and you get one hell of a personal armor. Strong, light and flexible.

The first ever organic armor was created. The only problem was you need bucket loads of those nasty buggers to create a fairly decent body armor.

The toxin was quite potent and just one milligram was enough to put down a full-grown adult and ten milligrams to an elephant.

Fire seems to be the most effective weapon against them for now and electricity fucked up their senses and stunned them but not enough to kill them. Electricity became a perfect weapon to tame them in masses.

Which also meant the possibility of creating organic body armor from the shells became a possibility. Now they still require food source to convert into more of them. So, cattle farms were built on the island surface. Also, cows work too.

For the fear of breaking out, the number was limited and safety features and protocols were implemented. From simple napalm charges to bigger explosives that ready to send the entire island into Dante's Inferno. Later, nuclear devices were put in place after the island became a full-blown bio lab.

Nothing must ever escape from the island even high-ranking brass will have to stay if they ever find themselves trapped on that island.

Annual black budget was ever generous since it was funded by multiple nations. Nowadays it's forty to fifty billion dollars at minimum and is a norm for this subterranean facility that stretches underneath the entire island.

And it's not without a primary and defining cause.

In 1973, twenty-six years after the discovery of the "Entity Z-TRA_01", a young scientist by the name of Dr. Robert Wilson discovered that the original strain of virus contains the genetic memory of their origin and probably more. It was believed that those memories are passed down to the creatures and each and every entity has a copy of the genetic memory. By now an army of those creatures are called an entity. But finding the evidence of genetic memory was not that difficult. It's reading them was what makes the virus extremely valuable.

Untold amount of priceless information such as the origin of the virus. Information such as 'Is the virus artificial or natural? Is it a weapon or just a dominant life form from another planet?'

X-X-X

Five years later, Dr. Wilson found a way to decipher the genetic memory and interpret it into something understandable.

From there, it was uncovered that the virus was actually an artificially created foundation block of organic nanite or organite but it went rogue and it started multiplying out of control by incubating any living beings it can find.

Essentially, the aliens that created this organite suffered what the Earth scientists termed as organic grey goo scenario.

It also didn't help that the alien civilization that created this virus mainly uses organic technology. Which meant the Bio-organic computers, Bio-electric generators, you get the gist. Almost everything is made of flesh and not to mention everything you touch is slimly and gooey.

But something good came out of that horrible event. The virus managed to retain the blueprint of whatever organic technology it consumed. Bad for the alien creators yet great for the humanity.

Multiple research teams were soon formed to decipher and learn the organic technology of the "Promethean". Though they may not have intended to give us their knowledge. None the less, like the Titan Prometheus, they've bestowed their legacy upon Humanity accidentally.

Whoever or whatever these aliens are, they will be remembered, not forgotten into obscurity. And their accidental gift will not be squandered but used for betterment of Humanity. At least this is what humanity can do for them.

Well back to the virus being the foundation block of the organic nanites, the scientists, doctors and researchers were confident that with the information becoming available from the memories, they would like to give it another try since the benefits are too great not to look into it.

Only this time, another aspect was added to the nanites.

Humanity will not have just organic nanite but rather techno-organic nanite. Hopefully in the near future. That became one of the major projects with hundreds if not thousands of scientists, engineers and researchers. Annual budget for techno-organic nanite (T.O.N.) started with whopping 7 billion dollars. It was an international effort though the project and the island remained top secret.

The research and development of techno-organic nanite started in 1979 under the project name; High Hope.

Just because Project High Hope is important, it doesn't mean that there are no other projects going on.

Bio-electric generators being the alternative to harmful byproducts from the fission reactors and bio-organic computers that will become alternative to traditional silicon circuitry-based computers. DNA banks capable of storing more data than the silicon-based memory banks.

Whether it's power plant or computer or even thermal coolant, it was decided that fusion of flesh and metal will be the future of mankind.

So that is the brief history of the base and what it contains and what are being carried out on daily basis.

I on the other hand, graduated from college at age 10 with affinity for biology. (Yeah, I'm one of those young prodigy people hear about from their TV). Then, I was quickly snatched off from the front porch of my house just after the graduation ceremony and offered a job by the government. Of course, I agreed quickly and two days later I was shuttled from my hometown via military plane with all blacked-out windows.

My parents were of course hesitant at first since the place that I would be working is highly classified but in the end the decision to take the offer was up to me. At that time, I was becoming bored and craving for something different and challenging. The good thing is that my parents are allowed to visit me at my workplace twice a year. The funny thing is unlike other colleagues and fellow scientists, I don't get homesick or any emotional attachments to my parents.

Don't get me wrong, I love them dearly. Everything was almost complete at the base. For me, it's one giant playground or a sandbox. And I'm playing God on daily basis and getting paid for it.

