4 - Eat And Run - DEADLAND

Artwork for podcast DEADLAND

4 - Eat And Run

Episode 4 • 31st January 2021 • DEADLAND • Philip A. McClimon

0:01

[Music]

0:12

human

0:14

extinction level yes

0:21

a visitor surprised

0:25

dr krenner couldn't move

0:28

the ramifications of what he was seeing

0:31

prevented him from doing anything

0:34

but remaining anchored to the floor

0:36

inside the cage

0:38

it was only when delrony came and stood

0:41

in the door next to him

0:43

did dr crenner's trance release him

0:46

so doc uh

0:48

i don't give a fly and flip what dark

0:50

menacing you're doing down here

0:52

but my continuing lack of care is gonna

0:54

cost ya

0:56

delrony said

0:58

dr krenner broke his gaze from the

1:00

one-time corpse

1:02

and turned his head ever so slightly

1:04

towards delrony

1:07

dr krenner ground his teeth and

1:09

maintained a veneer of calm

1:12

it seemed everybody in the facility

1:14

wanted a piece of him

1:15

from the base commander down to this

1:18

lowly semen

1:20

when dr krenner spoke again it was with

1:23

a low menace that seemed lost on the

1:25

opportunistic recruit

1:27

yes well i'm sure something can be

1:30

arranged that will allow us both to get

1:33

what we want

1:35

dr krenner approached the body and

1:37

watched as it twitched and pulled ever

1:40

so slightly against the restraints

1:43

he put the stethoscope in his ears and

1:45

listened for a heartbeat

1:47

his shock gave way to momentary

1:50

disappointment

1:51

as he was unable to locate one

1:54

was it only the electrical impulses that

1:57

was causing the corpse to twitch

1:59

and not genuine resuscitation

2:02

he was ready to believe it

2:04

when abner freeman's eyes flew open

2:08

dr krenner pulled out a pen light and

2:10

examined them

2:11

what he saw in those eyes was not so

2:14

much a restored life

2:16

as the waking of a ravenous beast

2:19

a beast waking from the effects of

2:21

powerful tranquilizers

2:23

he cast his mind back to what happened

2:25

to the chimpanzees

2:27

so wrapped was he in trying to discern

2:30

the meaning of what he was seeing

2:32

that he almost forgot about francis

2:34

delrony

2:36

delrony had not forgotten the doc

2:38

however

2:39

and he pressed for a fuller

2:40

understanding of the terms of their new

2:42

relationship

2:44

and i ain't messing around with no dead

2:46

animals either i know that's what

2:48

colonel sent me down here for

2:50

but i'm here to tell you it ain't

2:51

happening

2:52

he said

2:54

dr krenner looked up at a point on the

2:56

rock wall through the bars of the cage

2:59

he took a breath

3:01

then began to loosen the restraints on

3:03

the body

3:04

no no i completely understand this is

3:07

menial work and not for the likes of an

3:09

enterprising young man like yourself

3:12

we can discuss terms of course but i do

3:15

need some help around here

3:17

for such help i would even be more

3:19

grateful than i am for your

3:20

understanding about my uh

3:23

little secret

3:24

dr krenor said

3:27

delrony leaned against the cage

3:30

yeah whatever i mean you know we can

3:32

talk about it gotta keep up appearances

3:34

right

3:35

just nothing too labor intensive or

3:37

disgusting

3:38

he said

3:40

i completely understand seaman delrony

3:42

dr kriner said

3:44

delrony looked around

3:46

he was starting to get bored

3:48

lacking even the initiative to think how

3:50

best to exercise his new privileges

3:54

just one thing

3:55

what infraction did you commit to get to

3:57

sign down here

3:59

dr krenner asked

4:01

delrony stared at the back of dr

4:03

krenner's head

4:04

a scowl crossing his face

4:08

dr krenner pursed his lips but did not

4:10

turn around

4:12

when the silence stretched into seconds

4:14

delrone's sighed

4:16

it was for unauthorized absence

4:19

but the charge is complete like

4:21

everything else around here

4:23

delrony said

4:25

yes that was it unauthorized absence a

4:28

small matter

4:29

dr krenner said turning to faith delrony

4:33

i just need to run into the next room to

4:35

get some equipment would you mind

4:37

terribly watching

4:38

