Life After the Cataclysm - Chapter 1

Nearly two days ago the Synthecan and Lion-Man had passed through the opening in the billboard. Pheyd had been quite surprised to find that the billboard in fact did not conceal the laboratory, but a large concrete tunnel the end of which even he could not see as after a kilometer it began to turn ever so slightly eastward.

Stasinus gave a puzzled look into the darkness with shining eyes then turned to Pheyd with an inquisitive stare. The Synthecan took note of his companions bewilderment and he himself was somewhat curious until he noted the ancient turbines above them. "You see those." Said Pheyd pointing up where fifteen feet above them were two enormous turbines, then another two after them spanning the entire width of the tunnel which was probably thirty feet across. "Those are turbines and they are attached to the small power plant buried above us. This is in fact not the lab, but I suspect that it lies on the other side of the mountain beside the dried up reservoir that the tunnel leads to."

"How do you know where this tunnel goes?" Asked Statinus, trying to make sense of how the turbines worked.

Pheyd furrowed his brow; he pitied the creatures of this world. "Long ago this tunnel was filled with rushing water and it would turn those turbines. There is no more water, so I assume the source is depleted." he explained.

Stasinus nodded and followed the Synthecan as proceeded down the tunnel with a carefree stroll that the cautious lion-man found disconcerting. Of course, Pheyd only appeared to be so, with every step he took his heightened senses were measuring wind drops, analyzing every anomalous sound and catching the smallest amount of movement. For someone to catch the Synthecan off guard they would have to be a ghost.

Doctor Bainbridge leaned back into his plush chair and swiveled back and forth in thought, while pensively tapping his chin with his clasped index fingers. Plans had changed, as it seemed his former henchman and Sin were coming to him now. It was a refreshing turn of events, and he had rewarded the bringer of the news with Clarence's position. Now Dravesh, the evolved chimpanzee, who was not even one of his creations was his number one. A rather cunning creature he had found beaten and left for dead, but he knew that one day he would rise up and take his rightful place at his side. Dravesh had proven himself by spying upon the Doctor's long awaited guests without being seen and returning with the information; really a small matter but enough to warrant Bainbridge's decision in the eyes of the hybrids. He new that the creatures would not follow the outsider unless he had merit, and in leu of Clarence's failure, Dravesh's promotion was readily accepted.



"You have been silent for some time, father." Stated Dravesh as he entered the small observatory, the thick glass before the Doctor a window to the cell of the great wolf beast he called Alex. Her vicious profile moved passed the glass as Dravesh stood before it. Alarmed he barred his teeth and chucked at the creature, waving his hand aggressively toward her, even though she could see through the two way glass. "Why do you keep that thing alive?" he spat.



Doctor Bainbridge had hardly acknowledged the presence of his number one, he remained in thought but when Drevash had referred to the wolfin-humanoid as a 'thing' he simply said in an apathetic tone, "Her name is Alex."

Drevash sneered at the beast then offered the man, he had always referred to as, father, a look of concern. "That was her name. Every day her mind slips a little more, she is near insane and yet you still insist are entering her cell. Father, I fear that one day she will turn on you."

Bainbridge smiled coldly, his eyes fixed on the window. "Will she?" He muttered.

Drevash drew closer to the doctor, with surprise and a hint of fear in his eyes. "Father, she is insane. For everyone's safety you should kill her."

The Doctor thrust his cold eyes on Drevash. "I will do no such thing!" he snapped.

Drevash stood his ground on the matter, "Father, I beseech you. Let go of the past or one day she will kill you."

Bainbridge returned his far away gaze to the window, staring at the powerful beast as she curled into a corner and watching her a maniacal grin stretched across his face. "So be it, then." he whispered.

Zack had been sleeping for a while but had woken up to find her opposite him on the couch he stood slowly peering through the door into the next room finding a glimmer of sunlight. He walked back away from the room looking around at which they had called base. Zack slowly began to stretch his muscles going down in a press up position taking a deep breath he began to do them on his thumbs his arms straining from the stress but he continued to go. Reaching his end sweat rolling of him his thumbs sore he gave a shake loosening muscles knowing it was time to go as the night called him but first was to wake Sin.

