"Why are you here?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Then another realization hit him. "Wait—how can you even see? You didn’t bring a flashlight."
Aurora smirked, kneeling beside the pile of remains as she sifted through the tattered clothes and discarded bones. "Do you really think you’re the only Splicer out there with the ability to see in the dark?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. "And besides," she continued, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, "I have my own reasons for being here. This lab was marked as a secondary objective—something to investigate if time allowed, after recovering the main asset."
James studied her for a moment, his instincts kicking in. There was more to it than that—he could tell by the way she moved, by the way she had appeared just in time. She hadn’t just stumbled upon him mid-fight; she had been looking for something. But pressing her for answers now wouldn’t get him anywhere.
"Now then," Aurora said, shifting through the remains with disturbing ease, "let’s find that access code or keycard."
James scoffed. "Wait… is that the only reason you came to help?" he asked, crossing his arms.
Aurora didn’t even look up. "I thought you didn’t need help," she replied, the smirk still present in her voice.
James exhaled sharply, shaking his head. He wasn’t going to win this battle—not this one, at least so he gave up on it. Dropping to one knee and starting to search through the grotesque remains himself.
For now, the priority was getting into that computer core. But James knew one thing for certain—Aurora wasn’t just here to help. She had her own game to play, and sooner or later, he’d figure out exactly what it was.
"Got it," James said as he pulled a keycard from the tattered remains of a lab coat. He gave it a quick once-over, wiping the blood and grime off on his sleeve before nodding toward Aurora.
With that, the two turned to leave. As an extra measure of security, James reached into his vest and pulled out one of his Hexelon grenades, arming it with a flick of his thumb. Without hesitation, he lobbed it into the room. The moment the two stepped through the doorway, an explosion erupted behind them. The corridor flashed red as the heat wave rushed past, sending a ripple of scorching air through the space. Any remaining organic matter inside the room was instantly incinerated, leaving only blackened, charred remains.
James glanced to his side and caught Aurora flinching. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. More interesting was how she looked momentarily disoriented—blinded. Interesting, he thought. Infrared vision? If that was the case, then extreme light or sudden heat sources would throw off her sight. He made a mental note of it.
Catching up with her in a single stride, James tilted his head slightly. “You okay?” he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
Aurora recovered quickly, her expression smoothing out as she shot him an annoyed glance. “I’m perfectly fine,” she said sharply, her voice cool but clipped. Yeah, he was definitely right.
Pushing forward, the two made their way back through the ruined corridors toward the sealed security door guarding the supercomputer core. James swiped the bloodstained keycard against the scanner. For a tense moment, nothing happened. Then, with a soft beep, the lock disengaged, and the reinforced metal doors slid open with a quiet hiss, releasing a gust of pressurized air into the lab.
A subtle temperature shift rolled over them. The air inside the room was stale but sterile, as if it had been untouched for years, sealed off from the decay outside. A thin mist clung to the floor, swirling around their boots as the cold air met the warmer environment of the main lab. James took a quick scan of the space—it was surprisingly barren. The only object of significance was the towering supercomputer core itself.
The core stood in the center of the room, a massive, cylindrical structure built from interlocking segments of reinforced metal and smooth polymer. Thick coolant tubes ran from its base to the walls, where massive industrial-grade fans remained silent, their job long since abandoned. A faint, rhythmic hum filled the air—the system was still operational, running at a steady, controlled 32°F. The white frost clinging to its lower sections of the floor.
An access terminal was mounted on a nearby control station, its surface untouched by dust or decay. It had been waiting—patient, unbothered by the apocalypse outside.
James walked over and inserted the keycard.
The screen flickered to life, lines of ancient code scrolling before forming a solid message in bold text.
WELCOME, DR.Reed.
James scrolled through the terminal’s database, his eyes scanning the long list of encrypted files and project names. Some were marked with high-level security clearance, others with ominous red tags signifying restricted access. He methodically read through the titles.
- Project Genesis Rebirth – Human DNA recombination with non-terrestrial material
- VSM-12 Development Logs – Weaponized synthetic mutation prototype series
- Toxin Adaptation Trials – Forced evolution through controlled radiation exposure
- Chimera Cell Experimentation – Hybridization of human and predator species
- Neural Overclocking Serum – Attempted augmentation of brain function beyond natural limits
- Adrenaline Suppression Implant – Developing soldiers incapable of experiencing fear or fatigue
- Forced Metamorphosis Program – Inducing controlled transformation in human test subjects
- Memory Implantation Research – Artificially creating memories in test subjects
- MGI Containment Failures – A record of previous lab incidents and breaches
- Hyper-Regeneration Project LOCKED– Accelerating cellular recovery beyond safe parameters
- Synthetic Organism AI Integration – Combining biological life with artificial intelligence
- Parasitic Control Serum – Experimenting with parasites to override human cognition
- Cryo-Suspension Advancements – Research into perfecting indefinite human hibernation
- Post-War Survival Logistics LOCKED – A contingency plan for high-ranking MGI personnel
- Mutation Stability Report – Analysis of failed and unstable test subjects
James exhaled through his nose, trying to suppress a sinking feeling in his gut. What the hell was MGI really working on here? He clicked on the Security Footage tab, hoping for answers.
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The last recorded log, dated 5/13/2184, displayed an archived security feed labeled “Containment Breach - Research Wing”. James clicked on it, and the grainy footage flickered to life.
