Project Mars (Dying Planet Book 0) Read online

  Blood is pouring out of her hand like a well. She screamed when she couldn’t hold back the pain. Suddenly Alex jumped at her and tilt his head to bit her neck. Julie somehow hold him at bay.

  “Honey, what are you doing? It’s me your wife.” Julie cried out loud.

  Alex seemed to have not heard her. His eyes are dark as night. Bruises are all over his skin. His mouth is covered in blood from Julie’s hand. Julie struggled to keep him not to bite her. Finally she managed to push him aside. Quickly she ran for the door. She shut the bedroom door behind her from outside. Alex came back to his feet and ran for the door. He began to thrash at the door. The sound of the bell shifted her gaze to the front door. She ran for the front door.

  Julie opened the front door and two copes were standing there.

  “Officer … My husband … He is sick … he bit me … he …” Julie struggled to say the words.

  One officer stepped inside and checked inside. Suddenly Alex trash opened the door and ran for the first thing he saw – the officer inside the house. Alex or what was left of him jumped at the officer. The cop didn’t get the time to turn away. Alex got hold of the officer and he bit in his neck. The officer’s scream filled the house and the street.

  People began to attract towards the scene. More people crowded outside Julie’s house. The other officer drew his gun and fired at Alex on the leg, to slow him down. But Alex kept his hold of the officer and he bit deeper into his neck. The other officer shot him again. This time on the chest.

  Alex suddenly shifted his gaze to the officer holding the gun. He ran for the officer. The cop fired several shots in Alex’s chest but that only slowed him down. Finally Alex reached the officer and he push him aside and jumped on him. He bit that officer also. This time he bit out a chunk of meat from the officer’s neck.

  People watched in horror. Julie cried out loudly. Officer’s scream filled the atmosphere around the house.

  Finally some people came forward and pushed Alex aside and helped the officer to stand up. Alex regained his footing and jumped at the crowd of people. He bit one more person. People quickly came forward and caught Alex. They restrained him.

  Some people shoot the whole scene on their mobile phones. Suddenly the first officer stood up. A piece of meat is hanging in his neck. His eyes are vacant. He tilted his head in an odd manner. And then he ran for the nearest person. Julie suddenly became tired and fell on the floor. People started to run away from the scene. An odd pungent smell filled the atmosphere. People covered their mouth and nose with their hand. The other officer who was standing with the help of people also turned. He bit the nearest person. People pushed him aside and ran away.

  Suddenly Julie also stood up with her eyes vacant. She was without any emotion. Julie or what was left of her ran for the nearest person.

  The entire street is filled with scream and panic. More people turned, with dark eyes. Their skin is filled with bruises. People got in their houses and shut the doors.

  A strange gas began to emanate from their body. The street is filled with a pungent smell. People who are exposed to the gas also began to turn into monsters. The creatures ran for fresh meat. People of Petra began to surrender to the disease. People who got inside their houses also began to turn. They started to thrash at the door. Being the creature made them forget their basic human behaviour. They forgot how to open the doors.

  The news spread like wild fire. Media began to come to the scene, but only to surrender to the disease.

  When the fresh meat ran out creature began to walk aimlessly on the streets. Some creatures sensed the people inside the houses and they began to trash open the doors. Being the creature made their ability to smell heightened.

  The street is filled with empty cars. Windows of the cars are broken. Cops started to wander around without knowing what to do.

  The entire city fall to the disease. Few unfortunate people inside the house were become exposed to the pungent smelled gas. After twenty minutes or so, they also began to turn.

  Rayan watched the whole commotion through the glass window of his house with panic. He switched on the Television for anything about it. He flipped through the channels until he reached the ABC news channel. It showed live images of people killing each other. An old man around in his fifties appeared on the channel.

  “Everyone must stay indoors, avoid contact with the infected. It appear that the disease is spreading quickly. Always wear mask which cover your mouth and nose. I repeat, do not come in contact with the infected. Do not try to reach your loved ones. Stay indoors.” The man said.

