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umbra-by-jacqui-natla · 8 months

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Chapter Twenty

Eddie's voice was laced with doubt as he lay sprawled out in the back of the car. "Are you sure this is gonna work?" he asked, his eyes darting nervously around the cramped space.

Dora, who was perched in the driver's seat, shot him a withering look. "Just stay down, and shut up, please," she commanded, her voice laced with a hint of irritation.

Eddie complied, sinking down into the backseat and pulling a blanket over himself. He tried to still his breathing, his heart pounding in his chest as Dora navigated the winding roads towards their destination.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance of the Life Foundation, where a stern-looking security guard stood by the entrance barrier, eyeing the car suspiciously. Dora pulled out her ID card, holding it up for the guard to inspect.

"53.5, win-909 RPM," the guard muttered into his radio, his eyes flicking back and forth between Dora and the blanket.

She let out a sigh of relief as the barrier lifted, allowing them to pass through.

As they stepped out of the car, after parking in the garage, two figures stood waiting at the elevator door. One was a raven-haired beauty, the other a golden-haired goddess.

"Estelle!" Dora called out, and the dark-haired woman turned to face them.

Eddie recognized her instantly as Carrie's roommate, the one who had been by her side during her seizure at the hospital. He was about to ask her where she worked when Dr. Lewis appeared, firing off questions about Carrie's condition.

"You work here?!" Eddie exclaimed as they approached Estelle.

"Yes, I do," she replied, her voice heavy with the weight of uncertainty. "And I might not for much longer after this."

Dora's gaze flickered towards the blonde girl, her eyes taking in the delicate features of her face for the first time. The girl's emerald green eyes met hers, and Dora felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over her. It was as if she had seen her before, but where? Perhaps on the news, but there was something different about her that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

The blonde girl turned to Estelle, her voice soft and curious. "Is she the friend you were talking about?"

Estelle nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Yes, this is Dora Skirth," she replied. "Dora, this is Carrie, the girl in the footage."

Recognition dawned on Dora's face, and she let out a small gasp. "Oh, yes, of course," she said, her voice tinged with surprise. "That's why you look familiar."

Carrie greeted her with a warm smile, her eyes flickering over to Eddie.

"Hello, Dora," she said, before turning to him. "Hey, Eddie."

He returned her greeting with a hug, but there was a hint of concern in his tone. "How are you holding up, Carrie?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. "I heard you were at the hospital today."

Carrie winced as she replied, "I'm fine. It was just a blood test."

Eddie's eyes widened as he retorted, "The doctor said you were freaking out in there."

Estelle's expression froze, her mind flashing back to the memory of Carrie's screams echoing within the sterile walls of the hospital room. She could still feel the desperation in Carrie's voice as she begged for the needle to be removed from her arm. The memory of Carrie's body writhing and twisting in agony was etched into her mind, leaving her feeling helpless and powerless.

Carrie shook her head, trying to downplay the severity of the situation. "It was just an overreaction. No big deal."

But for Estelle, the word "overreaction" was a gross understatement. To Carrie, it was nothing short of torture.

"I might get the result tomorrow," Carrie spoke with a serene tone.

Eddie let out a heavy breath, his mind racing with anticipation.

Dora interjected, "I don't mean to interrupt your reunion, but time is of the essence."

As they made their way towards the elevator, the hum of the machinery filled the silence like a symphony of mechanical bees. Carrie's inquisitive nature was like a fire burning within her, and she couldn't help but ask, "I'm curious, what exactly does the Life Foundation specialize in?"

Dora's conviction was palpable as she replied, "Overpopulation and climate change."

Estelle's voice chimed in, "The two things that even Drake cannot manipulate."

Eddie nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the elevator doors.

Dora's next words sent a shiver down Carrie's spine, "We are literally a generation away from an uninhabitable Earth." The worry in her tone was unmistakable, and Carrie knew that this was not good news. "Drake is using his personal rockets to scout real estate."