Zack walked up to the couch sitting down next to her as he looked down upon Sin her face perfectly relaxed within sleep he couldn’t help but feel hypocritical he had been with the Doc now Sin who else could he side with? He tilted his head to the side as he decided on his action tempted to kiss her….. No a shake will suffice to wake her and the last girl he had kissed had punched him pretty hard. He shook Sin by the shoulder lightly. “Time we got going Sin.”

Watching her as she got up stretching he stood up as well noticing how she averted her eyes. Zack slowly purposefully walked in a slow circle round her to stop behind her having his back to hers. “The plan was first to Recon the site for radios if established we would be able to continue our plan of splitting one went and did the diversion while the other went after the Doctor and Alex.” Stating the plan easily he turned round still finding her back to him he wrapped his arms round her kissing her on the cheek. “We share the same feeling I just find them hard to express at times.” Zack couldn’t help but let a small laugh the first time Sin had heard him laugh in joy.

Sin had already walked out the door as he picked his claymore from the floor. “Let’s get Bainbridge and Alex.” Zack followed suit but allowed Sin to get ahead as he had more trouble walking quickly quietly with the claymore on his back.

Zack and Sin had been walking slowly when they reached the billboard without incident Zack looked to Sin as she approached the tunnel. “Should we dictate who does what when we get the radio now?” wondering who would get this golden opportunity to kill the Doctor. He looked deep into Sin’s eyes hoping she didn’t realise he was estimating her chances of killing Bainbridge.

He walked past her his hands outstretched as he began to walk through the tunnel he knew it would begin to turn it would leave him in full sight if he continued pulling himself to a side taking the claymore off putting it point first to the floor he waited his coat making him mould into the wall and hiding his claymore the guard noticed when suddenly the wall moves he had no time to scream as suddenly found himself staring at the toe of a boot Zack had carved the head off he had found it difficult in such a tight space to have control over his blade the radio had miraculously stayed intact he crouched down picking it up.

“We can move to the next phase, we will use the other caged hybrids as an escape route as it would be better in numbers then.” He found the guard had been a simple human. “Easy kill.” Zack stood back up looking to Sin as she walked past him to continue into the labyrinth of tunnels which was the lab.

Indeed she was right they had stopped at a crossroad he looked over each direction carefully. “This is the 3rd crossing.” He took a left Sin following behind him. They continued sneaking round guard patrols and certain hybrids which may have caused trouble they came to another crossroad. “This is our last turning.” Reaching into the matt of hair he pulled a roll of paper handing it to Sin.

“In that paper is the code number to the doors none of the vault doors have DNA scanners, all you have to do is convince your sister to leave it may be hard that’s my warning.” He reached into his coat he pulled a rather peculiar item a small smooth edged gold ring. “Alex told me to look after it.” He placed it into Sin’s hand. He pointed down own of the routes. “That one leads to her we will call on the radio when we finished I will be down here.” Pointing to a route next to hers. “Good luck Sin.”

Long after Sin and Zack had passed beneath the ancient maintenance hatch in the ceiling of the tunnel, there was the squeal of a rusty lock being turned then the heavy iron door swung open. From it descended the pale skinned, Synthecan. He landed deftly onto the concrete, crouched like cat, as he searched the depths of corridor for any signs of a guard or the two they were following. Satisfied, they were alone, Pheyd stepped a steps to the side and the giant lion-man dropped down from the hatch landing softly.



Stasinus looked back up at the hatch where Pheyd had decided to hide when he had informed him that he had a 'feeling' that someone was coming. He had been surprised at first, no one had ever put such trust in his empathic senses, but the Synthecan did not hesitate to react, he immediately searched for a place to hide but all he could spy was the old hatch, fifteen feet above them. With an incredible leap, Pheyd soared through the air and caught old of the door and wrenched it open, then holding fast he reached out his hand and told Stasinus to jump and he would pull him up. The lion-man's first reaction was laughter, but Pheyd was serious, so warning the man that 'he would not be responsible for tearing his arm off', jumped up and caught hold of the Synthecan's sturdy arm. Though Pheyd's arm was much smaller in comparison to the lion-man's it was nonetheless near as powerful as his own, and he was able to pull the giant humanoid up into the narrow shaft which long ago would have been used for maintenance purposes. Crammed in the tight space, clinging to tiny ladder, Stasinus waited, then a half hour later, just when he thought he would go mad, Pheyd had squeezed by him to investigate the tunnel.