  “Doctor, is there any plan to control this outbreak.” The news lady asked.

  “We have positioned teams in various places. They will do everything they can to control this outbreak. It appear that the airborne variant doesn’t survive in the air too long. Also it is found that the saline water destroys the virus completely.” The man said.

  “So, doctor, what do we call this disease?” News lady asked.

  “We called it Marselia and the virus as Alpha – 1.” Doctor said.

  “So, people, government urge you to stay indoors. And wear mask if you’re planning to go outside. Sorry! Wear mask all the time” The news lady said.

  Ryan watched in panic. He ran for upstairs to the closet. “There it is.” He said to himself while grabbing a face mask from the closet. Suddenly a thrashing sound emanated from the front door. They had found him.

  * * * * *

  Part 2: The Abomination

  Chapter 7

  NASA Research Division, Los Angeles

  Langton and Lincoln drank their evening tea while watching the experiments taking place inside the laboratory. They were tired after the TV interview about the outbreak on the city of Petra. The scientist cut opened all parts of the specimen. Scientist took out the yellowish organs separately and labelled them for later usage. It seems that all the internal organs of the Martian are yellow in colour. May be it is due to the disease or may be it is a property of the Martian’s body. Anyway the Martian seemed to be not decaying at all.

  Lincoln and Langton are expecting a lot of things from this experiment after hearing the outbreak on the city of Petra. They should quickly find a cure to this disease. Langton himself instructed the team went to the city of Petra about this disease and what they should do to prevent a major outbreak. He also told them to clean the area with common salt.

  “The micro-organisms responsible for the decaying of a corpse, decomposers, are not acting on this specimen.” One of the scientist said.

  “Okay, take a break now. Your tea is ready at the cafeteria. Go and refresh first before continuing.” Langton said through the mic outside the laboratory.

  All scientist went out of the laboratory and walked towards the cafeteria after disinfecting their hands.

  Suddenly a thrashing sound emanated from the room where John is restrained. Langton and Lincoln ran toward John’s room. When they reached there the site in front of them made them puke. John’s both hand are torn apart, possibly happened when he pulled free out of his restraint. The missing limbs lay there in the bed still in between the ropes. The infected person’s body indeed act like plastic.

  The creature or what was left of John is thrashing at the glass with its head. Cracks began to appear on the glass. The creature abruptly jumped out of the room through the broken window. It then regained its footing and jumped on to Langton. Langton kept the creature at bay by his hands. But then a pungent smell hit his nose hard. He tried to push away the creature but it kept on coming. The creature is biting the air hard. It couldn’t get hold of Langton.

  Lincoln quickly took a chair on the far corner, and smashed it on the creature’s head. The creature lost its balance and it fell to the side. Lincoln helped Langton to his feet. Langton and Lincoln ran away from the creature to the nearest exit.

  Scientist on the cafeteria upon hearing the commotion taken place on the hallway ran toward the origin. But then sudd
enly the creature regained its footing and ran to the nearest person it saw. Scientist ran away from the scene with a scream. The security personal quickly came with a large net made up of steel. They threw the net at the creature. The creature got trapped in the net. It swayed inside the net. Scientists stopped running and watched what the security personal are doing.

  The guards tried their best to restrain the creature but then the creature jumped on to the nearest guard and tried to bite its way through the steel net. Other guards quickly got hold of the corners of the net and wrapped the creature inside the net.

  The creature finally surrendered to the might of steel threads. A pungent smell filled the hallway. Scientist covered their mouth with their hand realizing it was too late. Tears ran out of their eyes. They don’t know what to do. Panic filled the very atmosphere. Knowing that they will soon die made them cry. They began to run out of the building. But then, suddenly some men in biohazard suits came with automatic guns in their hands, and they stopped everyone from leaving the building.

