Free Web NovelChapter 251: Science Centre (2)
Perched on top of an abandoned building, Shinon, Rico, and Lova stared towards the area Shinon had led them to. But judging from the look on their faces, it was clear they weren’t expecting to see the sight before them.
Shinon had expected to find a lot of things, maybe a nest or a hideout. But he hadn’t thought he would find a facility there bustling with life.
"I don’t know what to say, but that looks like some sort of laboratory or something," Rico commented, gazing into the facilities’ camouflaged compound.
"It’s not some sort of laboratory; it is one," Lova scoffed, pointing towards the board in front of the building, "Oakville Research Foundation; the name itself sounds fishy to me."
Shinon remained silent, but a storm of thoughts roared in his mind. As soon as he saw the facility, he recalled his last interaction with Miro. How adamant he had been as soon as Shinon informed him about visiting the place.
Back then, he didn’t know why Miro was so against the idea. It was clear Miro was most certainly aware of the ongoings there, and that’s why he wanted Shinon to stay away from the facility.
’Did Miro have a secret agenda? And was he working more closely with the Eclipse than he told me?’
It didn’t take long for Shinon to realise the precarious situation he was in. If Miro was much closer to the Eclipse than he let on, that could mean he was a double agent. While the possibility was wild, Shinon couldn’t entirely ignore that fact. frёeωebɳovel.com
"Whatever that building might be, it won’t be easy to get inside," Rico remarked, breaking Shinon from his thoughts. "That thing is a fortress! Hell, even I have never seen such a high level of security in my military career."
"What could they possibly be hiding in there?" Lova pondered, but not for long, as Shinon stood up to leave.
"Only one way to find out," Shinon declared. "We need to get inside."
Rico and Lova looked at each other, shrugged, and collected their supplies. They knew Shinon well enough and knew he would say something like that. So they weren’t surprised anymore.
"It’d be rude if we didn’t take a look after coming this far," Lova smiled, patting Shinon’s back. "Come on, let’s go. We shouldn’t keep the hosts waiting."
Shinon smiled before shaking his head and following them. The trio soon descended from the building, stepping cautiously through the desolate streets toward the brazenly lit facility.
The closer they got, the better look they got at its defences. Towering walls and layers of security surrounded the entire structure patrols and layers of security.
"We need a plan," Rico whispered, his voice barely audible above the distant moans of zombies.
"No shit, Sherlock!" Lova replied sarcastically.
"We can’t go in guns blazing. That much is obvious," Shinon murmured, ignoring what Lova said.
"Maybe there’s another way in, something less guarded," Lova suggested.
Shinon didn’t reveal, but that’s what he had been doing using his retinal map. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to find anything entirely risk-free. Still, they circled the perimeter, searching for vulnerabilities.
"Let’s go through here," Lova commented, pointing at an air vent. "There seem to be fewer guards around the area, so we might have a chance there."
"Let’s go for it. But quietly," Shinon said as he studied the chosen spot on the map, "We don’t want to alert the entire compound."
The ducts were blocked off, but with the help of Shinon’s shadows, he could open the metal sheet without any sound. The group jumped inside without wasting any time, and after a little bit of crawling around, they found their way inside.
As they approached the vent’s exit, Shinon motioned for the others to stop. He peered through the grates, surveying the compound below. The hum of machinery and distant chatter filled the air, but no one was to be found in the immediate vicinity.
"I see a hallway to the left," Shinon whispered, his voice barely audible. "We’ll drop as quietly as possible and move there, got it?"
They both nodded, and Shinon got working on the screws. With a gentle push, Shinon opened the vent, revealing a dimly lit hallway below. He lowered himself silently, landing with a soft thud on a pillow made of shadows. Rico and Lova followed suit.
"We got deeper than I thought we would," Lova whispered.
"Let’s get going," Shinon mumbled before rushing ahead.
From then onwards, they began communicating with gestures. A moment later, Rico gestured toward an unmarked door. Shinon nodded in agreement. They were going that way.
As Lova and Rico guarded the flanks, Shinon got to work, fidgeting with the door lock with his shadows. Who needed lockpicks when you got shadows to take care of locks?
However, just as he was about to open the door, he heard something from the other side. Shinon raised his fist, informing others to stay alert. Rico brought his rifle to the front while Lova charged her abilities.
Once everyone was in place, Shinon pressed his eyes on the door to figure out a rough position for those inside. However, the door was too thick for him to make out anything from the gibberish he heard.
Shinon mouthed a warning to Rico and Lova as he gently pushed the door enough for his shadow to slip inside. Once done, he signalled the others to stay as he melted into shadows and went inside.
Upon getting inside, Shinon discovered himself surrounded by computer terminals and research equipment. The people inside, whom Shinon took up as scientists, were engrossed in their work and remained oblivious to the intruder.
Since everyone in the room was busy, Shinon decided to do the same. He surveyed the area and found another door leading further into the facility.
As he was heading towards the door, one of the computer terminals caught his attention. Well, the words written on the screen did.
’Project Spectral Genesis... where have I heard this before?’