Standing in the empty channel, Stasinus could not be that sure what had just transpired, but Pheyd was positive that he had heard the wolf-woman and her tall companion skulk by fifteen minutes ago. He informed the lion-man he had purposely waited the extra time to make sure they were long gone by they time they emerged from hiding so that there would be no chance of their detection.

"Why not join them?" Asked Stasinus, puzzled by his companion's actions.

Pheyd narrowed his eyes, contemplating the question then nodded ever so slightly when he had formulated his answer. "You believe there is strength in numbers and you would be correct to believe so, but" he raised his index finger, "wouldn't you rather be a knight or a bishop? In chess, the pawns go first, my friend and until they prove to be otherwise that is what they are to us."

Stasinus softly growled disapprovingly. He did not believe anyone was expendable but could not dispute the logic of the military minded robot. "I will still offer them aid should they need it." swore the lion-man.

"Suit yourself." Replied Pheyd, then he tapped his nose a few times and gestured down the tunnel, that Stasinus use his nose to follow the scents.

Making their way along the ancient waterway, they came across junctions which Pheyd explained were tributaries that would add water to the main channel. Then when Stasinus began leading them down one of them, he was confused. "Are you sure they went down here?"

Stasinus nodded. "Why does this puzzle you?"

"Because I assumed that we would emerge on the other side of the mountain and that the old research facility might be on the edge of the ancient reservoir." Pheyd explained.

"So this is not what you have been searching for?" Figured Stasinus.

"Perhaps not, but please lead on. I would like to see more of this place." Requested Pheyd.

Stasinus suddenly stopped and reaching behind him placed a staying hand before the Synthecan. Pheyd instantly stopped and strained his ears to detect any noises ahead of them, but apparently what alerted his comrade required an empathic sensitivity. No words were spoken and silently they backed away, together and made there way down a narrow side corridor in which Stasinus was forced to crouch as the the clearance of the ceiling was only seven feet.

The tunnel's floor had a slight incline and as they ascended into the darkness, they traveled for about ten minutes and in that time, Pheyd calculated that they had climbed approximately 15.27 meters, give or take a few centimeters. Then they came a locked steel doorway with a keypad illuminated by LED lighting and there was no way that Stasinus was able to pry it open.

"Allow me." Said Pheyd as he stepped around the giant Lion-man and began to, with incredible speed and hand-eye coordination attempt various combinations.

Jerimiaha, looked at the young woman as she approached and said "Yes I think we can spare some of this meat. I checked it and it has acceptable amountions of radiation, so after it is cooked it should be fine."

Dog looked at the Jerimiaha and said "That girl touches one piece of my supper and we will be dining off her for a week."

Jerimiaha looked at the dog and said "Dog will just relax, she isn't going to eat any of your supper."
Dog just snuffed.

Dog looked at the woman and said "Buddy? First I ain't your buddy and second your damned right I'll bite your ass if you touch my supper. You two legged female, shiftless, manipulatining human."

Jerimiaha glared at Dog for a second, then turned to the young woman and said "Well he can be a bit testy especially while he is eating." Jerimiah handed her a piece of meat and said "I'm Jerimiaha and this is my friend and traveling companion Dog. "Yes he is a normal dog, not one of those mutants."

Dog looked up at Jerimiaha "Normal" NORMAL! How many normal dogs can talke to humans? I ask you that Mr. Traveling Companion! What's more who is it that arranges it so you can score Mr. Don Juan? Huh?" Dog laid down and began to eat.

