Floor 19: Emergency Vault, light out...
Everyone had backup light lamps powered by mechanical energy, which they lit on their desks while playing cards.
"Here I'm out!" she said, tossing her card.
Tim was surprised to see her win again. Zoey went next and won as well. Now it was Tim, Ryan and Mike. It was Mike's last chance. He drew a card, confident that Tim would call and win next, but as he revealed his hand... Ryan won instead.
That marked Mike's fourth loss in a row.
"Well... fifth time's the charm, right?" he muttered, as the others gave him pitiful looks. They began shuffling the cards for the next match.
Beep... Beep... Beep... (looping)
"What's going on?" Zoey asked.
Sergeant Johnson moved toward the door with his team as the others rushed over to see the commotion. Beeping meant someone was signaling from outside. Normally, this was a trigger for rescuers to request the vault doors be opened, but they could only be unlocked from the inside unless the operatives used a bypass card.
Sergeant Spike turned to Johnson.
"Should we open the vault?"
Another soldier interjected,
"But it could be the imposter. We can't verify."
"Well, it might be the operatives calling it out. With or without the bypass, at least we can look through the glass to see who's there. Hurry, get me a book and some sketches."
Spike retrieved a notebook and black sketch pad from one of the desks and handed them to Johnson.
A female scientist stepped forward nervously.
"Are you sure about this?"
Johnson gave a firm nod before approaching the codepad. He entered a sequence to activate the Close-Door mechanism, a system that allowed them a slight view through the other side, though with very limited visibility.
The sergeant leaned closer to the door. Beyond it, water shimmered faintly, and an employee in a soldier's outfit stood there, plasma gun in hand. The figure noticed the close-door mechanism activate, betrayed by a faint glitch in the light. Calmly, he pulled out a tablet and displayed something he had written beforehand, evidence that he had been in this exact situation before.
"Altman Ranger, Lead RAA of the Medicus Sector."
He showed his ID as it activated, then added,
"The place inside is going to blow up due to an abnormality."
"What did he say?" one of the scientists asked curiously. The sergeant told everyone to calm down and ordered another soldier to check the pressure inside immediately. The power levels couldn't be measured easily, they had to check by cracking open a ceiling panel embedded inside.
"This place is submerged in breathing water. It's safe to breathe here, but you need to get out ASAP."
When the trooper checked the meter was over 90 percent, the structure was about to collapse. He rushed to the main room as the place began to shake, waves of water flooding inside. A strange sensation of imbalance overcame them. The sergeant said,
"Everyone, it's time to leave this place, now!"
The others quickly gathered, taking as much food as they could carry. Some scientists hesitated, fearing suffocation, or worse, infection. But Altman gave a final warning:
"Get out, or you'll be crushed alive!"
So he opened the door. Trust was thin, but the sheer tension of the situation made the warning impossible to ignore. Standing firm, Altman signaled them to stay on high alert. Water surged in, forcing some people back. Tim held her hand as she held Zoey's hand tightly, while others clung to the walls.
The sound of cracking metal echoed around the vault.
"What's happening?" the lead scientist shouted.
"The place is going to collapse, get out now!" Spike yelled so everyone could hear.
The vault began filling with water, leaving them no choice but to swim. Out of reflex, they took a deep breath and plunged in. Altman, soaked but steady in his mask and gear, reached the Sergeant as chaos spread. Spike guided the last person out as the structure trembled violently.
As they struggled to hold their breath, Altman called out,
"You can breathe in here. This isn't ordinary water, sound passes through it like air."
Cautiously, the others tried, and though it was difficult at first, they realized they could breathe. Many struggled, but soon all managed to adapt. Once Sargent adjusted to the strange air, he spoke with Altman about the situation.
As the two conversed, the others began to explore, confused and curious about their surroundings.
"What about back-up?"
"The most confidential squad has been assigned. But the situation is still Code-Red. Protocol Nightmare has been issued."
"And how do we get out of here?"
"That... is actually not possible, unless"
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Meanwhile, back with Annie and Martin on Floor 13, they reached the emergency exit. But on the other side of the vault door, the corner revealed a strange, permeable jelly-like wall. The view outside was blurry, yet they could make out several figures waiting. Their silhouettes were motionless but menacing, ready to fight, ready to kill.
Then Martin realized who they were.
Syveron. Once a military corporation, it had become a trillion-dollar industrial giant. With its rapid growth, it was commissioned to train the most advanced soldiers possible. Their influence created one of the strongest combat units a nation could ever turn into assets. Officially, Syveron's highest domain was represented by Energon. But in truth, its most profitable and secretive asset was Aegis, which accounted for nearly 68% of the company's total income.
