BioWulf
October
25, 2052 / 18:00PM
The
enemy we were facing was more challenging than we imagined. The first round
with Grendel was simple enough, but we never predicted how horrifying and
destructive the things “The Mother”, as we called her, could be. She had
already eliminated two members of my squad. All of us are part of an elite
program known as the S-T-O-P Unit or Specific Threats of Otherworldly Problems
to the general public. But to each other, we are known as BioVulf; each of us
assigned a number, equally skilled in various combat abilities from around the
world and most importantly, our Silver Armor, which gives us the fighting edge
we need to win wars and come home glorious. We must find a way to stop this
horrible creature before she kills more innocent lives.
After
robotics, biology, and medicine merged to help create a new, peaceful world,
Canada, The United States, Central and the Southern American countries combined
into “The American Union.” An American President found a way to unite and
enhance our countries, eliminating pervasive problems such as drug addiction,
sex trafficking, and terrorism. The rivalry between the United States and
Russia, now part of “The Eurasian Union,” was put aside to bring about world
peace with medical breakthroughs and space exploration.
Through
the efforts of one man, the world was heading in the right direction. Until the
White House was attacked for the first time since the British burned it down
during the War of 1812. This time, however, it was not by an army, but by a
horribly disfigured and monstrous creature known as Grendel.
October
21, 2052 / 14:22 PM
“Ladies
and gentlemen, please be seated. This evening, we will be serving the
President’s favorite, ‘Purple Mead.’” The audience regarded the master of
ceremony with interest, knowing that Purple Mead was a delicacy, found and fermented
only on Mars. “We are very delighted you all could participate on this special
occasion. Allow me to propose the first toast. To the future, to the world, and
to the children – may we all grow strong and healthy! Ladies and gentlemen, the
fourth President of The American Union, President Garrick Roth!” Applause
filled the Mead Hall as the President walked with confidence toward the stage
and stood before the crowd of dignitaries.
“Good
afternoon, my friends and family. Welcome to the White House. I am looking
forward to seeing each and every one of you today to celebrate your generous contributions
towards world peace and global excellence. Today, we are announcing our
scientist’s latest success accessing higher levels of intelligence. To add, a
new discovery was made enabling Mars and other planets even more hospitable for
our peoples. I have asked that all of you be present for these announcements
and believe you will all contribute wisely.”
Before
he could continue, the ceiling caved in, crushing many of the guests. Grendel
stood above the crowd, slashing with his ferocious claws. Blood splashed the walls,
as the president’s guards attempted to thwart their attacker with their weapons.
A wounded guard flung himself on top of the President’s body, shielding him
from the onslaught of the malevolent creature. Grendel roared and charged
through the exterior wall of the White House on to the lawn. One by one civilians were picked off by the
creature’s fury until the streets were littered with the bodies of innocent
bystanders. After a few minutes of rampage, Grendel disappeared.
A
lone guard found the President beneath his protector. “Sir! Are you all right?
Can you stand?”
“Yes, I’m alright. Are there other survivors?”
The President shook as the guard helped him to his feet. The President groaned, blood trickling down a
four-inch laceration across his scalp.
“There
are survivors, sir, but I am more concerned about you right now. What are your
orders?”
“Initiate
the S-T-O-P Unit Protocol. Get me that damn BioWulf team.”
October
22, 2052 / 21:13 PM
A
helicopter thundered over the damaged White House, landing on the Helipad
nearby. Roth limped his way up to the helicopter with the support of a cane.
The door opened and five armored giants stood ready to disembark. The gleaming mechanical
suits gave them height and shone with spectacular color. Some had guns at their
hips, others swords. The tallest carried a long sword on his back. He took
front and center, facing Roth.
“Garrick
Roth,” echoed the helmet of the tallest as he spoke. “It’s been a long time.” The giant unlocked the clasps. Steam hissed, revealing
the face of a human. Nothing “giant” about the man: blue eyes, wavy brown hair,
chiseled face. The man appeared human. But the way he carried himself was
professional, militaristic, and confident. Beowulf looked down at the
President.
“Thank
you for bringing your team. There is much to discuss. At the Pentagon I will explain
the mission to you and your team” Roth said. The president limped his way to
the Humvee.
Beowulf
turned to the soldiers surrounding the presidents ride. “Never seen a suit of
armor before?” he said with a grin before following the President to the
Humvee.
“Beowulf,
thank you again for bringing your team. I had no choice but to call you. Doctor
Grendel has finished his project. I think he found a way to enhance the
symbiote,” Roth said during the ride.
“Project? Doctor Grendel? Symbiote? Beowulf
thought as he shook his head.
“What
are you talking about, sir?” he said.
“Doctor
Grendel was considered an outcast in society. The man contributed many things
to our world. I imagine he is quite lonesome on the moon. Rumor spread that he
contributed to a cure for cancer. Hell. He found a cure for all of them. But
things went south from there. Apparently the first test gave him some sort of
super human strength. The symbiote he was using came from an asteroid and was
the source of the cure, but after the doctor got his strength… well, the
symbiote merged with his DNA and he went crazy.” The President replied.
