────────────────
✱ CHAPTER 7 : MEDICUS
────────────────
(Long Beep): The control panel flickered to life as power surged back. Lockdown sequence activated.
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
| SALOME AI initializing... Processing facility status...
Status: PROTOCOL ECLIPSE
Multiple sites are inaccessible due to anomalous interference.
Many personnel have become hostile.
Surveillance is offline.
Sector Medicus is under complete lockdown, except for Floor 19, Floor 6 and The Exhibition Dome.
Precautionary protocols are in effect. Operatives proceed with extreme caution. All activities are monitored as per regulations.
Report restrictions and containment procedures are available in the system logs.
Critical Updates:
Black Box recovery kits (Alpha & Omega) are located on Sector Medicus, Floor 20.
Security clearance levels have been heightened and unauthorized intruders will be eliminated per property code violation.
Stand by to complete all system functions for further analysis.
Maintenance sequence activated. Cooldown time: T-minus 30 minutes.
Enjix Backup Power System activated. Full power will only be restored to uncontaminated areas in T-minus 50 minutes.
See Command Logs for details on AI operations.
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
Levi: Mission report, Alina.
Alina: Levi, I want everyone to hear this.
Brooks: Levi, putting it on the holo.
Alina: We have a Class 5 breach. Subject Nakamoto is a failed classified project that has escaped containment. Be aware that he is still sealed inside the Confidential Medicus Facility. He has the ability to produce excessive amounts of containment liquid, and any victim who comes into contact with it will experience severe dimensional imbalance.
Orion: Meaning what, exactly?
Alina: He can manipulate anything submerged in the liquid. It's called VXD-4—highly dangerous but breathable, as it is an oxygenated perfluorocarbon liquid.
Brooks: Uh... English, please?
Cassandra: It means you can breathe inside this... aquarium.
Suki: So the people submerged here are alive. Well, that explains a lot.
Orion: So we have to save them, right?
Alina: That's unlikely. They might already be dead or infected. There's still a lot we don't know. We have never encountered a normal situation.
Brooks: But first of all, how did a locked subject escape from a highly surveilled and secure facility just like that? And how did no one in the facility notice or stop the liquid from spreading?
Alina: According to the last log reports from Salome before it went offline, the outbreak happened immediately after the AI was deactivated. Someone manually shut down the AI at that exact time. If that hadn't happened, the AI would have sealed the doors, just like it did this time.
Orion: So... was it intentional?
Cassandra: No one except the Commander has the authority to deactivate the AI.
Levi: So that means we have an imposter among us. Okay then, we need to find out if the Medicus Commander was behind this.
Brooks: And the Energon Commander? Was he involved?
Levi: I think he was, but I can't say for sure, not without solid proof. Except, you know, the fact that he tried to kill me.
Alina: Either way, he's already charged with the murder of a high-ranking official. Based on the provided information and recent updates, we are updating the case report. Upgrade your gear at the helipad.
Brooks: I'll take the survivors and bring back the gears.
Orion: Here we do other's dirty work.
Brooks: (Ask Cassandra) Ma'am we have to take you back to the Headquarters.
Cassandra: Nah I feel more protected with Suki, so I'll stay with her. (Shows her cuffs)
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
| MISSION REPORT (UPDATED)
Priority Level: Class 7
Status: Lockdown (Protocol Eclipse Active)
| DEPLOYED OPERATIVES
NEURON – Tactical Lead, Cyber-Warfare Specialist
VORTEX – Combat Specialist, Breach & Secure
MORPH – Infiltration & Recon Expert
SHADE – Infiltration, Breach & Secure
| MISSION SUPPORT
Evacuation & Backup: On standby; deployed after target is eliminated.
Equipment Supply: Necessary gear provided for further exploration.
Comms: Secure channels only.
Engagement Rules: Stealth preferred; lethal force authorized if necessary.
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
Suki: I'll take her to the Helipad.
Levi: Before that, take the...
The power went out. Suddenly, Cassandra screamed! Moments later, the lights flickered back on. Suki and Cassandra were gone.
Levi scanned the room and noticed a black, viscous liquid similar to VXD-4. Everyone was confused how it happened. Alina asked Salome for details on the blackout and what occurred during that time. Salome provided night-vision footage, which played on Levi's watch.
During the blackout, a figure grabbed both Suki and Cassandra at the exact moment Cassandra screamed. Then, they vanished. Salome detected anomalous activity that caused the blackout.
"Does that mean it was caused by the subject?" Alina asked, distressed. Levi muttered, "Things are not going as planned." "Well, most probably," Alina responded, "but how did it get past the sealed doors?"