the body it will only take a moment i

4:42

ain't gotta change his freaking bedpan

4:44

or nothing do i i told you i ain't doing

4:46

nothing disgusting

4:48

delrony said

4:49

dr krenner shook his head no no just

4:52

keep an eye on him i'll be right back

4:55

delrony stuck his hands in his pockets

4:58

yeah alright

4:59

he said

5:01

dr krenner walked from the enclosure

5:04

stopping just outside the door

5:06

slowly and with deliberation he turned

5:09

and closed at the door

5:11

by the time delrony figured out what had

5:13

happened dr krenner had the door locked

5:17

delrony reached through the bars in an

5:19

attempt to get at the doctor

5:21

but dr krenner stepped back and was just

5:23

out of reach

5:25

what the frig you doing doc let me out

5:27

of here you freaking psycho

5:30

delrony shouted

5:31

dr krenner took a step closer to the

5:34

cage

5:35

and delrony struggled all the more to

5:37

get at him

5:38

if you think for one second i am going

5:40

to let some little punk jeopardize my

5:43

work you are sadly mistaken

5:45

it's bad enough i have to work under the

5:47

oversight of a manipulative and

5:48

controlling organization like the us

5:50

military who can't see that there is

5:53

more to be accomplished here than simply

5:55

building a better soldier but i will not

5:57

fall prey to a sniveling delinquent

6:00

little whose only goal in life

6:02

seems to be to figure out new ways to be

6:04

worthless

6:05

congratulations seaman delrony you have

6:07

found your true calling human test

6:10

subject

6:11

dr kriner said spittle flying from his

6:14

lips

6:15

delrony lunged against the bars dr

6:18

krenner only smiled and walked towards

6:20

the exit leading back into the disposal

6:23

room

6:24

you crazy you can't keep me locked

6:26

up in here people will miss me

6:28

questions will be asked yo

6:31

at delrony's threat dr krenner turned

6:34

oh i hardly think anyone will be looking

6:36

for you down here especially when i tell

6:39

them you never showed up

6:40

they would think you took another of

6:42

your unauthorized absences

6:45

they will try to find you anywhere but

6:47

here mr delrony

6:49

dr krenner said

6:51

then turned and left the office

6:53

closing the door behind him

6:55

delrone's screams echoed off the rock

6:57

walls before being drowned out by the

7:00

rumble of the incinerator in the next

7:02

room

7:05

time to go

7:08

the little punk had started screaming

7:12

that alone did not concern dr krenner

7:15

nobody would hear him through the

7:17

billions of tons of rock above their

7:19

heads

7:20

his screams and protestations however

7:23

were damnably distracting

7:25

and he needed time to think

7:28

there was actually very little to think

7:30

about

7:32

he knew he had crossed one ethical line

7:34

already with the capture and accidental

7:37

killing of the vagrant

7:39

if he was willing to do that to further

7:41

scientific knowledge

7:43

what was one more

7:45

besides there was only so much he could

7:47

learn from the vagrant

7:49

the true test and what his government

7:52

taskmasters in their short-sightedness

7:54

failed to understand

7:56

was live human trials

7:58

the nazis understood that

8:01

dr krenor blinked in shock at his

8:03

momentary defense of the liberal

8:05

policies of the scientific inquiries of

8:08

nazi germany

8:10

he prided himself on being a progressive

8:12

thinker with an open mind

8:15

he abhorred all stereotyping and

8:17

prejudicial thought

8:19

be it in science or in the treatment of

8:21

others

8:22

but still

8:24

dr krenor dismissed this line of thought

8:26

as not constructive

8:28

there was work to be done

8:30

nobody had asked about the missing

8:32

vagrant and if anybody inquired after

8:34

seaman delrony

8:36

he would simply deny having seen him

8:39

his conscience placated dr krenor

8:42

thought there was no better time than

8:44

the present

8:45

to begin

8:47

it was quiet in the next room and for

8:49

that he was grateful

8:51

he was certain that the young man had

8:53

screamed himself hoarse

8:56

dr krenner grabbed a catch pole the end

8:58

having a big enough loop to slip around

