Dr. Creepen's Dungeon - S6 Ep304: Episode 304: Government Conspiracy Horror

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

Today’s phenomenal story is ‘Site 46 is Offline’, an original work by Corpse Child; shared directly with me via my sub-reddit and read here with the author’s express permission: https://www.reddit.com/user/Corpse_Child/ https://www.reddit.com/r/DrCreepensVault/comments/11ndmzx/site_46_is_offline_part_one/

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please contact Connix Ontario at 1866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BetMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with Eye Gaming Ontario. Welcome to Dr. Creepin's dungeon. The year after the mysterious chemical disaster at the Rock Site 46, Monolith Industries finally announces the complete complete demolition of the facility. The former Operation Supervisor Rod, it's a chilling reminder of the day that changed everything. A day filled with panic, quarantine alarms, and a horrifying sight that defied explanation.

As he reluctantly recounts the catastrophe that took his friend and threatened countless others, unsettling questions arise. What truly happened in these shadowy corridors, and why is the company so eager to erase it? Now, as ever, before we begin, a word of caution. and tonight's feature-length story may contain strong language as well as descriptions of violence and horrific imagery. That sounds like your kind of thing. Then let's begin.

Part 1 Update to all monolith staff and personnel. After careful consideration, we're sending this email to confirm the complete decommissioning and destruction of monolith industry site 46 after the chemical disaster last year. I shut the laptop after that. Couldn't read that email anymore.

They were actually doing it. They were going to demolish Site 46. After everything that happened, they're just destroying it. Yeah, how fucking rich. Look, I'm sorry, I don't know how to really go about this. I will say that my therapist is reading this. I will say that if my therapist is reading this, yeah, you got your way, pal.

finally writing about this like you've been bitching at me to do for at least the past eight months. I know he means well and hopefully he's right that it'll actually help me and you'll see in a bit why it's taking me this long to want to talk about what happened. There was one fact

that these idiots on the tube managed to actually slip that was true. It was that the place had served as the city's top chemical distribution centre for the longest time. I was 15 when it first opened and over those next couple of years I'd gradually see more and more people's houses stocked with their products.

They basically assimilated the pharmaceutical supply and distribution industry in my city in just three or four short years. Their biggest claim to fame was how their products actually could cure or stabilize just about any condition. I remember even seeing claims supporting how it could treat early stages of cancer without the need for chemo and had even less of a relapse rate to boot. Oh, and the best part, this shit came with little to know. side effects.

Fucking lucky for us, right? Yep, that was Site 46, the heaven of pharmaceutical junkies. Funny enough, too, whereas with most other over-the-counter meds, their shit didn't have much, if anybody at all, getting hooked on it either. In short, the place was the manufacturer

of miracle cures. For those about to accuse me of blowing smoke up your asses, running your mouths that that's all too good to be true, well, you're right and wrong. Well, this does sound like a pipe dream or wishful thinking. I promise you it was real, all of it, and I promise you I wish more than anything that it wasn't. Okay, so now that you know a little about Site 46,

let me get into what happened a year ago. By that time I'd been working here for about four or five years, had risen through the ranks and been promoted to Operation Supervisory, of the plant. I thought I'd seen the place inside out. I'd even got employee of the month twice in a row. Yeah, Iron Rod was my nickname around the plant on account of all the overtime I kept pulling. What could I say? The money was great and I didn't have a family yet. Only my out-of-town girlfriend, I got to see every other week. So why not milk the biggest cash cow in my city for all it was worth, you know? I remember that day. The bell for lunch hour had just rung and my crew

and I had all filed into the cafeteria. I sat down next to my work buddy, Ben, and started wolfing down my triple cheeseburger deluxe, with bacon, too. Well, he just stared at his train like it had just told him his mother had died. Eben, you okay, man? I asked over an admittedly large mouthful of burger. Huh?

He asked, dazed. Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I raise my eyebrow. You sure? Because, I mean, I gestured to my half-eaten burger. Look, it's bacon, triple-cheasburger darks day, man. I know, I just... I started rubbing his forehead. I noticed then just how much he was sweating.

Now I should mention that all this happened right in the middle of the winter, and keep your mind, too, the AC in the plant might as well have been non-existence, the temperature having to remain below freezing for the chemicals. The kitchen was the only place where any kind of heat would have existed. Well, I was actually having to wear my coat inside the cafeteria just to eat. But not Ben. He was just in his work uniform, a bright orange shirt with a Site 46 logo on it, and heavy work slacks. Hey, man, you sure nothing's up.

I mean, you're burning up. I don't know. I just feel woozy for some reason. Did you eat anything this morning? Yeah, remember the pancakes from the drive-thru? Oh, yeah. Well, um, how long have you been feeling ill? I just started ten minutes ago.

I don't know, man. He scooted his tray towards me. Here, you want this? I looked at the tray. He'd only taken a small bite of his sandwich and left his fries all had untouched. I looked back up at him and saw his eyelids starting to flutter like they had lead weights dangling from them. "'Ben?' he started, looking back to me. His breath started getting heavy.

"'Ben, come on. We need to get you to the—' "'My words died in my throat when, out of nowhere, "'he fell out of his chair and hit the ground head first. "'Ben!' I shouted, dropping down to him. "'His eyes looked glazed, and his skin had already started going pale. "'Somebody get the medical team.' "'By this time, the time. the cafeteria had already started into a commotion, with everybody gathering around and a general

uproar already brewing. On the ground, Ben's body was perfectly still, and I watched a steady red stream run from his nose, eyes, ears and mouth. My heart started racing, and I noticed that liquid running out of him wasn't exactly what I was expecting. And by this I mean that rather than a thick viscous stream of blood like normal, it was thin and watery. It looked more like cherry Kool-Aid than blood. This sent my head spinning as well. Dear God, that isn't blood, is it? And what's happening to him?

It was about a minute later when the emergency medical alarm sounded, which meant that someone somewhere in the plant had collapsed or was in a seriously critical condition. It alerted everyone to clear the room for the medical and chem-hazard crews to arrive at the scene. 30 seconds after that, the teams entered the room. and escorted me and everyone else else. The entire time, all I could think about was if Ben would make it.

We were all led out to the hallway and made to wait until either the area was deemed safe to re-enter, or we'd have to be escorted to the quarantine zones ourselves. It was more than 20, and possibly more than 30 minutes before we finally saw the teams clearing out of the room, where we were then being escorted to the quarantine zone while alarms began blaring all around us. attention all personnel in the east wing i repeat attention all personnel in the east wing please report to the quarantine zone immediately this is not a drill i repeat this is not a drill my eyes grew what the hell what happened why's the entire east wing being told to quarantine typically in situations such as medical or biohazard the proof to call oh only dictated that those closest to the exposed or infected persons, in this case those in the

cafeteria, were required to undergo quarantine, hence why it was only a small bunker to begin with. It's not meant to fit an entire wing of the plant. If they had to go to this extreme of measures, it meant only one thing. Whatever the hazard was, whatever had taken Ben down, had already been exposed to at least two or three thousand more other workers and was likely still spreading. Even worse was the fact that when they cleared out the room, Ben wasn't brought out. That's when I started to go ballistic, knowing full well what was about to happen. You see, in cases of a biohazard like this, there was only one remedy they'd used called rinsing.

Basically through some sort of cocktail of fosgene, chlorine, sodium chloride, and one or two other household chemicals being mixed in just the right way, they set off a cloud in the exposed area that completely sterilizes the room, essentially incinerating or rinsing the area of all hazardous chemicals or bacteria. Well, it's highly effective naturally. Unfortunately, a little too much so. Thanks to the aforementioned mix, namely the fosgene aspect. If you were in the rinsing zone, then, well, good news is you won't have to worry about an infection or unknown contagion anymore

because you won't have much of a body anymore. Wait, I shouted. What the hell are you doing? Someone's still in there. A chem hazard member blocked me from approaching any closer, telling me, you can't go any further, sir. Please go with the rest of the quarantine zone.

I can't. You're about to... I was cut off when two other men in hazmat suits approach from either side take me by my arms and begin leading me down the hall. Get off me. Stop, you can't do this. My friend's still in there. I struggled frantically against them, but it was no use. I was dragged further down the hall, pathetically kicking and screaming.

You're killing my friend, like a frenzied child in a grocery store who was showing their little ass. Eventually, I was finally thrown inside the cramped-assk quarantine bunker. before they walked off without so much as another word or nod in my direction. As soon as the door closed, I rushed at it and started howling at them. Oh, you bastards, you fucking killed him. Eventually I managed to cause a ruckus long enough for one of the others there to come over and pull me away from the door and tell me to shut up. They... they...

I stammered, my brain completely frightened. Calm down, Rod, demanded Daniel, the shift manager of my area of the plant. The two of us had to stare down for about five seconds before I finally broke, taking a deep breath to relax. Everyone else around me looked shaken up themselves. I heard distinct chatter throughout the room. Much of it from what I could understand was geared towards the obvious question.