The thought of a world without life was too much for Carrie to bear. She couldn't help but wonder if there was anything they could do to stop it. As the elevator doors opened, she knew that they were about to embark on a journey that would change lives forever.

"You know, it's a really interesting story, but we need to just get to the part where he's killing people," Eddie interjected, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Dora let out a weary sigh, her mind still reeling from the incredible discovery they had made. "Drake's team sent out a ship on a routine recon mission," she began, her voice tinged with excitement. "But on their way back, they stumbled upon something truly extraordinary."

"A comet?" Carrie interjected, her eyes wide with wonder.

Dora nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "But that's not even the best part. The onboard computers detected the presence of life - millions of organisms, to be exact."

Eddie's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Hold on a minute. When you say 'millions of organisms', what exactly do you mean?"

"We managed to bring back some specimens," Dora replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You're talking about aliens?" Eddie exclaimed, his voice rising with excitement. "E.T, phone home! Alien, yeah!"

Dora nodded gravely. "Yes."

"And it seems like you've had an encounter," Estelle added, casting a glance at Carrie.

"Oh, yeah, she did tell me that," Eddie recalled, reminiscing about the day.

"Well, yeah," Carrie replied nervously. "It said it was surprised that a human was speaking to it and it gave me the code. That's how I got out of the room."

"What?" Dora asked incredulously. "It spoke to you?! In English?"

Carrie nodded, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"I don't want to freak you out, but Dora and I have never heard it speak," Estelle interjected.

They all turned to look at Carrie.

"What do you mean?" Carrie asked, her gaze fixed on Estelle. "Surely everyone can hear its voice."

"We didn't," Dora shook her head. "No one has ever heard voices from the specimens."

Carrie stared at them in utter shock, her mind racing with the implications of what she had experienced. She was left speechless, "But how is that possible? How can I be the only one who can hear them?"

"We don't know," Estelle sadly admitted.

Dora's tone was firm as she corrected, "We don't call them 'aliens'."

As the elevator pinged, they walked out and down the sterile white hallway. Carrie couldn't shake the feeling that she was the only one who truly understood the gravity of their discovery. The others seemed more concerned with the scientific implications, while she was still reeling from the fact that she had communicated with an extraterrestrial being.

Eddie's curiosity was piqued as he asked, "What do you refer to them as?"

Dora's response was swift and confident, "We call them Symbiotes."

Carrie's eyes widened in shock as she recalled the vivid dream she had during her blackout.

Suddenly, a voice boomed in her head, "Child... I am Knull. Lord of the Abyss. God of the Symbiotes."

Carrie's heart raced as she repeated the word, "Symbiotes?"

The voice continued, "The creatures you see and hear here? Those are my creations. My symbiotes."

Carrie's mind was blown. This was no figment of her imagination. Knull and his creations were real. She had seen them with her own eyes. Carrie couldn't believe it. This being, this god, was real. But how was it possible? She had never heard of him before, never known his story. It was as if he had materialized out of thin air, a force to be reckoned with.

Eddie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Drake wants to merge humans and aliens so they can live in space?"

Dora nodded, her expression unreadable. "We call them hosts."

Carrie's voice was laced with fear. "That's insane. Completely insane."

Estelle's words were measured, her tone cautious. "There's no protocol for this. He's just throwing them together. If the match isn't exact..."

The radio crackled to life, interrupting their conversation. "Elevator petrol check," a man's voice echoed through the room.

Dora's fingers moved deftly over the keypad, the chime signaling their clearance. But the tension in the air remained, a palpable reminder of the risks they were taking.

"Please, just go in," Dora said, her voice laced with urgency.. "Don't touch anything."

"I won't," Eddie promised, his eyes darting around the room, taking in every detail.

"We won't," Carrie chimed in, her gaze fixated on a female guard who was patrolling the area.

"Go, go, go. We'll take care of her," Estelle urged, her eyes locked on the guard.

Donna sauntered towards Dora and Estelle, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Well, well, well, look who's still here," she exclaimed. "I thought you two had called it a day."