Martin and Annie were staring at the second-best squad the world had to offer—the infamous Raptor Squad. They were Syveron's elite enforcers, ruthless soldiers handpicked for their obedience and skill, rewarded with top-tier luxuries and privileges for their loyalty.
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The Raptor soldiers stood in formation, clad in dark combat suits, carrying heavily modified weapons. That faint green glow from their visors cast an eerie hue.
"Guys, we've got survivors near the gate."
"Sarge! Orders?"
"Send one of ours for safety. Over."
"Yo, who's up for babysitting?" a soldier joked.
"How about the newbie?" another smirked.
The chosen man stepped forward. He had broad shoulders but looked almost too young for his imposing physique. A Swedish soldier with a sharp wolf-cut hairstyle, he unlocked a case containing a customized assault rifle and a classified sidearm.
Martin instinctively tried to back away, but the soldier was already stepping forward.
"Noah, you got this?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Alright then, Sarge. We're sending our comrade in."
"Proceed. Engage."
Annie turned to Martin, her voice uneasy.
"We can't get through... can we?"
"We were so close... but this jelly—I can't pass through it,"
Martin muttered, kicking the door. Annie glanced past him.
"What are the soldiers doing?"
"Wait... one of them is coming straight toward us."
Noah entered, carrying two suitcases. They both brightened at the sight of someone capable of saving them.
"Hello, I'm Rez Martin—Medicus, Rank Three—and she is..."
He reached for a handshake, realized his hands were full, and froze, embarrassed. Annie picked up smoothly,
"Annie Stanford, Rank Three Medicus Scientist. So you're here to save us."
"Well, kind of. I'm here as a supplier. Given the situation, you both could be infected, so I can't risk letting you go."
"Wait, so you made that jelly thing?"
"No. It was caused by Nakamoto—the inmate imprisoned here broke out and triggered this havoc. Here, you must be hungry."
He handed them each a Benjamin cream roll.
"This is all I can give for now."
Starving, they tore into the rolls with relief as Noah, suddenly stoic, began sweeping the area with a scanner. He felt it before he saw it—too many of them.
Team: 3 | Hostiles: 25… 26… (still rising)
"Martin, take this and hurry—there's a huge horde heading our way!"
He pressed an FN Five-seveN into Martin's hand and a combat knife into Annie's. She slid the knife into her belt as Martin gulped down the last of the roll, and she did the same. Then they sprinted the other way. A tide of black, molten figures poured out, some plunging into the void with shrieks as they sensed a new presence. Noah slapped C4 onto the wall as he ran and shouted,
"Don't stop! Don't look back!"
They raced for the door—only to find the front hallway choked with another screaming mass. The door wouldn't budge, so Noah kicked it in and plunged into the darkness beyond, yanked a flare, and hurled it. As the red light skittered down the hall, it revealed bodies strewn across the floor. Annie stumbled over a corpse and fell; Martin hauled her up while Noah held the line—detonating the C4 and firing into the rushing swarm. There were too many. They ran again. Noah took point, cut a corner, and found a breach in the wall—a cramped passage that might buy them space. He yelled, signaling the opening. They piled in. Noah armed another charge and slipped through; the blast choked the corridor with dust. When it cleared, the monsters crowded the gap but halted. Noah raised his weapon—then lowered it as the pursuit stalled.
"Guys... where are we?" Annie whispered, staring ahead as Martin steadied Noah.
"It should be Floor 13, we didn't hit the stairs and—Whoa!"
Before them stretched a long, gloomy valley, trees and a lake shimmering with an eerie glow. Noah exhaled.
"Well, that's something."
"Whoa, this is new…" Annie said, looking around the place.
"Guys, there's a kid right there."
The calm breeze carried under the purple aurora sky as they walked through the desertland. A young boy in a blue checkered shirt sat with his legs tucked in, his black hair swaying with the wind. As they moved forward, the land rose like the sight of the ship theory. The terrain was spherical, filled with uneven roads, forests, and city-like zones scattered across the wasteland. In the distance stood a huge gated community, with scattered buildings and a grand mansion connected by a long path.
The boy sat with a dull expression. Annie tried speaking to him, while she and Noah tried to figure out what was happening here. He looked Japanese, maybe eighteen years old, dressed in a white-and-blue sailor-striped T-shirt, white pants, and orange crocs.
"Hey, kid. It's a nice view out here, right?"
The boy kept frowning, still depressed. When he looked up, Annie noticed his black, abyss-like eyes with only a shard of white.
"Yeah, it is." Then Annie asked,
"So… are you out here alone?"
"Why is that the first thing everyone asks me?" the boy snapped as he stood up. "Okay. I'm not a kid anymore."
Noah said,
"What's going on, kid? We're damn sure you're involved in something—or something's wrong with you."
