After The Rising by T.D Jackson (top fiction books of all time TXT) 📖

stop his team mates "You read it wrong then" "You think I would risk this if I was not sure?" For a long moment we stood silent but he lowered his gun "Mike get the other guy here do not attempt to touch the creature" "Sir" "What kind of shit have you wandered in to Jackson?"

24 hour quarintine great a plain white room with a white bed white sheets even white pyjamas. The TRT team called down a specialist handling team for moving the creature they were good at killing them not handling the. Immediatley they knew something was wrong luckily they had listened to our warning about it's speed. The bag slipped off the creatures head and snapped at a technician but he jabbed it with what looked like a hand held taser the voltage all though non fatal to humans and the dead the muscle spasim it causes will incapacitate for a while.

My door opened "Stand back from the door" Three men walked in all wearing the same grey uniform of the  man in the entrance way two carried guns and were ready for me just in case I was infected "Hey guys whens room service?" No smile "Phone call for you follow me please do not attempt to run or resist" "Fine which way?" The two armed guards flanked me the third led the way down the lovely white floor white wall white ceiling white door corridor. The lead guard swiped his card and held the door open for me. Another white room white table and a white computer "You know a dash of red would really bring out the character of this place" "The guard will wait outside knock on the door when you are done to let the guard know you want to come out" And with that he shut the door in my face.

I sat down on the chair and a face on the screen greeted me "Boss white is really not my colour I'm to pale for it" Kane was not in a jovial mood "What the hell were you thinking! Bringing one of those things in to an outpost!?" I was temporarily taken back by his anger I had never seen him angry but I recovered quickly "Yeah I'm fine by the way" "Don't get smart with me you could have been shot, you should be arrested and thrown in prison for 5 years" "For doing my civic duty?" "For being a dam fool" He spat back. I took a moment to calm myself I did not want to get in to a yelling match Kane could keep me out of jail if he wanted to and I didn't want to risk it "Did you read the initial reports" "Yes" "We were in an infested area and had encountred a new threat some one thought it was a good idea to take our radios before we went on our little trip so we could not call it in" "You had your distress flares" "And attract more of them?" Kane said nothing "Have they examined the creature yet?" "Initial checks back up your story" "So I'm a hero" "You endangered yourself and the people of the outpost" "We were in a secure area we had it in hand" Kane sighed "You have done a great service I wish you would go about it in ways that created less paperwork" "Was that the only thing that survived the end of the world unscathed?" A hint of a smile ghosted across his face "You and Jon will be released tommorow morning report to town hall when you are out" "What about the creature what cause it to change?" "We are doing further tests" "Another way of saying we have no idea?" "Basically I will be in contact soon Tom tell them to send Jon in" I turned to leave "Tom?" I turned around "Good work" I nodded and knocked for the guard.      

The Depths

We were released the next day and dumped unceremoniously on the street, not fazed by this we headed to the town hall for our training. As we walked down the streets people hurried on by, traders selling there wares old clothes and the like books and jewelry. But unlike other places we had been the people here were happy, or at least less miserable than normal their was even the occasional smile. A man ran in to our path holding out a stake of clothes asking us to take a look and promising a great deal, Jon gave the man a dirty look reached to his back pocket and snared the hand of a man about to pick his pocket. The would be thief gave a weak gap toothed grin which soon left when he saw Jon's face "Dude" I said "We only just got out of trouble" Jon looked at me then the thief then the merchant released the thief's hand and growled sending them running "And their you go again spreading goodwill to another part of the country" Another grunt from Jon.

