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✱ CHAPTER 11 : VAULT
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"It's like…" "The abyss is staring at us," Brooks said. Levi sensed the tension thick in the air.
"Brooks... how many?" "At least twenty. This is gonna be messy."
"Well, give the order, Levi. I'm ready." Orion stood prepared. Mochi crept up to them, scared and trembling.
"You ready?" Levi asked, checking his gun. "Yes," Mochi replied softly.
Just as the operatives readied themselves for the next-floor encounter, they were interrupted by a calm female AI voice.
"I suggest you take the vent route to avoid the infected horde and safely reach the next zone." The gadget continued, "And activate the trigger system to lure the infected away and minimize complications."
Levi blinked in surprise. "Thank you. What else can you help us with?" "First of all, I am Bella, AI Tier 3, Code 369."
"Noice!" Orion said in his usual playful tone. The others glanced at him in disapproval, unimpressed by his humor in such a dire situation.
"As a Tier 3 AI," Bella continued, "I can only access data provided by the user and information on SGI infrastructure post-20XX." "All right then, let's move before they breach the library."
While the others searched for the vent, Orion stayed near the door, ready to activate the alarm. "You found the vent yet, mate? These freaks are desperate to meet us," he said, jolting at the thunderous banging behind the door.
"Hurry up!" (Warning sirens blared.) Brooks pulled out his ratchet and opened the vent as the door weakened with every strike. Orion activated the alarm to alert the rest of the team. The door opened, and the horde poured in. Orion ran toward the marked escape path.
The infected gave chase. Orion dashed up the upper stairs, heading for the vent where Brooks waited. As Orion reached the final step, Brooks extended his staff, grabbing his arm. In that moment, Orion activated his ability and partially deformed his body, slipping through the vent like liquid. The infected tried to follow, but the vent was ten feet high, far out of reach.
"Man, that was close. My suit almost fell apart from that chase," Orion panted as he reformed. "Let's keep moving. We need to clear this place before our suits get shredded," Brooks said, patting Mochi as they advanced to the next zone.
Meanwhile, back at the library, the infected continued clawing for prey near the vent while the entry doors opened.
Suki stepped through, eyes glowing an eerie white, followed closely by Yuki. They were ready to eliminate the rogue operatives.
As they entered the zone, green, mysterious vines pulsed across the walls, releasing an unnatural scent that whispered only one thing: danger.
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Cough... Cough… "Fuck! It felt like drowning…" "Well, that's what happens when you go from breathing in liquid to normal air. Still kind of traumatizing, to say the least."
Martin climbed down through the vent, sweeping the area with his gun. The bridge below was empty. "Is it safe to come down?" Annie's voice trembled from inside the vent.
Martin scanned the area. They were now in a zone connected to the air vents and sewage system. The sewage water flowed downward into complete darkness, enough to trigger anyone's acrophobia. It flowed beneath a perforated metal floor, and there was an odd, sticky sensation near the shore. The surrounding dark concrete walls, combined with the endless corridor, made the atmosphere thick and eerie.
"Yeah, it feels safe here. You can come down." She said, "You sure?" He replied, "Yes, I'm sure. Hurry up already."
As Annie tried to climb down, she slipped but Martin caught her in time. Classic Martin.
Tension hung in the air as they moved through the dim hallway. No signs of life. Only maintenance workers had access to this area, and they had likely been the first to evacuate when the outbreak began, using separate emergency exit routes.
Flashing lights lit the corridor intermittently as they walked. Annie took a closer look at Martin: a handsome Mexican man with hazel eyes, a firm black mustache, and a military-cut hairstyle now damp from the water. Screens were mounted on the wall, showing the site's status, though they flickered and glitched likely due to the facility running on backup power.
| 21-12-2025 | 09:41
Temp: 20°C | Status: Critical
Location: Floor 13, Site - Compromised
The flickering transitioned to an emergency broadcast.
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| EMERGENCY BROADCAST
Evacuate the facility immediately. Protocol Eclipse is now in effect. If you are unable to escape, remain calm—operatives are on their way for rescue.
Stay alert and stay away from unusual creatures. Proceed to the designated safe zone and await rescue teams.
Your safety is our priority. Stay alert and avoid danger.
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"What the fuck!" she said. He replied, "Well, now it makes sense. We're Code 0 right now. At least rescue is on the way." Worried, she asked, "Do you really trust the rescue?"
He asked, "Well, as a rookie, yeah.... What about them?" "Based on rumors, they're a new team but their confidentiality is top-notch. We're not even allowed to see their faces or identify them. Total secrecy."
