CHAPTER SEVEN-PHASE TWO
1300 Words
The machine beneath the facility roared to life.
Daniel felt the vibration through the floor.
The symbol on his palm burned.
He stared at it.
The circle.
The three intersecting lines.
And the number beneath it.
12.
Amara noticed the fear in his face.
“Daniel, we need to leave.”
Daniel didn't move.
“It's happening again.”
“What is?”
“The experiment.”
A deep mechanical sound echoed beneath them.
Then the walls began to shake.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Amara grabbed Daniel's arm.
“Move!”
They ran.
Behind them, the televisions switched on one after another.
Every screen showed the same image.
Daniel as a child.
Sitting in the memory chair.
A voice played through the speakers.
Dr. Evelyn Shaw.
“Phase Two requires Subject Twelve to remember.”
Daniel stopped.
Amara nearly collided with him.
“What are you doing?”
He pointed toward the screens.
“They want me to remember.”
A new message appeared.
MEMORY RESTORATION: 84%
Then:
85%.
Daniel's breathing became heavier.
Amara stared at the numbers.
“Why is it increasing?”
“I don't know.”
Another number appeared.
86%.
Daniel closed his eyes.
A memory struck him.
A corridor.
Children running.
Someone screaming.
Smoke.
A locked metal door.
And Samuel.
Standing on the other side.
Daniel opened his eyes.
“I remember the fire.”
Amara looked at him.
“What happened?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know yet.”
They continued running.
At the end of the corridor, they found an elevator.
The doors opened.
Inside was a single button.
GROUND FLOOR.
Amara pressed it.
Nothing happened.
She pressed it again.
Still nothing.
Daniel looked at the control panel.
There was another button beneath the others.
It was hidden under a metal cover.
LEVEL -2.
Daniel stared at it.
“There's another floor.”
Amara looked at him.
“We're already underground.”
“Apparently not deep enough.”
He opened the cover.
The button was already glowing.
Before either of them could touch it, the elevator began descending.
Amara raised her gun.
“Did you press it?”
“No.”
The doors closed.
The elevator began moving downward.
Past Level -1.
Past Level -2.
The display continued.
-3
-4
-5
Amara stared at the numbers.
“How deep does this place go?”
Daniel didn't answer.
The elevator stopped at:
-7
The doors opened.
A cold wind blew across them.
Daniel stepped out.
The hallway was completely different from the facility above.
The walls were newer.
The floors were clean.
Bright white lights illuminated the corridor.
It looked as though someone still used the place.
A sign hung above the entrance.
PROJECT TWELVE — CONTROL CENTER
Daniel's heart sank.
“Someone's been maintaining this.”
Amara slowly walked beside him.
They reached a large glass room.
Inside were dozens of computer screens.
Most were turned off.
One was active.
A live map of Blackwood City filled the screen.
Eleven locations were marked in red.
The locations of the eleven victims.
Daniel stepped closer.
Then another location appeared.
A red circle formed around it.
POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
Amara's face changed.
“They're going after someone at the station.”
Daniel immediately pulled out his phone.
“No signal.”
Amara checked hers.
Nothing.
The computer screen changed.
A message appeared:
TARGET ACQUIRED.
Then a photograph appeared.
Detective Daniel Cole.
Taken inside the police station.
Daniel stared at it.
“They've been watching me.”
Amara pointed at the screen.
“Who's the target?”
The photograph changed.
It wasn't Daniel.
It was someone standing behind him.
Amara.
Her face went pale.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Amara?”
She stepped backward.
“I don't understand.”
The computer displayed:
SUBJECT 11 — REACTIVATION CANDIDATE.
Daniel looked at her.
“Subject Eleven?”
Amara shook her head.
“That's impossible.”
The screen showed an old photograph.
Twelve children.
Daniel.
Samuel.
And another child.
A girl.
The girl's face looked strangely familiar.
Daniel looked at Amara.
Then back at the photograph.
The resemblance was unmistakable.
“No…”
Amara whispered.
“Daniel?”
“You were there.”
Amara stared at the screen.
“I don't remember.”
The computer displayed:
MEMORY SUPPRESSION: 91%
Daniel looked at her.
“Amara…”
She suddenly grabbed her head.
A memory hit her.
A little girl.
A burning building.
A boy holding her hand.
Samuel.
Then Daniel.
Then a man in a white coat.
She screamed.
“Get out of my head!”
Daniel grabbed her before she collapsed.
“Amara!”
She opened her eyes.
For a moment, she looked terrified.
Then she whispered:
“I know him.”
“Who?”
“The man behind the glass.”
Daniel froze.
“Who is he?”
Amara looked at him.
“Dr. Kane.”
Daniel's expression hardened.
“But Kane said he was trying to protect us.”
“He lied.”
A noise came from behind them.
They turned.
Dr. Elias Kane stood at the entrance.
Blood covered his shirt.
He looked exhausted.
But he was holding a gun.
“Amara,” he said quietly.
She raised her weapon.
“You lied to us.”
Kane didn't deny it.
“I had to.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Who is Samuel?”
Kane looked at him.
For the first time, Daniel saw genuine fear in the man's eyes.
“You aren't ready.”
Daniel raised his gun.
“Tell me.”
Kane swallowed.
“Samuel was the original Subject Twelve.”
Daniel's face went blank.
“Then who am I?”
Kane looked at him.
“You were Subject Eleven.”
Silence.
Daniel felt as though the floor had disappeared beneath him.
“No.”
Kane continued.
“The children were numbered according to their psychological profiles. Samuel was Twelve. You were Eleven.”
Daniel looked at Amara.
“And her?”
Kane hesitated.
“Subject Three.”
Amara's face went pale.
Daniel's mind raced.
“So the file…”
“Was altered.”
“By who?”
Kane didn't answer.
Suddenly, every screen in the room switched on.
A white mask appeared.
The Architect.
His voice filled the room.
“Very good, Doctor.”
Kane's face changed.
“You.”
The Architect laughed softly.
“You finally told them.”
Daniel aimed his gun at the screen.
“Who are you?”
The Architect ignored him.
“Phase Two is complete.”
A countdown appeared.
10:00
09:59
09:58
Daniel looked at Kane.
“What happens when it reaches zero?”
Kane's face became completely pale.
“The city goes dark.”
Amara frowned.
“And then?”
Kane looked at Daniel.
“Then the real experiment begins.”
The countdown continued.
09:41
09:40
Daniel stepped toward the control panel.
“How do we stop it?”
Kane shook his head.
“You can't.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because the system isn't controlled from here.”
“Where is it controlled?”
Kane pointed toward the screen.
A single location appeared.
The old St. Martha's Children's Home.
Daniel stared at it.
“We were just there.”
Kane shook his head.
“No.”
Daniel frowned.
“The building you found…”
Kane's voice dropped.
“…wasn't the real facility.”
Daniel's blood ran cold.
“The real one is underneath it.”
The countdown continued.
08:17
Then the lights went out.
Every screen turned black.
Except one.
A final message appeared.
WELCOME HOME, SUBJECT ELEVEN.
Daniel stared at the words.
And somewhere beneath St. Martha's, a child's voice whispered:
“Daniel…”
He knew the voice.
Samuel.
Then it said:
“Come find me.”
The screen went dark.
And the countdown reached:
08:00.
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