Dora let out a chuckle, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "You know us scientists, we never truly rest," she said, her voice laced with amusement.

Estelle nodded in agreement, her gaze fixed on the experiment in front of her. "Science never sleeps," she murmured, her mind already racing, worrying for them.

With bated breath, Eddie and Carrie made their way into the room, their hearts pounding with anticipation. The stakes were high, but they were determined to succeed.

As they stepped into the laboratory, their eyes were immediately drawn to the gleaming glass walls that surrounded them. The blue neon lights shone the area. Beyond the transparent barriers lay a haunting sight - rows upon rows of empty experiment rooms, each one a silent witness to the countless lives that had been lost in the pursuit of scientific progress. Carrie couldn't shake off the eerie feeling that enveloped her, remembering she had been here before. She treaded cautiously, her senses on high alert, taking in every detail of her surroundings. Meanwhile, Eddie whipped out his trusty phone and began to capture the scene before him, determined to document this surreal moment for posterity.

Within the limits of their captivity, the human guinea pigs were confined to a couple of rooms. Each of these chambers bore witness to the unwavering resilience of their occupants, as well as the duration of their internment.

Eddie deftly extracted his phone from his pocket, his fingers trembling with anticipation. He was on a mission to capture the damning evidence that would finally expose Carlton Drake as the nefarious villain he truly was. Carrie, his steadfast companion, trailed alongside him, her eyes wide with wonder and trepidation.

As Eddie snapped photo after photo of the gruesome experiments, he couldn't help but wonder if they would catch a glimpse of their otherworldly substance. "Psst, Carrie," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Do you think your symbiote friend is lurking around here somewhere?"

Carrie's response was measured and cautious. "Remember, Eddie, we must tread carefully. We don't know what these symbiotes are capable of."

But as they continued their covert investigation, Carrie couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. A dark, feminine voice whispered in her ear, urging her to keep her secrets close. “Don't tell him about the dreams,” it hissed. And with that, Carrie knew that their mission was far from over.

As they drew closer to the container, Carrie couldn't help but notice the dark-haired woman inside. She was curled up in a ball, hugging her knees and swaying back and forth like a child on a rocking horse. It was a haunting sight, one that made Carrie's heart ache with empathy.

As she approached the glass door, Carrie's eyes were drawn to the bold blue and orange lettering. The blue read SYM-A01, a code that meant nothing to her. But the orange...the orange held the key to the woman's fate.

CURRENT STATUS: STABLE. DAYS IN HOST: 7

Seven days. Seven long, agonizing days that this woman had been trapped in her own body, a vessel for the symbiote that now controlled her every move.

Carrie couldn't help but wonder what it must be like for her. To be trapped in your own skin, unable to control your own thoughts or actions. It was a fate worse than death, and yet this woman sat there, rocking back and forth like a child.

As Carrie turned away from the container, she couldn't shake the feeling of sadness that lingered in her heart. She knew that the symbiote was a necessary evil, a means to an end. But at what cost? How many more innocent lives would be sacrificed in the name of progress?

Only time would tell.

Carrie's heart skipped a beat as she heard the voice. It was as if the darkness had taken a physical form and was speaking to her. She turned around, but there was no one there. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

But the voice persisted. “Do you really think they're evil?” it asked again.

Carrie knew what the voice was referring to - the symbiote.

As Carrie's eyes scanned the container, they landed on the woman inside. The sight of frost on the glass door, wall, and floor made it seem as though the woman was trapped in her own personal freezer. Eddie, eager to capture the moment, snapped a photo and began to saunter away. But Carrie remained, her gaze fixed on the woman. There was something about her that stirred a sense of familiarity within Carrie, a feeling that she couldn't quite shake.

In an instant, the woman's head jerked upwards, causing Carrie to jump in surprise. She peered at the woman's face, her raven locks obscuring half of her features.

"Maria?" Carrie gasped, her heart racing with apprehension.

"You!" a guttural growl erupted from the woman's throat, sending shivers down Carrie's spine.