He said, "Maybe they're undercover assets. It makes sense not to risk them getting bought out by mercenaries." She said, "Still that doesn't give me any kind of rescue vibes... you get what I mean.."
"Yeah, I do. A bunch of assassins aren't exactly the heroic rescue type... or maybe they do care. You'll never know."
She asked, "Did you meet anyone like that?" He replied, "Like what? A hero?"
"Yeah…" He replied, "I did. But he retired." She replied, "Oh…" He continued, "There were rumors he saved an entire city by taking down a whole mafia gang, just to protect his adopted son."
"Damn, you've got better gossip than I do." she chuckles.
He said, "Well, compared to civilian life, we have some serious drama going on."
She said, "Can we get out of here? I'm still shaken from what we escaped." He replied with hope, "Yeah. We can use the emergency exit route. Just two more checkpoints to pass, then we're clear."
As they moved forward, they noticed a person in the distance, clearly visible due to his black shrouded hoodie. Annie grew excited at the sight of another human and was about to call out to him, but Martin stopped her, signaling her to stay alert. They couldn't be sure whether the person was infected or not.
As they slowly got closer, they watched him turn back the way he came. Suspicious, they stayed silent and cautiously approached the building, observing as the door shut behind him.
At the end of the corridor, they came upon a thick green plant vein obstructing the sealed exit door. As they began trying to break through it, there was a sudden....
BOOM!!!
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Floor 19: Emergency Vault - Twenty people were gathered inside, awaiting rescue. Some were talking quietly, while others ate from the survival food supplies, which had recently been restocked. Among them were two soldiers, fifteen scientists, and three maintenance workers.
They were all trying to manage the contamination and waiting for the rescue crew. A brunette woman in a lab coat with a white fur collar sat listening to an iPod playlist, Pretty Please by Toby Hobart and HANNI.
The maintenance crew were playing cards, the scientists were busy forming theories, and the soldiers guarding the door chatted among themselves.
The emergency vault was a long room stocked with rescue equipment, sleeping bags, and food supplies stored neatly in sealed shelves. The room was divided into three sections by partial walls. The first was a waiting zone, furnished with long sofas and desks. The second was a hospitality zone with bunk beds, medical supply shelves, and curtained-off areas for privacy. The final section was the storage zone, containing essential supplies.
Shelf access was controlled by card scanners. Each scan permitted one item per person, organizing distribution according to individual needs. Most people were in the first section, a few in the second, and one soldier was in the storage zone while another guarded the main door.
The woman continued listening to her music while the others relaxed. The atmosphere inside the vault felt completely different from the chaos outside.
"How the heck you're winning, man? Like, literally," said the worker, dropping his card, unhappy with the loss.
The two other maintenance workers, dressed in orange work-safety jumpsuits, looked shocked as the scientist across from them laid down the winning hand. He was lean young, with copper red-toned hair and dark circles under his eyes. Calmly sipping his coffee, he replied.
"Hey, I get that scientists are killer employees with some serious specs... but I wanna know the secret of winning," said the guy with a red cap, smirking with his head tilting.
"Well, it's all about the algorithm. Have you heard about the Las Vegas algorithm?" he said, sipping his coffee calmly.
"Well, that sounds complicated…" one of the guys with glasses said, kind of interested in it. He continued,
"Well, this job teaches a lot of shit. Shits even I can't comprehend."
"Oh yeah, I heard about the forbidden course they teach, that made many people drop their rank because of how horrible it was," Glasses said.
"Well, they balance out the status so people won't just use their rank to show off," the winner added. Some of the scientists sitting nearby shifted uncomfortably, clearly recalling the trauma of that course.
"Well, now you can, right? I mean, you passed it," Red Cap asked, sipping his drink. "That's confidential," the winner said, raising an eyebrow, clearly signaling the end of the topic.
One of the female scientists came to call them for a meal. As she walked off, Glasses joked, "Man, even the women in your division look hot. Like, all of them."
Winner glanced at the girl listening to music and gave Glasses a suspicious look. Trying to play it off, Glasses added, "Relax, she's not my type and I wouldn't even blink an eye on yours, anyway…"
"Wait, I never even told you the algorithm…" the winner started. "Yeah, well you're the only one here who even talks to us. Everyone else just stares like we're some kind of dumb jail-suit workers," Glasses replied.
Surprised by the honesty, the winner nodded and gave him a dap before they all walked together toward the second zone for food.
BOOM!
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Chapter Ends. | Review • Like • Follow