So, the military plane that ferried me to the island was actually a C-5M Super Galaxy, one big badass cargo plane on its usual supply run from the mainland. The island has its own airport and it's a pretty big too since it also receives military planes from other part of the world. Soldiers, scientists, engineers and technicians of different flags were common sight on the island. And there is also extensive farming on the surface. Not just for food but also for experimentations. So, the cattle ranches are a plenty. When the island is looked from the outside, it appears simple and innocuous with farms dotting on the surface. The airport on the other hand was built with the artificial ridges providing some cover from the outside observations. But the airport was actually just a front, which means only big planes land there. The real or the VIP-reserved one is built underneath the island, accessible only through the shaft that opens and closes when long and tedious security procedures are completed. Only helicopters and VTOL capable jets are allowed of course. It is also conveniently connected with the main facility.

The island got multiple access points. From the usual entry from the surface or the underwater maglev-rail from the mainland. And also, submarine pen on northeast side of the island.

I and other scientists usually use surface entrance. The farms on the surface mostly have a barn or two and those barns are the access to the underground facility. It took at least fifty seconds to reach the bottom riding the magnetic elevator. That's 32.18 meters per second for one-mile (one-point-six km) trip. Pretty fast, isn't it? It should be. After all, even a few minutes or seconds are pretty much life and death or global catastrophe considering this island contains the cesspool of viruses, parasites, spores and any other nasties that were housed since the lab started running.

X-X-X

Elevator rides to secret underground laboratories and bio weapons, any of that feels familiar to you. Yeah, the island reminds many of the workers, especially gamers, of the Hive from the Resident Evil franchise. Sooner than later the new generation of scientists or nerds started calling their workplace, The Hive. Like that name myself too. It gives this distinctive aura of sinister and awe.

Approaching the locker room where I keep my stuff like my data pads, a few research notes and the most important of all, my sidearm. Heckler & Koch USP Elite 9mm with Merkle Tuning weight provided by the German allies after they were added to the group. Every scientist, technician and even support staff including base doctors possess at least one sidearm. That's the base policy. In case of intruder presence or full-blown attack, they are given permission to shoot on sight and shoot to kill. Quite extreme isn't it?

Which also means the base personnel must receive at least some form of self-defense art and how to aim and shoot. If you feel like learning more, then you can put a request for further trainings of different martial arts offered by the on-base military officers. Since the military is international on the base, you have a wide variety of how-to-get-your-ass-kicked by the soldiers stationed around the island.

Of course, we just called it the "Fight Club". I, myself is actually learning Israeli Krav Maga, one type of Chinese Martial Art that I didn't bother pronouncing it and Close Quarter Armed Combat (CQAC). Training in that three types of fighting since I was twelve after I was nearly mauled to death by a test animal gone rogue.

More like gangbanged by three dogs that belonged to Project Cerberus.

Out of that three styles, I was unusually good at CQAC. It involves knifes, and any things that you can find in front of you such as house hold items, office stationeries like stapler, calculator and heck even data pad. Part of me believes that my eidetic memory is instrumental in memorizing and anticipating moves of my opponents. As for using everyday objects as lethal weapons, I just find it amusing to hurl scissors and staplers. Watching too much Jackie Chan movies would encourage you a lot.

There is one time when another fellow scientist's mutated bee escaped from his lab and headed straight toward me when I was comparing statistics on my data pads and I have no choice but to squash that gigantic fist-sized bee between my data pads.

And let me tell you, that bee started releasing some kind of acid fume that ended ruining my data pads. I only got a first degree burns on my hands when I tried to swat them with my hands. Breathing in that fume would have liquefied my lungs.

Strapping my handgun to my right thigh, I remember how much I wanted a Desert Eagle Mark XIX instead of my current USP Elite. The Elite is a fine piece of sidearm but I wanted firepower. But civilians aren't getting a 50 cal.

That doesn't stop me from sending complaints/requests to the head of the facility. Spamming both the suggestion box and e-mail inbox. Probably ended annoying the shit out of that guy.

Anyway, I arrive at my lab and find that there is no one there yet. Which is exactly what I want. I always wake up 0450 in the morning and work out for about an hour and a half. Practice my fighting styles and whatnot. Then take a shower, get dressed and then put on my lab coat. Initialize my lab equipments and get ready for the day. All the preparations finished just thirty minutes before my official working hour. So, what did I do in that half hour? Loiter around the base of course, and keep in touch with the new things.

At first there were only biology labs, military garrisons and farms. And then the base started to expand and labs belonging to other fields of science popped out. Cutting edge weapon R&D labs, robotics, aeronautics and cybernetics were a few of them. I guess the island provided anonymity and security from the outside world. Basically, it became a little paradise for the scientists and a scientific mecca. Any technology unorthodox or unconventional, the island is the test bed. Like Area 51, except in the Pacific Ocean instead of the Mojave Desert. But Area 51 projects are gradually moved to this island and the infamous base is nothing more than a conspiracy-fueled glorified base.

So, the Hive grew deeper and wider, like its counterpart from the movie, the Hive also has its own AI. Three in fact. One military and two scientific.

