Chapter 1: Start of Apocalypse
The corner of the long hallway started a series of thuds that echoed through and through with intensity.
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A couple of silhouettes formed and vanished as the lab coats swayed in every stride.
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Spearheaded by the man, who never looked any other way amongst the array of steel doors.
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Behind him, about three personnel, carried a pile of books and documents.
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In rattled posture, balancing the weight on their arms, but kept their pace with the man in front of them.
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A man drew closer and responded as he handed over the clipboard.
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"Chief Engineer Oscar, here are the list of the—"
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With a dismissive sign of Oscar's hand, he replied, "haven't we procured the last raw material for the final phase?"
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"Yes, but there are changes."
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"Like?"
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"There has been changes on the supply chain coming from—"
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"Did you run an evaluation?" With the assistant's hum and a frequent nod, Oscar took off his glasses to give it a quick wipe off from a clean cloth before perching at his aquiline nose. "Then?"
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"I apologize."
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They all stopped their pace as soon as they reached the other end of the hallway, revealing a peculiar steel door with a haphazard warning and an access to top management only.
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Before going in, he turned ever so slightly and darted at him from the corner of his eyes. "I don't care what you have to do. Get it done."
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All of them shuddered, gazed upon the ground from his low voice but the air had never been this chilly until now.
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With a gulp, the assistant held tight on his clipboards "It shall be done."
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Oscar pushed the door, a slight clang resounded and broke the eerie silence of the low reverberations from the machines ahead of them.
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Eyes closed as his chest rose from taking all the air in with a curt smile. "We're finally here."
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There were an array of machine vats with human bodies—of different body shapes and sizes regardless of naked men or women thereof— floating with ease in a clear blue solution.
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Various tubes and strings of patches are seen and attached on their body.
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Oscar drew close to them, one by one, while the assistants followed behind. "How are their vital signs?"
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"Stabilized; noted since first day of procedure." The other assistant then gave Oscar a special folder for him to sign.
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Right now, Oscar's gaze bounced back and forth between the three assistants and towards the test subjects. "Any major conclusion drawn at this period?"
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"Most certainly." The female assistant stepped forward and proceeded to show details within the couple of paper stapled. "Decent improvement on their body overall. Most notably from Ms. Amanda Hilton."
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"You mean this old hag right here?"
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"E—Exactly, Chief. Estimated about 10 years younger deemed to be of difference."
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"Impressive."
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"Without a doubt, Chief."
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A smile came, yet faded quickly, from the corner of his lips. "I reached yet another set of milestones." He then leered at his assistants. "No one has come this close on my project."
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They all looked at each other and gave him a clap with abrupt nod as they murmured amongst each other.
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"As expected, the product worked wonders."
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"Indeed." The assistant earlier nodded again. "With the partnership of several top and leading pharma-cosmetic groups of companies, this aesthetic procedure will maximize our result."
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With a hum from his lips pursed thin, he looked at them. "Then all of you disperse and finish what you're supposed to do, yes?"
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In a chorus of agreement, they scurried away from him.
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A subtle vibration from the side of his white pants garnered his attention, prompting the phone to pick it up.
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For as much as he wanted to ignore it by default, a scrunch from his forehead came when it was the least person he'd expected it the most.
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'Now what in the good heavens has he been calling me for at this important time of the day?'
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Regardless, a curt smile was all he had before he pulled the phone close to his ear.
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"What is it, brother Damian?" He then shuffled through the files from the nearby desks, containing classified information.
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"Stay where you are, okay? Don't go."
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A chuckle left his lips; he pinned his phone closer to his shoulder as he flipped through the pages. "You know I'm not going anywhere."
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"No— No! I—!" A hint of hesitation from his words— quite unlikely for Damian had Oscar furrowed his brows deeper.
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"Something wrong?"
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A deep sigh rang in his ears. "I don't mean you to be all cooped up. I mean, there will be danger."
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"Okay?" Oscar, satisfied from the test reports scanned for a while, he dropped it and looked at the vats. "Whatever that is, I certainly am safe here."
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Right now, his ears now blasted a raging wind enough to mumble his voice. This had him stood upright before clearing his throat.
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Oscar pressed the phone to a loud speaker mode.
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"Anyway!" This time, Damian shouted as he competed with the fierce wind from the phone call. "Don't go anywhere, deal? I'm on my way—!"
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Suddenly, the building shook and almost left him out of balance while the lights began to stutter dim.
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Though it didn't take long enough for it to stabilize. Fortunately, the wires, vats, and other important things he scoured around turned out to be fine.
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"Oz! Are you alright?! Oz!"
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"I can hear you." Oscar muttered under his breath as he propped on all fours. He began to pick up the papers that scattered on the ground while fixing his glasses. "What in the world is going on?"
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"We don't— have time—! Hide for now!"
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"Just what is going on?"
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His ears perked up, now stood upright, couldn't help but check from the direction of the agony roared within the rather sound-proofed area he was in.
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Trudging slowly, and close to the entrance found his assistants.
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Two of which on the floor: one torn and bitten apart while the other screamed with lower body to a chomp.
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Right now, the last person got impaled by its horns to the torso before swinging to the side.
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Oscar had his stomach churned as though wanted to puke as he noticed the large build of a horned wolf, more than half of the hallway came through.
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