Carrie's mind raced as she tried to place the voice. It wasn't the same dark, feminine voice that had been haunting her thoughts for months. No, this was something different. Something sinister.

It was then that Carrie's memory clicked into place. This was the same voice that had spoken to her six months ago, when she had snuck into the Life Foundation while Eddie was interviewing Drake. The voice of the black goo - the symbiote - that had taken over the woman's body.

Maria shot from the ground and ran to the glass door. Carrie stumbled and fell to the when Maria hit the glass, pounding hard to get out of there. Carrie froze on the ground, completely frightened.

Suddenly, a voice pierced through the chaos. "Carrie!" Eddie's voice rang out, urgent and concerned. He rushed over to her, helping her up from the ground. His eyes darted towards the container, where Maria was trapped. "Maria?"

"Help me!" Maria's voice was desperate, her body twitching with fear. "Get me out of here!"

Eddie's eyes flicked towards the keypad, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to unlock the container. He pressed a few buttons, but the room suddenly turned red and a deafening noise filled the air. It was as if the entire world was collapsing in on itself, and Eddie knew that time was running out. He had to find a way to save Maria, and fast.

Carrie clutched her ears, her eyes fixated on the glass door. And then, with a sudden burst of energy, the glass shattered into a million pieces, as if flexing its muscles. She looked up to see Eddie holding a fire extinguisher in his hands, his eyes blazing with determination.

With a sudden burst of energy, Maria pounced on Eddie, sending them both crashing to the ground. Eddie struggled to free himself from her grasp, but Maria's strength was overpowering.

"Maria, stop!" Carrie cried out, rushing over to try and pull her off. "That's Eddie!"

But Maria's eyes were wild and unfocused, and she let out a guttural, otherworldly scream that sent shivers down Carrie's spine. As she stumbled back, she watched in horror as a thick, black substance oozed from Maria's arms and slithered its way into Eddie's neck.

It was like something out of a nightmare, and Carrie could only watch in stunned silence as the strange substance took hold of Eddie's body, twisting and contorting him in ways that no human body should be able to move. Maria collapsed beside him, her eyes staring blankly onwards, as if she was a dead body at a crime scene.

In that moment, Carrie knew that they were in way over their heads. Whatever was happening to Eddie, it was beyond their ability to control or understand. All she could do was watch in horror as the darkness consumed him, and pray that they would make it out alive.

Link to Chapter Twenty One

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umbra-by-jacqui-natla · 9 months

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Chapter Thirteen

The yellow goo traveled from one container to another where a white rabbit stood at the corner, watching blankly with its red eyes. The goo let out a small snarl when slowly approaching the rabbit.

"Test Thirty-six," Dora said as she clicked on the keyboards. She looked at the screen where a three-dimensional diagram of the rabbit was shown. "Biological interactions between two different organisms. These creatures need to bond with a respiratory host to survive for any amount of time in an oxygen-rich environment."

"Well, why are all these hosts showing this hyper-acute rejection?" Drake asked.

"That's what we're trying to find out."

The computer beeped and Dora looked at the screen. The yellow substance emerged on the rabbit with a couple of red warnings surrounding the rodent.

"The bonding process is starting."

Soon, the yellow goo, with its low grumbles, emerged into the rabbit; the computer chimed green. Dora smiled at the result.

"It's equalizing."

Drake laughed, amazed by the result. "But why? Why this rabbit?"

"It's similar to an organ transplant."

"Huh. Where the donor and recipient must be an exact match?"

"That's correct," she confirmed.

"Okay," Drake replied. "So wait, think about it. If we do achieve symbiosis, they should be able to survive here, but also we would be able to survive there."

" 'We' ?" Dora chuckled softly.

"Begin human trials," he demanded.

"Oh, it's way too soon to even begin to think about something like—."

"Dr. Skirth, you're at the forefront of a scientific breakthrough. I need you to hold your nerve. All right?"

"I understand, but it's an ethical question."

"Think of future generations. Think of your kids." Drake's voice turned softer and dangerously close to a whisper. "Hey, how are your kids?"

