As I began to go deeper into the darkness, I began to smell something putrid, and it got stronger and worse the deeper I went. Ahead of me the path split into two directions. The blueprints from the computer showed that going to the left would lead me to air duct.

“We’re almost there. How’s everything back there?”

“Everything’s fine sir,” It was Valentine. “How much further?”

“According to the blueprints, we’re a few meters from the main duct. Once we get there, we can get into the filtration room, which will put us near the North Wing entrance.”

Suddenly, the duct gave way and I fell through. It felt as if I were falling forever, until I finally hit hard ground. The air was knocked out of my lungs, and I gasped for air. Nothing felt broken, but my entire back side was in pain. I stared upward at where I fell from, and it was a miracle that I survived with minimal injury. My enthusiasm was short lived when I realized where I was. Call it poetic justice, but I found myself in the very maze I constructed where people were turned into carriers.

I laughed at the notion, and picked myself up from the floor. From above me lights were shown down on my face.
“Sir, are you alright?” Valentine shouted. I really wanted to chew his ass out, but now was not the time. I had to figure a way out of this death trap.

“Sir, we’re coming down!” Almost immediately, Valentine and the others were on the floor, by use of rappel rope. If there’s one thing we all need to learn from shoddy Bronson films, is that you always need rope.
From a distance, I could hear footsteps and the hissing of these undead creatures getting closer. It was darkly lit, and the only light I could see was the soft glow of yellow light, and the electric sparks from exposed wire. Whatever course of action we took, we had to use extreme caution.

The maze was designed for death, not for escape. Even if we made it to the other side, we had to find a way to open the steel door at the exit. Someone had to be on the other side to open it using the control panel.

All of a sudden there was a loud crash, followed by an explosion. The cries and moans of the carriers grew louder and more frantic. The slow footsteps I heard earlier were no longer at a distance, but closing in on us. The sound of their feet made the ground I stood on tremble, as if a stampede of frenzied livestock were about to trample us. I raised my weapon and waited, as the others did the same. The first carrier came into view, and I didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. Slight recoil jolted my shoulder as I watched the retched creature slump to the floor.