What the hell was going on? Yeah, what happened to Ben? I heard someone ask. I saw him collapse. I heard another reply. He then turned to me and asked. Are you there with him, Rod? What do you think happened?

I just stared blankly at him. How the hell was I supposed to know? Maybe he had an allergic reaction to something he ate. Our data manager, Edna, chimed in. An allergic reaction? Daniel asked, stupefied. You see what happened to him? He started moving his hands down.

his face from his nose to mimic bloodfall or had shit running all out of every holy head you think that was from something he ate okay well what's your theory then edna rebutted i don't know but wasn't the food for sure well it's the same thing we're all eating if it was the food shouldn't we all be bleeding out of our faces like we're living in edgar allen poe story not only that i chimed in finally. But he barely ate any of it. Not to mention the fact that that wouldn't have lightly triggered an evacuation and quarantine of the entire east wing of the plant, would it? Daniel nodded with me while Edna shrank back down. No, whatever this is, it's coming from somewhere in the plant itself. But what? Where? asked another of the grunts in the stuffed

room around me. Again, I just shrugged at this. Whatever it is, It better be the most dangerous thing in the world that we're trying to prevent, I said through gritted teeth. If they're going to have to go and fry Ben over it. Yeah, it better be a world-ending threat. Well, how do we know we haven't been infected with it? Asked a particularly annoying grunt from around the plant named Craig. We don't, I replied, sighing. Why do you think we're in here, dumbass?

Daniel added. Yeah, but what if we're not all infected? Well, I guess you'll have nothing to worry about, will you? How can you do us all a favor and shut up? What I'm saying is that if there is someone here who's got whatever that was, the thing that got Ben, well, we'll be locked in here with it. We'll all get infected and we'll all be trapped. In that case, we'll at least get a break from hearing your whiny ass.

mouth, huh? How's that sound, everybody? Nobody replied to this. On any other day, and under any other circumstances, I'd have been right there with Daniel, berating Craig to quit being a baby. The dudes, the walking definition of both the terms

hypochondriac and worry walked, and he couldn't help himself but make a show out of expressing his fears to the rest of the free world, making it their problem as well. The thing was, after thinking about it for a moment, I started to realise Craig might have an unfortunate point. The bad news about this is that, given that we were in a cramped-house space with a bunch of

already panicked people, I couldn't just reassure them the way Daniel was in his own pushy and messed up way. The crowd started trying to space themselves apart from each other, which of course was impossible, given that there was barely enough room to fit us in there in the way we were to begin with. I could hear a rumbling murmur start to brew as well. All right, calm down, calm down, people, Daniel announced. Look, it's been a crazy day. Can we please just keep it together and see what's actually going on?

Dan's right, shouted someone from the back. Dan made a gesture toward the voice before turning to face me. Now, Rod, you said the band hadn't eaten anything before he collapsed. I sullenly nodded. What about this morning? Did he eat anything then? I don't know. He and I were assigned different departments this morning.

He was in the cam lab while I was throwing freight in the warehouse. What about yesterday? Maybe the day before. He complained about feeling ill any time then? Uh-uh. He was just fine until an hour ago. Did he say anything before he collapsed in the cafeteria? Asked someone to my right.

I shook my head in response. Not really, I replied, squinting to remember the events. Just said he wasn't hungry. Oh, he was sweating. You know what he was doing in the camp? asked Daniel. I gave him the look you'd give someone who'd just asked you how to play a banjo under water. How the hell am I supposed to know?

Well, he held up his hands. Just asking, I mean, you were friends with him, weren't you? Yeah, but you know as well as I do. He'd sooner have him dead, then let him slip whatever the hell was going on in there. He nodded his head and turned around again. Well, then, what is going on in here? Asked another one of our steel jockeys, Hannah. The man just said he didn't know, shouted someone else from the back.

Didn't I tell y'all to calm down, Daniel said. Look, I don't. know what happened and i don't know what was going on with ben in cam lab okay here's what i do know one minute i'm enjoying a delicious burger like the rest of you the next my friend's writhing on the floor with shit coming out of every available hole now we're all stuck in here that's it i'm not hiding anything not exaggerating anything no that's all i know and i'd like to leave it alone now if that's all the same to you all well sad bud retorted daniel "'Still, we need to make sure no one's sick, don't we?'

"'Wined Craig.' "'Daniel groaned. "'Ah, here we go again.' "'I'm serious. "'You want to end up with—' "'Pardon my French, "'but shit coming out of every available hole like Rod was talking about. "'And how are we going to do that?'

"'Edna piped up. "'Spit sample,' one from the back shouted. "'Pissing a cup, maybe,' shouted another. "'Why don't we—' "'Enough people,' declared Daniel, annoyed. "'I don't want to keep saying this. "'Settle the hell down.' "'What if someone's—'

"'Then we'll take care of it, "'but for God's sake, "'can we maybe not cause people to die "'of a panic attack in the meantime? "'Please?' "'What's the point, then?' "'ask someone from my left. "'If we start dying off already,

"'how are we supposed to deal with it then?' "'Daniel sighed. "'All right, fine. Since you all want to get in a tizzy about this shit, here's what we'll do. He turned to me and asked, just before he fell out, did he have any sort of symptoms? Sort of, he was pale, sweating his ass off, and said he felt dizzy. So, basically, the symptoms of a cold. I shrugged.

Yeah, I guess. Well, all right, then. Here's what we do. Everyone's going to turn to the person next year. If they look like they're a little under the weather, then we'll make sure to stay away from them and alert the med team. Capish? We all began turning and mumbling to themselves

while cautiously examining each other. Daniel and I gave each other a very quick up and down with the look of, yeah, we'll do it too. Anything that shuts these fucking hippies up. About ten minutes later, the room had settled down again. All right? "'Everyone satisfied?' Daniel asked. "'Is anyone sick?'

"'He waited a moment before continuing with, "'No, okay, then, so we can all relax now, right?' The crowd glanced back and forth between themselves and Daniel. He took this to mean they agreed with him and said, "'Okay now. From here on, I say we sit here and wait until the hazmat crew gives us the all clear. All in favour say I. A very subdued eye was heard from the crowd.

I turned and looked back through the porthole window of the door. Just wait here. Thumbs up our asses until they come back for us. I thought again about Ben. What was he doing in the chem lab? I wondered. Sure, in our line of work, it was normal for one of us steel jockeys or grunts to be volunteered for work in the chemical department. It's just about any factory rights.

stand in a room and get pepper sprayed or have some crap slathered all over you or drink some weird juice so they don't have to pay people off the street and you get a little extra in your next check right but then again most places like this weren't secretive like monolith was were they i mean waivers were one thing but they didn't just threaten with termination of employment or prosecution we were under pain of death to keep our trap shut according to the common word of mouth anyway but Admittedly, no one had ever tried. Not that we actually knew of, but then no one we knew was foolish enough to try either. I try thinking of others I knew who'd been called for test monkey duties. From what I could remember, it all turned out fine. No real changes at all, save maybe a bit of renewed energy that would always have us confused. Hey, look you there. Yesterday, Larry can't even lift the crate off the ground without almost throwing his back out. and now he's Captain America after a stay in the chem lab. Hey, what did they give you?

Next to serving a spinach. Well, those and a good few others, were some of the jokes we'd used to crack with them, but we were genuinely shocked and curious. Unfortunately, again, there was no way to get the secret ourselves. What are you all hiding, I thought, staring out into the dark, dingy hallway. Hours ticked by like they were days

and I heard my stomach roar at me furiously. I wonder if they're even going to have the decency to bring us some food. I wasn't the only one with this idea either. Just the only one who would voice it. Edna would take that moniker. Ah, anyone else starving? I am, replied another from the back. I raised my hand in agreement.

Yeah, I'm feeling it too. Daniel conceded. "'What should we do?' asked someone from my right. "'What can we do?' asked Edna. "'They can't hear us in here, can they?' "'No, don't think so,' said Daniel. "'There are no microphones. "'Not true,' Craig piped up.

"'We all looked at him curiously.' Daniel scoffed. "'That right. "'How'd you know that?' "'I work maintenance, remember?' "'Crag nodded, chuckling. Yeah, they installed microphones in the walls in case they had to evacuate the quarantine zones. I frowned.

They evacuate the quarantine zones. But then why bring us here? I mean, this is the safe zone, right? The last resort, right? What could be so bad that they'd need to re-vac this place? He shrugged. Like you said, how am I supposed to know what those lab monkeys do up there? I nodded and said,

Good point. Okay, so what? We find the microphone and order takeout? Daniel asked. Because, I mean, I don't they're in any hurry to come rushing down here without knowing whether or not whatever happened out there has been dealt with. Well, we got to eat something, Craig whined. Yeah, he's right, said someone from the right.

