Chapter 12 - Report from the Necros Zone
The sand rustled softly beneath heavy feet, as Kenthelion-clad in black-and-gold robes emblazoned with the Eye of Eternity-stepped out of the portal's vortex of light. Around him, the hot desert air greeted him with a suffocating silence, punctuated only by the sound of servos and the hum of the Mechanicus units guarding the perimeter.
The two figures immediately saluted.
"Greetings Imperialis, Your Majesty," said Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed, his voice deep and firm. "The zone has been secured. A three-kilometer radius from the portal point is clear of active entities. Initial reconnaissance has detected the ruins of a city, as well as humanoid organisms... but with extremely distorted biological conditions."
Next to him, the Biological Magos Lirae stepped forward. The eyes of his helmet glowed a faint green, and his manipulators carried vials of greenish liquid.
"We have found the remains of a biological infection. The organisms we have encountered show signs of active necrosis, but still have motor functions. They attack anything living. Based on preliminary autopsy results and tissue analysis, this infection is... not natural."
Creed handed over a data-slab covered with a high castellan seal. "In this document, we have compiled the entire mission record: maps of the ruins, logs of body temperatures of victims, air composition, and creature behavior. We call this place the Necros Zone. There is no sign of a controlling entity, but we have found the remains of an underground facility. The walls are cracked, the corporate insignia has been defaced, but the basic shape is still recognizable."
Kenthelion took the slab silently. His eyes narrowed. "Umbrella?"
Kenthelion took the data-slab from Creed, his eyes narrowing at the nearly obliterated corporate insignia in one of the images.
"A white umbrella on a red background... Umbrella Corporation," he murmured, quietly but clearly. "This world... I recognize it."
Creed and Lirae stared at him for a moment, but did not ask.
"I've read their files," Kenthelion continued. "They're a biotech corporation, seemingly ordinary, but underneath... biological weapons experiments. T-Virus. Mutations. Living human weapons."
Lirae nodded, her manipulators moving quickly to display the chemical data.
"It matches the composition of the substance we found in the creature's respiratory system. Double-spiral virus structure, highly aggressive, and capable of transforming hosts in a matter of minutes."
"But..." Creed interrupted, his face serious. "With all this chaos, we detect no command structure. No one in charge. Just ruins, desert, and despair. It's as if the entire world has... given up."
Kenthelion stared out at the dull orange horizon. The crumbling buildings looked like the remains of a dead era. The wind carried a rustling sound that was either coming from the sand... or something moving within it.
"This world may be dead," he said quietly. "But we're not done yet. I want the facility investigated further. Take whatever we can - data, samples, leftover experiments. And set up an escort team. I'll go down to the main lab myself."