"Maybe it was already inside before the doors were locked. But then, how did they leave?" Levi questioned. "Is there any way we can track them?" Orion asked.
"Nope. To maintain privacy, we avoided that," Alina replied. "Wait, what? But she's a high-level employee! What if she ended up in a situation like this?" Orion protested.
"Well, board members have weird perks," Alina muttered. "Salome has confirmed that there are no other members inside the sealed facility except Brooks and the survivor."
"So they just disappeared like that? The only place they could be now is inside the..." Before Orion could finish, Brooks arrived, carrying three large black military cases with his team standing behind him.
"Where's the VIP?" Brooks demanded. "They vanished during the blackout, some anomaly teleported them into the submerged facility," Levi answered. "Boys, get ready to dive into the blue jello," Orion said, exasperated.
The operatives opened three cases, revealing an upgraded nanomachine suit designed for underwater survival. The suit featured a black, wax-like face mask that spread across the wearer's face upon application, transforming into a full-fledged hazmat diving suit. A separate glass visor attached to an open cavity in the helmet, while a small power pack with a suction pipe connected to the suit for energy supply.
The containers also held sealable weapon covers designed for safe underwater transport, along with four complete sets of weapons and corresponding ammunition, each tailored for the specific operative and the submerged environment. Each loadout includes a self-heated combat knife, ideal for cold or pressure-sensitive environments.
Orion is equipped with a high-pressure specialized SCAR assault rifle as his secondary weapon, while Levi carries a high-pressure specialized Beretta 1301 Tactical Mod 2 shotgun, paired with a shockwave pistol for close-quarters defense.
Brooks' staff has been upgraded for enhanced combat effectiveness. All operatives are issued high-pressure specialized Beretta 92FS pistols as standard sidearms. Additionally, each team member is equipped with an APS underwater assault rifle. Grenades are included as a last resort but are highly discouraged due to their potential to fatally affect anyone using air-breathing systems within the explosion radius. They should only be used inside a sealed suit, in areas with no civilian presence, or when operating above ground.
Once fully equipped, the suit's built-in display activated, running a systems check before displaying battery and oxygen levels in the lower-left corner of the HUD.
With their gear ready, the team prepared to explore the unknown void—an abnormal, high-tech Atlantis ruled by an interdimensional entity.
As they moved forward, Alina provided critical information about the subject, warning that it might have evolved due to exposure to an enhancer. If the liquid spread beyond the facility, it could trigger a global crisis.
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
| SUBJECT REPORT
[Only foreseeable information as per the clearance level requested - EAGLE]
Code: AACS:T1-EP1-CP3-CD5-C4-RVI2-CPI2
Name: Nakamoto
Description:
Subject Nakamoto possesses dimension kinesis—the ability to manipulate dimensions within a confined space through the secretion of a liquid known as VXD-4 from his sweat pores.
Before experimentation, Nakamoto was diagnosed with schizophrenia, which now contributes to his complex cognitive profile. The subject is classified as highly contagious and requires high doses of Sevoflurane (a general anesthetic used to induce unconsciousness) for capture and further study.
Efforts to control Nakamoto using a K-chip failed due to unidentified abnormal barriers. As a result, the subject must remain in permanent containment.
Background Description:
[Redacted]
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
The operatives' suits auto-configured, adapting as progress updated on their HUDs.
"Mic check... clear."
"Almost there... clear."
"Status report: About to open the door. Please confirm."
"Status confirmed. Proceed. Good luck, Operative."
They stood in the emergency room, sealed doors front and back. Opening one would let the containment liquid flow in, they had to pass through carefully to begin their mission.
The operatives were ready to dive into the submerged facility. They moved toward the lift. VXD-4 is not highly dense, allowing movement without the risk of floating. However, its unusual viscosity makes movement difficult. The sealed door closed as operatives entered the submerged facility.
────────────────
"Soon, they will finally rescue us. Oh... me, to be precise," he grinned, glancing at the lifeless bodies.
A scientist stood on the blood-soaked floor, clutching a gun. Blood stained his coat as he discarded his badge: Dr. Daniel Foster – Commander.
Watching the operatives proceed to the lift on a monitor, he smirked. Everything was going smoothly, until he pulled out his phone and spoke in a low, commanding voice. "Don't let them access the backup drives. Kill them if possible. Do whatever is necessary!"
On Floor 20, the secure vault lay in utter chaos. Blood splattered the walls, and the corpses of scientists were strewn across the floor. Some had clearly struggled against their assailant but met a grim fate.
Daniel observed the operative's movements through the screen, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. He was waiting, waiting to witness the horror about to unfold.
────────────────
Chapter Ends. | Review • Like • Follow