The Divergent Initiative

[Cohen]

Graham surveyed the destruction around him. His soldiers--his brothers--were dead. Bodies and parts scattered around the compound, along with various types of demons that just hours ago were kept in cages meant to protect them. Command was compromised, neutralized.

Summers and her friends had tried to warn them all. The scientists and the command operatives. No one would listen. And as a soldier, he lived by two fundamental rules: obey orders, and survive. It was not his place to question command.

That's what got Summers in trouble with Walsh to begin with. Her questioning. After Walsh's attempt to rid them of the slayer, everything began to crumble. Graham wondered how many of the scientists and operatives knew about Walsh's secret plan to Frankenstein the perfect soldier.

Graham knew what his former boss didn't: demons will always be demon, no matter if it has human parts. It was inevitable that the super soldier Walsh created would turn on the woman who brought her to life, and then start a massacre all his own. And while Graham witnessed command try to quickly change and adapt in the wake of Walsh's death, it couldn't turn around fast enough.

So here he was, in the aftermath of a final battle between soldiers and demons--a whole squadron of soldiers killed. No doubt operatives with higher clearance than he would turn this tragedy into a cautionary tale--a rogue operation gone wrong. A cover up.

All he could do now was fight his way up to the surface, regroup, find Finn, and keep on. Easy as pie. Iowa pie.

Graham checked the stun gun he had in his hand. It was nearly half empty of a charge. He would need to find charge pods, if he wanted to get out of the compound alive. No doubt, the elevator he normally took to the compound would be compromised from the blackout. And there's no way he could climb out of the shaft without any gear. All he had was his stun gun, and his lucky hunting knife. There were lots of things he could use as weapons if he needed to improvise. But nothing to help him up and out of that elevator shaft. He would have to use the tunnels.

The demon-filled, fire-blasted, death tunnels.

This should be fun.





To be continued...

 

[Cohen]

As Graham rounded the first corner, he heard hurried footsteps. Summers.

“You organize the soldiers, pull ‘Em back. I’ll take point.”

It was like an echo, a faint memory from before the chaos. Before the death and mayhem. When the fighting died down, he saw Finn, Summers and her friends (and hostile 17?) come down this corridor. They must have known a way out this way.

The footsteps stopped.

Possibly an unfriendly behind that corner. Graham thought to himself. This way was the offices of some of the scientists. Walsh had a number of exam rooms tucked away back here. That means there must be some charge pods in one of these rooms. They always kept extras, especially after Adam’s escape, in case an experiment went wrong.

Graham trained his Stungun in front of him. He silently counted three seconds before peeping around the corner, gun first. He heard the other stun gun before he saw it and instantly jumped back around the corner.
The pulse of electricity zapped beside him.

“Whoa, soldier!” Graham shouted. “Stand down. Friendly fire!”

“Miller?!” the soldier responded. “It’s Shanks!”

“Shanks, I’m glad you’re good,” Graham said, swiping his safety and dropping his gun to his side. “Any hostiles this way?”

“None alive, at least,” Shanks responded, pointing past Graham. “Your way?”

“Probably,” Graham said. “But it’s a dead zone back there. I haven’t seen many of ours moving either.” He nodded towards the other corridor. “I think Summers and her crew came this way. And for some reason, Hostile 17. I saw them head out from here earlier in the chaos.”

Shanks shook his head. “If they came this way, they didn’t run past me.”

Graham looked at the coded door next to him. It reminded him of a different room number Summers had an itch to get through a few weeks back. When we caught her breaking in with her own soldier boy. Goofy as he was, he was kind of striking in his own way. Not that I noticed.

Something about that kid, or the way Summers was so insistent about getting in, struck a cord though because he had a vivid memory of being in that room. Walsh did her experiments in that room. She was found dead in that room.

314.

That was the room. And that’s where he needed to go.

“Come on, Shanks. I think I know of a way out.”

 

[Cohen]

Graham and his companion silently walked toward Room 314, listening intently for anything moving. Whether it friend or foe, Graham wanted to make sure he had no surprises. After the battle at command post, it felt strange to hear silence in the building. Graham had never been in a true war zone before, having been stationed in Sunnydale just after basecamp as a special devisions recruit from the army. But he imagined this must be what surviving soldiers felt after an immense battle. Still trying to find their way to safety, and listening to the false security the silence provided.

As the two soldiers rounded the corner to Room 314, they barricaded the entrance to the hallway with various tables, chairs and other objects they could find. No turning back, now. And this provided them with a way to know if someone was coming their way.

After Forrest's death and Finn's disappearance, Graham was promoted to command and given full clearance of the building, though he never used his credentials to enter any confidential areas. Graham always followed command and orders. Unless he was told to go somewhere, he didn't ask questions. That's what kept getting his brothers in trouble. Summers's questions. Finn's questions. Forrest's questions. Now Forrest was dead, Finn was nearly dead, and Summers caused the Initiative to fall.