Walking along the endless corridors of the facility, I saw a few of the labs that are active which mean they are from all-night shift. Actually, the facility is 24/7, only day shift and night shift separate the scientists from going nuts. I am usually on the day shift and only on some occasions, night shift.

X-X-X

Right now, I was hoping that I could catch up with my close friend, Leslie. Leslie Huntington. Like me, she was also recruited at young age but her affinity is high energy physics and weapon engineering. She and only a few other really get along with me. She would belittle my biology and I in turn get back at her field of science. It was all good and fun. She has her own army of scientists, technicians, engineers and support staffs. I have my own. We would share each other findings and discuss about it even if our fields are different but when it comes to the fusion between technology and organic. Well that's where we shine.

Approaching her lab, I can clearly see her waving in the air with both hands while standing in the middle of her spacious lab. Outsiders would clearly think she has gone bonker but not many from outside knows that almost every lab are equipped with haptic holo-emitters. They are usually in privacy mode which means without a pair of special contact lenses or glasses you can't see the images. Pretty neat trick that continue to fuel the paranoid traditions of the Hive facility. Even if you got the means to view the holo-images, you still need to input the correct frequency, connect and sync with the holo-emitters themselves. For security reasons again, it was implemented throughout the facility sacrificing ease of access and convenience.

I wave at her from the glass windows but she was apparently drowning in the sea of holo-light. Only banging at the door and buzzing then she takes notice of me.

Entering her lab, I was first met with the sight of Styrofoam coffee cups, Mars wrappers and crumbled papers littered all over the floor. Very normal scene of every scientists' lab. She went a bit further than the others. Styrofoam cups are convenient and all but when she starts getting serious, she would bring out the big guns by using beakers and flasks as coffee mugs.

I, on the other hand, was very weary of caffeine-based products.

"Still thinking that coffee is a big conspiracy to make people use drugs, that caffeine is the gateway to narcotics, Parker." Leslie started.

Yeah, she's also a few who knows my real name. She refused to use a fake name or the "Employee Name" as the scientists called it. I gave her a few suggestions until she relented on "Ada Lovelace", an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for working on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.

"Hey! Everyone's entitled to their own opinions." I shoot back, taking out my contact lenses and synching with the emitters to view the holograms.

"What do you think?"

"I think you did it. Tell me you did it."

"Fuck yeah, I did it." She replied haughtily.

"So, what? Huntington mass driver/railgun is ready."

"You betcha. 172 years after the first electromagnetic gun made by Birkeland, I have made a practical and viable electromagnetic-based railgun. And powerful too." Leslie walks toward the coffee machine holding a beaker in one hand, probably using it as a mug. "You want some?" She asks lifting her beaker towards me.

"Nah, I'm good." Still busy checking the numbers.

"You tested the gun yet?"

"Yeah, just yesterday. With a 50 kg slug at 19 km/s producing 2.2 tonnes TNT equivalent of kinetic energy. Pretty cool huh. By the way, where the hell have you been last week? Busy in the Sim Theatre?"

I freeze and suddenly remember that I too has finished my project a week ago. Giving that particular project so much of my time since I, first accepted to work here.

Project High Hope; the techno-organic nanite. One could say the entire island was devoted to this project. The Holy Grail of Humanity.

Fuck me sideways, how could I fucking forget about that. It's going to be a world-changing technology. Assuming it will be revealed to the public. Of course, I didn't make it from the scratch. It's the result of hundreds of geniuses collaborating with sweat, blood and other excrements. Me, Leslie, the old guy with hentai addiction, that woman with disgusting habit of gurgling water and drinking said gurgled water and so many more scientists, biologists, engineers and so on have contributed to this ever since the true nature of the virus was revealed.

Not to get cocky, 90% of the work was already done for us by the aliens. We just filled in some blanks, added the technology aspect to the organic and made sure it doesn't go rogue when we test it out… later this evening.

Shit, shit, shit. I'm gonna be the presenter of the project in front of hundreds of people including the military brass from all over the entire fricking world.

Because of finishing the project, I was given a week R&R to do whatever the fuck I want.

On the island. (Freezing mind you. Gulf of Alaska is never California.)

With a group of armed escorts.

Slave driving paranoid bastard.

I would bet one of my testicles and first-born child and say it is that overall manager of our projects, Ricardo Richie. Or Richie Ricardo. Nobody cares anyway.

He got a problem with me being the youngest person to ever land this kind of job with the level of security clearance.

Well before I got here, he was the youngest for about half a decade then I arrived and kind of stole his thunder or something. At least that's what he believes and always there to pick on my mistakes.

Not to mention, I got 'ZD-27' security clearance the moment I touched down on the island. Now my clearance is bumped up to ULTRA in seven years and there are only three more levels (LUNA, COSMIC & MAJESTIC). MAJESTIC's the highest. Hell, not even the President knows about ZD-27 level projects.