Martin looked at Noah, confused, as Noah continued,
"This place isn't how it's supposed to be. The entity has changed the space. We need to find the other survivors or operatives and stop it before it spreads." Annie said.
"Wait, what?! What do you mean we have to kill him?"
The atmosphere grew tense. No one knew a way out. Martin muttered,
"I don't know what this creature can do, but I'm damn sure it can't be contained anymore after seeing its potential…"
The boy suddenly smiled.
"Damn straight. Okay then, how about we have some fun together until we can?"
Everyone froze in stunned silence. Annie, confused, asked,
"What?"
Out of nowhere, a luxurious car pulled up on the nearby road.
"Here comes the Mercedes Maybach S-Class. And here's the key." He handed it to Noah, who stared in shock.
"What the actual… who are you?!"
"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Mochi, at your service. You are in my zone. Shall we?" He bowed politely as the car doors opened.
They hesitantly got in, still suspicious. Inside were antique wines and snacks stacked neatly in holders. Annie gasped,
"Oh, my favorite—Chocobites!" She darted forward and started eating immediately. Martin spotted a fine glass of wine, sniffed it, then took a sip, clearly enjoying himself. Mochi instructed the driver to head toward the mansion. Noah, however, remained tense, checking his gear inside the car's built-in storage.
As they drove, the environment around them shifted drastically. The biomes changed one after another, but the road itself stayed constant. Fascinated, they watched as if time itself had become irrelevant. Mochi reassured them,
"Don't worry about anything. Here, everything is peaceful and calm, unlike the outside. For now, let's relax. What do you think?"
The group grew unnervingly calm, lulled by the comfort. Martin added,
"Well… I think we've got some time to relax, right?"
Suddenly, in the submerged lab a sharp voice cut through:
"We don't have time to relax—get up, Suki!"
Suki and a black bodysuit woman were hiding in a submerged room filled with water. Suki looked broken, replaying memories in her mind. The woman gave her space, glancing at the edge of the dark flooded chamber. A blinking light marked Floor 21.
"Looks like you finally came back to your senses. Funny—I had to rescue you instead of the other way around."
Suki looked up in disbelief.
"Cassandra!?"
"You really thought I couldn't survive without you? I didn't become a billionaire just to die in a shitty situation like this."
Suki stood, questions flooding her mind. Cassandra continued,
"I had a failsafe installed. If I'm close to death, it activates—called Safeguard.
(showing her bodysuit, she continues)
The problem is, it's expensive, so only a few of us have it. Sucks to be you."
"Whatever. I guess you don't need me anymore."
"Wait, no, jeez. You're still getting paid for this. I have no idea how to get out of here either. I feel like the monster has to die for us to escape."
"Nah, I got to save my comrade before it's too late . Do what you want—I don't care."
"You're just gonna leave me here to die? Just like your so-called comrades?"
Suki's anger boiled over. She shoved Cassandra against the wall, her voice raw with rage and guilt.
"This isn't your playground, BITCH. You could die here in an instant without anyone noticing. Honestly, it'd be better—killing you, then saving the world. No one's there to bother. You think I give a damn about a manipulative asshole like you?"
Cassandra smirked.
"Damn, finally showing your true colors. But killing me won't help—you know everything's recorded in this suit for evaluation."
"As if I CARE!"
"How about you save me, and in return, I help you get your friends back?"
Suki released her grip. Cassandra pulled something from her suit. It was the AI, Bella. She got from Levi
"Here. The AI they had before teleportation. With it, we can track them. Most likely they're still alive, so don't worry."
Relief washed over Suki, though guilt still gnawed at her. Cassandra softened her tone,
"Don't worry. These things happen. That's why we pay you high. We have to rescue the survivors as well. How about a party when this is over?"
Suki frowned.
"Fine. Vacation instead."
"You sure?"
"Yeah, I can at least do that. You really hate me that much?"
"Well… you suck. Now give me that."
Suki connected with the AI.
"Hello?"
"Hi, I'm Bella AI…"
"We don't have time for introductions. Where are Levi Brooks and Orion?"
"They're recovering from injuries, but in the most contaminated site. Proceed with extreme caution. Also—I've detected survivors nearby who need urgent rescue."
"Where?!"
"Floor 22."
They exchanged glances at the Floor 21 sign. Cassandra smirked.
"Convenient. Let's see what this suit can really do."
Suki sighed.
"Here we go again."
They leapt down to the next floor, where Sergeant Johnson's group was struggling against the monsters while the operatives remained unconscious. Ryan asked one of the scientists if she was alright. She nodded, hiding her pain, then quickly set her broken finger back into place. The others trudged slowly into the dark, clinging to hope—searching for a way to secure a void against the monster, praying the situation wouldn't spiral further.
Back to square one.
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