So against his will, he swiped his personnel card to enter Room 314. Denied.

"What's going on?" Shanks asked.

Graham shook his head. "I'm supposed to have full clearance."

Shanks grabbed a fire extinguisher from a wall.

"Now you do," he said, as he rammed the extinguisher down on the door handle. It made a cracking sound, and he swung the extinguisher down one more time, popping the handle clean off.

Graham heard the other end pop off in the other room, but the door didn't move.

"Hell," Shanks said.

Graham cocked his head toward the door, and they nodded in agreement. Silently, Graham held up his fingers. One, two, three.

Both soldiers rammed their bodies against the door, swinging it open hard, and causing the door to slam against an interior wall. Graham and Shanks quietly stepped into the room. The light from the hallway streaked into the room, dimly illuminating the interior. Guns at the ready, the soldiers cleared the room, peaking behind every corner.

Weeks ago, this room contained the parts and pieces of what Walsh referred to as Adam, her own Frankenstein project meant to be a super soldier. Now, it was empty. Just a table, a desk and chairs. Well, almost empty. Graham heard Shanks' gun charge up near the desk.

"No, please, don't hurt me!" a voice said from under the desk.

"Come out, slowly," Shanks shouted. "No funny business."

Slowly, a dark figure emerged from the desk, holding up his arms. It was broad and tall. As Graham's eyes adjusted to the light, he recognized the creature from the pods earlier in the day. The demon looked like a guy who had a severe skin condition. Rolls of skin folded over his entire body. He was called Hostile 22, but he spent his days chatting with the scientists and feasting on meals. He had a strange affection for cats, and had insisted the scientists bring him some. Shanks and Graham looked at each other, nodded, and dropped their guns.

"Me funny?" the demon said, arms still raised. "Never."

 

[Cohen]

“Hostile 22,” Graham confirmed. “How did you get in here?”

The soldiers backed up so the skin-demon could have some space.

“Better question,” Shanks interrupted, “how did you fit under there?”

“I prefer ‘Clem’,” the demon answered, “and I don’t want to bore you with the details, but let’s just say, I had to fold some skin.”

The demon was wearing normal enough clothes—a Hawaiian shirt and some pants. He looked out of place for a secret government bunker that focused on the study of creatures the public would rather stay ignorant about. Graham knew Hostile 22 could get off topic fairly quickly and talk your ear off, possibly literally, if you let him ramble. However, his kind demeanor made him popular with both the scientists and the soldiers.

“Hostile Twenty—erm, Clem,” started Graham, “how did you get into this room?”

Clem reached his hand in his pocket. “When the gates were released, I thought it was a trick at first. Most of the feral demons started attacking the scientists. I saw Mr. Sasaki, whom I lovingly referred to as my therapist—even though I know he was studying me for more nefarious reasons—get eaten by a Serparvo demon, rest his soul. So I figured staying in my cell was not going to be ideal for me, though I do appreciate the added comfort of the bed and linens because I tell you most of those demons had nothing. Well all of them really. Except me. Anyway, with all the chaos and death going on out there I figured these rooms would be my best shot for hiding. Oh and I saw the slayer and her friends—including Spike for some reason—move this way as I was quickly grabbing this nifty thing—”

Clem pulled out a key card from his pocket.

“—from some army guy who looked like he might have been in charge before he was eviscerated by a Polgara demon, rest his soul, and I followed them through here. The power was wonky so by the time I was able to swipe the key correctly, the slayer and her crew were gone.” Clem tapped his head. “Haven’t figured out that Houdini trick, yet, though. As I was looking around I heard some shots from down the hall, closed the door and folded myself under the table!”

Graham took all of Clem’s story in for a second, before looking at Shanks.

“They left through here?” Shanks asked.

Clem nodded. “Somewhere!”

Graham and Shanks immediately started searching the walls—tapping every few feet.

“I always knew they were doing something whacko in here,” Shanks shouted to Graham.

“Don’t ask questions, Shanks,” Graham replied. “Thats our duty.”

“I get that, man, but you mean to tell me you really never wondered, yourself?” Shanks asked. He pointed at Clem. “You never wondered why they would keep him locked up in here? He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

Clem shook his head. “Nope, not a fly. Maybe a kitten or two, but never a fly.”

Graham dismissed Clem’s comment. “It’s not our job to wonder, Shanks. It’s our job to follow orders. We knew what we signed up for when we came here.”

“No we didn’t,” Shanks said, stopping his search. “You think all those boys in there knew they were signing up to die? We were told we were going to be on a secret mission for the good of the country. We weren’t told we would be holed up with feral monsters—that we caught ourselves. Or that one of their little science experiments would let them all go on us. Now half the squad’s dead, and the other half is lying with dead demons dying.”