Dora steadied her breath and tried to calm the panic. A cold wave embalmed her as the hairs rose on the back of her neck and her mouth ran dry. A feeling of dread crept up from the pit of her stomach. Who knew what Carlton Drake was capable of? Conflicted, Dora nodded.

"Let's begin human trials," she managed to say despite her dry mouth.

"Good work," Drake said with a pleasing smile and walked away.

It took Drake an hour to get his employees— including Estelle — together in the secret room at the Life Foundation. Estelle stood among them at the center, looking at her boss, Dora, and the large glass walls with an empty room. She looked around her colleagues, wondering what was going on. Why did Drake call everyone to come to the secret room?

"Thank you all for bringing us to this moment," Drake declared to his scientists. "Our names will be spoken long after we are dust. History starts now. This is day one. This is first contact. Let's get to work."

Estelle heard murmurings from other scientists, clearly curious about what will happen. But she didn't feel this excitement that most scientists were feeling. Instead, she felt this rush of energy as if something crept up behind her. The glass door opened, hissing, and two male scientists led a scared man into the isolated room. He was wearing white with messy hair and his eyes sunken as if he had never slept in his entire life. He thought he heard a low snarl in the room. Then, he spotted something odd. He saw a black goo swirling in the container.

"Establishing subject baseline," an automated female voice said in the room. "All vital signs are normal."

The man saw the scientists and Drake looking on at him; he walked towards the glass wall and pressed his hands and face to it. He shakily took a breath as he stumbled back. Estelle pondered why this man was brought in.

"Put me through," Drake instructed Dr. Collins, one of his scientists, and a button clicked. He folded his arms and stood in front. "There's no need to be frightened, Isaac. There's no need."

The man, Isaac, swayed his body slightly while standing. He glanced around the room and looked at the ground.

"Isaac," Drake repeated the man's name. "You know that's a biblical name?"

"Y-Y-Yes, sir," Isaac replied.

Estelle tilted her head after her boss said it was a biblical name. She expected that this was the sort of thing Carrie would ask.

"God said to Abraham, 'Give me your son, show me you are willing to sacrifice the one thing most precious to you,' and Abraham was willing," Drake recited the story.

Estelle bit her lip. Carrie did tell her the story from Abraham and Isaac; Margaret had told her daughter that story numerous times. The Binding, she was told that was the name of the story.

"You know what's always impressed me about that story?" Drake asked and Isaac shook his head. "It isn't Abraham's sacrifice. It's Isaac's."

Estelle imagined Carrie having a rant at him like how much Margaret ranted at the people in Chamberlain. Isaac was saved by God, she would say. God will show kindness to those who believe in him.

"Now, I don't know what kind of God would ask that of someone, but it doesn't change anything for me" her boss resumed. "Isaac is still the hero of this story."

Estelle gave herself a small smile. She imagined Carrie would beg to differ.

"Look around you. Look at the world. What do you see? War, poverty, a planet on the brink of collapse. I would argue that God has abandoned us." Drake walked closer to the glass wall.

God never abandoned us. He's always with us, no matter what trials we are going through.

"He didn't keep his end of the bargain, Isaac, so now it's down to you and me to put this right." He placed his hand on the glass. "And this time, Isaac, we can. We will. This time, I will not abandon us."

"Yes," Isaac let out a trembling whisper and placed his hand against the wall, copying Drake's hand.

Drake turned over to his colleagues. "Open it," he instructed him, and the container door in the other room opened, trilling, and the black goo wobbled, snarling.

"What the hell is that?" Isaac said as it crawled towards him. Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over him like some hungry beast, immobilizing him; his brain, holding him captive.

"What? No, what..." He took two small steps backward. Terror washed over him, raising the fine hairs on the back of his neck. He turned around and began hitting the wall, begging to be released. "Please let me... No. Oh, please, please, please!"

Estelle wanted to break the glass so he could get out, but she knew she could lose her job. She wished Carrie was there to break that glass with her mind.