Zack began to walk down the corridor he pulled an old time piece seeing plenty of night left to kill many people. The corridors he found were empty of guards he knew why what awaited him just before the door to the doctor. Zack began to find the corridor narrow further and further knowing that the tunnel would be just narrow enough to fit a bear hybrid he would find an open room which was well lighted. Zack found it getting closer and closer then he felt that gut feeling he came out of the corridor into what he knew a wide open room the entrance hall. Zack stood before two great double doors which were open to the ‘surgery room’ the doctor sat at the back of the surgery room in his suit obviously no splicing needed to be done. Zack took a step forward as he got within 10 steps of the doorway 3 guards stepped from the doors he noticed a monkey further in the room taking note of the discussion of Zack’s demise.

The 3 guards stood before him 2 Zack knew he thought where as the newest guard a young bear Zack turned to the middle guard “What happened to Boris?”The middle hybrid was a Siberian white tiger that had been here since he had been. She was much older than he remembered. “In fact extend that, what happened to you?” The tiger gave a smile to Zack as she nodded to him in greeting then carefully picking her words. “Boris was finally removed from duty he lost to another guard his blindness finally caught him out and I have simply aged where as you seem to have not.” Zack gave a nod understanding that indeed he didn’t age as much as hybrid or humans. “Will you let me through for old time’s sake?” The tiger gave what could be called an evil smile. “I heard you can’t even change properly.” The last one on the right of the guards seemed to twitch at this accusation his hair covered the majority of his face. Zack smiled down to the guard on the right. “He has really grown.” Looking back to the Tiger she couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah he is father like son can’t even change or maybe it’s the mixed blood who knows but it’s still wrong.” Zack leaned forward a slight glint in his eye she quietly shut up. “It was you who came onto me.” Zack looked to the left guard the young bear. “I will start with the new meat I believe.

Zack stood back allowing the bear to stand forward Zack pulled a Zippo lighter from his pocket in his trousers removing a cigarette with it he lighted it quickly taking a heavy drag on it Zack gave a smile as he felt the nicotine buzz round the body the drug a stimulant for mind and body his eyes changing seeming to glow a sharp silver his canines becoming curved fangs he stood before the bear in this state. He could feel the whispers of something in his mind egging him on to kill the pitiful thing and move onto the Doctor.
Zack spat the rest of the cig out crunching it under his boot pulling the claymore as the bear pulled a wicked curved blade Zack began to smile as he went into a mock solute the bear grabbing on did a mistake of bowing. Zack attacked his claymore swinging in an arc begging for flesh whirring through the air only to catch the shoulder with a light wound the bear drawing back quickly. “Cheeky bastard as quick as a snake would have killed me their. The bear stood with caution now the bear and Zack began to circle each other looking for a weakspot.

Stasinus sat in the cramped hallway, his knees at his chest, while Pheyd fervently worked way the key pad lock. He estimated that at least twenty minutes had gone by and then finally the Synthecan stopped and was quite puzzled by the complexity of the code. He then without warning drove his fist into the lock, smashing it to bits then hammered his foot into the edge of the door a few times causing the metal to buckle. Pheyd then dug his hand into the depression he made and twisted out a lip of metal enough that he could get a good hand hold, then tugged with all of his strength snapping the lock with one pull.



The lion-man rose to his feet, hunching under the low ceiling. "You could have done that at any time?" He questioned.

Pheyd stood before the door, perplexed. "I thought I would find the code, but then I became... impatient."

"So?" Remarked Stasinus, "You spent nearly half of an hour on the problem, which is about twenty-nine minutes more than I would of attempted."

"That's not it, Stasinus. I do not become impatient, my programming countermands such behaviour." The Synthecan explained.

"People change." The lion-man simply said as he gently pushed Pheyd forward through the doorway.

They walked down another long corridor, that eventually hooked around in long gradual bend and they ended up heading back the direction they had come, only in a different area. The passageway eventually ended at a ladder that lead up to a circular shaped hatch. Stasinus took a few strides up the ladder and lifted the heavy iron door with his head and peered into the dark chamber, then lightly set it back down and reported back to Pheyd.

"It appears to be an old laboratory." Stasinus informed his companion.

