Chapter 25: Undetected

Chapter 25: Undetected

I was cautious the entire trip, keeping my nose open for the musk of the Ursans and my eyes on the path in front of me. I could tell that the maps Id referenced for pathfinding were a little out of date. Areas that had been clear before were now covered in thick patches of forest. Still, the topography was the same, and I knew the direction I was headed in, so I was confident Id reach my destination, unless an Ursan found me first.

The first hour of hiking was uneventful, though I never let my guard down. I didnt encounter any Ursans, but I did catch faint traces of their musk in the air, as well as signs of their passing. I did encounter a number of wild boar, however. Massive, slow creatures, that created little oases of muck in random parts of the forest. I found one dead, and mostly eaten, which explained how the Ursans were sustaining themselves when they werent hunting hapless Iron Horde patrols, or the Ren Faree.

It was another thirty minutes before I reached a landmark that indicated I was on the right track. On the map, it was a large stony outcropping that had been named, dragon-claw rock, and Ill be damned if that wasnt what it looked like. I climbed up to the top to get a better view of the forest around me, having only a bit of difficulty with my hat being caught in some severe gusts of wind. When I reached the top I took a look, out across the woods. It was an ocean of black, with me on a solitary island in the center of it. Unfortunately, in that sea, I saw nothing to help me gain my bearings, though I did make note of a few areas where the trees were moving against the wind and made a mental note to avoid them. I hopped down from the rock, checked my compass, and kept moving.Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

It was another two hours of walking before I decided to take a break. I took a deep breath to see if I could smell any ursans, then I found a spot under a small rocky outcropping and took a seat. I pulled out some Ursan meat Id saved from the feast and started biting off small pieces to chew. It wasnt as good cold, but it was still pretty delicious. While I ate I pulled out my notebook and checked over my directions. I was getting close. Maybe one more hour of walking before I reached the bunker. I hoped it hadnt caved in, but considering the condition the first one Id found had been in, I highly doubted that would be the case. These bunkers were meant to survive the apocalypse after all. If I was really lucky, thered even still be electricity. My night vision was good, but a bit of light helped a lot when it came to making out the finer details of things.

The smell of blood and musk was thick inside, but I saw no signs of another ursan, just bones and viscera piled in the corner. I walked carefully, doing my best to avoid doing anything that might make a significant amount of noise. It didnt take long to reach the back of the cave. It could only fit two ursans. Against the back wall was my objective. A large sealed metal door. I looked around it, and eventually found a handle to it. It was clear there had been an electronic lock attached to it, but what was left of that had been smashed to bits. I gripped the handle and pulled, careful to only slowly increase the amount of strength I was using so I could keep from making too much noise. There was a creak, and the door gave way, swinging open and revealing a well-lit stairway that descended downward. I heard a roar behind me and saw the ursan Id left behind coming into the cave. I jumped into the bunker and slammed the door shut, comforted by the fact that even though the electronic lock on the outside was busted, I could manually latch it from the inside. I did so, just in time for the sound of something heavy slamming against it. There were a few more attempts, then nothing.

I turned around to look at the stairway I was in. Lights were good, meant things were more likely to be intact. I walked down, seeing a few long dried muddy footprints and little else. The hallway ended in a doorway. I opened it, and found myself in an all-white room with shower nozzles coming out of the wall, a row of lockers, and several drains in the floor.

At the far end was another door. I walked up to it, and found another busted electronic lock. I pushed the door open and found myself in another long room, this time with colored pathways that connected and diverged along the ground, going into different rooms across the hall. There was also a flight of stairways on the far end ahead of me. I started going through the different rooms one by one. I found bathrooms, sets of living quarters, and what appeared to be a recreation room, all of them lived in, and all seemed to have been left in a hurry.

Once I was done I made my way down the stairs. Things were very different on this floor. There was a more sterile, and less lived-in feel. The doors were more secure, and hallways were marked. The one in front of me said virology lab and reading it immediately made my teeth itch. I searched around a few rooms, finding computers, beakers, and equipment I didnt recognize. I tried to boot up one of the computers, but they were all full of technical information I didnt understand. I moved on until I found an office. There was a whiteboard covered in data I didnt understand, scattered notes everywhere, and a desk at the far end with another computer. I approached it, and read the nameplate, Dr. Vincent Head of Research. I sat down at the desk and booted up the computer. A green display welcomed me and I watched as lines of code flowed downward until a bootup image showed. It faded into the background, and the desktop appeared. On it were three folders labeled personal journal, project journal, and correspondence. I clicked on 'project journal' and pulled up the first document.