My thought process was suddenly interrupted when a burning sensation became apparent on my mind. I jump away when I realized that the hot coffee beaker was being pressed against my elbow.

"What the fuck, Les?" Rubbing my elbow and scowling at her stupid face.

"Hey you were a million miles away and you haven't answered my question yet. So where were you last week?"

Only three words were needed to say. And it's not I Love You.

Next thing I know she was jumping up and down and running around the lab. Which of course gives me the great view of her rack jiggling and there is no lab coat to obscure from the scrumptious visual feast. And that tight tank tops of her is leaving nothing to my imagination.

"Many say you have great tits, and I most certainly concur but that ass of yours is no slouch either." I quip and she stops in the middle of her victory dance.

Blushing beet red and then suddenly turning into a scowl and started chasing me with… is that a meat cleaver. How the hell does she even has that lying around?

"Calm your tits Leslie, I was just complimenting you, jeez!" Maybe it was not a good choice using 'tits' so the chasing started again.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry. Please, can we just relax and be civilized."

"Civilized? Funny coming from the mouth of a pervert."

"You will get no argument from me sweet heart. I'm who I am after all. You gotta take an entire package. And just so you know, my package rocked your world if I remember correctly."

"Oh, please it was just a one-night stand and it's been what… four months ago?"

"I don't know. More like four consecutive night stands. Speaking of four, I've been doing some R&R last week after the project has been finalized and guess whom I met during that week?"

"Talk fast Parker, I want to know more about the project."

"Oh, it will come. As for who, they're the triplets from the Botany Division. Madison, Marilyn and Moira, the three she-devils. Great gals."

"You mean the "Slut Triplets". I don't think the adjective 'Great' belongs anywhere near their name. They've been whoring themselves with, well almost everyone. Soldiers, technicians, professors and I would not be surprised if they make a move to the janitors as well."

"Nevertheless, it was one heck of a week ploughing three of them. The first foursome ever. They nearly sucked my life out and I nearly died of exhaustion but can't let this opportunity slipped away, can't I?"

"Besides, Catherine II played interspecies hanky panky with her horse and people still called her Catherine the Great."

"Well when you put it like that, I can't argue with history. So, chop, chop and start spilling."

"Ok, ok. You know how we are incorporating technological aspect along the original organic part of the nanite." I was replied with an 'uh-huh'. Great!

"It was both easy and hard. The easy part is surprisingly the supposed hard part. I mean the concepts of closest thing resembling the nanotechnology was first discussed by physicist Richard Feynman back in 1959. The technology was described as the miracle machines crawling and spreading through the air, obeying every command and fulfilling your every task but making something smaller than microbes.

It was met with many difficulties but when we discovered about the true origin of 'Z-TRA_01' being the organic counterpart of the theorized nano machines. Making the technological version became so much easier."

"When we fused them together, that's where we started experiencing problems. Like a patient's body rejecting a new organ, the organic nanites (organites) started attacking the new guest. Tried to assimilate them but ended destroying when the material is not hardy enough. But when foreign nanites are tough and withstanding, they tried to eliminate them and ended in failure or mutual annihilation. So, the greater part of 38 years was about making the organic nanites to accept the command of not attacking the technological nanites, our nanites."

"Understood so far. Please continue." Leslie returns, leaning against her lab table while hugging her own chest, making her assets more pronounced.

I take notice of that new development but let me tell you something. When I'm in the middle of explaining my scientific achievement, something which I'm passionate about, even naked women writhing and rubbing lotion to each other is not going to faze me a bit. They got to try harder than that. So, I continue my explanation.

"Being a genius that I am, I filled in the blind spots that no other thought of it before, do some adjusting here and there, add some, remove some until it reached the image of perfection. If you want to know my exploits in details, you gotta wait like any others. I'm doing the presentation and demonstration of the finished product tonight. A lot of people are flying in for my show tonight."

"Ohhh, I can't wait to get my hands on that toy of yours Parker. Imagine the endless possibilities of such in my hand. My weapon designs will be phenomenal, their firepower and efficiency unrivaled. I mean the nanites could produce any prototype I can think of."

"So that's why you were bouncing around the lab earlier. I didn't realize you were anticipating it a lot."

"Oh, you have no idea. In fact, now that I realized, I would like to give you something. Just think of it as early present between friends." And she heads toward and reaches for the locker at the end of the lab and returning with the silver box, probably a weapon case.

"This is something you always wanted and frankly I was annoyed with your bitching. So, open it and take a look."

Following her suggestion, I open the case and take a peak and my heart skip a beat as I find my soulmate in the form of two Brushed Chrome Mark XIX Desert Eagle .50 AE.

Immediately I close the weapon case and rush towards my now best of best friends and give her a long searing kiss on her lips and not even caring about the coffee taste lingering on those soft pink lips.

"Thank you." I mutter softly and she was visibly stunned.