  “All of you, just stop there at once or we will open fire.” One of the men in the biohazard suit said.

  Langton and Lincoln came to the scene.

  “People, we can’t let you leave. We have to contain this outbreak. There is already an outbreak in the city of Petra and we had sent samples to WHO research facility. They are working their best to find a cure. Meanwhile we all must stay under quarantine and wait for the cure to develop. WHO scientists will find a way to reverse this and make you normal again.” Langton said.

  “Sir, I have kids in my home, their father lost his life in a car accident. I am the only person to look after them. I have to return to my home.” One of the female researcher said crying.

  “Do you realize that if you go near your children they will also become infected? Is that what you want? Social service workers will worry about your children. You don’t have to worry. You all must stay in the quarantine area until a cure is developed.” Lincoln said.

  “We don’t have time to loose. Everyone, move to the basement of this building. Jimmy, lead the way.” One man in biohazard suit said.

  Another man in biohazard suit came forward and led the people to the basement. On the way one of the scientist fell down possibly due to tiredness. One of the man in biohazard suit came beside the fallen scientist and helped him to his feet. Suddenly the fallen scientist turned to one of the infected creature with dark eyes, the creature jumped on top of the man in biohazard suit. The creature bit on his hand through the suit. The man screamed with pain. He finally balanced his gun in his hand and fired at the creature. The room erupted with panic. People started to run in all directions. On the way some scientist fell down and after a moment they arose from the floor, reborn to kill.

  Gun fire erupted in the building. Men in biohazard suit quickly fell down under the might of the creatures. Lincoln ran to the nearest exit and closed the door behind him. He looked around the room for any sign of the creatures. But some movement caught in his eyes. Someone else is also in this room. Lincoln looked closely. It was Johana.

  “Johana, how did you end up here?” Lincoln asked.

  “I was on my way to tell you guys about the outbreak in the city of Petra. Then one of those ill men came at me. I barely escaped from them. Then I got in here. What happened out there?” Johana asked.

  “Our palaeontologist John somehow managed to break free and got outside by breaking the glass window. Our scientists were exposed to the gas, including me. I may change in to one of those creature in any minute. It looks like the virus have begun to mutate. Some of the exposed men quickly turned. It is not safe for you here. I haven’t shown any symptoms but soon I will. So please run away from here.” Lincoln said.

  “I can’t go outside. Those things are out there.” Johana said.

  “Did you came near any of them?” Lincoln asked.

  “No.” Johana said.

  “Did you felt any pungent smell?” Lincoln asked.

  “No.” Johana said.

  “You are fortunate, Johana, you must get out of here. Here wear this.” Lincoln handed her a face mask.

  “But how am I supposed to get out of here?” Johana asked while wearing the face mask.

  “You must wait until the creatures move far away from here. Meanwhile you must bind me.” Lincoln said. “Look for any rope …” Lincoln didn’t get the time to finish, he suddenly fell on to the floor.

  “Oh crap!” Johana screamed. Some kind of bruises starts to form in Lincoln’s body. Johana quickly opened the door a little to see whether the creatures had moved on. When she saw no sign of the creatures she quickly got out of the room and ran towards the front of the building.

  “Please, god, save me.” Johana prayed while running.

  She somehow got outside the building. She ran towards her car which is parked in the driveway. The entire place is extremely quiet. Blood stain is everywhere on the road. Johana finally got inside her car and started the engines. Suddenly a creature came out of nowhere and began to thrash at the front door of the car. Johana nearly jumped. She put the car in reverse. The creature followed. Then Johana drove the car through the abandoned road. She accelerated toward the city of Petra, only through there she could get away from this place.