“So
what does the Doctor have to do with the killings?” Beowulf asked.
The
president frowned. From his coat pocket he drew a tablet. A holographic image
appeared on it and reenacted the previous night in great detail. Beowulf
studied the hologram.
“It
looks like a monster.”
“He
… is, now, I suppose.” The President said. “Still, that is not an excuse to
kill innocent people. Something must have happened to him, indeed…”
“We’ll
stop him, Mr. President. My team and I have been training for threats like this
since we were could remember. One man cannot take our entire team. The issue is
finding him. How do you suppose we draw him out?”
“Well,
whatever drew him to the White House yesterday could be the answer.” Roth said,
sipping ice water.
“Did
you say this man…Grendel… was considered an outcast?”
“Him
and my father attended college together. Unlike my old man, Grendel did not
enjoy the company of others. I knew Grendel to be a kind person when I was
younger, but now…” The Presidents gaze drifted into the sky, as if in a deep
thought.
“You’re
awfully nice about a man who destroyed the White House.”
“Don’t
assume I have sympathy for the man.” The President scorned.
“Music,
cheer, happiness, maybe das wot bothers the monster so much” Ziggy blurted. Our Aussie, Ziggy was the grunt of the group.
“Excellent
observation BioVulf-3,” started Roth.
“It’s
Ziggy, mate.”
“Pardon
me, it’s just that your names are stamped on the front of your helmet.”
“Yeah?
Well bloody hell, there ain’t nothing interesting about my name anyhow.”
“Zigs,
you’re right. Perhaps we should attempt to draw out this “Grendel” with a
party,” Beowulf said. “What do you say boys?” They howled like battle hungry
wolves.
October
23, 2052 / 06:00AM
“Alright,
here’s the plan.” I woke the rest of the squad and discussed the details. We
knew he was a scientist. He found some sort of alien DNA, a symbiote. The armor
harnesses brain functions in the user by incorporating the DNA of every animal
on the planet. When his suit met this “symbiote”, Grendel experienced a fusion
with unexpected results: insanity and eve
stranger supernatural powers.
“That’s
how he got down to Earth so quickly then, da?” Vladimir spoke, our BioVulf-4,
and Russian sharpshooter. He personally enhanced his weapons with special
features. Had we not grown up together, he would have frightened me.
Looking
at a review of the hologram, Vladimir was right. Grendel could apparently
teleport and he could conceal himself.
“That’s
right Vlad, now let’s all suit up. We’re going to attempt to draw the monster
in at around twelve hundred hours. Let’s plan the attack.”
October
23, 2052 / 11:48AM
The
Halloween parade just began and was perfectly timed to attract Grendel. The
neighborhood was filled with people taking pictures of the children’s costumes
and enjoying the excitement. A loud speaker
played music while President Roth, dressed as an old wizard, waved from one of
the cars.
Grendel
landed in front of the President’s car. Five
steel rods loaded with electricity landed on each side of him but he managed to
grab at one of the rods, pulling it out of the ground and caused the mechanism
to stop. Drooling and looking around disoriented, Grendel shook his head and
attempted swing his arm at the President.
“Get
down, Mr. President,” shouted a nearby soldier. An assault rifle riddled the
side of the creature. Grendel roared and vanished. The bullets that hit the
creature were now on the ground. Ziggy tackled
the creature out of his invisible form and crushed him against the side of a
building.
“Where
ya think you’re going ya big galoot?” BioVulf-3 asked, slamming his mechanized
hand into the face of the creature. Grendel simply roared and swiped the Aussie
away. A bolt of energy then pierced through the creature’s right shoulder.
“I
don’t think so, picka.” Pointing an
incredibly large gun at Grendel with a smirk on his face, Vlad laid on top of a
building with the monster in his sights. Grendel lost balance and hit the ground,
scrambling then roaring and charged towards Ziggy.
“Have
at thee, monster!” Beowulf landed in front of Grendel, and swung his sword down
across the chest of the monster, ripping into flesh and bone. Grabbing the
monster’s arm with one hand, he crushed it and tossed him into the middle of
the road. “For the innocent lives you have taken, your blood sits not on our
souls.” Before Beowolf’s final blow landed, Grendel vanished, the sword
striking down into the ground.
“He’s
disappeared again.”
President
Roth appeared next to Beowulf. “Thank goodness. This time, no lives were claimed.”
Beowulf turned to look at Roth. “I believe he
will not return, his wounds were too severe to survive.”
President
Roth looked at Beowulf, and then up at the moon. “I hope so, my friend. I hope
so.”
October
23, 2052 / 21:13PM
“This
evening is in appreciation of the BioVulf team. Without your help, Grendel
surely would have killed more people,” President Roth spoke to the assembled
Pentagon officials. Vlad, Ziggy, and the other two were slamming down shots. I
was not in the mood for celebration.
“The
creature has been bested, but the men and women who died will never come back.”