I turned around again and stood up. buying Daniel, I said, Why don't we have a vote then? Raise your hand if you think we should try calling for them to come down here. About half the room, plus a few others, raised their hands. Now, those in favour of waiting like Daniel says, raise your hands. By the same amount of people on the other side,

this time including Daniel, raised their hands. Notice there were a few that still hadn't raised their hands, so I asked who was undecided. They didn't raise their hands, but they did look at me. Looking at Daniel again, I said. Well, majority vote rules. We at least give it a try. Daniel sighed and threw up his hands.

Ray, where is this microphone thing? He turned and pointed to the far corner of the room. I just got to find the button somewhere along the wall. Along the wall? Someone asked. Yeah. It's all built into the wall. That way it couldn't be tampered with.

Tampered with? Who would want to tamper with an intercom mic? Craig went over to the far corner of the room and reached up as far as he could. He was too short, though. Hey, anyone reach up for me? I walked over to him and asked where I was supposed to reach. There. I reached up and fell to cross the wall.

Surprisingly, I realized it was only common dry wall holding the place together. I felt across for a second before feeling a slight protrusion in the wall. Bingo. Got it? He asked. Yeah, yeah. Good. Now just hold the button down and shout into it.

I mashed the button. Hello? I shouted. Hey, uh, when's someone going to bring us some food? well be direct why don't you daniel remarked sarcastically there was no answer or sound from the other end hello maybe they're away from the receiver suggested one person from behind me uh-uh craig replied like i said that's supposed to be an emergency thing meant to be heard in the event of a dire emergency There. It's supposed to be heard throughout the facility, Daniel asked. Exactly.

Well, then I guess they went deaf because I shouted as loud as I could into the damn thing. Try again. Hold on, Craig, Ender said. How do you know this? Has it never been used? Craig's face sank. So, wait a minute, Daniel chimed in. You're getting a hope so.

over something you don't even know actually works. Oh, and I see you coming up with a better solution, Craig rebutted. Yeah, just sit on our asses and hope they actually come back for us. Well, better than you getting everybody in here all riled up over nothing. Well, he had a point, admittedly. And again, so did Craig. The room was breaking into another rumbling murmur now.

I piped up. Well, I'm not too keen on staying in here any longer than I have to, if I can help it. I turn again and hit the intercom. Hey, hey, it's me, Roger McCormick. Look, we've been in here for the past three hours, and I was cut off when I heard a low, weird sort of humming noise coming from the ceiling. About four or five seconds later, the lights in the bunker shut off abruptly. Several loud, ear-splitting screams echoed around us before a louder droning were came on,

followed by the soft crimson glow of the emergency lights. Oh, what the hell? Power outage? What happened? Asked someone from somewhere in the room. I couldn't really tell anymore where certain voices were coming from. Power went out, Craig replied, stupefied. But how?

What happened? asked Edna. How am I supposed to know? Rod? She asked. Oh, great, now it's my fault. I shrugged. Fuck if I know, sweetheart.

I just hit the button like I was told to. And now, uh, I wave my hand about the room. I turned to Craig and asked, you sure that's the one for the intercom? Yeah, I'm sure of it. Put the damn thing in that myself, I promise. So now, What do we do? Ask someone.

Stay calm, that's what, Daniel declared. Look, I'm sure there's a reason for this. Everything's going to be all right, so long as we keep our heads in it. Hold on a minute, I said, stopping Daniel. Turn into Craig again, I asked. On the door's on an electronic seal. He frowned for a second before his eyes widened, picking up where I was going with this. and emergency power wouldn't cover those, would it?

No, not that I know of. I turned to Daniel then. Why are you planning, wrought? He asked cautiously before realization hit him like a moving train, and he immediately went wide-eyed. Are you nuts? he exclaimed. What? What's the problem with getting out of here?

You mean other than the fact that we have absolutely no clue what's out there? "'Gees, man, I knew you were a bonehead sometimes, but come on, this is insane.' "'Well, I can't say I'd be any better, then,' said Craig. "'Daniel scoffed. "'Oh, of course you can't.' "'Look,' I said, "'if you want to stay, I get it, but I'm out.' "'I turned to the crowd, then, and declared, "'anyone else joining me, or am I going alone?'

"'I'm in,' Craig piped up. I'm with you. See you, said Edna. I heard a few other people say they were in as well as we headed for the door. You're making a mistake, man, I'm telling you, Daniel warned. All of you. We, of course, ignored him and opened the door, venturing out into the blood-red, lit hallway. Just as soon as the last person joining me was out of the chamber, I heard the door slam shut.

I took a brief glance behind me to see Daniel staring back at me through the porthole window with a look of grim expectation a look that told me just as loud as he could actually shout the words damn fools we then ventured further down the hallway

while the walk was relatively silent surprising a bit to me considering the circumstances me leading a bunch of frightened plant workers who frankly don't get paid quite enough to be dealing with this bunch of shit down a hallway that looks like something that came straight out of a sci-fi movie right before the monster comes out the entire time too i had one thing to keep repeating in my mind what are we going to find once we make it back to the surface level what caused the power to go out now there were about a thousand others obviously but before any of them could grab my focus

our little party was forced to a dead halt. It hit ahead of us. We heard the groan of what I assumed to be a dying animal, like a deer or something similar, echoing all the way down. What was that? Craig asked, panicking. The sound rang out again. It was closer this time, moving toward us. My back stiffened, my hands clenched.

What do we do? I heard someone from behind me ask. Maybe we should turn back, said another from behind me. You can't. You really think they'd let us back in? Heard Craig retort. I stayed locked in front of me. Admittedly, a part of me couldn't help but do what the one guy said

and make a break back for the quarantine chamber. But at the same time, I knew Craig was right. Daniel's stare said it all. We'd made our bed, and now we'd have to be. have to sleep in it, possibly for good. The hallway was quiet again for about 20 seconds before we heard it once more. This time it sounded noticeably more painful, tortured even. I closed my eyes, took a deep, those shuddering breath, and said,

All right, everyone stay here. I'm going to go and see what's going on. I turned to Craig. You're with me. Wait, what? he exclaimed his eyes about two seconds from shooting out at me like they were bullets firing from his skull you heard me come on hold up how are you going to just waltz down there and check that out you don't even know what it is oh and you want to drag me into i just stood staring at him my right eyelid drooping this was the absolute last thing i needed right then a bitch rant session from monolith's top contender for poind extra of the month award. I wanted to slug the absolute crap out of him

and tell him to finally grow a goddamn pair. But I didn't. No. I sighed instead. Smired my most shit-eating grin and told him, Okay, you're right. Clearly you're smarter and wiser than I am. So I think you should take the driver's seat for a while, eh?

I ended this with a wink. He just stared back at me, confused. Huh? Yeah, since you're apparently the smarter. list of us. Why don't you decide what we do next? Well, he's stiffened, darting his eyes around at me and everyone else. Well... Okay, fine, look, I... I don't know what to do. We can't go back and...

And so, therefore, I'll be taking the lead again. Glad we're on the same page on that. Now, first order is that your ass and mine are going to... down there and see what's going on. Capiche. He looked pleadingly at me for a moment before diverting his eyes to the ground. Good. Now, come on. The two of us walked quickly, though hesitantly down to the end of the hall where the sound had come from. The further we went, the darker it became. The red light almost completely dissipated around the halfway point, almost completely shrouding the two of us in complete darkness.

I couldn't even see much of my own two hands when I held them up to my face. When we got about the rest of the way to the other end, I heard the sound again. This time was different, though. It wasn't so much a groaning sound, but more like gurgling. Instead of sounding like something or someone was in excruciating pain, it was now like they were underwater, or at least gargling water, if you understand what I'm saying. This was followed by several sounds of hacking or, Sort of like wheezing noises.

Someone was choking, I thought, and my pace quickened. Hello, I called out. Hang on, I'm coming. Oh, wait a minute, man. What are you doing? I ignored him and kept going. The groaning had stopped again. Hello?

Are you hurt? Rod, what the hell are you? Oh, my God. I turned around to see the colour drain completely from Craig's face. He was staring directly ahead of me, into the darkness ahead. I turned around again to find a man shambling down through the hall in front of us. Being as dark as it was, I couldn't see much, but I was able to make out that the guy's skin was literally albino.

He was tall, too, painfully skinny, looking like a P-O-W, and made this weird guttural sort of noise from his mouth, which hung almost to the floor as he stumbled drunkenly along. Briefly, too, I noticed he was wearing a hazmat suit without the helmet. Sir? I called out, shivering slightly. The only reply I got was that gurgling sound again. I could hear Craig shivering behind me like he was cold. To be perfectly honest, I could feel the temperature drop a few degrees myself.