"Um yeah, ahem, you are welcome." Her hands fidgeting together.

"I made some modifications to the Desert Eagle and I'm not so sure that if it can still be called Mark XIX."

"What do you mean?" I ask, puzzled expression slowly creeping up my face. I can't see any modifications. At least on the surface. Though it's a bit heavier than I thought.

"Well .50 AE has magazine capacity of 7 rounds plus 1 in the firing chamber. I made the ammo compact, granting extra two more rounds. And the ammo is nearly twice the mass of the usual one (630 grains instead of 325 grains). So, nine rounds in the stick magazine plus one in the firing chamber, totaling at ten rounds." My face was being split apart by my ginormous smile etching across my stupid looking face.

"With the muzzle velocity of 470 m/s, the gun packs quite a punch from average 2.04 kJ to 4.51 kJ of muzzle energy. That's more powerful than most assault rifles and the bullets are jacketed hollow point (JHP) rounds so you don't want to be on the receiving end ever."

"God damn! How is that even possible? I mean making the .50 AE ammo compact is believable but increasing the firepower? Is it even safe to use? I'm thankful for your gift but I don't want the gun exploding in my hand."

At that comment, she looks at me with mock-hurt expression.

"Please I would not have become a weapon master without making my weapons safe. All you need to know is that the gun is made with slightly sturdier frame than usual, maybe some composite elements, making it a tad heavier. Besides, us girls gotta keep secrets, don't you think?

You know how my railgun could go farther and reach hundred-kiloton yield. Making those atom bombs that dropped way back in World War II look like fire crackers in comparison." She said nonchalantly, shuffling her feet.

I shudder at the mere thought of warships (even if they are wet naval ships) and orbital satellites equipped with her railguns.

"And also, here is the shoulder holster for your guns along with extra two magazines for each of the Eagles and if you haven't noticed yet there's also detachable laser sight and all you need to do now is to give a name to these babies."

"Hmph, that's right since you have upgraded it. So how about Mark XXII Punisher."

"Well it is up to you." Leslie commented as she helps putting on the shoulder holster complete with the guns along with extra magazines, laser sight, suppressor and muzzle break.

"How about the Elite?" Leslie asked pointing at the said weapon hanging on my hips.

"I'm gonna keep it purely for sentimental values. It's not a bad weapon. With (18+1) 9mm rounds and a complimentary new version of KM 4000 combat knife, it is pretty badass in its own ways. And it's not like I can walk around the base with my shiny new guns. At least not yet."

"Um, I won't forget about this and I will return the favor. In fact," I wonder if I should grant her first access. Ok why the hell not?

"Hey how about I put in some words to let you have first access to the nanites?" I asked, closing the now empty weapon case.

"Huh… W-What?" She seems puzzled at first then comprehension crossed her face and before I could repeat my sentence, she was dashing at me with never before seen speed.

Despite having six feet height and 80 kg mass, I nearly fell over when her comparatively petite body slammed into me.

After half a minute of intense bone crushing session, she relents her hold over me. Slightly embarrassed of herself at the antics, she unruffles her seemingly undisturbed tank tops.

"Thanks a lot. Finally, I can rub Whitman in the face with the nanite."

"Oh yeah, I heard that name before. Some sort of rival to your work?"

"Yep! While I work mainly on kinetic-based weaponry, he is solely devoted his life on energy-based weaponry."

"You are serious?" I ask, finding it interesting. Who wouldn't? Energy weapons are wet dream of people like me.

"Definitely. His laser defense array is noteworthy. The Pulsed Laser Aegis Point Defense Grid is made up of at least two dozen laser emitters that is scattered around the ship, rumored to be equipped on the new Gerald R. Ford supercarrier in 2025 or maybe earlier.

The laser emitters are capable of tracking, disabling and destroying targets such as drones, missiles, fighter jets from at least one hundred miles (160 km) away. He claimed that his lasers have a hundred percent accuracy rating. He also said that his laser is capable of targeting and destroying the Apollo 11's leftover lunar lander by burning a hole through the fuel tank if his weapon has enough power and hopefully doesn't burn out after single use."

"Wow that's quite powerful, I bet not everything is by his effort." I ask, considering 7 out of 10 technologies that are developed here on this island was gained through deciphering the virus' genetic memory. The nanotech included.

"Of course, it was not entirely made by him. But he's developing a powerful laser cannon to replace the 5"/54 caliber Mark 45 gun from Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Supposed to produce at least seven and a half times the firepower of Mark 45."

"That would be at least 70 MJ of muzzle energy." It sounds unbelievable though most of what has achieved on this island can be said the same.

"It's quite powerful and their departments been testing for quite a few days ever since the new Deuterium + Helium-3 (D + He-3) fusion reactor was installed." She replied lightly while cleaning a speck of dirt from under her nail.

Huh that's entirely new to me. Why didn't I hear about it sooner?