Graham tapped a hollow spot on the wall.

“Maybe we can find them a way out.”

 

[Cohen]

Graham studied the hollow spot on the wall. The secret government base had numerous fail-safes and passageways out, in case of emergency. And he knew Professor Walsh like a surrogate mother. She would have installed an emergency exit in her most frequented lab. He just needed to figure out how to get through. Shanks was busy tapping all over the wall to find where the hollow spots stopped. Clem was--where was Clem?

"Hostile 22?" Graham asked.

Silence.

"Clem?!" Graham asked, louder.

He and Shanks looked around, then back at each other.

"Where the hell did he go?" Shanks asked, puzzled.

A distorted voice called out to them from behind the hollow wall. "You soldiers boys don't miss a thing, do you?"

Graham knocked on the wall. "Clem? How did you get back there?"

"There's a button on the right side of the wall," Clem's voice said. "Opens up a doorway."

Shanks felt around the wall for a minute, and then Graham heard a click! Silently, a small door, not more than 3 feet wide and tall, opened up near the floor. Graham gestured to Shanks to go through. Shanks shrugged his shoulder and stepped through into the darkness. Graham followed quickly as the door shut behind him.

Darkness.

"Maybe you observant soldier boys can find a light switch in here," Clem's voice said to Graham's right.

Graham grabbed a small flashlight he kept in a side pocket and clicked it on. Seconds later, Shanks turned on his flashlight as well. Both soldiers scanned their surroundings with their lights. Clem was just a few feet in front of Shanks and beyond that was a dark hall.

"No light switch," Shanks observed.

Graham nodded past Clem.

"Looks like we're headed that way." Graham checked his stun-gun and put it on full blast. "Keep your guard up." He turned to Clem. "Stay between me and Shanks. I'll take point. Shanks, the rear. We don't know what's ahead, but hopefully this is our way out. I have a feeling Summers and her friends knew more about this place than we did. They probably went through here to get out."

Graham moved forward, with Clem close behind.

"Spike told me one time that there were multiple ways in and out of here," Clem offered. "One ended up in some cave in the woods. I think that Adam guy was set up there."

Graham lifted his stun-gun. "I repeat, keep your guard up."

 

[Cohen]

Walking alone in the dark with a demon and fellow soldier through a tight tunnel can seem like hours, but Graham knew it had only been about 10 minutes when he began to see light up ahead. As the crew closed in on the light, Graham could hear the buzzing of computer monitors. Graham looked at Shanks before rounding the corner.

Graham entered a small room filled with control panels and computer screens. On the monitors, various locations inside the Initiative were shown. The infrared sensors allowed him to see what was going on in the main building. Or rather, what wasn't going on. No soldiers or scientists or demons were moving. It was eery to see the once vibrant Initiative so still.

"What a sight," Shanks said, behind him.

Graham turned to him. "Doesn't it seem odd?"

"Yeah, not 8 hours ago, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a sci in the head here."

Graham shook his head. "But where did everyone go? There were at least a hundred humans in the building, half as many demons. They can't all be dead."

"They left," Clem said, pushing buttons on the control panel.

"Left?"

"Yeah, hours ago," Clem said. "Your bosses got spooked."

"Bastard cowards," Shanks said. "And here we are two queers and a demon still trying to find our way out. How many left are there, needing help?"

Graham shifted uncomfortably, and walked away from the screens. "Clem, what do you mean they got spooked?"

"Some big wigs ordered anyone still moving to retreat," Clem replied. "What demons were still moving chased them out. Before I could follow, they sealed us in. That's when I got chased by that Serparvo demon and hid in that room."

"Shanks, you didn't see any of this?" Graham asked.

Shanks shook his head. "No, I was too busy being knocked out by a Polgara. Almost got stabbed, but Davis pushed me out of the way. I hit my head on a metal gurney we used for shielding. When I came to, Davis was dead on top of me, and the lights were out."

Clem hit a button that made the screens go bright for a second before adjusting. "Turned the lights on."

Graham looked at Shanks. He had known the soldier for years, having served at the initiative since his first year at UC Sunnydale, but they were never real friends. They participated in drills together, and had fought alongside each other. But Graham had stayed close to Forrest and Finn, and never ventured much out of that friend group. While its true he never had a girlfriend, he had told himself it was because he was focused on his career. There was no time for girls when he was risking his life fighting monsters. Look at where that landed Finn.

So where did the queer comment come from? He brushed that thinking off and refocused on the task at hand. He needed to get Shanks and Clem out of the initiative.

"Clem, study those screens," Graham directed. "Tell me if anything moves. Shanks, help me look for blueprints. Anything that will help us find a way out of here. Looks like there may be another room behind that corner."

Graham crossed the room and charged up his stun-gun. "Cowards or no, we're stuck here. Let's find our way out."