The isolation tent sat to the rear of the medical station, constructed from double-layered plastic sheeting and a metal frame, its entrance guarded by military police. Dr. Hanson donned a simple hazmat suit and went inside, accompanied by the medical officer. Valerie, Raynor, and the others waited outside the entrance.
A few minutes later, Dr. Hanson suddenly rushed out, her face deathly pale, not even having enough time to fully remove her protective suit.
"Lock down this area immediately!" Her voice carried a rare tremor. "Notify the command center; a biological outbreak has likely erupted in Refugee Camp Three! The infected are highly aggressive and contagious!"
"Doctor, what exactly is the situation?" Raynor stepped forward to ask.
A non-human roar erupted from inside the tent, followed immediately by tearing sounds and startled cries from the military police. An "individual" wearing tattered refugee clothing burst through the plastic sheeting of the tent. His skin displayed an unnatural grayish-green hue, his eyes were turbid and white, dark green saliva drooled from the corners of his mouth, and the fingers on both hands were twisted into claws.
The military police opened fire instantly. Gauss rifle rounds struck the infected individual's chest, bursting into splashes of dark green fluid, but the infected merely stumbled before continuing to charge forward. Its speed was unexpectedly fast.
Tychus cursed and raised his minigun. A burst of large-caliber rounds practically tore the upper half of the infected's body to shreds before it finally fell to the ground, its limbs still twitching.
Dr. Hanson said urgently, "That is not an ordinary disease! It is some kind of... biological engineering or parasitism! Its physiological structure has been altered, its pain receptors are dulled, and its vitality is incredibly resilient! Furthermore, its blood and bodily fluids likely contain the source of infection!"
She pointed toward the setting star: "It hid during the day, likely because ultraviolet light causes it harm! We must begin a comprehensive screening immediately and isolate all suspected cases before the sky goes completely dark!"
But it was already too late.
Screams and roars echoed almost simultaneously throughout various sections of the refugee camp. In the shadows of the tents draped under the encroaching twilight, one twisted figure after another stood up. Chaos erupted in an instant.
Refugee Camp Three became like a pond into which a boulder had been hurled, with riots rippling out from several points at the same time. Screams, roars, gunfire, and the sound of tearing tents intermingled, creating a hellish spectacle in the fading light.
"Everyone fall back into the medical station! Establish a defensive perimeter!" Raynor bellowed, his Punisher grenade launcher already aimed at an infected individual pouncing from the flank. The grenade exploded amidst the cluster of infected, throwing several aside with shrapnel and shockwaves, but even more charged out from the smoke. Tychus's power armor spat tongues of flame as his heavy minigun mowed down a swath of them.
However, the number of infected was far too vast, and they completely disregarded casualties, madly lunging at any moving target.
"The medical station building is relatively sturdy! Fall back inside!" Raynor commanded while firing, pulling the Raiders and military police back toward the medical station.
Valerie observed the situation calmly. Her five security operators had automatically formed a protective circle, shielding her in the center. They did not rush to fire; instead, they used precise semi-automatic shots to clear the closest threats while assessing the characteristics and movement patterns of the enemy.
"Take note, the targets' movement speed exceeds that of ordinary humans, their pain receptors are dulled, and their vital areas may differ from normal people," Valerie spoke to her team members through an encrypted channel. "Prioritize targeting the head and spinal joints. Maintain formation, move slowly toward the medical station."
Shielded by two Raiders, Dr. Hanson's face was pale but her mind remained clear: "Their blood and bodily fluids are contagious! Do not let any fluids splash onto bare skin! If possible, use fire or high-temperature weapons!"
But at this moment, they only possessed kinetic weapons.
The group fought as they retreated, finally making it inside the main building of the medical station. The Raiders and military police quickly blocked the doors and windows with furniture and medical equipment, leaving only firing ports. Tychus's massive power armor guarded the front entrance like a mobile turret.
"Count heads! Check the ammo!" Raynor leaned against the window frame, swapping out the drum magazine of his grenade launcher. Besides them, there were over a dozen local medical staff and minor casualties inside the medical station, all currently huddled in the corners in terror.
"We have thirteen men on our side. Combined with the doctor and Miss Valerie's people, that makes twenty-two combatants in total. There are eight more on the military police's side. Ammo... at this rate of consumption, we won't last two hours," a Raider sergeant reported after a quick inventory.
Outside the windows, the roars of the infected drew closer and closer. Twilight had transitioned into night, and the camp's power grid seemed to be failing, with the lights flickering sporadically. The beams of the searchlights swept across, illuminating densely packed, twisted figures surging toward the medical station.
"We must contact the command center!" Dr. Hanson shouted to the local medical officer. "Have them send troop reinforcements and quarantine the entire refugee camp at once! The infection may have already spread!"
The medical officer tried the communications with trembling hands, but shook his head: "Severe signal interference... it is possible the infected are destroying communication facilities or signal towers."
"Use the Hyperion's encrypted channel," Valerie suddenly spoke up, the data pad on her wrist lighting up. "My equipment can relay through an orbital link."
Everyone's gaze turned to her. Valerie calmly operated the data pad, and a few seconds later, a stable communication channel was established.
"This is the Hyperion, Matt Horner. Go ahead." Matt's voice came through the data pad; he was on the bridge.
"Matt, this is Raynor. A massive biological outbreak has erupted at Refugee Camp Three. The infected are highly aggressive and contagious, and their numbers are extreme. We need emergency reinforcement and evacuation. At the same time, notify the Meinhoff Command Center to lock down all refugee camps immediately to prevent the infection from spreading!"
"Received! The Hyperion will prepare a marine drop immediately! I will contact local command. Hold on, Jim!"
The communication cut off temporarily. Outside the windows, the first wave of infected had already swarmed the outer walls of the medical station, beginning to slam their bodies against the doors and windows. The wooden window frames groaned under the overwhelming strain.
"They're coming up!" shouted a Raider guarding a second-floor window.
Valerie looked at Raynor: "Commander Raynor, the structure of the medical station is insufficient to hold out long-term. We need a sturdier stronghold, or we must find a way to break through to the starport."
Raynor stared at the tide-like mass of infected outside, thinking rapidly: "Breaking out is too risky; we can't see how many infected there are in the dark. But holding out here is indeed not a long-term solution... Matt said they are dropping marines, so they will need a landing zone and coordinates."
He looked at the internal structural map of the medical station. "The roof! The roof of the medical station is relatively flat and has a certain elevation. We can establish a temporary defensive position there, and it will provide a landing zone for the transports. Let's pull back to the roof!"
Orders were issued swiftly. Tychus and several Raiders used explosives to blow open the maintenance access leading to the roof. The group began to relocate upward in an orderly fashion. Valerie's security operators took charge of the rearguard, their precise shooting buying time for the retreat.