"Hey, you seem to be a bit slow on the latest things that's happening around here." Leslie speaks up grabbing a chair to sit down though I refuse her offer of a seat for me.

"What can I say? Last week I was kind of busy drowning in sea of pussies." I reply and she just looks at me in disgust.

"You are one disgusting bastard you know that. With your witty remarks and one-liners. Just how many people have you pissed off on this island or from your own team?"

"First of all, the word 'bastard' implies that I'm a child with parents that are not married to each other. Which you are wrong because my parents are happily married together. Second, I'm disgusting… in a good way. As for witty remarks, ladies loved me and I'm proud of that." I shoot back at her, smugness etching on my face.

"In any case, I was next in line for my railgun testing after Whitman finished his field tests. By the time I have my turn, there will be three more of those new fusion reactors plugged in to the main power distribution system. More juice for me."

"It's that why I'm feeling faint seismic vibrations this morning."

"Expect it to intensify later. They are not just expanding the base to accommodate four reactors but also to add a new R&D lab as if there are not enough of those already."

"I thought seismic activities were supposed to be a thing of past since the engineers are using the nuclear-powered lasers."

Nuclear-powered lasers are not only powerful and quick but also leaves the tunnel walls smooth like glass. Intense heat and all. Hell, the engineers and programmers got creative and they designed a better one with the ability to carve out your own desired shape and size of a bunker. I gotta tell you watching that new laser works is like experiencing a live art show. Dangerous but definitely worth it. Its precision is unrivaled. I and a few others had already made a miniature Stonehenge and Giza Pyramid replicas.

And a 10 feet tall 'Monolith' from Arthur C. Clarke's Space Odyssey. That was just freaking awesome. Nerd-gasm at its finest.

"I'm no geologists and if I have to guess I think it has to do with hot lines and epicenters, ugh no idea. Go ask those guys." She says, kicking a few styrofoam cups on the floor.

"Ok, so I guess I will see you this evening and thanks again for these babies," I say, pointing my Brushed Chrome Mk. XXIIs which are hanging in my shoulder holsters.

"I'm gonna go prepare for the presentation and probably take a shower later." I get up from leaning against a lab table, putting my lab coat over to hide my not so legal for civilian, .50 cals.

X-X-X

~Later that evening, 90 minutes before the Presentation

I was sweating like a pig despite standing in the middle of an air-conditioned lab and I already have taken at least two showers in the morning and after lunch. It's going to be simple. The VIPs and VVIPs are to arrive at 0500 PM then the dinner start an hour later and my presentation after that. I've already prepped a few topics that while related to my presentation, it would still make the majority of the audience puke their guts out. What? Trying to keep it light. No need to be stiffy and tense. Why not enjoy a few jokes while we are at it?

Standing proudly on my desk is an innocuous looking vial that suspiciously looks like T-Virus vial. You know the one with blue liquid in the DNA helical-shaped glass tube. I don't know if it's supposed to be funny or cool.

While the T-Virus from Resident Evil looked blue, the T-ON is silver gray in color and I could've sworn that it was bubbling a bit.

Yanking me from my thought process is the drilling that is being done not so far from my lab. The seismic shocks are becoming more frequent and already a few of my test tubes and petri dishes have broken when they fell from the shelf.

"Damn I can't stop pacing and I'm pretty sure by the end of the day, my feet will be digging another hole in the lab floor without using the lasers.

Then another big shock vibrated my lab and then I hear a *Crack* Wait a minute I already kept my glass wares securely in the cabinets, even my souvenir mug was kept inside my desk drawer. Then realization hits me like a brick to my face when I realize that the only glass ware there is in the room currently exposed is the freaking 'T-ON' vial on my desk.

No, no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…!

I tried to scream but the words coming out of my mouth were lost in the background when the alarms started blaring and the lights suddenly turning angry red. And I heard the words that would seal my fate.

"EMERGENCY PROTOCOL #00303638-ALPHA IN EFFECT. BIO HAZARD DETECTED. IMPLEMENTING QUARANTINE PROCEDURE TO CONTAIN FOREIGN CONTAMINANT. SHUTTING DOWN AIR SUPPLY. VENTALITION SHAFTS SEALED. PURGE SEQUENCE INITIALIZED." Came the monotonous voice of the Hive's AI, lovingly named the Red Queen.

"Shit that's Red Queen and fuuuck, the Purge sequence is activated." I quickly ran towards the broken vial and the stuff is already leaking through the cracks and its roaming all over the floor and suddenly it stopped and seemingly looked at me as if the goo has eyes.

All of a sudden, the goo started to tense and as if was being heated. For a while, I desperately hoped it must be some kind of self-destruct mechanism. But my hopes were squashed when it transforms into gaseous/particle air-borne state and swarm around my body like a hive of angry bees and the last thing I felt is the sensation of tiny pinpricks dotting all over my body and I was out and my consciousness slipped away.