I took a small step backward. sir are you okay he stopped this time snapping his head to his right side like he was examining me my heart rate quickened the way he was looking at me sizing me up almost and the wobbly uncoordinated balance of his body gave me the impression that who or whatever this was they weren't exactly friendly who are you i asked he took a stumbling step forward to which I stepped backwards. I repeated my question. Dude, I think we need to... A stumbling figure cut him off by letting out a loud, tortured moan that sounded like a mix between a dying man and a man coughing up water

that echoed all the way down through the hallway. Both mine and Craig's hearts jumped at this. Another step forward saw the man fall onto his face. I rushed over to him. then. I was about to reach out to him when his back split open. First it looked like something had exploded and we shielded our faces from the splatter, except there was no splatter. We looked again then to see these weird vines or tendrils coming out of his back. They wormed their way out of the hole like an army of squirming baby snakes before becoming rigid, anchoring themselves

into the ground. What happened next was a mix of two things. The first is that Craig and I started sprinting back down the hall while we heard the sounds of simultaneous pounding coming from behind us. Like the dumbass I am, a chance to look behind me to see something that will always haunt my nightmares. For those things, the tentacles or whatever, were charging for us at top speed while the poor bastard's body just dangled limply as it went along.

The way it looked too was almost like whatever had happened had somehow made his bones disappear, leaving him nothing more than a fleshy sack being moved along by the tentacles. Even worse was that it was in the red light when I saw it, making his empty, sagging flesh look all the more ghoulish. Before I even realized it, Craig was snatched up by his ankle and ripped backwards. I just briefly saw a glimpse of his body whizzing by, screaming as I kept running. Well, I didn't dare look back again. I didn't see what happened to Craig, and I didn't want to. The last thing from him was a series of painful wailings before, going silent completely.

By that time, I'd made it back to the others. Go, I shouted, come on, we have to go now. Rod, what's happened? What was that? Edna asked. Where's Craig? Someone else asked. I started pushing him down the hall back toward the bunker. Forget about him.

Come on. At the time I could get the crowd moving, though, the thumping came barreling down the hall. Oh, Jesus. The crowd got one good look, and it was over. They couldn't clamour through that cramped crimson hallway fast enough. I can still hear the screams of the particularly unlucky few who tripped and were promptly trampled onto foot.

Even more than them, of course, I remember the mix of the screams of people. being snatched like how Craig was, the sort of gurgling roar the creature was making. I get running, praying to God that the tentacles would stay busy with the others long enough to make it back to the bunker, morbid and callous as that sounds. Ironically, in a sick sort of way, I managed to make it a foot away from the bunker, only for the thing to then land right out of the air in front of me. It's rolled eyeballs, only very loosely held inside its sagging socket.

it bore through mine. Its gurgling noise became a high-pitched screech when I noticed that one eye wasn't actually looking at me at all. Instead, it cocked a bit to the side to look behind me. My head snapped around

to see all of the bodies, all looking like bloody human, swissed cheese and twitching. It did at least three double takes between the bodies and the creature, expecting him to pincushom me like the rest. I saw something even worse, start to happen. Each and every one of them had begun to make the same gurgling noise,

leaking red fluid from their mouths, ears, and noses like Ben was, before a loud pop noise erupted from each of them, where tentacles sprouted from their backs and stomachs. This thing didn't just kill them. It infected them, too. They all rose up and surrounded me. I was choked off. There was nowhere I could run to. My heart was speeding. my body twitching yet rigid at the same time. They all closed in on me. I brought my arms up in a last ditch effort to defend myself. When I heard the one in front of me,

the one in the hazmat suit from the hallway, almost split my ears in half with a wild shriek. I brought my arms down again to see Daniel with some sort of torch that he appeared to have fashioned using his handkerchief, his pipe wrench and his cigarette lighter. Come on, quick. before these things get in Part 2

The others attempted to rush him But I'd sprinted toward him quicker than they could And tackled him through the doorway into the bunker Get the door I shouted just after landing Sure enough too they managed to get to the door And get it shut and locked just before one of them could barge in Daniel and I were on the ground for a solid two minutes

rigid, stiff, unable to move, before finally realizing it was safe to relax. What the fuck was that? Daniel asked, panting. I don't know. I think that was one of the hazmat crew. A hazmat crew? One of the others asked. I shook my head looking at Daniel. You saw it too, right? Yeah, he replied, shuddering. Yeah, I saw that. What happened to him? Who are those others?

Well, I don't know. Craig and I found him stumbling into the hallway before he turned into, I pointed to the door, that. Were there others? Daniel asked. That was them, man. The thing got to them, did something to them.

Now they're just like him. Here's and everyone else's eyes doubled inside when I said this. What is it? Someone asked. I just told you I don't know, I shouted back. You said it was one of the hazmat crew, Daniel asked again. I shook my head. The two of us picked ourselves off the ground and dusted ourselves off, caught our breaths,

and Daniel asked me to start from the beginning. I told him as best I could. Most of it at the time was kind of a blur to me, so it took me a second, and I told him everything that had happened. I don't know what the hell any of that was other than something's obviously gone wrong topside and now I finished by gesturing to the door again

well now what do we do someone cried from my rights someone else cried we're screwed now there's no one to come for us all right all right calm down people Daniel said they all looked at him

look panic and ain't gonna do us no Oh, can it? Someone from a crowd shouted. Another person shouted. Yeah, look what's happening now, man. How the hell are we not supposed to panic? The room was in utter pandemonium again. Everyone, everywhere at the same time

was shouting all different variants of either we're fucked or we're all going to die and shit like that. Watch Daniel try pitifully to calm the room down. his usually dominant voice, one that would have made a drill sergeant jealous, was now a little more than a pathetic coup of a child in a sea of cacophony. Just like earlier, I can't say I actually blamed them for wanting to panic. That being said, it wasn't calming my own nerds either, so I took matters into my own hands to get everyone's attention

by grabbing the nearest jar that contained the medical supplies and smashed it on the ground. Almost immediately, the room went dead silent. All right, listen. I can't take any more craziness right now, okay? Some smart ass from the back piped up, saying, this coming from the dumbass that started this shit in the first place. I looked in the direction the voice had come from. I couldn't see him, but it didn't matter.

I could see they were all in agreement from the look they were all collectively giving me. You know what? You're right. Was my fault? Was my fault this thing? Whatever the unholy hell. it is his spreading and it's my fault the others are fuck now there that what you wanted to hear yes it was my fault damn it sitting here panicking isn't going to do us a damn bit of good now will it they all continued looking at me while my attention turned to daniel now what do you think we should do me chuckled

sort of condescendingly but in his case it was warranted this time round well i'd say the best bet would be to try and reach someone off the site. How? I asked. He brought out his phone and began dialing. That won't work, will it? Someone from the back of the crowd asked. The signal's restricted, ain't it? Yeah, it is, I said. There's a system for emergency calls, ain't there? Sort of like a fail-safe line. The lockdown line, right? That brings the emergency teams? Uh-huh, he said putting the phone to his ear and if you paid attention to at least one of the million training videos they fastest to watch you'd remember the safe word to initiate said line like i he stopped dead his eyes going wide what i asked my heart was instantly thrown into high gear again

come on spit it out what is it he turned around and looked at me face white is a damn piece of of paper. I said the words that have haunted every second of my sleep ever since for a year. Inside, 406, is offline. Wait, what? Someone asked. What does that mean?

Not taking my eyes away from Daniel, I said in a shuddering breath it means we're cut off completely. So, wait, that means we can't call for help at all? They cried. Yeah, that's right. What the fuck are we going to do?

I didn't reply. I really couldn't. I was out of ideas, having already realized my ideas were bad anyway. And Daniel was in perpetual shock, not even having brought the phone down from his ear. When someone from the head levels notice something's up when they see the powers out and the signal's gone? I heard another ask. Well, they might, but even if they have already noticed, which honestly isn't likely, It'll still be a good few days, maybe weeks, before they could get an emergency team out here, that way.

Yeah, the lockdown crew was meant for immediate emergencies like this, but without the signal. Well, is there a way to get the signal back online? They interjected. The only way is through the main office, said Daniel, finally returning his phone to his pocket. You mean we'd have to go out there? Someone else cried. We'll all die, exclaimed another. those things will get us and...

They settle down, damn it, I shouted. I just told you I can't take any more anxiety right now. I looked again at Daniel. Right, what's the quickest way to get there? Did you know? He looked down and shook his head. Only route I know is through the main corridor. Okay, well, obviously that's out.

I mean, my little crew from earlier didn't even make it out of this hallway before getting fucked up. Well, then we're stuck Because there isn't any other way to them Not true I think I may know a way Piped someone from the very back Daniel and I looked over to him He was a round man with overalls

And a hard hat with a tool belt around his waist Maintenance and engineering crew It makes sense he'd be the one to say this Daniel waved him to come forward and he did He said you have another route The main office? Daniel asked. I think so. I mean, it's a bold maneuver. Something I myself haven't tried in ages now.

