"ATTENTION PLEASE,. Unauthorized personnel must evacuate the premises. Unauthorized personnel must..." An electronic voice rang out.
Steinz immediately stood up and hurriedly left his office as the message echoed throughout the base.
He quickly arrived at the control center, where soldiers and scientists were already rushing around in a panic.
"What's going on? An enemy attack?" Steinz's firm voice demanded an immediate response.
A young soldier in charge of observation replied:
"Um... No, sir, it seems to be just an earthquake..."
The commander frowned in confusion at these words, but his fist relaxed slightly.
"A seismic tremor?" he said, even more confused.
"Yes, but..." The young man, who didn't finish his sentence, had his eyes fixed on the computer displaying the base data.
"What?" the commander ordered again.
"But the sensors indicate that it's coming from our own base, from the lowest level, on floor -7..." he said, even more confused.
'(A tremor on -7? That would be a strange coincidence...)' thought Steinz.
"That's where Dr. Serizawa, Dr. Graham, and the scientists are," continued the soldier.
'(NO!! We can't afford to lose them!)'
Steinz wasted no time and gave the orders.
"All soldiers, I want you to arm yourselves lightly and equip yourselves with first aid kits. Units 1 to 5, with me; the rest of you prepare for evacuation while we assess the situation."
The soldiers rushed to the supply warehouse and the infirmary.
After a minute that could just as easily have lasted an eternity in the current context, all units were ready: equipped with suits, helmets, built-in oxygen masks, and infrared goggles.
Stein led his team to the elevator doors. Next to them on the wall was a box with window, a crowbar inside in anticipation of situations like this.
"CLANCCC!"
He broke the glass with his elbow and retrieved the object, then kicked open the steel doors with a single blow of the crowbar. He looked down.
The elevator was a few meters below, cracked all over, with some cables broken. The machine was dangling here, the cable was relied to the lachine like a sack of potatoes, barely hanging by a thread.
"Just as I thought..." The machine was broken and unusable. He took out a small gadget equipped with a timer, no bigger than a finger, and placed it on the few ropes still attached to the machine. He pressed the trigger, then screamed as he ran away.
"Take cover!"
All the men took a few steps back, crouched down on the ground with their hands over their heads,
and a few seconds later,
"BOOOMMM!!!"
The heavy machine, which was no longer standing, fell into the void.
One of the men then brought Steinz a long rope, twisted titanium, about forty meters long.
The admiral looked around and spotted several walls that could serve as anchor points. He ran the rope along them all and tied several knots in the same walls before finally hooking it to the wall. He threw the rest of the rope into the dark void.
He grabbed the rope, which was now hanging down, and pulled firmly on it several times.
After checking that it was securely fastened, he shouted:
"We'll go one by one, with a five-second interval, and you'll pass us the supply bags and first aid kits during that 5 second delay, then we'll start slowing our progress to level 6..."
"YES, COMMANDER" × 9
Steinz nodded to his soldiers and began the operation. He hooked the hook on his belt onto the rope in front of him, then jumped into the void, letting gravity carry him.
One after another, his men synchronized their watches, prepared the bags, and dove in turn, following his instructions.
After a minute of sliding at high speed, when he reached the 7th floor, he tightened the stirrup on his hook, gradually slowing his fall.
He finally arrived on the seventh floor of the building, where the experiments were taking place.
The place was cramped, with only 5 meters of space, corresponding to the elevator, which was already very large to transport the equipment, volunteers, civilians, and others...
He unhooked the rope from his hook and landed on the floor. He ignored the numerous remains of the elevator that had crashed here and focused on the debris blocking the door.
A few seconds later, the first soldier joined him. He took out the crowbar he had brought with him and opened the door to the floor on the other side.
Steinz had thought carefully during the descent and sincerely hoped that it wasn't what he thought it was.
'(It's highly unlikely that there's a radiation leak, and that Titan blood used for experiments could have attracted a Kaiju, but it's a possibility...)' he thought suspiciously, with a touch of concern, as he gave the last kick with the crowbar.
The door opened onto the floor of the last stage of this batiment... and all we can see is a thick smoke.
Steinz sniffed slightly.
'(This isn't dust, this smoke isn't dirty and gray, it's white, and it's very hot, almost burning...)' He assessed the situation in an instant: several scientists and soldiers were lying on the floor, wounded or in shock, the heat not helping, large beads of sweat beading on their reddened skin.
'(Shit! With this heat, infrared goggles won't be any use.)' Steinz thought gravely, squinting and trying to see in front of him.
Despite the smoke, he managed to make out a few meters in front of him. The ground was nothing but a field of broken ruins. Debris littered the gutted corridors, filled with collapsed concrete, twisted metal beams, and cables hanging from the ceiling like dead snakes.