X-X-X

10 minutes later…

I was woken up by the sound of banging and shouting from the outside. Crap! I felt like 112 degrees. My body's on fire and anything short of submerging myself into ice water gonna do anything good. But I managed to stand up and walked towards the eight-inch thick bazooka-proof glass pane where the banging is coming.

"I'm coming, douchebags," limping across the lab groggily.

Standing in front of the thick glass pane was Leslie, as expected. Her face blank and stony. Beside her was the real douchebag, Richie Ricardo or the other way around. His face, especially his hair is like a sewer rat that just taken a nice long bath in a pool of shit and piss. Smells like one too, judging by how Leslie is standing separately from him and cupping her nose and gaging under the pretense of coughing. It's understandable how many scientists are too deep in their work, that they forgot to take a shower but this guy is another matter altogether. He is scared of water like cats freaking out from the cucumber.

"What the hell happened Ray?" Leslie asked through the voice intercom.

"I fucked up, Les. I was nervous and pacing and I took out the vial from its case and when the ground shook, it broke… damn I fucked it up really bad and now the Purge Sequence is running and now," Looking at the countdown which is only seven minutes left.

"Shit. Seven minutes and I'm toast." Cupping my face and rubbing my sleepy eyes.

"Don't be such a baby and stay positive, I'm running override on the doors and so don't you dare give up on me Ray Parker." Leslie shot back a sharp retort.

"Please, we all know that's not gonna happen. These doors are sealed and sealed forever until the bio hazard is extinguished and the AIs are controlling these doors, so you got no chance." My voice starting to waver and croak. Perspiring heavily and the air supply being cut is not helping either.

"You know the irony is, I was actually the one who redesigned the Purge Sequence and now I'm the one who's trapped behind the wrong side of the door."

Every lab and storage rooms have disintegration protocols. Usually with extreme heat by fuel-air explosives. But I found a better way from the memory databases.

Much more destructive and hotter way.

Plasma flame. Super-hot plasma flooding the entire lab, destroying everything organic and non-organic at 10,000 degree Celsius. More than enough to do the job.

My bone dust would be fucking history after the room is thoroughly cleansed. Even the room might not survive. That's why 10 seconds before the Purge, five-inch thick hafnium-tantalum carbide blast shields will be cordoning the lab from the other labs.

"Born alone die alone, I guess." I muttered softly, not caring if it can be heard through the intercom.

"You, stay put. I will be right back." Leslie ordered and disappeared through the corridors.

When she was out of sight, another person who was there approached in front of me on the other side of the pane.

I was panting and wheezing hard by now with the oxygen level going dangerously low and other scientists and base personals started crowding in front of my lab. Sort of like witnesses to an execution.

By plasma hell-fire.

How poetic?

"Richie?" I managed to speak though my fever is getting worse. Probably my immune system fighting and losing against the nanites.

"You have totally fucked it up, man." He said with not so genuine concern and sympathy.

"You are all over the base chatter. Acting unprofessional, reckless behaviors that could destroy the planet. You are causing the organization a great deal of embarrassment."

"Look." I was near collapsing to the floor. My eye balls are rolling and feels like they are going to burst anytime. The nanites are doing something to me. But also, my anger is spiking, the last thing is I need is his faux sympathy and reassurance in front of other people.

Yes, I fucked up.

Yes, I endangered the entire island and not to mention the world.

But I'm paying for it. That doesn't make me any less angry at Richie the fucking asshole.

"Don't worry." Richie's face still looked soft but I know his charade and he's using my predicament as a way to gain publicity in front of other scientists.

That made me mad but he continued his talk anyway.

"We will take care of your parents. They will be set for life."

"The best thing for you to do is find some nice, dark, quiet corner and… just die."

Oh, I'm raving mad now. "Just die. You think I've got "CUNT" written on my forehead?" I shouted at him through the thick glass and pointed at my forehead for emphasis.

Looking at the countdown, only thirty seconds left before my immolation.

"Maybe you're right. We all got to die sometime right?"

"Yeah." He answered with a slight grin forming on his mouth.

"So, I'll just die," I trailed off and started banging the glass pane with both my hands. I knew it's a vain effort but if I'm gonna die, I might as go down swinging and bring that son of a bitch down with me. No longer caring about the consequences. They would probably nuke the island to kingdom come anyway if the containment fails.

19 seconds left.

I was using all the ounces of effort and the last vestige of adrenaline was helping and for some reason my punching got stronger and stronger.

15 seconds left.

Richie was backing a bit while I continue to break the glass pane and to my surprise, a teeny tiny crack started to appear. How the hell? These glasses are supposed to survive explosives.

13 seconds left.

And then I saw her, Leslie running towards my lab and I stopped my punching and just for last three seconds before the blast doors close, I gave her one last look and motioned with my bloodied hands using sign language.

"Thank You for Everything, Leslie Huntington."

She replied back, looking helpless and lost just before the blast doors cover my lab.

"You are Welcome, Ray Parker."

10 seconds left.