I blurted out. Standing, I walked toward the President. “Remember this. Peace
is a fairy-tale that may or may not exist in the future. But war is inevitable
at some point. Whether the threat is from crazy scientists or aliens bent on
destroying our world, we will always have conflict. We must be more prepared.”
I cleared my throat. “Not everyone in society will be happy, or feel like they
have a home. Whatever did this to Grendel, it was not a result of peace. Nor
was it a result of happiness.” I looked at everyone in the room. “It was a
result of evil.”
October
24, 2052 / 03:14AM
An explosion erupted from
the sleeping quarters of Xian and Marcus. I awoke and discovered that there was
nothing left of BioWulf-2 and 5. Guards rushed into the hall.
“Sir!
We have cleared the area. What is going on?” said one of the guards.
“I
have no idea. But we need to get to President Roth, and quickly.”
October 25, 2052: 18:42PM
What remained of the S-T-O-P unit was down
to three. We had discovered a horrible creature at the Moon’s primary medical
facility, along with our old friend Grendel, who apparently died of the wounds
we inflicted earlier. This ‘other’ creature was even worse, and seemed to be
made of the same material as Grendel’s suit. Whatever it was, it held Grendel’s
remains, as a mother would comfort a swaddled infant.
“Move Zigs!” I cried out as the creature
we called “The Mother” landed behind him. Before he turned to deflect her claw
with his sword, the creature struck him through the chest. Blood spilled from his
mouth and his eyes rolled back.
“Damn you!” I shouted and charged the
creature with a plasma sword. The creature easily dodged my attack then was hit
with an energy bullet in the forehead from Vladimir.
“Right on ze mark.” He smirked at his
accomplishment and began to pull back his rifle’s loading chamber.
“Move!” I shouted, unable to reach him in
time. She had appeared behind him, as he was rolling away and shooting his
weapon up at her. The creature expected it this time and responded by jabbing
her claw through the Russian’s spleen. He made a last ditch effort, drawing out
his sword and stabbing at the creature’s chest. She parried it away, dropping
Vlad to the ground.
I turned and looked up at the monstrous
form, she dissolved into nothing and reappeared behind me. Her fangs, red eyes,
with long violet hair, framed a face that could have been mistaken for a young
girl, except she wasn’t. “Come on you stupid bitch.” I charged, swinging my
blades down and missing. Slashing at my armor with her claws, she sent me
flying into a wall. I rebounded and glanced around for her, but she was gone.
“Where are you?” Using my helmet’s
infrared vision, I scanned the room. Nothing. “Come out and face me!”
Right above me, she reappeared. This time
her hair entangled with my helmet and my neck. Hanging upside down on the
ceiling, she pulled me up to her. A lizard-like tongue licked my helmet.
“Hu-man. Die.”
“Not today, lady!” I shouted, crossing my
swords near her hair and slicing myself loose. I hit the ground hard, pulling
up to one knee, then the other. She appeared before me again.
“This is for Ziggy.” I pulled out a small
capsule and pressed the button before throwing the device at her face as it
caught in her hair. Light and flames exploded, sending her shrieking backwards.
“And this is for Vlad!” I lunged forward,
throwing both swords at her. Both swords impaling her shoulders, flung her back
into a wall. “This is for everyone else!” I unclipped my spear from my back,
and sliced down across her chest to her torso.
I then spun around and cut off her head in one subtle movement. “Die,
fiend.”
The creature dropped to her
knees. Green ooze left the lifeless corpse. Her body soon shrunk into the
ground as if melting.
“Finally over…” I whispered to
myself before turning to where my two brother-in-arms lay. “Let’s get you
home…”
Grabbing my two comrades and racing for
the ship, I set the course for Earth, and detonated the base using what
remaining explosives we had. I wasn’t going to take any chances with such a
horrible creature so close to the Earth.
A few days later, we discovered that “The
Mother” infected the armor that Dr. Grendel was working on, which transformed a
peculiar man into insane monster. A few scientists went up to examine what
remained of the base on the moon and collected samples of the wreckage.
No trace of “The Mother” or Grendel was
evident, but they did discover the same ooze that infected Dr. Grendel. He had created his suit with a combined a
splice of animal DNA named “X11”. This
DNA cocktail could have cured individual diseases and other symptoms such as
arthritis, and prevented the common cold. Unfortunately, no doctor could
replicate his work, and without the armor, no scientist could even get close to
what Grendel created. President Roth went on to expand his campaigns for peace
and expansion into our solar system.
Surviving the epic battle, Ziggy lost an
arm and Vlad lost a kidney and part of his leg. Our squad reported back to our
station on the island of Corfu where nothing called us out to battle again for
another twenty years.
October 21, 2052 / 18:00PM
On the surface of the moon, an egg-like
shape is barely visible from all the dust of the explosions. It begins to
rattle back and forth. A few moments later, the egg cracks. Breaking out of the
egg, a dragon’s head appears. A loud and unsettling roar emits from the
creatures mouth. The dragon breaks out of the egg and spreads it wings,
spraying fire immediately and flying above the surface. To be continued…