9:01

a human-sized head and neck and a tripod

9:04

burying a video camera

9:07

then he re-entered the back office

9:09

he paid little attention to what was

9:11

happening at first

9:13

busy as he was setting up the camera and

9:16

hitting the record button

9:19

as he turned to begin his observations

9:21

he stopped in his tracks

9:24

it had begun faster than he had

9:26

anticipated in the vagrant

9:28

albeit much slower than in tse

9:31

or the other chimps in the lab above

9:35

the body of abner freeman stood

9:37

swaying on its feet

9:40

it glared through dead eyes at francis

9:42

delrony

9:44

who stood frozen

9:45

his back to the bars

9:48

the agent seems to exhibit an

9:50

asymmetrical gestation period

9:52

it has been approximately three hours

9:55

since injection of the vagrant's corpse

9:57

i am unaware at this time if the agent

9:59

will exhibit a consistent pattern in

10:02

future human subjects

10:04

dr krenner said

10:06

what's wrong with him doc he don't look

10:09

right

10:10

delrony said pressing himself more

10:12

firmly against the bars

10:15

considering the subject was dead and in

10:17

a frozen state in my refrigeration unit

10:19

several hours ago and now stands before

10:22

you

10:23

i would say that nothing is wrong

10:25

but your newfound desire for scientific

10:28

inquiry is to be commended i can assure

10:31

you there's much we will learn together

10:33

in the days and weeks ahead mr delrony

10:36

dr krenor said

10:38

tilroni turned to stare wide-eyed at the

10:40

dock

10:41

what do you mean dead

10:43

get me out of here doc

10:45

delrony shouted but dr krenner was not

10:48

listening to delrony

10:50

he had his eyes fixed on the figure

10:52

standing before him in the enclosure

10:55

delrony saw this and turned to look

10:58

he tried to press his back through the

11:00

bars as the thing that was abner freeman

11:03

seemed to glare at him

11:05

dr krenner and seaman delrony both

11:08

stared waiting for what would happen

11:10

next

11:12

what happened next was that the thing

11:14

that was abndr freeman

11:16

charged delrony

11:18

delrony screamed a freakish cry as it

11:20

slammed into him knocking his head back

11:23

against the bars

11:25

dalroni's scream was cut short as the

11:27

blow knocked him out

11:30

oh dear dr krenor said as he watched the

11:32

reanimated corpse bite delrony at the

11:35

junction between his head and neck

11:38

dr krenner rushed to the cage and with

11:41

the catch bowl pushed the corpse back

11:43

and away

11:45

he readied himself for another attack

11:47

but the thing that was abner freeman

11:49

seemed to go dormant

11:51

first going still

11:53

then collapsing to the floor

11:56

dr krenner waited for several pregnant

11:58

seconds before grabbing his keys and

12:01

fumbling them into the lock

12:03

his mind raced with the possibilities of

12:06

what he was seeing

12:07

first a corpse reanimated then that

12:10

corpse exhibited forethought and

12:12

mobility

12:14

it had conducted itself in much the same

12:16

way that the chimps had in terms of a

12:18

ferocious aggressiveness and that would

12:21

have to be explored

12:23

but unlike the chimps the corpse seemed

12:25

to become dasa when challenged it backed

12:28

away

12:29

and had fallen

12:32

dr krenner rushed into the cage he

12:34

dropped the catchpole and began

12:36

examining the again motionless body of

12:38

abner freeman

12:39

he checked a pulse but then guided

12:42

himself for it

12:43

there would be no pulse the thing was

12:45

dead

12:46

his mind reached out forming hypotheses

12:49

diagramming a course of follow-up

12:51

research and experiments to be conducted

12:54

both on the corpse and delrony

12:57

delrony

12:58

his living breathing test subject

13:02

dr krenner turned and started to rise

13:05

when a guttural roar sounded

13:07

he had no time to protect himself from

13:09

the feral attack of delrony

13:12

having grabbed the catchpole

13:14

delrony brought it crashing down on dr

13:16

krenner's head

13:18

dr krenner fell to the floor unconscious

13:21

as delrony turned and ran from the room