Chapter 11: Protocol Zero

                                    

                                          
Xammy awoke to a throbbing pain in her head and a sickening ache radiating from her shoulder. The ground beneath her was cold, rough, and damp. As her vision slowly cleared, she found herself lying amidst rubble and scattered debris, remnants of the fallen helicopter scattered like broken toys around her. She tried to move but felt a jolt of pain shoot through her arm-dislocated, or maybe fractured.
Taking a shaky breath, Xammy forced herself to sit up. The air was thick with an unnatural fog that carried an acidic, almost metallic scent. It was eerily quiet; the kind of silence that made her skin crawl. She realized with a sinking heart that she was alone. Malik, Jenna, Commander Bryce-they were nowhere in sight.
"Malik? Jenna?" she called out, her voice hoarse and echoing into the stillness.
Hsss-
A faint rustle sounded from the shadows, and Xammy's eyes darted in its direction. Her hand instinctively went to her side, fingers brushing against the cold handle of her emergency knife. She pulled it out, gripping it tightly, her mind racing with possibilities. She was disoriented but knew one thing for certain: she had to find her team and regroup.
Stumbling forward, she scanned the surroundings-a dark, twisted landscape that seemed to mirror the mutation she had witnessed in the labs. Thick vines, similar to the ones that had attacked the helicopter, pulsed around her like veins, some glowing faintly with a toxic green light. They snaked across the ground, curling over rocks and disappearing into the dense fog. These vines seemed alive, twitching slightly as if they sensed her presence.
She edged carefully around them, each step calculated. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the occasional low hum from the vines. As she moved, fragments of her memories flickered-images of Dr. Elaine Havier, her aunt, and the file marked "Project M01." Her aunt's absence had always been a mystery, and now, standing in the midst of what might have been her final project, Xammy couldn't shake the feeling that she was following her aunt's shadow.
A sudden sound-a weak cough-pierced through her thoughts. Xammy's heart leapt as she turned toward the source. There, slumped against a large boulder, was Jenna. She was clutching her side, her face pale and covered in dirt, but alive.
"Xammy..." Jenna's voice was faint, but the relief in her eyes was unmistakable.
Xammy rushed over, kneeling beside her friend. "Are you hurt?"
"Just... bruised, I think," Jenna said, grimacing as she tried to sit up. "I thought I was done for. The fall... it's a miracle we survived."
Xammy offered her a supportive arm, and together, they managed to get Jenna on her feet. Jenna looked around, eyes widening as she took in the hostile, mutated terrain.
"Where are the others?" Jenna whispered, her gaze darting around as if expecting something to jump out of the shadows.
"I don't know," Xammy replied, scanning their surroundings again. "But we need to find them, and fast. This place... it's like a graveyard."
As they took a few tentative steps, Jenna suddenly froze, gripping Xammy's arm tightly. "Did you hear that?"
beep-beep-beep-
A faint sound echoed through the mist-a metallic clanking followed by a soft, rhythmic beep. Xammy's instincts flared. She recognized that sound: a signal device, possibly one left by the rescue teams or another fallen comrade. The two girls moved cautiously toward the sound, each step slow and deliberate. The beeping grew louder, and soon, they saw a flickering red light through the fog.
As they approached, they found a small device lying on the ground. It was a distress beacon, but one that had clearly been damaged in the fall. Kneeling down, Xammy examined it carefully. She reached for her wrist communicator, trying to establish a link.
"Command, this is Xammy Havier. Do you copy?" she spoke into the communicator, but only static answered her. Frustrated, she tried again, "Malik? Commander Bryce? Anyone?"
Suddenly, a distorted voice crackled through the static. "...Xammy...? Is that you?"
Her heart skipped a beat. "Malik! Are you okay?"
There was a brief pause, punctuated by static. "I'm... near... the riverbank. I think my leg's broken. Bryce... he's... went to find... signal..."
"Stay put, Malik. Jenna and I are on our way," Xammy replied, determination tightening her grip on the communicator. She turned to Jenna. "We need to find the riverbank. Can you manage?"
Jenna nodded, though exhaustion lined her face. "Lead the way."
The two moved quickly, the murky fog making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. Every so often, they heard strange, animalistic sounds in the distance-inhuman noises that made Xammy's skin crawl. They picked their way carefully, avoiding the writhing vines and mutated plants, each one more grotesque than the last.
After what felt like an eternity, the fog cleared just enough for them to make out the shimmering edge of water. Malik was leaning against a fallen tree near the riverbank, clutching his leg, which was twisted at an unnatural angle. His face was etched with pain, but he managed a weak smile when he saw them.
"About time," he joked, his voice shaky.
Xammy knelt beside him, assessing his injury. "It's broken, but it looks like a clean fracture. We'll need to splint it before we move."
Jenna scavenged around, finding sturdy branches, and together they fashioned a makeshift splint. As they worked, Malik's face grew grim.
"Xammy, there's something else," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "Before the fall, Commander Bryce mentioned... a contingency plan. He said if we couldn't retrieve the files, the Global Union would initiate something called 'Protocol Zero.'"
Xammy looked at him, alarmed. "Protocol Zero? What does it mean?"
Malik shook his head. "I don't know, but it didn't sound good. From what little he said, I think it's meant to cover up... everything."
A chill ran down Xammy's spine. Protocol Zero-the phrase itself felt like a death sentence, a plan to erase all evidence, perhaps even them. The Global Union had long been shrouded in secrecy, but if they were willing to go this far, it meant the stakes were higher than any of them had realized.
As they hoisted Malik to his feet, Xammy's mind raced with questions, each more troubling than the last. She cast one last look at the twisted, pulsing landscape around them, wondering how far the Global Union would go to hide the truth.
A deep rumble suddenly shook the ground, snapping her from her thoughts. The vines around them seemed to react, twitching violently as if awakened by some invisible command. Jenna tightened her grip on Xammy's arm, panic flooding her eyes.
"We need to move. Now."
Without another word, they turned and started down the riverbank, the ominous sounds of the shifting landscape following them like a predator stalking its prey.