As the gun report echoed throughout the halls, Oswald could not help but feel they were waking something up; something very large, and very slow.

Webster looked back over his shoulder, but saw nothing. He did not slow his pace.

“What the hell was that?”

“Water-borne parasite.” Oswald breathed heavily, speaking only a few words at a time. “They shouldn’t be here.”

“Well then, why are they here?”

“Lab must’ve been conducting some illegal operations. That’s the only thing I can think of.”

“Dangerous?”

“The fresh spawn should be harmless to us. The bigger ones…”

“Right. Gotcha.”

They came to a door, a red light dimly shining above it. A small command console was on the wall next to it, safely sealed by a plastic casing. Oswald opened it.

“Well, this is the comms center, but the door is sealed. Looks like it might actually be dry inside. It’s been sealed for quite a while.”

“Do you think there are people in there?”

“If there are, they need help. But still…” He hesitated. “Keep your guard up.”