Pheyd had surmised that the tunnel they had used to access the laboratory was probably an mean of escape but for what he was not sure. The room was dark, but lack of light hardly mattered to either of the two intruders. Entering the large room it was quite evident to them that a struggle had occurred many years ago by the layers of dust on the debris. Many of the work tables had been torn in half by something very large and very strong. The laboratory had a fifteen foot ceiling and when both of them noticed the claw marks raked across it. Pheyd looked up at Stasinus and raised a brow and the lion-man curiously turned his head to the side like a big cat. Their attention was then drawn to the large apparatus in the corner of the room, an enormous cylindrical tank taller than Stasinus that Pheyd assumed at one time held water or some kind of liquid. "It resembles a regeneration-chamber used at the labs were I was created, but much, much larger.", he had explained to the lion-man who really had no concept of genetics, nor did he seem to care much. Pheyd needed to talk to somebody, though and how many people had the opportunity to converse with a giant lion-man everyday?

While the synthecan was intent on searching through a stack of old files, the lion-man quietly sniffed about the room. Stasinus was far more interested in finding something to eat, he always looking to add more to his rations which was important to creature of his size, in fact food was in his mind quite a bit and yet the synthecan seemed to get by on the next to nothing.

"Pheyd." called the lion-man from across the room. "How come you never seem to eat that much?" he asked.

The synthecan continued to read the files and responded with one word. "Photosynthesis."

Stasinus was familiar with the word but he didn't know what had to do with eating. "I don't understand."

Pheyd pried his eyes away from his reading, stared at the lion-man and sighed. "My skin converts sunlight into a complex..." he decided to simplify is words, "... into food. So I only need to supplement my body with a few other nutrients." He then returned to studying the files, fervently mulling over the material with great speed while the lion-man nodded, his thick mane bobbing up and down. It made perfect sense to him and he was quite glad he had asked his question.

Stasinus wandered over to a blackened window and brushed the dust and dirt that had accumulated over time. He could tell that as he touched the glass that it was very thick and looking through he could see a hallway running parallel to the window. Cleaning off more of the glass he looked right and was unable to see the end of the softly illuminated corridor but to his left he could see a set of double doors. The same very doors that Sin, was attempting to enter but had been unable to sneak past a windowed guard room that oversaw the hallway leading up to it. The tunnel that the two wanderers had found had taken them under the guard room and eventually to a ladder that lead up to the abandoned lab.

There was a door next to the window leading into the hallway. Stasinus tried to turn the tiny human sized knob but it was locked. He was about to apply some force when Pheyd exclaimed, "Look at this!", slightly startling the lion-man who thought someone was coming through the door.

"What!" growled Stasinus.

Pheyd was little puzzled by his attitude. "What's the matter, Stas. Do you mind if I call you that?"

Before Stasinus could answer the synthecan casually sprang over a high pile of rubble and landed on a table next to the lion man so that he was the same height. He held the file folder before him. The lion man couldn't believe his eyes as they fell upon a document that was titled, 'Sapien-Panthera leo', which he understood to be a combination of the ape and lion genus. There were pictures of creatures that looked just like him in cages, being fed raw meat like animals then others of dissections, horrifying experiments on what was his own, 'kind'. He had never known what he was or where he had come from, but as he skimmed over the papers in the folder he realized that he and others like him and been brought from the continent of Africa. He was a species that had developed naturally and evolved to become what he was today. The revelation was overwhelming and then angering, as it became apparent that who ever was in charge of this facility had hunted down and captured his kind to bring them here to satisfy some barbaric curousity.

"Are you not... happy?" Inquired Pheyd who for an instant appeared like a child just learning to walk, as he struggled to understand the emotions within him and those coming from his only friend in his strange new world.

Stasinus looked at him, the pads of his upper lip stretching into a smile. "I am happy, Pheyd, Thank you. But I am also troubled with this knowledge. We cannot allow any more of the experiments to continue."

Pheyd did not understand as he did not know any better. "But this is how people learn?"

Stasinus showed him the pictures again and spoke softly, like a father teaching his son. "All of these creatures felt. They had lives, Pheyd and no one has the right to take that way for mere experimenting."

The synthecan struggled to process the information. Creatures like this lion-man had never existed during his time, and the issues of cloning and genetic manipulation and long been resolved. He was programmed to accept that human life presided over all, but this lion-man despite his appearance was in fact, 'human' according to all of his data. "I understand, Stasinus."