There was a strong, almost overpowering smell, a mixture of broken cement, burnt metal, and sometimes something more acrid, like a chemical leak or melted cables.
Gutted files, overturned equipment, and cracked screens on the floor bore witness to the unexpected arrival of the earthquake, which had come with full force.
"Spread out and help the wounded," ordered the admiral in a grave tone.
"Unit 1, set up a command and care center. Unit 4, make sure the stairs are clear for extraction, as well as the elevator for emergency extraction..."
Everyone set about their assigned tasks: some of the soldiers took out their first aid kits and searched the floor, while others began setting up a small tent and laying out stretchers and other equipment.
A small team of men headed for the stairs.
But Stein was focused on the situation in front of him, his eyes scanning the area...
'(It's not a kaiju, there would be more blood... So? Just an earthquake on this strange moment...?)' He looked at the situation: no attack, no enemy. And yet...
Looking at the walls, once smooth and sturdy, now cracked like giant spider webs, some leaning dangerously, others partially collapsed, revealing the metal framework of the structure.
Lights flickered dimly in the darkness, powered by a dying generator, and a heavy silence settled, broken only by the rapid footsteps of his men running around, the coughing and low moans of the wounded, and occasionally by the slow fall of unstable rubble.
It wasn't a kaiju attack, but the scene was not a pretty sight.
There was no immediate danger, so he focused on evacuating and treating the wounded. A few minutes later, the situation was stabilized and under control; the smoke had cleared a little.
"Report, Commander. So far, 16 individuals have been rescued, and we have two fatalities and one seriously injures, all due to falling debris."
"Have the victims been identified? Are Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham among them?" asked the commander.
"No, they're not..."
The decorated middle-aged man sighed until the boy spoke again.
"However, sir, we have not yet found Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham."
At these words, the commander's face grew serious again.
"For now, prepare for evacuation in case there is an aftershock," ordered the admiral.
The young soldier nodded and continued, "We have determined the origin of the epicenter: it's ahead, about a hundred meters away. The room is blocked, but we estimate that there are still people inside. We think they're where the doctors are."
"Ah, and sir, we know the origin of the epicenter. It's ahead, about a hundred meters away. The room is blocked, but we estimate that there are still people inside. We think that is where the doctors are."
"Clear the way!" Steinz wasted no time and gave the order.
"Units 2 and 3 with me..."
They advanced, and the closer they got to the epicenter, the more disturbing the scene became. They walked on what was left of the ground, which was cracked with deep fissures, some so wide that they seemed designed to kill anyone who accidentally stepped on them. They looked like smiling mouths just waiting for them to fall in.
"Watch your step!!! Follow the person in front of you exactly!!!" Steinz shouted. It wasn't just because he had to find the safest path through the unstable ground, avoid areas where debris was still falling, etc. They moved slowly. The hundred meters that separated them from their goal took them 13 minutes to cover.
They finally reached their destination, thick smoke escaping from the bottom of door 3C.
One of the soldiers stepped forward and tried to open the door, but it was blocked.
"Can you hear me?" the female soldier shouted with all her might.
There was no answer, the only sound to be heard was the panting and coughing of the people inside.
"Can anyone hear me?" But still no answer.
"They're suffocating..." said the soldier in a grave tone to Commander Steinz.
"GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!!!" shouted the commander before nodding to the soldier.
"Use a small ECM explosive charge, hoping the detonations won't hurt anyone..." said Commander Steinz.
The soldier obeyed Commander Steinz's order, took the same gadget out of her pocket, stuck it to the wall, and pressed the button.
"Take cover!"
And after three seconds,
BOOOOM!!!
The door exploded into pieces in a small controlled explosion, opening up the room next door. The white smoke was thick and hot, but not enough to cause burns, though it was unpleasant and dangerous for the lungs if you stayed in it too long.
"Come on, help the seriously injured and Dr. Serizawa and Dr. Graham first!" The order echoed through the room and the soldiers, for whom thermal goggles were useless, headed toward the sources of noise, coughing, and sniffling.
The smoke was quickly clearing through the large opening, now that the door was destroyed.
The soldiers began to carry the scientists and soldiers in the room outside, where the air was cooler and more normal.
Steinz remained at the entrance, watching all the survivors, some of whom were soldiers on guard upstairs or scientists, but none of them were the two whose safety had to be ensured at all costs.
But at least there were only a few injuries, with only minor burns on the skin, and the smoke was beginning to clear.
"Commander Steinz, over here," he heard a voice belonging to one of his soldiers.
Steinz moved toward the call and saw a young soldier standing next to Dr. Graham.
"Dr. Graham..." He leaned over, crouched down beside her, and examined her condition: apart from dust and a little dried blood running down her forehead, she had no apparent injuries.