I don't know nothing about where these things y'all are talking are about, but, well... Come on, out with it, I said impatiently. He cleared his throat and said, well, if I remember correctly, there should be a tunnel network as maintenance crew used to get around, you know. Daniel and I both silently nodded. "'It's supposed to have access to every part of the side "'and get you to any place you needed to go to.' "'And you could access this place from in here?' asked Daniel.

"'Yeah, in fact, it's right over there.' "'He pointed to a spot in the far left corner. "'He walked over and lifted up four of the tiles "'to reveal a drop into a small tunnel.' "'That's been there the entire time?' "'Someone asked. "'Yep,' the maintenance guy responded. Every room in every wing of Site 46 has one of these.

How come you didn't say anything about this before? I asked. Well, like I said, I ain't used them in a while. Nobody I know has. Honestly, I'm surprised. It's still here. What do you mean? Oh, see, like I told you, they were reserved for the maintenance workers to get around. Thing is, though, those tunnels ain't exactly roomy if you take my meaning. They ain't that well lit either.

And unfortunately, the physicals and screenings they subjected us to, for this job, weren't thorough enough to catch the unfortunate bastards that had severe claustrophobia. So, while we would be trying to get from point A to point B, you'd have old Harry behind you, wigging out. So they'd finally told us, we'll just remain topside and move around the rest of you. Daniel and I looked down at the tunnel. The guy wasn't kidding about the tunnel looking cramped. It looked like it would barely fit an average-sized person, giving him just enough room to walk in one direction, with none left a spare for him to turn his head. The two of us looked up at each other.

So, um, this is our play, I asked. Unless you have a better suggestion, he replied, gesturing his eyes to the door, silently teasing me. I sighed and looked back down into the tunnel. Oh, great. Instead of a dark-ass hallway, It's a dark-ass tunnel. So, exactly how are we going to do this? You know, we can't all fit in there at the same time.

He sighed, looking back down himself. Yeah, that's the rub, ain't it? He felt for a moment before asking me. Say, Ironrod, you want to try to take him point again? I looked up at him. He had his eyebrow raised eagerly, one that suggested he, he was planning something bold. Uh, sure, I guess.

Well, I was thinking, since you were the only one dumb enough to want to go out there the first time and the one who decided to drag the rest of us down with you, why don't you actually be the hero this time around? I frowned at him. Hey, what do you mean? Then it hit me like a moving train.

Oh, that's absurd, man. This night little grin grew and he winked, pointing downward. I glanced back and forth between him and the tunnel. Look, I can't do it alone, not down there. What? You're afraid of tight spaces all of a sudden? No, but what if those things are in there?

Well, you managed to slip yourself out of trouble before. You'll do it again. Yeah, but I don't know how to even get to the main office from here, not through there. This legitimately seemed to stump him. He started looking around at the crowd then. "'Hey, uh, does anyone here still have their walkies?' he asked. One guy stepped forward with his, which was then rudely thrust into my chest by Daniel before he then took out his own and started tuning it.

Okay, now I'm going to talk you through how to get there. He looked over to the maintenance guy and asked, Hey, got any kind of map of these tunnels? He dug around in his pocket and replied, "'Ah, as a matter of fact, I do.' He pulled out a small folded up map and handed it to Daniel. Daniel then told him to give me his headlamp before telling me, making sure to add his signature shit-eating smirk,

complete with his TV spokesperson's wink and thumbs up, to hurry and get my ass down the hatch into the tunnels. Hey-ah, good luck, buddy. It was the last thing he said to me before I reluctantly dropped into the tunnels. And buddy, up yours too. As soon as I dropped down I struggled to take a step forward because of the way the walls

were so tightly packed together felt like what you'd expect a piece of bread to feel while popped into a toaster compacted on both sides of you with no way to turn or to get out well it made sense too that I was the one he sent down there next to as he put it

being the only one bored enough to try something stupid like this the last time I was also likely the only one who even had a chance of fitting down here and being able to manoeuvre as easily as I was. Everyone else would have still had a far harder time than me trying to move. As soon as I was out of sight range from the hatch, I heard the walkie going off. Riga, Riga, Smoky here. I repeat, Smokey here.

How are you doing down there, bandit? Over. I couldn't help but scoff at this. He was really making jokes about this right now. Yeah, laugh it up, ass wipe. I clicked the button. and replied. It's about as cramped in air as your sister was last night, but overall, no trouble yet, I guess. I can imagine the entire room just busting their guts laughing at this.

Yep, that was still jocky humor for you. Even when in the worst of situations, we downplay it like it's just another day on the side. Be it our first, or tragically the last, we're still going to make jokes about it. Right. Now you're going to keep going straight till you find a two-way crue. crossroad. They're going to want to make a right. Copy that bandit? Over. I copy Jackass. Over. Uh-uh. Smokey's the name, bandit. Over. Putting on my best hillbilly accent, I clicked the button and replied, well, now I hear you loud and clear, smoky old pal. I'll just moose yon down yonder

to those there crossways you were japping about and go my happy ass down onto the main office. On the way, I just bag me a couple of them ornery little critters that have been running buck wild down here. Ye-ho. All right, all right. Seriously, though. Where are you now? Over. Well, I'm at the crossing now, actually.

You said to take a right now, didn't you? Over. Yeah, that's right, bandit. Just take yourself a right, and you'll go till he hit another junction. Then you'll take another right. Copy. Over. Yeah, copy that smoky old buddy, over.

I rolled my eyes and took the right. Fortunately, the halls were actually a bit more spread apart from each other, allowing me at least enough room to turn and look over my shoulder. The only complaint I would have about this hall, though, was just how hot it was. I mean, I took five, maybe seven steps, and I was already out of breath and sweating. I couldn't keep it up much longer if this was going to be the conditions of the place. Fortunately, it wasn't long until I actually hit the next junction. I took the right where I was met with the surprise of the room now being ice cold.

I clicked on the radio. All right, Smokey, I'm freezing my ass off in the next tunnel. Where do I go from here? Over. All right, from that tunnel, you'll go till you're about three-farths of the way there. Then you're going to find a hatch that's going to take you to another tunnel junction. Go through there and take the left. Copy? Over. Yeah, copy that, over. Okay, so just go three thoughts of the way there. No problem, right?

Well, there was a problem. Now I didn't have the map or blueprints in front of me like Daniel did, nor did I know the ins and outs of this area like the maintenance guy did. But if I was a betting man, I'd have gambled everything I had that the past two tunnels I'd go through were somehow connected to the central AC units, which would expect. Explain why one was scorching hot, well, the next one almost gives you frostbite the second your dumbass walks in. Unlike the last tunnel, this one wasn't a short trek either. Thank God it's only three quarters of the way this time.

I pushed on as hard as I could. My hands and feet going completely numb after reaching what I figured was a quarter of the way onto the tunnel. My breath was forming clouds in front of my face. jeez yeah i can imagine people losing their minds having to work in areas like this part of me also wondered if maybe dan you knew somehow that this little crusade would take me through a place like this and purposely sent me in without a jacket or something you know for laughs yeah still jockey humor for you i got to the midway point before i stopped giving a clanking noise coming from all around me it rang from all sides above me as well as to my left and right I looked but couldn't see anything moving or any sort of indentations of the metal being pressed upon I figured then that it was just the units trying to kick back in

sort of trying to fight to get recirculating through the building again so I shook my head and continued shambling forward well in two seconds my guess was proven to be horrifically wrong when I watched the hatch in front of me get thrown open and a man fell out onto the frigid metal floor I heard him groaning and I froze. I wasn't about to get any closer to him.

I'd learned at least that much from last time. The man struggled to pick himself up, and he looked at me. He wore the uniform of one of the lab workers. It was a lab monkey, and he looked like he'd already got the worst of whatever he and his little band of geeks in the chem labs had conjured up. Huh, ironic, isn't it?

His skin was albino, standing out from the darkness of the tunnel, and his eyes were sunken into their sockets, and his jaw hung like it was barely being held onto his head by a piece of string. He reached out to me, and I took a step back with every step he took forward. He groaned again, and this time I faintly made out what I think were the words, Help me, please. Whatever he said, it was immediately forgotten when he fell flat on his face,

and that all too hauntingly familiar pop echoed through the tunnel, which was my cue to gun it the hell out of there. I didn't wait around for the creatures to get itself up and moving. No, I was gone, back out of the freezing tunnel through the scorching one. And from there I just went in whatever direction I could. I didn't look over my shoulder either, because I could hear its tentacles crashing against the floor behind me. Even worse this time around was how the thing's gurgling noises actually echoed,

which made me imagine it being much closer right on top of me the entire time. In the frenzy, I somehow managed to wrestle the walkie from my pocket without hurling it halfway across the room and smashed that button again. Daniel, Daniel, we got trouble. I waited, still bolting into God-only knew where. Daniel, nothing. I was right in the middle of trying to cry out again,

when I stopped suddenly, hearing the croaking noise coming around the corner just a few feet away. from where I was. Oh, shit. I waited for a moment, not knowing whether to run or stay put. I swung my head backwards to find a dead end with a two-way crossway. The gurgling came closer around the bend. I stepped back, ready at any moment to start booking it.

