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✱ CHAPTER 13 : BLACKBOX
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The meeting ended. The CEO and the Echelon Members remained inside the meeting room, while the other members headed toward the exit of the headquarters. They talked amongst themselves, each accompanied by two high-ranking soldiers acting as personal guards.
First on the list, and in a hurry to leave the meeting, representing Japan, was Ryoto Ishikawa, Director of Cybernetics & AI Development. With glowing bold brown eyes highlighted by red eyeliner and dressed in a red sakura-iro kimono, Ishikawa leads Syveron's cybernetic augmentation research, neural AI control, and drone warfare technology to reshape human potential.
Second was someone always keeping an eye on the details around her, a gorgeous brunette lady, dressed in a white shirt beneath a light pink designer jacket with matching pants. Representing Italy was Silvia DeLuca, Director of Legal Affairs & Internal Compliance. Known as a cunning legal strategist, DeLuca ensures Syveron remains legally untouchable by manipulating international laws, eliminating threats, and silencing whistleblowers.
Third came two gentlemen walking side by side, lighting their cigars. One, a muscular man with braided black hair and sunglasses, wore a branded silver suit. Representing Brazil was Dominic Varela, Chief Engineer & Weapons Development, a prodigy in military technology who designed Syveron's most dangerous experimental weapons, biomechanical augmentations, and black ops gear.
Fourth was a blond gentleman with a small scar on his forehead, wearing a blue-black suit and carrying a suitcase. An archangel tattoo wrapped around his arm. Representing Britain was Theodore Blackwell, Director of Political Influence & Global Affairs. A master manipulator, Blackwell uses Syveron's vast resources to control governments, dismantle opposition, and shape global policies in the corporation's favor.
Fifth was a man looking at his watch, noticing every second he wasted. He wore a dishdasha and golden-rimmed glasses. Representing the UAE was Hassan al-Farouk, Chief of Energy & Resource Control. Operating from the shadows, Hassan controls global energy markets, industrial expansions, and Syveron's secret underground facilities, ensuring absolute resource dominance.
Sixth was a woman with sharp blue eyes, walking with elegance and intensity. She wore a sleeveless designer blouse, black pants, and carried a sling bag.
Representing France was Camila Moreau, Head of Pharmaceuticals & Human Experimentation. A brilliant yet ruthless scientist, she oversees human trials, pharmaceutical experimentation, and classified bioweapons disguised as medical breakthroughs.
Seventh was a tall, elegant but lethal woman in a brown trench coat and matching Cordobés hat. Representing Spain was Emiliano Reyes, Director of Biomedical Research. A brilliant but remorseless scientist who believes biological warfare is the future and that human life is merely a tool for scientific evolution.
Eighth was a physically imposing man, wearing a black shirt and pants beneath a white suit draped over his shoulder by one finger. Representing Russia was Viktor Dragunov, Head of Security & Tactical Warfare. A former general with a history of war crimes, Viktor commands Syveron's elite mercenary forces, black ops units, and private security divisions. He ensures no loose ends remain when the corporation needs threats eliminated.
Ninth was a red-haired woman at the end, busy talking on the phone about stock markets. She wore a black sheath dress with a silver woolen cape over it. Representing Germany was Evelyn Kraus, Chief Financial Officer (CFO). A cold and calculating financial genius, she ensures Syveron's classified projects remain funded while keeping a clean public record. Behind the scenes, she controls black-market investments, offshore accounts, and economic warfare strategies.
Lastly, an athletic, refined woman read a document while walking. Representing the United States was Elias Crawford, Director of Intelligence & Espionage. Once a high-ranking government official, she now operates Syveron's global intelligence network, ensuring that no whistleblower or external threat escapes the corporation's grasp.
As members departed for their duties, the remaining Board members in the meeting room discussed the next steps to escalate the situation.
"What if the monster gets out? If Project Axolotl fails... then what?" said the woman of the Apex as she held a golden ornamented cup. The CEO, wearing a vintage black shirt with white trousers and glasses, said,
"Well, the monster here might be the toughest right now, but never underestimate our decisions, Valentine."
She replied, "I know how the Directive works, Nathaniel. What's so special about them? Suki couldn't even save Cassandra."
Nathaniel replied, "Well, she might look fragile, but the strength she had during her service was... how should I say…"
The Director said in his deep voice, "Uncanny." Nathaniel continued, "Yeah, exactly... She can basically kill anyone, irrespective of their size or count."
In the vents above B2, the operatives hid as their comrade tore through monsters with bare hands. She was able to rip apart the creatures as they struggled to survive. Her fast reflexes let her evade even the unavoidable strikes from the black tentacles.