A sigh escaped the commander's lips. He assessed her condition: she had faibted due to lack of oxygen. He took off his helmet and gave it to her.
The skin on his face immediately felt the heat of the smoke, but Steinz ignored the slight pain that was already starting to make his skin red.
He stayed by her side for a minute before the radio on his belt, the one he had taken upstairs, rang.
"Cric... This is the control room, do you hear me? — This is the control room, are you there?
— I hear you, anything new? The commander's voice came over the intercom.
"Yes, the situation is stable, it doesn't look like there will be any aftershocks," said the person on the other end of the line.
"Good, contact me if the situation changes..." Stein finished before putting his radio back on his belt and refocusing on the woman in his arms who was beginning to regain consciousness.
"Dr. Graham, gently, don't make any sudden movements," said the commander.
"Uh..."
"What happened?" she said, her voice hesitant as she was still in shock.
"An earthquake, it seems, but it's not important... How do you feel?" asked the admiral, worried.
"I'm hot and thirsty" she replied weakly.
Steinz took the water bottle from his belt and held it to her lips, helping her drink.
"There, that's it, it's over..." Steinz reassured her, although he doubted she needed reassuring. This woman had seen much worse...
"Do you know where Dr. Serisawa is?"
"Yes..." The woman turned toward him, her finger pointing behind him as her gaze shifted to the scene behind the admiral.
"He wanted to see the subject one last time and he ..." But her voice died in her throat.
The smoke had mostly cleared, leaving the scene before his eyes perfectly visible.
The doctor's two black irises opened slowly, as if switching from one image to another, and confusion gave way to shock, astonishment, and even fear at what she saw...
As she stared with her mouth open, Commander Steinz.
Or rather, what was behind him...
The admiral, with his keen instincts, frowned at this reaction.
"What's going on?" But his words also died in his throat as he turned to contemplate the scene before his eyes: the view shared by all the characters in the room, soldiers, doctors, scientists, wounded or not, their eyes wide open, stunned and terrified, their mouths open, but no words coming out, nothing that could describe what they were seeing.
Before their eyes, standing in front of them, was a huge figure.
Amidst the few remaining wisps of steam, a huge figure stood there. Its body was gigantic, but broken, starting with the torso. On one side, shiny muscles, bulging with taut nerves, vibrated beneath absent skin. On the other, a bare skeleton revealed the raw bones of an unfinished titan. It was as if it had been split in two, half finished.
A mouth, a half-formed face, an uneven, imperfect titan, swayed slightly under its own weight. Its left side seemed complete: raw flesh without skin covered powerful muscles, vibrating under taut nerves, still red and throbbing, ready to spring. But the other half was different: bare, whitish bones, a raw, exposed skeleton.
Its rib cage was incomplete, the ribs standing upright like giant fangs. Its right arm was the only limb present, but it was only half-formed; flesh covered only part of the limb, and only the remains of dried tendons could be seen, ending at the shoulder.
The rest of the arm consisted only of the skeleton of the limb, its bony fingers appearing to snap shut.
However, this was not the only limb present. Its left eye glowed with a fiery yellow-green light, while the right eye socket was horribly hollow, the cavity crisscrossed by tiny cracks, as if the statue had been cracked by time.
And beneath this colossus, whose back pierced the wall and ceiling, was a web of red flesh that fell downward, clinging to and hanging onto a young figure that could be recognized as Subject 1033, whose real name was David.
Red nerves clung to and pierced his torso, leg, and arm, connecting the young man's entire left side to the colossus.
There he was, suspended between two worlds, neither entirely human nor completely titan. A broken colossus, frozen in a heavy silence... as if his very existence defied the laws of nature.
The silence was absolute. A general and inviolable mutism, as if the world itself were holding its breath in front the appearance of the impossible...
A titan of a new kind, too human to be a monster, too monstrous to be a man.
Except at the swaying of his human shell, clinging to his titanic shell.
There was no movement, as if he were dead, perhaps he was...
And with him, nothing moved...
Until someone took a step, then another...
Arriving near the colossus, he stopped to observe this scene that will remain forever engraved in the annals of history...
Then, after a few seconds, he walked towards the young David, half connected by a mass of tendons and flesh. He reached out his fingers towards this mass, then withdrew them immediately, unable to withstand the burning heat of his skin. He looked at the being in front of him and reached out again, towards the exposed side of his neck, before withdrawing his hand a few seconds later. The heat was intense, but bearable.
Dr. Serizawa shook his hand in the air for a few seconds, then tried again, forcing himself to endure the heat as he placed his finger on the side of his throat. After a few seconds, he withdrew it and turned to the audience witnessing the scene that would mark a turning point in human history.
Then he said:
"It's… he's alive..."
Steinz was right after all, that agitation was indeed that of a Titan, the first of his kind...
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+ 10 Chapter/ Already 20k words