Chapter 49: Half-Human

The pale light flickered as it guided their steps. The three kept alert, but the corridor stayed empty the entire way.
The facility was vast. That single hallway alone took nearly half an hour to cross before the scenery finally changed.

Ahead stood a towering glass wall that spanned the entire width of the lab. Light bled through, revealing the massive chamber beyond.
The space rose four stories high, cluttered with scattered instruments.
At its center stood a colossal cylindrical pillar stretching to the ceiling, nearly ten meters wide. It looked like the terminal display of the entire base.

“Looks like we’ve arrived.”

Arthur stepped ahead of the group. Bathed in V’s beam from behind, he pushed on the massive glass door.
It opened silently, as if it had been expecting them.
Rebecca and V followed close behind.

“The whole building’s power system is down. Not sure if that’s because of the EMP,” V said, striding toward the giant cylinder and scanning the area.

Arthur and Rebecca stayed tight at her side. With so many unknowns, splitting up here would be asking for trouble.

“The equipment’s fine. Someone just cut the power.
Wherever the staff went—who knows. Forget it. First we get the power back online.”

Her mission was the lab’s data, and without power, she had no way to access it.
She could try to rip out the drives, but a central database of this size would be enormous—far too heavy for one person to carry.

“Over here.”

After scanning the chamber, V locked onto a direction and led the way.

“...Repairing the power?” Arthur asked, quickening his stride to catch up.
“You really know how to do everything, don’t you?”
“I only know a little of everything. Nothing worth bragging about.”

She reached the far wall, where a ring of heavy iron doors lined the perimeter—similar to those in the outer corridors.
Without hesitation, she shoved one open.

The door clanged, revealing only darkness inside.
V flicked on the light and stepped through first.

It was a massive generator hall. Towering machines, taller than a man, stood in two long rows—nearly ten units per line.
Her beam swept across a nearby panel, catching a nameplate.

“Titan Arm Industrial Generator. We need to trace this set to its starting point, then check if there’s fuel.”

Sure enough, at the far end, they found a control panel and a huge oval fuel tank.
V kicked it, listening to the dull echo.

“Plenty of fuel. No surprise—this place sits on top of the region’s most advanced CHOOH₂ plant.”

In a corner, she uncovered a few battery packs—the starter power for the generators.
After a bit of tinkering, a deep rumble rolled through the room. One by one, lights across the facility flickered to life.

“Strange. Everything’s still operational. So where the hell did everyone go?
Did they evacuate early?”

Confused, the three returned to the main hall. Now blazing with white light, the giant cylinder sparked with streaks of current running its length.

V hurried to the console beneath the massive screen, pulled the data cable from her wrist, and plugged in.
Time was precious; with danger outside, they ignored the strangeness of the empty lab and focused on the job.

But within moments, V yanked the cable free, scowling.
“Damn it. There’s nothing here. Shit—we’ve been played.”

She staggered, bracing against the console.
“Fuck... ICE defense protocol. A Daemon’s latched on—I can’t shake it.
This is a fucking trap—wai—”

Her words cut off as her body went limp, collapsing to the floor.

Arthur lunged, catching her and easing her down.
Rebecca already had her pistol drawn, eyes sharp as she growled,
“Damn it, Arthur! That bitch got nailed. What the hell do we do now?”

Arthur rose, his face carved with tension. He scanned the silent chamber, the air heavy and still.
Narrowing his eyes, he drew Achilles to the front, its hum sparking as it charged. His voice came out rough:

“If any bastard shows his face, we smash his skull. Simple as that.”

As the words left him, the heavy iron door at the far end of the hall slid open.

Clap. Clap...

The hollow applause echoed through the silence.

“Greetings. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Bain Linton, master of this hell.”

An extremely tall, gaunt middle-aged man stepped forward, arms folded across his chest, a smile etched on his lips.

Arthur studied the hollow cheeks, the drawn face. In his memory, the features overlapped with the corpse who’d taken his own life in the underground lab.
But Arthur’s cold stare betrayed nothing. Achilles crackled in his grip, charging.

Just like Rebecca said—let’s see if he fears bullets.
Arthur wondered how many Bain Lintons he’d have to face.

Sensing the threat, the man raised his hands slowly above his head in a gesture of surrender.

“I’m unarmed, harmless. I can help you find what you’re looking for—so why rush to kill me?
Besides, madmen like us don’t gamble.
If I dared to come out, it means I’m ready to die. But killing me now... what fun would that be?”

Arthur exhaled slowly, letting his rifle settle back to stillness.
He hated standoffs with men like this—but with V unconscious, keeping him alive might prove useful.

“I don’t like thinking.” Arthur’s eyes gleamed cold.
“But I’m very good at clearing other people’s heads.”

The man stopped at a measured distance, his smile unreadable. His sunken cheeks twitched as he spoke.

“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Probably not.”

Arthur’s eyes stayed hidden under the brim of his hat.

“Pity. Seems you don’t care to chat.
I’m going to die today—just like the half of my brain that was drowned in blue.”

His smile widened unnaturally. He tapped his temple with a finger.

“Cut it out, did I? Hm...”

Bain tilted his head, thinking.
“Maybe a little over half was needed to scrub their tricks clean.”

Arthur’s frown deepened.
“Which bastards?”

The man ignored the question.

“Hey—need something? Since I’m dying today, I’m in a generous mood.
Data, drugs—whatever you want, I’ll give it.”

Arthur studied the grotesque grin, unable to tell if the man was truly insane or just putting on a show.
Half a brain left? Who knew if it was true.

“Help us? Is that the price for your life?
Trying to buy time with this crap?”

“No! Don’t mistake me. These are the fruits of my hell—grown from thousands of corpses.
Children, parents—innocent or not, none of them died well.
I just want to see if you’ll use such filth.”

Arthur’s reply was two words. He extended his hand.
“Hand it over.”

Bain dug into his pocket. Arthur’s right shoulder dipped, arm hanging loose, ready.

The man pulled out a chip, palm-sized, and waved it.
“Quantum Chip. Crystal Palace’s finest. Know why it’s so advanced?
Because there are no laws there.”

He tossed it to Arthur, who caught it cleanly.

“As for your friend—she’s fine. She’ll just be... changed by the experience.”

With that, his other hand shot to his waist, drawing a pistol he jammed under his jaw.

“And now... enjoy the game.”

...