"Where the hell have you been? You were meant to be here yesterday!!" The officer in charge of the Ghost training was not a patient man it seemed nor did he like excuses "Well..." I began "I don't want to here excuses" He bellowed an inch away from my face covering me in spittle, he was not a large man about 5'11 13 Stone or so in army fatigues with a red beret on his head he looked like an ex para shaved head I would imagine ate nails for breakfast you get the idea. I started to wipe spit from my face not a great idea "I'm sorry son am I spitting on you?" The para bellowed again sending a fresh wave of spit over my face "Er a little" For a moment he looked shocked like he just imagined that I dared to answer back. He unleashed a verbal tirade that went on for at least a good 10 minutes. After arriving at town hall me and Jon had been sent to separate rooms with nothing but a table and a chair . I was sitting on the table when the officer stormed in and bellowed at me to get off his table, I never moved so fast in my life and sat in the chair, at which point he bellowed to get out of his chair and started his rant "I don't like you son your ignorant lazy arrogant and only here because some suit gets a boner when he looks at you" I raised an eyebrow and started to open my mouth before he bellowed at me to shut it. He took a deep breath and threw a I.D badge at me "Follow the corridor show the pass to the guard go piss off" And that was it, I walked out of the room and followed the white tiled floor and white walled corridor occasionally broken up with awful pictures of modern art.

At the end of the corridor a large metal door greeted me and 3 unsmiling guards with SMG's I approached the nearest and showed the I.D he glared at it then at me and back to the card. He spoke into a radio clipped to his camouflage top his eyes never left me "Yeah new meat" He handed me the I.D back and turned to the other 2 guards "Open it" The guards turned and opened a hatch on either side of the door revealing computer terminals, they then proceeded to type long complicated passwords in. The consoles bleeped and the door clicked as the lock disengaged "In" The guard said.I looked in as the door opened inwards the left wall was reinforced glass with technicians sitting at various computers the other steel. I stepped in and the door shut behind me "Decontamination in progress" "De what....?" The rest of that was cut off as a foul tasting liquid sprayed in to my mouth. I gagged as I was sprayed down by jets on the ceiling and was then blasted by luke warm air to dry it off "Decontamination complete" The robotic voice said and the door on the far side clicked open. I stepped through and was greeted by balding grey haired man in a white lab coat over his white shirt 3 pens in the pocket picture a mad scientist and you will get the idea. He grasped my hand firmly and with a smile as he shook it "Dr Bryan Kidd a pleasure to meet you" He had a thick Scottish accent "Tom" I said with a cautious smile "Yes I have heard all about you, you were the one who captured the subject" The creature the thing that was dead but was faster stronger smarter was it here? "Well it wasn't just me Doc" "Yes your partner also had a hand in it" "Well to be fair I killed mine he captured his do you have it here" The Doc removed his glasses from his lab coat pocket and tapped them against his left hand "I'm afraid that's classified Tom" He smiled weakly "That's O'K Doc not your fault why don't you tell me why I'm here?"

His smile returned in full and it was an earnest one. He motioned with his hand for me to follow him down the corridor.We walked for a couple of minutes passing labs offices and as many scientific gizmos as you can imagine. As we walked past one lab though I stopped. A monster in the lab. It had a collar round it's neck an it was strapped to the wall scientists with clipboards were gathered round it making notes, a thick red line surrounded the creature all the way round I assume anything inside that red line is the creatures reach zone, an armed guard stood in the corner cradling his gun. Kidd noticed I had stopped to look "You keep them here?" I asked not turning away "Yes we don't have the resources or the man power to maintain a facility beyond this city" I nodded and turned away "You don't approve?" the Doc asked. I thought about it for a few moments "Maybe a necessary evil Doc" We walked in silence and took an elevator with bloodstains on the floor down. I looked at the Doc "Yes their was an accident here a couple of weeks ago a creature got free bit one of the staff horrible the guard had to.... well you understand I nodded. I liked Kidd it is easy in times like this and especially in his profession to become uncaring and cold but he still had a heart.The lift doors opened 2 floors down and we stepped out into a short 3 metre long 3 metre wide corridor with a metal door and a code lock "This is why your here" The Doc said, his smile faded.

"So whats the challenge Doc?" I said dreading the worst "This room overlooks the creature stock" "Creature stock?" "We keep about 100 or so creatures here for research studies we frequently have to destroy them so we need a stock on hand" "So you don't want me to kill them?" "No no of course