Changed: Outbreak

Chapter 20: The never ending cycle

[K's pov]

Something doesn't feel right. The pH scale is two points higher than seven. The water intake drawn into the facility is contaminated. Have the filters worn out? This isn't good. If it keeps up, my experiment will be ruined.

"Doctor K, I have returned from my work of taking care of Lui's crops!"

"That's good. How are the crops?"

"About that... I came to report that my latest pH reading of the water being supplied to the crops is slightly alkalic. I have noticed that the crops are starting to wilt. The crops are dying because of the contaminated water. Have I failed my work?"

I let out a sigh before shaking my head. "No, you haven't. This isn't your fault, nor mine, nor of anyone we know. We just have to trace to the source of the alkaline that is contaminating our waters. If this keeps up, the Protogen growing in the pod... Will die."

"Where do we begin looking for this alkaline?"

"Check the pumps. Bring Puro and Colin with you."

[Scott's pov]

"Lui! What are you doing with the artifact?!" I asked as Lui levitates up in the air with the artifact levitating just above his paws. Lui is covered in a yellow aura from head to his foot paws. We recently arrived to the Lieutenant's office after hearing a loud piercing sound. When Ghost and I got here, Lui was already levitating and holding the artifact close to himself. I noticed Ghost raise his sniper rifle to aim at Lui, and I immediately interrupted him by lowering the gun from the barrel. "Don't shoot him! What do you think you are doing?! You can't just shoot Lui! We have to figure out what's going on first. I'll try to talk to him. If it doesn't work, we'll try something else. Just not injuring Lui."

I slowly approached Lui who is still levitating, and I stood in front of him. I noticed he has his eyes closed in his visor expression, as if he's preoccupied by the artifact. "Lui! Can you hear me? It's Scott! Are you alright? What are you doing with the artifact?" I asked, but Lui ignored to even give a reply. The aura around him suddenly turned red, and his expression turned into a frown with his eyes still closed. "Wake up! You're worrying me!" I yelled at him, and the aura surrounding him once again shifted into a different color. This time it is violet.

Lui's expression changed into something... Familiar. His eyes are open, but it doesn't look like it is his. Lui looked down at me before giving me a smirk. "It is good to be finally back. Did you miss me, son? Did you miss your father figure? My last argument with your brother has led me to death, but luckily your deranged friend doctor summoned a portion of myself into this boy's head without thinking much of the consequences. In fact, he is unhinged to the point that he is even crafting one of his failure experiments again to satisfy himself. I doubt the experiment will be successful, which gives you a reason to want to leave this planet."

The way Lui currently speaks does not sound like him, but it sounds like someone else. Doctor K placed someone who's already dead into Lui's systems. Someone who had an argument or a fight with my brother, Prima. "Just, who are you? You're no longer Lui, I can sense it. Tell me who you really are."

The Protogen chuckled at me before letting out a sigh. "Forgotten already? I'll give you hints. I controlled your brother, Prima. I plague the minds of Protogen into chaos. Does that sound familiar?" The Protogen asked and my heart sank deep in realization. This is the Malware! "If you still haven't gotten who I am, then I am the Malware. The same Malware that plagued your world that resulted your brother's death. Now, how am I back you ask? This artifact is owned by the great Cosmic Worm, and many are scattered throughout the cosmos. All artifacts of the Cosmic Worm are cursed with the ability to remind anyone who came into possession of one of their past memories..."

"... Documents about the desired effect only working on patients with implants on? False. All artifacts have the ability to implant knowledge of the calls of the Cosmic Worm regardless of being a patient or a normal person. The effect works twice as fast and is instantly felt on people with implants, hence the sudden urge to take the artifact and escape with it. Why was Lui not affected? My existence in his mind consumes the effects of the calls of the Cosmic Worm, but in return I am summoned by the recollection of past memories, and it has even made me stronger..."

"... Did you know that I am currently scanning for more information about this world you are living in through the minds of the dead Protogen within this facility. Such interesting knowledge, and I must say that the New Order Alliance made a terrible mistake on their super soldiers. It has ended up quite the same fate as the infestation of the laboratory back at Scott's world. Soon enough, this failed Latex experiment will plague the whole the facility, and possibly even crawl throughout the lands nearby. Horrible, isn't it?"

[K's pov]

I injected an anesthetic on the body of the Protogen, but it is somehow not affected by it. It remains awake, but it must be asleep and at rest to prepare the experiment. A needle is inserted into the left arm of the Protogen, and the needle is connected to a machine. Blood is slowly being pulled out from the Protogen. The eyes of the Protogen on its visor then look at me.

"Doctor, call upon your friend from the other world. Find the mourning Protogen whose name is John, and is by the burnt sacred halls. Bring the lunatic on this planet you call home. One will turn ill and the world will be plagued, but only the lunatic with no ties to the grasps of technology shall put the eldritch into sleep. His father awaits the other world be vanished, and thus shall he close the eyes of his child. The father will shape the child, and the child shall wreck havoc on the worlds that contain the fragments of their past, regardless of innocence and not called upon. The lunatic must stop the father."

The Protogen then closed their eyes to fall asleep, and the heart monitor then presented a flat line. Physically dead, but spiritually alive? I must deliver the message, no matter how stupid it sounds.