Just when it seemed like the thing was about to jump out from around the corner, it stopped, and so did I. My breath caught in my throat. "'God, just go away,' I pleaded silently. "'Please, God, make it go away.' "'God appear to have my back, too, "'because sure enough, the gurgling noise trailed further and further away. "'Even still, it was at least a good five to ten minutes

"'before I felt safe enough to move again. "'The first thing I did was to arch my neck as much as possible "'without moving to peek around the corner. "'The coast was clear for the moment, so I took the chance to slowly tiptoeing like I was a kid trying to sneak into the house past curfew walked back through the tunnel the way I'd come in like I said the coast was clear but there was a new problem I didn't know where the hell I was

I lost the creature but now I didn't know where to go next or even how to get back to the quarantine room I fumbled with the walkie again Daniel Daniel pick up nothing I kept clicking the call button, but I could hear only interference. Oh, just freaking wonderful. Don't that just beat it all? I have no idea where I am. I had no signal.

After taking a deep breath and hitting the wall next to me, I opened my eyes and started walking forward. I stayed going down the tunnel I was in for another meter or two, before taking a right into a tunnel that was probably the only one down here that was actually roomy, as the maintenance guy put it. It was also the only one that was semi-well lit, using overly bright fluorescent lighting that lined the length of the ceiling. At either side of me along the walls were large panes of glass that appeared to peer into what looked like either an aquarium or some sort of water tank. It was bright green with small bubbles rising from the bottoms, and in the middle were these weird little things.

I can't really describe them as anything other than things, that was suspended from light. long black cables that dangled from the tops of the tanks. They just dangled there, like fishing worms, until I put my face up to the glass for a closer look, where the things started squirming frantically, startling me half to death. What is that thing? It looked like it was just a tiny ball of shiny, inky black tentacles,

furiously writhing around like an electric current had just been shot through it. Didn't have any real features either. just about ten or twelve tiny wriggling appendages coming out of everywhere on its body. Weirdly, it kind of reminded me of those kush-balls I used to play with when I was a kid. Only those didn't make me sick to my stomach when the little silicon bristles moved like this thing did with its tentacles. Worse yet was when I looked over at the other tanks to see that the others were now writhing as well. It was like I disturbed the one, which then made the others lose their shit as well. Like how when there's two babies in a room and one starts wailing, it prompts the other to do the same.

Well, basically, I'm saying that these things apparently had some kind of psychic connection and could tell when something was wrong. I guess I was either too curious or too grossed out for this to fully kick in. That is until I heard the pitter-patter of tendrils stabbing the floor in a bee-line for the tunnel I was in. That was my one and only warning to get going, so I immediately started hauling ass once again for the other end of the corridor. One problem, though, there wasn't any exit. I made it all the way to the other end of the hallway, only to find a small maintenance locker. I threw my head back, wondering if I could chance to try to run back out the way I came, but it was no good. Two seconds after I turned my

head, I watched one of the tentacles slither into the entry of the tunnel. Oh, shit. I froze for a single second longer, long enough for two more of the tendrils to come shooting out of the hole leading in, before instinct kicked in, and I climbed into the thankfully empty and big enough, though obviously still uncomfortably cramped, locker. Through the slits, I watched the creatures. There were two this time, I lumber into the room. One of them had at least three of the primary tentacles coming out of the poor bastard's mouth, with his body just dangling down from it like a stuck pig.

in a meat locker. Oh, it was absolutely disgusting, and I were a puked right then and there if I wasn't worried about making sure they didn't see me. They slithered close to the tanks and made their gross little gurgling noises to both themselves and to the glass. Must be talking to each other, I figured.

A mating call maybe. Though, looking back, if I could take a guess, I'd say it was more of a feeding call than anything else. An alert that yet another human, human being was in their ranks and not one of them. This idea would make sense because, in another moment, the really disgusting one started looking around the room, using the tentacles to start tossing the area like it was the FBI on a drug bust.

They seemed eager, too, judging from the way its gurgling noises sounded now more like howls of frustration. They knew I was there, and I had a bad feeling it wouldn't be long before one of them decided to think about checking the locker. What was I going to do then? Not a damn thing, that's what. I couldn't fight them. There's no way to get past them both to outrun them.

To top it all off, still didn't know where I was. The one got right up against the locker, gazing around, examining the vents. Think of any scene from any movie where the hero is trying to hide from the monster, and the monster gets right up to where they're hiding, trying to make them crack and come out by sniffing around for them. and yep, it was just like that. God had my back again, though, because the thing didn't seem to want to linger around long before joining his partner.

The two of them started gurgling back and forth to one another, and talking to each other, I guess you could say, before one of them shot one of their tendrils through the glass, shattering it. The other immediately followed suit, shattering the other one. In seconds, water filled the tunnel almost halfway already. before I could even realize anything that was happening I could feel the water seeping through the cracks of the locker In only a few more seconds

The water inside the locker was up to my thighs Oh great so if I'm not taken out by them I'll get drowned out Through the slits again I saw the creatures Both the ones with bodies as well as the small ones inside the water tanks Slither away into the hallway Treading the water as they went along and by that point the water

which I might add was almost numbingly cold to a point where I had lost feelings in both my lower legs had reached above my kneecaps and yet still I waited at least another half a minute before the creatures were gone

before finally clamouring out of the locker waiting through the flooded tunnel I looked to see the empty tanks water was still steadily pouring in from them running all throughout the tunnel made my way to the hallway and peered around the corner. Seeing that the coast was clear,

I scrambled for the walkie again and decided to try my luck. Daniel, come on, pick up. Static. By that point, I was ready to hurl the thing, but instead I clipped it back on my pocket, took a deep breath, started forward again,

staying cautious to make as little noise as possible. First, my plan was to try following the flow of the water, that was quickly flooding the rest of the tunnels, only to realise about 20 minutes in that this was a fruitless endeavour, thanks to just how many diverting tunnels there were. None of the pathways seemed recognisable to me either. Then, before losing myself any deeper,

I decided to turn around and turn back toward the tunnel I'd come from. Well, I figured, being that that was where whatever those things were being born, grown, germinated whatever, that must also be close. to the chem labs. If so, that meant that I should be able to find a way through there and use the chem labs to make it through to the main office.

The walk back took longer than it did going forward, mostly thanks to the fact my body was now shivering with every step, plus the anxiety not allowing me to try walking any faster than two miles an hour. Eventually, though, I made it back to the tunnel, where I started searching for any sort of entry out of there and to the surface. The maintenance guy had said that there were hatches to each area of Site 46, so I knew it would have to be somewhere in that tunnel. After all, how else did they manage to access it to hold, examine test, and or whatever else they were doing with them? Of course, this inevitably led to my mind questioning once again just, what were these things?

What were they doing with them? Up to that point, you know, I'd all but shoved the question to the back of my mind. But after seeing what I'd seen earlier in that tunnel, couldn't help but really start wondering. How long are these things even been here? Or were they just some new development? What about all the times other crew members from various wings of the facility

had been called to the chem labs for test work? Had they been subjected to these things? I mean, it doesn't seem likely, given that this was, as far as I knew at least, the first time anything like this had ever happened. But then... Well, could they have been subjected to these things too? I'll tell you, it was everything I could do and beyond to keep shoving down my questioning

and just focus on finding my way out of the damn tunnels. I looked all around the corridor, but found nothing except the storage locker. Then I looked inside the empty tanks that held the creatures and decided to try my luck looking there. Well, I have to say, I was both shocked and a bit alarmed when I actually ended up finding what I was looking for here. located at the top of the tank right above where the thing was being held

by the cables earlier was a large hatch door now I say alarmed because automatically I realized there was only one reason for this and think about it of all the locations in the tunnel why right inside of the tank

above the thing okay so playing benefit of the doubt you could say it was for feeding or something yes except then why was it large enough to admit a grown man. That left me with only one conclusion, as well as an answer to my earlier question.

They had been exposing others to this thing before, which meant that either they'd encountered this situation before and had implemented some sort of way of terminating them before they get out of control like they were now, or the people they'd tested was somehow immune to these things and their effects, or, well, these things knew how to be patient inside of people. This made the entire inside of my body drop below zero.