Nathaniel continued… "Her senses—beyond human reaction. Able to sense anyone. She was like a beast, an abomination born from abusing an innocent to such an extent that she gave up on humanity... and became the devil herself…"
(In Japanese) Yuki asked, "Did you find anyone, Suki?"
as she glanced at her. The look in Suki's eyes, pitch black as she lost herself more the harder she tried.
Yuki said, "Let's go. We got to the end…"
Suki interrupted, "There's someone... over there…"
She looked at the vent and ran toward it. Yuki opened the vent—no one. She said, "Must be the pressure. Let's get out of here... We got some imposters to catch, don't we, Suki?"
Suki replied in a docile manner, her eyes completely lifeless... consumed. "Yes." They continued moving forward. "Just like summertime, searching for the cicada."
The hallway was drenched in blood flowing on the water's surface. They came across Floor C1, where all the meetings and research happened. Most employees were floating mid-way. The hallway was straight, with glass workrooms all around, arranged in alphabetical order, consisting of forty rooms including meeting rooms, offices, and break rooms.
The smell of iron mixed with room freshener created an unpleasant stench. As they moved forward, Suki's memories began to sink in, she remembered the moments she had spent guarding Cassandra during the inspection. She tried to hold onto the wall, unable to stand still. Yuki watched her from behind, and for a split second, her appearance seemed to change. Instead of her usual straight, short black hair, it shifted to a ponytail, and she wore glasses. The face was similar, but not the one Suki remembered. She tried to comfort her. "Are you alright?"
Suki said, "Oh, yeah. It's just the smell... It really doesn't feel good. I think we need some masks. Don't you smell it?"
Yuki interrupts, "We don't have time to search for a mask. Let's get out of here, most of them are still changing."
She said, "How did you become that strong? I used to be the one saving you. But now…"
"Enough now, we've got to move." Yuki held onto her and started walking as Suki struggled to hold on to her slipping sanity. "You'll be alright once we reach the next floor."
Suki gasping in pain, suffering a headache.
As they walked toward the next floor, a camera came online. In the security vault, a man monitored the feed. The room was filled with tapes and archives of surveillance footage. The door was sealed as part of the active protocol. Inside was a high-grade officer in charge of overseeing all surveillance within SGI. He wore a soldier's uniform; a bald, middle-aged, muscular man with weapons beside him—including a special-grade Laser Bismuth and modified M4A1s. His badge displayed:
Name: Altman Ranger | Designation: Restricted Archives Analyst (RAA) | Rank: Medicus D
He monitored every movement inside the facility, when suddenly he heard...
BOOM.
He quickly toggled through the camera feeds. Most remained the same, except when he switched to Floor-X. There, he saw a woman. Explosive Levi's surrounded her, spanning the entire floor. The image was unclear due to the smoke and the aftermath of the explosion, which had shattered everything nearby. As the view began to clear, he saw her, wearing a bodysuit made entirely of nanobots, with a full-face glass visor. The armor was unlike anything he had ever seen in his career, despite being tasked with archiving all confidential data.
"What version of armor is that? Wait... is that powered by Enjix?" He noticed the belt glowing with a purple light, pulsing with power flowing through the suit. And in just a second, she vanished.
Confused, he wrote everything in his log. All these details were stored in the Blackbox—the alternative, secret archive datastore that records everything in encrypted form, accessible only to executives. The suit was tough and looked indestructible, with a purple strobe of energy flowing through it, generating an electric static in its proximity. The mask had a sophisticated breathing bulge around the neck region, a full glass visor, and hands equipped with sharp claws. The body emerged from a cocoon resembling a monster's lair, making him skeptical about the person inside.
He glanced at the meter showing the system's failure status, the power supply was limited, and the only functional systems were the emergency vaults, lighting, and basic fire hazard sprinklers. Power was at twelve percent.
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"Report Log 1204 — this is my last communication log. The briefing is closed at the moment, and no further logs will be provided until the next possible shift. I hereby end this log as per Code-83. This log contains restricted, confidential information. Please proceed with caution and utilize this log for humanity's benefit. Medicus D, RAA Altman Ranger, over."
ᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳᅳ
He grabbed his weapons, suited up, and took a possible immunity vaccine to counteract the infected water. Then, he donned his Syveron combat-edition military gear, secured a backpack, and placed a copy of the encrypted keychain around his neck. Moving toward the sealed door, he braced himself. As the door opened, water gushed into the room. Altman held onto the handle until the pressure subsided, then moved toward the left hallway, where Floor -19 was marked on the wall.
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