Isaac turned around and the goo grabbed his leg. He whimpered as the goo crawled up him. Isaac looked up at the ceilings, hoping that all of it was just a nightmare. A one-long horror nightmare. The goo formed a tendril out of its back and moved closer to his face as if it was looking at his frightened eyes. Isaac still whimpered at the ceiling, the goo snarling. Then, the goo emerged into his body, making Isaac whimper even louder. He looked down and the goo was gone, nowhere to be seen.

The machine beeped. "His vitals are holding steady," Collins told the team.

"Where the hell did it go?" Isaac asked worriedly under his breath.

"Incredible."

"Where did it go?"

Estelle began to wonder the same thing as Isaac. She saw the goo going inside him but where was it actually going? His brain? His lungs? His stomach? What about his intestines? Was the goo in there? Then, she began to wonder how long this had been going on. How long did Dr. Drake have this black mysterious goo for? She remembered her conversation with Carrie six months ago.

"Have you heard of the K-Kl...? It's spelled K-L-Y-N-T-A-R. Have you heard of it?"

"No, sorry. Don't know what you're talking about."

She let out a small gasp. How did Carrie know that word? Could it be what the goo was? If so, how the hell did she know about it? Did Carrie know about this goo creature thing? Estelle gently shook her head and resumed her focus on the experiment.

"Where is it?" She heard a whisper from Isaac, who was chuckling.

Then, a bone snapped. The computer rapidly beeped and it glowed red. Isaac's neck bent to the side and his left arm stretched out, his hand and wrist circling. His skin started bubbling as if someone dropped acid on a piece of paper. His back arched back and he panted fearfully. The goo started to attack the host's body, the liquid sloshing inside him. The scientists - and Estelle - watched on in complete horror as Isaac grunted and yelled at his unbearable pain. His body felt like it was rapidly eating itself up. His bones - arms, legs, ribcage - began to crack, making the host scream in agony. Estelle hadn't noticed the goose bumps creeping on her arms until now. Every muscle in her body screamed at her to flee and get help, but she remained frozen. Her heart began to hammer against her chest. Fear might be an understatement for her. It was like watching a horror film but Estelle knew this wasn't just a horror film. This was a horror experiment. Isaac collapsed onto his knees and fell, his body shaking like a person going into a seizure. Then, he began to choke.

"We need to do something," Estelle finally spoke up but no one seemed to hear her. The scientists froze in fear. They just watched on helplessly. Estelle walked forward to Drake. "Sir, he's going to die if we don't stop it."

Drake didn't react. He didn't even respond to her demand. He stood still, watching Isaac seizuring. Then, the goo left his body; Isaac lay still on the floor, his arms and legs bent in an unnatural position. The goo released its low snarl and jumped onto the glass, a loud thud made a few scientists jump but Drake didn't jump.

"Bring in the next volunteer," Drake coldly instructed and a pale female walked in.

Her dark hair was a lot messier than Isaac's hair. She was wearing the same white clothes as he did. Her light brown eyes caught sight of the dead body and let out a frightened gasp.

"It's okay, Maria," Drake immediately spoke, sounding assuring. "It's not going to happen to you."

Two realizations hit Estelle. She heard about the homeless being taken off the streets recently. And Carrie had a homeless friend named Maria.

***

The steel-like goo hopped from one host to another. Some of them died in gruesome ways. Finding a good host for itself wasn't an easy task. Through the months, it was bonded to an elderly Malaysian woman and traveled across Malaysia until they arrived in Hong Kong. They survived on brains and brains alone. And it felt the woman dying. It needed to find a new host to get to the Life Foundation.

Then, they spotted a little girl with her mother. She had blonde hair with two red bows on top of her head. She wore a black dress with white polka dots with a white blouse underneath her dress. She told her mother that she'll go to the toilet and her mother told her to come straight back to her as soon as possible. She skipped to the girl's toilet, holding a tiny rabbit toy in her hand.

They followed her to the toilet.

Link to Chapter Fourteen

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