These things could linger inside of people, and how did I know who was infected and who wasn't? How did I know that I wasn't infected? Granted, I hadn't exactly been stabbed or anything, but even still, how did I know if it was their only way of infesting their victims? I came out of the tanks and entered the main testing room of the Keb Labs. the room was mostly dark which made trying to see a damn thing almost impossible the only light in the room came from the teeny tiny little red lights peppered across the ceiling in the four corners of the room

that just barely even lit the small radii around them that said there was still a good bit I could see namely the many papers lining the wall what I could really make out most of them were weird sorts of diagrams either of people, animals, or of other things that look both recognisable and unrecognizable at the same time. I focused hard, though, on the ones I saw that depicted, or at least seemed to depict, the creatures. In the diagrams, I saw people appearing to be exposed to them via pricking.

A lot of the handwriting was both sloppy and illegible, but some of it I saw read, Specimen X-12, chemical-engineered symbiotech. I grabbed a few of these documents off of the wall and began looking over them in the light as best I could. Here's one of the files I managed to read in its entirety. Monolith File-336-556-9 Project Anti-Venum Specimen X-12 is a chemically engineered symbiote. Purpose, provision of enhanced antibodies into the human body, effectively, eliminating all diseases or ailments in the body as well as enhancement of physical activity overall.

Hypothesis, after exposure to specimen X-12, a human host of any age, race, ethnicity, sex, or health condition will not only be cured of any and or all ailments, thus prolonging life almost indefinitely, but will also receive major enhancements in endurance, durability, and reflexes. method by obtaining volunteers from various members of monolith staff each of varying backgrounds and or conditions and circumstances we will begin testing the effects of exposure to human subjects first wave of trial shall occur the first week of every month for the next twelve to fifteen months after which time total results will be collected and reviewed by higher monolith administration during the trials seven volunteers will be selected to to undergo testing, according to the choosing of HOE, head of experiment, individually undergoing testing once per corresponding day. Note, human trials are to go on record as having occurred after extensive animal testing.

See prior documentation dated from 2019. Trials showed extreme promise, especially in primates and other mammalian subjects. We act in good faith that such fruit will be born with human trials. Well, I remember almost wanted to vomit when I read that last line, in good faith. Yeah, because horrendous things never happen when it's purely done in good faith, right? These egg-headed wingnuts experimented on people. I don't even try telling me they actually told them what they were actually taking part in, not with how secretive they were.

No, I'll bet they told them they were getting a flu shot or a physical or some shit. something that staff was required to undergo periodically, only to find that what was really happening was that they were unintentional, non-consensual lab rats. I tried looking through the documents, but any sort of reports on the project, any other notes or calculations regarding the trials must have been trashed long ago or taken when the place was hurriedly evacuated, which would explain also the way the room was trashed. I guess they left these few documents. the diagrams and the introduction

as a sort of fail-safe in case they managed to diffuse the situation and return to the laboratory and salvage some record of the project. Well, in an ironic way then, I guess they can thank me for that because I then pocketed the documents before making my way to the door

at the far end of the room. Turning the knob, I felt every joint in my body sees up at once, when I heard the now-all-too-familiar croaking sound coming from right outside the door. Shit, I can't get to the main office with that thing right on top of me. Final part. I slowly released the knob,

silently praying to every God imaginable that the thing didn't hear me as I backed away from the door. This, however, was when said gods decided I was on my own this time around. Because the next thing I know, the fucker shoots a tendril straight through the door. Which did I mention was raw steel? Well, when I saw this, I both lost control of my bladder and gunned it in the other direction. What was worse, that there wasn't a back door out of the chem labs either? That door, the steel door that was ripped away from the frame like it was a freaking Lego piece, was the only one that led in or out of the room,

save, I guess, for the tanks themselves leading to the maintenance tunnels again. Backed against the rear wall, the creature stomping straight for me, with each tendril mercilessly stabbing the floor, I hide the tanks both reluctantly and desperately. I obviously didn't want to have to go back into the tunnels. For one thing, I was already beginning to see more and more of what the guy was talking about with the claustrophobia element. More than this, though, going back into the tunnels meant running the all too likely risk of getting lost again after finally managing to get lucky enough to stumble so close to where I needed to go. I'm right here and I can't even cross the finish line. The creature was right on top of me, only inches away from where I stood. It could have snatched me with one tentacle,

and it wouldn't even have had to have reached its full extension to do so. So, knowing I was only seconds away from death, or worse, reflexes kicked in, and I dove head first to the right of it, right as it shot a tentacle that would have probably gored me straight through the chest had it connected. I managed to dodge its first strike and was surprisingly quick, to recover to my feet and start running again. Unfortunately, this burst of luck also ran out almost immediately when another shot from a tentacle slashed my right ankle,

sending me flying forward on my face from the momentum. My vision exploded into clouds and stars, and I knew right off the bat that my nose was busted, feeling the blood just flooding from it. My leg, though, was what hurt worst of all, with how bad it was stinging. I imagine he was slashed with a shard of glass, and then had a bunch of fire ants crawl into the gaping wound

and just start biting the absolute shit out of from the inside of your leg. Oh, that's what it felt like, a crawling, progressing pain. The thing was relentless too, wasting no time wrapping another of its inky, slimy tendrils around my aching ankle and hurling me like the featherweight I apparently was to it, back into the far wall. That time I felt a couple of bones crack like a glowstick on impact.

The thing came stomping for me to finish me. You know how, when you're about to die, your adrenaline will kick in, even if there's no strength left in your body? You're right there, right on the grim reaper's doorstep, and your hand's about to ring the doorbell because that's all you really can do at this point, only to then find it somehow in you to say, no, to hell with this. I'm not going out like this, not yet. an innate primal part of you that keeps fighting long after you've been battered beyond the point of weakness

survival instinct to put it bluntly i guess anyway whatever you call it that kicked in maximum overdrive because the next thing i knew i was dodging two simultaneous tendril strikes like i'd just taken the red pill before bolting once again for the exit my leg was on fire but i couldn't have cared less. Actually, believe it or not, the pain barely registered to me at all, above that of a little paper cut. Nor did the thought that I might now be infected really crossed my mind. Not yet, anyways. No, right then, none of that mattered to me. All that mattered was getting out of the chem labs and making it to the main office to turn the signal back on and get us out of this place. Well, in that vein, I managed to make the next room and slam the door right in the creature's

face, even managing to see the dent left in the door from the impact it made, which I'll proudly admit made me smile a little bit to see. Immediately after, the adrenaline that had kept me going right up to that point, decided my time was up and I was back to limping, barely even holding my ass upright at all. Thankfully, though, it appeared, for the moment that I could see at least, that it was the only one. From there, I knew it would be only one more right turn down the hall, way in front of me, and it was a straight shot to the main office. The challenge then was managing to get there without A, passing out before I could even make the damn bend, and, or B, mutating, thanks to the scuffle two seconds ago.

I looked at my leg. The cut was diagonal, running the length of my ankle, and I could see that, despite it being a quick strike, it was a deep cut, severing several layers of flesh. it ached and burned like nothing I could have even imagined before and I could even see a bright reddish pink ring forming around its circumference oddly and alarmingly it wasn't bleeding in spite of all this that can only mean the things inside me I began to imagine what was going to happen to me

when and how the thing would awaken inside my body where would the tentacles come out from my back my stomach or maybe out of my mouth like the one from earlier in the tunnels i wondered if any part of me would still be conscious enough to even think while i was like that what would i be feeling if anything i'll say right now that this thought has continuously given me nightmares particularly when applied to the others that had mutated what they were possibly feeling Get a grip rod. I sighed and refocused. I couldn't lose my shit now. I had to keep going if there was any chance of getting out of this situation alive. Not only that, but if any of us were going to get out of here alive, they had to keep going. Just get to the band. My legs felt weaker and weaker with each step I took. Any second now I was bound to fall on my face again, and it wasn't likely I'd be getting. back up. Leastway is not with my legs if you take my meaning. I managed to make it to the bend where my knees buckled and I was forced to stop again and hold onto the wall for a moment to reorient myself. Oh, come on, not now, not now. The main office was dead ahead. Hell, I could even see

the control panel. I just had to get there, find the signal switch, get it up and running, and then I could activate the lockdown line. I was so close. I couldn't mess it up here. Holding my breath, I began stumbling my way across the hall toward the office, holding myself up against the wall. Each step saw more and more of my breath get stripped from me. I want to say I was halfway down the hallway when my vision blurred out completely. Everything was just one giant fuzz cloud to me.