The lion-man smiled and laid his big hand on the synthecan's shoulder. "Call me Stas." he told him.

Pheyd grinned a little, still trying to make sense of his feelings, then leapt off the table. "I do not believe this is the place I seek, but perhaps we do have some work to finish in this place after all." he stated.

Stasinus agreed. "If the one who is behind all of this yet exists in this place we'll make sure he never hurts anyone again."

Pheyd easily pushed open the locked door to the hallway and the giant lion-man ducked under the opening and stood his head grazing the ceiling. To their left was the double doors, which to Pheyd's knowledge was the direction they had come from. The doors were heavy and well sealed, as Stasinus could smell nothing beyond them but he could feel something familiar. Pheyd was about to proceed in the other direction, when he noticed that look on the lion-man's face. "What is it, Stas?"

Stasinus frowned. "I am not sure, I think that girl is on the other side of those doors."

Pheyd pursed his lips in thought. "Is she hurt?"

The lion-man shook his head. "She is frightened." he relayed.

The synthecan through his hands on his hips. He looked toward the doors then down the long corridor, and then he turned back to the doorway. Then he through the lion-man a look that uncharacteristic of him, almost fiendish or more appropriately, mischievous.

As Sin pondered how she was going to slip by the guards, she heard the moan of twisting metal coming from the two doors at the end of the hallway. The guards, some of which were hybrids and some humanoid, emerged from their rooms and cautiously approached the doors as they heaved and buckled. One of the smaller guards began panic and said, "It's the beast! She's loose again!", but the largest guard, a giant man with bull-like traits to his face barred his retreat with a forceful push as he snorted defiantly at the doors. The largest guard who appeared most like a 'Minataur' stood his ground, while the others backed away slightly. Then all was eerily silent. Bravely the bull-man, poked at one of the twisted doors, and the heavy iron portal slowly swung open. The other guards some armed with guns, cautiously crept though the doorway then quickly turned around expecting there to be someone or something behind the doors, but there was nothing.

"You two stay here." snorted the bull-man, and two guards (that by all rights could have passed for human) armed with rifles remained at the doors while the other four followed their leader down the hallway. The door to the old lab that the 'she-beast' had destroyed a few years ago was ajar. The bull-man looked through the window into the darkened room but his eyes could nothing, then he ordered two of his underlings with night vision to go into the room first.

Sin could just make out the bull-man disappearing into the room, then their was a blood curdling roar and gunfire. There were the sounds of screams, crashing table and smashing glass and the two guards nervously stayed at their post their guns ready. All was quiet then.

"Tor, are you alright!" called one of the guards.

He was answered by silence, then a white haired man in a black long coat walked out of the room with something in his right hand that was obscured by his body. The guards were uncertain of what to do as he casually strolled into the middle of the hallway. He smiled then, and with a slight toss, the object he was carrying rolled with surprising velocity leaving a read sticky trail behind it. Finally one of the horns stopped it's progress, and the severed head of the bull-man lay before them. The two men began to lose their nerve at the sight of their indestructible leader and when the giant lion-man emerged from the old lab and stood behind the smaller man with the radiant blue eyes the two men bolted toward Sin.

Pheyd moved with incredible speed. In the time that the guards had taken four strides, the synthecan had made five long powerful leaps and was upon them. The first guard he grabbed behind the neck and snapped it with a twist of his wrist while he grabbed the others arm and tossed him into a wall with such force his helmet cracked. As the man slumped to the floor, unconscious, Pheyd moved to the center of the hallway and looked around for the girl that the lion-man had sensed.

Pheyd had shown little fear when Sin had drawn her blade, in fact he didn't react at all, just stared at her curiously. She could see now that he had been injured, he had a large wound on his forehead but he hardly acknowledged it. One would wonder by his strange behaviour and the injury if he had a concussion or something.

Stasinus moved past the pasty skinned man and stood in front of him so that Sin could only see the lion-man. "Calm yourself child." he calmly advised, "You remember me? My name is Stasinus and the man behind me is called, Pheyd. We mean you no harm."