  Abandoned cars are littered on the road in all directions. There is no car whose window is intact. Johana’s car rushed through the road. Trees are on both sides of the road. Some people are running through the wooded landscape possibly in search for a sanctuary, away from the creatures.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 8

  City of Petra, Los Angeles

  Rayan watched the fall of the men in biohazard suits. They tried their best. But the creatures are stronger and faster. They easily takeout the men who came to prevent the outbreak. He afraid that this is happening everywhere. He checked the news for more information. It seems that all plane services are delayed and government is trying their best to contain the outbreak. Marselia is still roaming free through major American cities.

  The sound of thrashing on the front door seemed to have stopped. Rayan checked downstairs whether the creature have got inside his house or not. The front door appeared to be intact. Suddenly a creature smashed open the door and rushed towards Rayan. Rayan quickly went upstairs. The creature followed. Rayan shut the bedroom door behind him.

  Panic began to stir inside him. He still wore the face mask. Rayan quickly packed the essential things in a small bag. He wore the bag on his shoulders and he opened the window in the bedroom. The creature have moved on to somewhere else. No creatures are on eyesight. Suddenly the creature inside his house began to thrash at the bedroom door. There is no time to waste. The creature will smash open the door in any minute. Rayan got outside his house on to the roof of the house through the bedroom window.

  Based on the sound the creature is already inside the bedroom. Rayan blamed himself for not having a car. He quickly jumped from the roof on to the bush in front of his house. The bush broke his fall and Rayan safely landed on the ground. Rayan walked away from his house towards the woods. Suddenly a car stopped in front of him. Inside the car sits a young woman. The woman looked at Rayan with panic.

  “Hello, can you take me with you?” Rayan asked with desperate eyes.

  The woman looked around the place for any creatures. The woman is also wearing a face mask.

  “Did you came in contact with the creatures?” The woman asked after sliding open one of the driver side window.

  “No. I have been wearing this mask ever since I saw the news.” Rayan answered.

  “Then, come inside.” The woman said.

  The woman unlocked the door for him to get inside.

  “I am Johana by the way.” Johana said.

  “Nice to meet you, Johana. I am Rayan. Do you know what is happening around here?” Rayan asked.

  “I sort of know.” Johana answered.

  “Sort of?” Rayan said.

  “I
work for the NASA and earlier today we got a specimen from the Martian soil. And the specimen had a virus on it. It contaminated the whole NASA research center. Marselia virus is highly contagious. The infected persons are releasing an airborne version of the virus as a gas. That is why the virus is spreading quickly” Johana said.

  “So, the outbreak happened here originally started from your research center?” Rayan asked.

  “No. The outbreak happened here because someone from mars, who had been infected, came here.” It is from that infected, the outbreak happened here. We had deployed some men here to contain the disease. But, I fear for them.” Johana said.

  “I saw some men in biohazard suits. But, they all fell under the disease.” Rayan said.

  Johana drove the car through the gravel road.

  “Do you think the military will come to contain the situation? Rayan asked.

  “If they would, they should have done it already. The disease may have spread throughout the country because of the presence of airborne version. Our only hope is to get out of Los Angeles, may be go and hide in a bunker or something like that.” Johana said.

  “So, where are you going to now?” Rayan asked.

  “I have kids in my home all alone. I have to get to them before the virus spreads.” Johana said.

  “Where is your children?” Rayan asked.

  “They are here in Los Angeles in Centorus.” Johana said.

  Centorus is a small town with population about hundred.

  “Can I come along?” Rayan asked.

  “Of course, you can. Besides, my husband is outside United States, in Africa. We could help each other.” Johana said.

  Rayan smiled. Johana drove the car towards Centorus.

  * * * * *

  Chapter 9

  City of Centorus, Los Angeles

  Rayan and Johana reached Centorus at night. The streets seemed to be abandoned, not normal in these times. Johana reduced the speed of the car. They watched each house they had passed for any danger. No danger so far.

  Finally Johana stopped in her house’s driveway. They got out of the car and carefully moved towards the house. The house have already lightened. The power is still working. Suddenly the front door opened and two kids came out of the house.