I still kept going. The air got heavier and heavier. I couldn't see and my lungs were filled with what I could have sworn. were bricks of lead. My arms and legs were so weak, but I still kept going. My chest started to feel like something was stabbing it from the inside. Then it moved from my stomach to my back,

trying to push out from there. I still kept going. I struggled to keep my mouth closed when I felt the pressure warm up from my stomach through my throat. Oh, I can't lose out now. I have to get to the control panel. have to get I stopped then

when I felt the control panel I was there I'd made it but I can't see a damn thing I started feeling around the panel the knobs maybe buttons all felt the exact same round and with no real distinction

damn it which one's for the signal weakness took a hold of me fully and my legs finally gave out I collapsed to the floor where any remaining strength I had was all but used up in simply trying to hold myself together while my incise turned every which way, trying to burst out of me. Whatever this thing this specimen X-12 was, it was twisting my digestive tract like it was a blune animal while simultaneously hammering the hell out of my ribcage. God, it was agonizing. I wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer, whether I wanted to or not. I can't let go.

I remember trying to reach up to the control panel, trying to actually pick myself back up, only to have to retract in pain again from a spasm coming from directly in the center of my chest. Oh God, I can't do it. I'm not going to make it. The world was fading away from me. Feeling throughout my body was ebbing slowly away from me,

piece by piece. My ears, which had already been reduced a little more than a slight ringing noise, now faded away too. Specimen X-12 had me completely. In seconds, well, even that, I'd be another one of those freaks crawling the facility forever lost to life. Then, with what hearing ability I had left,

I heard it. A static buzz from the walkie rang from my pocket. I'll say right now that I was actually, deep down at least, shocked the thing was even, an operational after having to tread water like I did earlier. But what did that matter then, right? The damn thing worked, and now I might have some chance of calling for help again. There's still a chance to make it out of this.

I wriggled the walkie out of my pocket. Not an easy thing to do when all of your joints and muscles are too focused in trying to keep an angry life form from bursting out of your body. Trying to hold on to it wasn't easy either. I still managed to do it while holding the button down. Duh. My words cut off, feeling the pressure rising in my throat again. Holy smokes, Rod. You're alive.

Thank God, listen, man. It's all gone to hell. Those things got in the bunker. I got out, but everyone else is gone. They've been turned into one of them. He sounded winded as he spoke. I could hear his footfalls balance. against the floor.

Please tell me you've managed to make it to the office and get the signal back online. I mashed the button again. My mouth opened and a knot instantly tightened inside my throat. It's the feeling you get when you bite off more of a sandwich than you can chew at one time, as though the biggest part of it gets stuck, or indigestion, I guess. Only throwing it back up, in my case, wasn't an option. I had to keep it down and inside.

Daniel, I groaned. Rod, can you hear me? Are you still there, buddy? Daniel, I'm in the office. Huh? You're where? Office. I hacked a wheezing cough after feeling the thing slug the shit out of my ribs again.

Rod, I can't hear a damn thing you're saying. What's going on? Have you made it to the office yet? My finger was shaking, about to slip away completely from the talk button. Pressure. froze in my throat, far bigger this time. Oh, shit, no, not now. Rod, damn it, speak to...

He trailed off, and I could hear the sounds of something clanking in the background. Oh, no, they found him. As quick as I could, I mashed the talk button and screamed, I'm in the office, hurry. Then the walkie dropped from my hands. From that moment forward, the only thing I could do in my body was to clutch my stomach and writhe in absolute action. the specimen x12 inside me was pissed off now i could feel it from the way the thing was slamming itself around both the front and back of me

i couldn't see couldn't hear and i just barely had the ability to feel the ground beneath me this was it i made it this far but now i was done for the only hope i had now was i'd hold out long enough so that when or if daniel showed up he'd be able to get the signal back and initiate the lockdown life. He was the only hope now. Because of my impairments, I lost track of how long it was, but I could remember feeling rough hands shaking me. I knew it had to be Daniel. He'd made it, and though I couldn't hear him,

I could imagine him shouting. Rod, Rod, you okay? Speak to me, man. I wanted to shout back at him, beg him to forget about me and hit the damn button, but I couldn't. my body was locked up tight miraculously still held together in spite of how bad a small part of me wanted the pain to just end by letting the fucker out i didn't though i couldn't i guess whatever my face looked like to him must have screamed this message loud enough for me anyways

because the next thing i knew i could feel him release me hopefully to turn his attention to the control panel then everything went completely numb. There was nothing I could see, feel, here, taste, nothing. I was gone. At least that was what I kind of hoped for. Better than the alternative in this case. And with what happened next, I'm honestly not entirely sure. Don't know just how long I was gone.

To be perfectly honest, I seriously thought I'd mutated already and that I was one of the creatures. I was still somewhat conscious, able to form thoughts inside my head and all, but that didn't necessarily mean I hadn't changed yet. Who was to say the others had actually died completely well infected? Then, however, it happened. I actually woke up.

When I did, I was greeted by blinding fluorescence, accompanied by the steady rhythm of an EKG monitor. I could hear indistinct muttering around me, but was unable to understand any of it. it or see who was speaking because neither my vision nor hearing had readjusted yet. It was hours before I could see, hear or feel, again. As I'd figured, I was in a hospital room similar to the medical treatment rooms back on site 46, but the exception being that this particular area was far bigger and far more sterile

looking than those back on the site. I remember shooting up in my bed, wondering what had happened to Daniel, only to have Daniel himself put his hand on my chest, saying, Oh, whoa, there, bandit. We lost him. I sat there staring at him, almost hyperventilating for a solid two minutes at least before starting to relax again. It's okay, pal, we made it. We're in the ICU ward at the hospital now.

What happened? I asked, still a bit winded. Well, he said, chuckling. Riley. Where to start? He went on to tell me again that at some point while I was gone, the quarantine area became compromised. When I asked how they could have gotten in, he told me something that not only sent my heart right back into a frenzy, but also confirmed my fears from earlier. Those things knew how to wait inside of people until the right time came. Apparently, in his case, let's just say the maintenance guy knew a lot more than he led on

about those creatures we were talking about. I tried to call him for you several times over the radio, he concluded. So did I, I replied. I must have been in the tunnels. They must have skewed the range of the signal. Yeah, maybe. He sighed and then added with another dry chuckle. But we made it, didn't we?

I sighed and replied, Yeah, yeah, I guess we did, didn't we? How'd you get out of there anyway? I mean, how'd you make it back into the main level? I opened my mouth and then paused. I truthfully knew neither how to explain nor how to know he could be trusted. Yeah, I know, I know. How could I not trust him, right?

After all, I'd been utterly fucked without him, plus he was the only one who'd been on top of the situation since it began. Even still, though, I knew what I'd seen wasn't meant to be seen by anyone except the eggheads themselves that bred the damn things in the first, first place. Obviously, I didn't mean to try and keep it all a secret forever, but at the same time, there and then were neither the right place nor time for it. So instead, I told him I got lucky, which wasn't even that much of a lie anyways. Well, you almost weren't lucky, he remarked.

Huh? I asked. I thought for sure I'd lost you, too, Rod. The way you were rolling on the ground there. Well, you were about to go crazy on me, too. Oh, yeah, I sighed. Yeah, no, I almost did. Another thought struck me, and I shot up again, feeling across my abdomen. He smiled and said, Easy there, bud. You're going to be fine. Docs managed to get it out of you. To this, I simply breathed a sigh of relief. I was going to be okay. Daniel even patted me on the shoulder and jokes.

All Iron Rod does it again. Neither crates nor critters can take him down. I laughed at this. Good old steel jockey humour at its finest. I remember spending the rest of that day in the hospital. I was discharged with a clean bill of health early the following morning. That same morning, I remember reading an email from the monolith officials that more or less said that Site 46 was being shut down until further notice.

in that email as well was a worker's comp form dictated that I should be receiving $40,000 a month about my average salary by the way for at least the next 12 to 18 months or until it was determined that Site 46 would be opened again for me and or whoever else was left to come back to the work

right like anyone would be willing to come back after that God knows I never wanted to go back In that vein, then, I suppose this is somewhat a blessing in disguise, isn't it? If only it didn't come at the cost of so many people, innocent lives, just being sideswiped, forgotten. Call the incident whatever they want. I was there, though. I saw what happened to people just because they wanted to create some magic cure or whatever.

I saw what happened to good men and women just so a bunch of jack-offs in lab coats could play hero. Not only that, but I have the documents still to prove it. Oh, I'm ending this here. I've said my piece and I've told you everything. Now I have to lay low for a while in case one of the officials sees this. We'll say that since then, in preparation for the time when I opened their little Pandora's box to the world, I've changed both my name and address. I've lost contact with Daniel and anyone else I used to know as well.

Now you know. Now maybe I can sleep a little easier, knowing that I won't ever have to hear those words again. We are sorry, but Monolith Site 46 is currently offline. Please try reconnecting to our network and try your call again. and so once again we reach the end of tonight's podcast my thanks as always to the authors of those wonderful stories and to you for taking the time to listen now i'd ask one small favor of you wherever you get your podcast wrong please write a few nice words and leave a five-star review as it really helps the podcast that's it for this week but i'll be back again same time same place and i do so hope you'll join me once more until next time sweet dream some by-bye.