WARNING! WARNING! THIS SECTION OF THE FACILITY IS UNDERGOING PURGING PROCEDURE IN Nine…,

Eight…,

Seven…,

Six…,

Five…,

Four…,

Three…,

Looking back at my bloodied and broken hands. I suddenly took notice of my wounds stopped bleeding and healing itself at rapid rate. Before I can wonder about this new development, it was too late.

Two…, One…, Zero.

LOCALIZED PURGING PROCESS COMMENCING!

The last thing I remembered was fiery flame erupting from everywhere and a very brief but intense flash of pain then I knew no more.

Sweet Embrace of Death has finally claimed one Ray Parker.

X-X-X

Suddenly I woke up, breathless and still screaming my lungs out with my eyes shut for what seem like an eternity. Maybe this is hell.

My consciousness slipped away and it continued for about two more times until I realized something odd about my surroundings because my eyes opened briefly and realized the very place that I am now.

This is the cliff located in the south-east part of the island. Where I would usually spend time when I got the chance to go upstairs. From this cliff, I could see the Pacific Ocean and its waves, if I'm lucky; a family of whales and dolphins or just some flowers that grow in the freezing temperature.

Not to mention the entrance to the submarine pen is right beneath the cliff and you can see the outline of the military subs approaching the island.

This cliff is where I come for some sunlight. Only this time it was dim and desolate.

"YOU DONE CONTEMPLATING!"

"What? Who are you? …Are you Death?" I asked, looking everywhere and finding none of the source, the voice is seemingly coming from every direction.

"AREN'T YOU A QUICK ONE?" The same voice spoke up again.

"BUT NO. I'M NOT DEATH. THOUGH MANY SENTIENT BEINGS CALL ME BY MANY NAMES."

"Hold on a sec, I'm still dead right."

"IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING. BUT THE ESSENCE YOU CALLED SOUL IS, IN A WAY IMMORTAL. ALL THE SOULS ARE."

"Ok. Where am I? I know this is the cliff that I usually hang around when I'm free but really… where exactly am I?

"THE VEIL, THE HIGHWAY, THE IN-BETWEEN… YOU TAKE A PICK. WHAT YOU ARE SEEING HERE IS THE PROJECTION OF YOUR OWN MIND. NOT EVERYONE'S THE SAME."

"I will settle for the "IN-BETWEEN". And I will just call you the "IN-BETWEEN GUY" since you are being vague with almost everything."

"So, what? You gonna pass judgement on me and decide on whether to send me hell or heaven. I'm not dreaming for the latter. God knows I've done a lot of stuffs in my lab."

"NO, I'M NOT JUDGING. YOU ARE YOUR DEEDS IN THE END. THE REASON IS SIMPLE; I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE."

"What's the catch? There's always something, isn't there?" I asked, wrapping my hands around my chest against the cold breeze that exists only in my mind. Realizing that fact, I just will it away and suddenly it became bearable.

"NO CATCH. YOU ARE JUST AHEAD OF YOUR TIME. YOU MAY BE DEAD IN THIS REALITY BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING IN OTHERS. YOU CHOOSE WELL FOR YOUR NEXT JOURNEY."

"Surprise me." I requested and I could feel the "IN-BETWEEN GUY" raised its eyebrows at me. "But any reality and life I end up; I want a life with a purpose."

"A MEAGER REQUEST. IT'S ACCEPTABLE."

"YOU SURPRISED ME MORTAL. WHEN OTHERS ARE IN THE SAME POSTION AS YOU ARE, THEY CAN'T STOP ASKING TO FULFIL THEIR WISHES. I OF COURSE IS NOT ONE TO FULFIL A WISH THAT EASILY. FOR YOU I AM GOING TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION."

"Well the fact that you're giving me a second chance to live is the very wish that anyone can hope for."

"CORRECT. NOW ASK FOR A WISH. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WELL MORTAL OR VISUALIZE IN YOUR MIND. YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS."

Shiiiiiiiit. Ok, think fast. I already have intellect but intellect alone is useless in a fight that would be inevitable in the future if things are to be engaging. Somehow, I'm sure of it. So, I want to be, no, I need to be a Renaissance man. Many thoughts flashed across my mindscape. Mostly what I have done during last week before I died. The foursome with the triplets, but the most memorable thing aside from sex is the near 24/7 gaming. The Grand Theft Auto V Online, Resident Evil, Halo, Call of Duty and the Mass Effect and their DLCs. Images are flooding across my mind and I can't pin point what exactly I want from them.

"TIME'S UP MORTAL!"

Crap, crap, crap. I haven't chosen anything yet.

Damn I wasted a perfectly good wish.

But before I was yanked out from the "IN-BETWEEN", the "IN-BETWEEN GUY" made a decision by the last ever thought I have as a wish.

And that very thought was on a particular guy with a god complex and a pair of trademark sunglasses that he wears even in situations that seem inappropriate, even in the middle of the night.