The camera angle was from an overhead view of the lab—one of the containment rooms where test subjects were restrained. In the center of the room lay a massive, unconscious figure strapped to a reinforced metal table. Even through the low-resolution screen, James could see its grotesque form: pulsating muscle growths, elongated limbs, and grotesque, jagged bone protrusions where hands should have been. A true monstrosity.
Then, the chaos unfolded.
One of the scientists—Dr. Nathaniel Aves, if James read the ID badge correctly—moved into view, looking over his shoulder nervously before stepping closer to the creature. The rest of the research team was busy elsewhere, seemingly unaware of what was happening. James watched as Dr. Aves hesitated, then suddenly disengaged the restraints—one after another—his fingers trembling as he moved with urgency.
What the fuck are you doing? James thought, leaning in closer.
The moment the final restraint came loose, the thing moved. The twitch was almost imperceptible at first, but within seconds, it exploded into action. Its eyes snapped open, glowing with an eerie, unnatural light. In a single motion, it lunged forward, jaws unhinging unnaturally wide as it tore Aves apart—ripping him clean in two before the man could even scream.
Blood sprayed across the camera lens.
Panic erupted in the lab. Scientists scrambled, alarms blared, and security personnel rushed in, opening fire with high-powered weapons. The beast barely reacted. It carved through them with terrifying speed, limbs moving in erratic yet efficient motions, cutting them down one by one. The footage became a chaotic mess of gunfire, flashing emergency lights, and blood splattering against sterile white walls.
Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the screen cut to static.
James clenched his jaw, his fingers instinctively tightening around his rifle as he replayed the footage in his head. But what truly sent a chill through his spine wasn’t the massacre—it was the timestamp.
5/13/2184.
That didn’t make sense.
His gut twisted as he checked it again, making sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. The bombs fell in 2178. That meant this base was still active six years after the world ended.
“What the hell…” James muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Aurora, who had been watching over his shoulder, followed his gaze. Her eyes narrowed, and for the first time, James saw something akin to genuine surprise on her face.
“That doesn’t make any sense,” she murmured. “How the hell did they stay here? There’s no food in this place—nothing to sustain them.”
James exhaled sharply. “That means MGI wasn’t just still around… They had a way to get here. A reliable one or at least they did 4 years ago.”
His mind raced with possibilities. Could they have had secret supply chains? Underground transport routes? Or worse—had they never really fallen with the rest of the world?
Whatever the truth was, it meant one thing: someone kept this place operational long after the rest of the world burned.
James wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that implied.
Pushing aside his unease, he retrieved a data storage device from his vest and plugged it into the terminal. His neural implant automatically ran 1000 integrity checks before initiating the transfer, scanning for corruption, security triggers, or hidden viruses. Information of this scale could be dangerous in the wrong hands, and James wasn’t about to let himself get burned.
Aurora followed suit, inserting her own device into the system. The two stood in silence, watching as the files transferred, both lost in thought.
When the download completed, James began skimming through the documents. His stomach twisted when he reached the VSM-12 Development Logs. His eyes darkened as he read the details.
They had twelve different versions of that thing.
James shuddered, his mind flashing back to the creature he had just fought. That thing was one experiment. One failure. And there had been at least eleven others—or worse, successes.
Aurora unplugged her device first, straightening up. “So,” she said, her voice unreadable, “did you find what you were looking for?”
James let out a disappointed sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not all of it but a piece i didnt have before. Did you?”
She smirked, pocketing the drive. “Yeah.”
James rolled his eyes. “Alright, great. Then let’s go before the scientists accidentally shoot themselves in a panic.”
Aurora chuckled softly, the briefest glint of amusement flashing in her violet eyes before she turned toward the exit.
James cast one last glance at the terminal, at the remains of a past that refused to stay buried, before shutting it off and following her out.
Something told him this wasn’t the last he’d hear of Mutagenix Genomics Industries.
As the duo stepped back into the break room, the atmosphere shifted. The others, who had been anxiously waiting, immediately turned their attention to James and Aurora. Their expressions ranged from relief to curiosity—though some, like the scientists, merely looked impatient.
“The toxic storm should be letting up by now,” one of the guards informed them, adjusting the straps on his exo-suit. “We were waiting for you to return before heading out.”
“Well then, let’s get moving. Time is being wasted,” snapped one of the scientists, the one who had been uptight and demanding from the start.
James, still walking beside Aurora, leaned in slightly and whispered, “Hey, what’s his name?”
Aurora smirked slightly before responding in a hushed tone, “Bradford.”
Then, in a louder voice, she addressed the group, her presence naturally commanding attention. “Let’s move.”
With that, the group gathered their gear and made their way toward the exit. As they ascended back to the surface, the shift from darkness to daylight was almost blinding. The sun hung high in the sky, its unforgiving rays reflecting off the endless expanse of sand and rubble. They must have been down there longer than they thought. The remnants of the toxic storm still lingered on the horizon, a murky haze twisting in the distance, but the immediate threat had passed.
Without hesitation, they loaded up once more. Aurora, Laim, Raven, the remaining scientists, the last two guards, and Bradley's driver all climbed into the armored vehicle.
James made his way to the jeep, sliding into the passenger seat. He glanced over at the driver, raising an eyebrow. Ryan. Again he was surprised to see him still alive. He let out a short chuckle, shaking his head. “You really just don’t die, do you?”
Ryan smirked, gripping the wheel with a little more confidence than the last time James had seen him. “What can I say? Luck’s always been on my side.”
James exhaled, adjusting his rifle as he glanced out the window at the wasteland beyond. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
With that, the convoy roared to life, engines rumbling as they pressed onward, leaving the ruins of the lab behind.