[ WP ] `` We like to give each one enough time in the sun . That way , we know the sunlight has killed the infection completely . ''

`` We like to give each one enough time in the sun. That way, we know the sunlight has killed the infection completely ”. 
 
 “ Kill? I thought we weren ’ t supposed to let anybody through with a bit of the noctis virus? ” 
 
 “ You must be new around here, kid. ” 
 
 “ It ’ s literally my first day working here. ” 
 
 “ Everybody out there has a bit of the virus. Impossible not to. So we just let everybody soak under the sun, or the UV array, before letting them into Iméra. Now, you gon na quit prattlin ’ on and do your job now? ” 
 
 “ Riiiiight. Ok. So we just check people for wounds, weapons and what have you, then tell them to sit in the light for a bit? ” 
 
 “ Sure ‘ nuff. ” 
 
 I nodded, then went over to check my equipment. One gaudy bright neon orange vest, rubber gloves, extra rubber gloves, a few extra more rubber gloves, some smelly homemade “ disinfectant ” that I ’ m pretty sure is just semi-jellied grain alcohol in a glass bottle, a small knife, a 9mm pistol loaded with a full magazine, a single extra 9mm magazine. Besides what I carried on me, clothes, some nice working boots, and my cellphone, that ’ s all I have. The cellphone isn ’ t good for much since all the networks are done, but dammit, old habits are hard to break. At least it tells the time. 
 
 “ So, is this the biggest gun I get? ” I held up the pistol to my boss, Dirge. 
 
 “ Yup. We just the checkers, daylight checkers at that. We got boys on the wall with the big guns who are s ’ posed to do the shooting. You got a gun just just for defense against the odd crazy folk and what not. ” 
 
 “ Not for Nocts? ” I asked 
 
 Dirge guffawed at that, so much that he had to sit down and wipe the tears out of his eyes. After he calmed down from his fit, he gave me the first seriously look I ’ ve seen on his face. 
 
 “ Nah. Not at all. Nocts will just eat that nine mil for breakfast and spit it back at ya while they ’ re tearing you apart. ” Dirge gestured me to look. He began to pull his jacket sleeve from his left arm, revealing a tanned hairy hide crisscrossed by jagged scars and canyons of missing muscle work. 
 
 “ Do me a favor kid ” Dirge stared at me intently “ You see a noct, you run and you run fast. Don ’ t hide, run. No matter what. ” 
 
 There was a silence then, with Dirge looking at me. 
 
 “ So uhhh, errr, ahhh, hrrrmmmaaaaa- ” My voice hobbled, collapsed, and then finally broke into a soft cough. 
 
 “ Right. You should get to screening. ” Dirge said, before heading off towards an awaiting line of people. 
 
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 “ Ok sir, stretch out your arms, I ’ m just going to do a quick pat down and check for anything illicit ” This looked to be the last person of the shift, then I was off to shower and lunch. 
 
 “ Dagnabbit, what fer? I ain ’ t done gone no ferty miles to get grabbed on! ” 
 
 “ Sir, it ’ s just a quick search for any unlisted firearms or drugs, we can ’ t have people pouring in with guns they say they don ’ t have, or meth and stuff. Just relax, the patdown only takes a few seconds. ” 
 
 “ Ain ’ t not I can say no, but you ain ’ t better be done touchin ’ no wheres funny, ya hear? ” 
 
 I stood there for a bit, trying to piece together what he said. 
 
 “ Uhhhh, yes? ” I hesitantly said. 
 
 The old man gave me the stink eye for a few more lingering seconds, before finally letting me pat him down. 
 
 “ Ok sir, that ’ s it. Just head over to the fenced area in the sun and you should be good. ” 
 
 The old man mumbled something and headed off towards the sunny enclosure. 
 
 I breathed out a sigh and went to unload my equipment. I went through two pairs of gloves, and about a quarter of the “ disinfectant ” I looked over at Dirge ’ s line, he was chatting with a woman and a young girl, who was busy laughing at what I presumed to be another of his *hilarious* pun jokes. 
 
 I set my sweaty orange vest down, and put the pistol on top. The black metal clashed again the disgustingly neon orange in a way that made my eyes buzz. I shook my head and checked the time on my phone,1:02pm, and headed off for the showers. 
 
 A long wail began to slice through the air. The emergency siren. I looked over towards the gate entrance. The day was quickly and suddenly changing, as a blanket of darkness began to sweep towards the gate. I looked up towards the sun, the harsh glare was being slowly enveloped by a globe of black. 
 
 An eclipse. 
 
 A mother fucking eclipse on my first day of an actual job. 
 
 I was less panicked at the sudden phenomenon, and moreso at the lurching shape converging within the spreading darkness. I couldn ’ t make out the specifics of the man-shaped form, only that it was moving and fast. 
 
