Blackout

Drip.

As the team approached the fork in the road Knox paused in thought. Neither direction seemed to show signs of increased or decreased elevation.

“Toast, does the brief have a map of the tunnel system?” Knox asked.

Toast searched his PDA. “Nothing, Sir,” He replied.

“Fuck it, we’ll have to split up,” Knox decided, “Toast, take Rook and take the path on the left, I’ll take the right.”

“Yes, Sir,” they replied.

Toast and Rook moved into the tunnel on the left. Knox moved on to the right.

The sound of waves became ever clearer as they progressed. A distant, powerful heavy breathing reverberated through them.

“What the fuck is that?” asked Rook.

“I don’t know, bro,” Toast replied, “keep your eyes peeled and focused where my light shines.”

“Wilco.”

The moss beneath their hooves began to squish it became more damp as they moved on.

Drip.

A deep hum accompanied the heavy breathing this time though somewhat less distant now.

Sounds of waves splashed against walls ahead. The gentle squish of moss under their hooves soon turned into a splash as they moved ever closer to the illusive body of water ahead. Within steps the depth of water increased exponentially.

With water up to their knees they paused to consider their next move.

Toast scanned around with his tactical light, the tunnel had merged into a large cavern. From the ceiling a dozen stalagmites hung, impressively in a fragile balance between gravity and natural resilience.

Suddenly the heavy breathing stopped. Large appendages splashed heavily in the water. Waves crashed heavily against them. They stumbled back.

Toast shone his light on the creature. It was partially submerged, though the part of it protruding from the water was substantial in size.

Toast’s tactical light shone in its eyes. It recoiled and let loose a shrill scream that pierced the air.

In the blink of an eye the creature darted back under water, disappearing from sight. Toast and Knox searched frantically. They couldn’t see it.

Something gripped Rook’s leg tight and pulled him towards the deep water. His legs gave out from beneath him, his body fell back and his head slammed into the stone below.

Toast fired on the creature, aiming for its head and torso. It recoiled from the bullet impact, but his bullets didn’t seem to have any measurable effect.

It lifted its foreleg above the water and flung Rook into the tunnel opening behind Toast. The mutant roared in defiance.
Toast unclipped a fragmentation grenade from his webbing, pulled the pin and lobbed it at the creature. The grenade bounced off the mutant’s skin and fell into the water below. The explosion sent a shockwave through the room, knocking Toast to the ground.

The creature moved towards them, low to the water.

“Got no legs now, mother-fucker!” Toast screamed.

The creature crawled up the stone embankment, howling all the way. Toast kicked it hard in the head. It stumbled and fell to the ground.

He aimed his M16 at its head and fired. Within a second its movements stopped, it wasn’t even breathing.

Drip.

Toast ran back to Rook, he was unconscious. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook. With a low mumble Rook opened his eyes. “Is it dead?” he asked.

“Yeah, brains are all over the floor.”

“Thank God.” He said as he breathed a sigh of relief.

“Can you walk?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

Toast extended his foreleg and pulled Rook to his hooves.

“Let’s get going,” said Toast.

They lifted their rifles above their heads as they moved into the water, wading through the depths towards the other side.
The cavern walls ahead began to narrow as the ground beneath their hooves began to elevate. They were nearing the exit.
Toast took point, proceeding up the incline through the second half of the tunnel. It wasn’t long before he reached the end of the tunnel.

They paused at the end, looking down and scanning the area with Toast’s tactical light.

Drip.

A stench of decay once again filled the air as they observed the central mining area. They were standing in the opening of a naturally forming cave about ten metres above the ground.

“Shit,” Rook whispered, “Infected, they’re everywhere.”

“Fuck it,” Toast began, “we have to go in, but let’s try quietly.”

“Roger that.”

Toast slung his rifle around his shoulder and hung from the ledge. He dropped to the ground.

“Clear,” he said, motioning for Rook to follow.

When Rook hit the ground they followed the wall, making their way around the room.

Toast took care to keep his light aimed below chest level, to keep a lower profile.

They rounded a corner. One of the infected stood squarely in front of him. It took a deep breath and howled with its decrepit voice, signalling to those nearby that something was here.

Hooves began to shuffle in all directions, movement in their direction.

Rook fired at the one in front of them, his muzzle flash illuminated everything within the vicinity. The infected had them surrounded. His bullets smashed into the creature’s skull, spraying blood into the air.

Ravenous hooves and dislocated jaws and teeth gnawed and gnashed at them as they pushed forward. Every time one of them came close they would smack it in the head with the Stock of their Rifle.

“GO!” Toast shouted.

They pushed forward, towards the mine control tower. As they reached it Rook turned around and fired, delaying their approach.

Toast slammed his leg into the door lock, smashing it through. He opened the door and Rook followed him through.
Rook glanced around and found a bookcase. Toast held the door closed as Rook nudged the bookcase in front of the door.

The room was sparsely decorated. To their left was a stair case, directly beneath the stairs, on the right hoof side, was a door labelled high voltage.

Rook moved towards the door and opened it. A generator was hidden within.

“Toast, bring your light over here.”

Toast shone his light on the generator, Rook checked it for fuel.

“Ha, looks like we’re in luck, she’s got fuel.”

Rook pulled the starter cord and ignited the fuel in the engine. The generator started. The lights above their head came online.

“Fucking beautiful,” Rook commented, “alright, I’ll check upstairs.”

“Roger that,” Toast replied.