 I sprinted back towards the equipment I dumped, scooped up my pistol. In a moment the darkness swept over the gate, and the lurching creature with it. It vaulted over the wall, and splashed down near Dirge and the others. I saw a better look of the creature now. 
 
 It was human, emphasis on was. I realized I was seeing my first Noct. Its skin was marked with black veins and large spreading bruises where the flesh grew and hardened. Bony spines protruded from its back and head, its arms had especially long spines jutting from the edge of the elbow. Bulbous spongy growths covered areas of the creature, as well as fleshy bare pits of taut purplish muscle. 
 
 It kept itself crouched, head cocking from side to side as it snarled at Dirge. Dirge stood in front of the woman and the girl, blocking them from the Noct. Dirge spared a quick glance at me. That ’ s when it struck. In an instant Dirge was thrown leftwards from the Noct, an arcing trail of blood behind him, Dirge was still firing as he hit the ground. 
 He hit hard, and rolled. He stopped and stayed stopped. The Noct was standing tall now, bearing down on the Woman and the Girl. I raised my pistol, aimed for its back, and fired. I saw the bullet tear across the left shoulder of the Noct, bursting a growth in a spray of yellow-orange pus. 
 
 The Noct turned towards me and snarled, Its unhinged and split jaw were slowly dripping a similarly colored liquid. It roared and charged, going onto all fours in a dead sprint towards me. I rolled towards my equipment table, making part way before the Noct crashed through the table and by extension me. 
 
 I tumbled across the concrete, before crashing against the gate wall and stopping. The Noct was bent over, slathering a disgustingly long and gnarled tongue across an elbow spike dripping with red. My red, my blood, I found out as I tried to stand and collapsed back against the wall. The Noct must had gored my leg as we tumbled. 
 
 I look towards where the Woman was, she took her chance and ran with her child while I distracted the creature. Dirge was up as well. Half stumbling half dragging as he began to pull something from his belt. The Noct was almost done with its short appetizer of my blood, it was beginning to look towards Dirge. 
 
 The Noct turned, emitted a snarl, and crouched. Priming itself for another lunge. Dirge was half-dead already, he couldn ’ t take another hit. I did the one thing that came to mind, I took my left hand and jammed it into the red hole of my leg. I ’ ll admit, I did scream when I felt bone. 
 
 The blood pulsed and seeped, while I nearly whited out from pain. The Noct turned towards me and cocked its head, long tongue licking its jaws. Something smacked against its head, shattering. The Noct was coated in a thick slime that dripped slowly. 
 Then the smell hit me. Grain alcohol. Dirge was going to light the bitch on fire! The Noct was overpowered by the smell, it began to twirl and shake, forcing little beads of jellied alcohol to spatter off. 
 
 I took the moment to look around, I had a few mismatched rubber gloves, my pistol, wooden shards of a table, and that was the extent of my work equipment. Except for the cellphone in my pocket. My cheap, aftermarket and shoddily produced cellphone. I got an idea then. 
 
 The Noct was still coated in the jellied alcohol, but now its attention was back to Dirge. Dirge wasn ’ t standing any more, he was on his knees with an arm out to support himself. The creature began to shift towards him. I groaned, then flung my hand back into the hold of my leg. This time, a spurt of blood shot out and I began to feel a lightness come into my head. I instantly had the attention of the Noct. Within a few moments it was within ten feet of me. 
 
 It was staring me down, tongue slathering with viscous fluid, a few splats jelly dribbled from it. I reached into my pocket, bringing out my phone. It tightened Its muscles like a snake coiling the final strike, I brought the phone parallel with my head. I mustered myself and threw, the phone arced through the air towards the Noct, seemingly in slow motion I raised the pistol in my other hand. 
 
 I fired and the phone scattered across the Noct in pieces. White smoke flowed from the battery compartment as a violet flame began to rocket out from the battery itself. The small violet flame swiped across the Noct, before the creature became engulfed in bluish flame as the alcohol lit up. The flame turned bright yellow as air came into the mix. The Noct arched and screamed, growths began popping with a sickening moist sound. The creature began to roll and tumble across the pavement. The Noct uttered a final scream before collapsing into a burning heap. 
 
 The pain in my leg began to dull, I dropped the gun when I began to lose feeling in my arm. Dirge stumbled over, falling down next to me. 
 
 “ Not bad kid. Not bad at all ” Dirge said, wincing. 
 
 “ I think…. ” I began trying to speak, dark clouds pooling at the corner of my vision. I was vaguely aware of shapes moving and calling towards us. 
 
 “ I think… I think I ’ m gon na rest in the sun for a while Dirge. ” The last thing I saw as I closed my eyes was the warm glow of sunlight cascading across the city. 

