Bay Area, Small Island, Experimental Zone.
The entire experimental zone on this island belonged to Armacham Technology Corporation, boasting top-tier security.
"Red, the stuff you brought is incredibly effective. I think we can create an unprecedented lifeform!" Harlan Wade, Armacham's chief scientist, stared fervently through the glass at the teenage girl lying on the operating table.
Standing beside him was our old friend Red, also known as Mr. R.
After being demoted by the Cabin, Mr. R had decisively defected, using his years of experience to smuggle out several valuable containment items. These items were the key to his escape from the Cabin's pursuit.
"Harlan, is Armacham willing to shelter me now?" Mr. R asked.
Harlan clapped a hand on Mr. R's shoulder. The two had known each other for a long time.
Back then, Harlan was just an unaccomplished middle-aged scientist, and Mr. R was a regular young fisherman. They met by chance near Crystal Lake, before it became a hub for all sorts of strange things, and before Mr. R's wife transformed into a blonde banshee.
The two hit it off, exchanged contact info, and stayed in touch over the years. Twenty years later, Harlan had risen to become Armacham's chief scientist, while Mr. R had become a former senior executive of the Cabin organization.
Fate sure was something.
"Of course, Armacham will definitely provide you with protection!" Harlan said warmly. "I know about the Cabin—just a bunch of fools backed by oil tycoons, thinking their money can buy immortality. Ha, what a joke! Red, you can stay in this experimental zone as long as you want. Make yourself at home!"
Mr. R nodded calmly, as if he'd expected Harlan's response. "If there's nothing else, I'll head back to my room."
"Go ahead, Red," Harlan replied.
As Mr. R walked away, the smile on Harlan's face vanished, replaced by a dark scowl. "That guy's holding out on me. He won't share the good stuff unless I leak info to the Cabin. If he did, the experiment would've succeeded already!"
His bespectacled assistant glanced coldly at Mr. R's retreating figure. "Doctor, should we deal with him?"
"No!" Harlan snapped. "He's still got plenty of valuable stuff. It's not time yet. You think defecting from the Cabin is that easy? We can milk his usefulness slowly."
The assistant nodded, then remembered something. "Doctor, those two from the dark web want to see you."
"Oh, bring them to the meeting room," Harlan said.
Before leaving, he cast one last fervent glance at the naked girl behind the glass. "The artificial god is almost complete!" he muttered, rubbing his face and adjusting his appearance to look like a kindly old man.
In the meeting room, Claire fidgeted nervously. She'd always lived under her father's protection, rarely exposed to the cutthroat realities of the world.
Henry, on the other hand, was the picture of composure. Dressed in a tailored suit, his sleeves and hair meticulously groomed, he exuded the aura of a seasoned elite.
"Claire, stay calm," Henry advised. "The more we panic, the easier it is for that guy to manipulate us."
"But Dad…" Claire started, but stopped as the door opened.
Harlan Wade entered with a warm smile. Claire quickly shut her mouth.
"Henry, I heard you wanted to see me. What's up?" Harlan asked.
Henry returned a smile. "Harlan, my daughter and I just wanted to say goodbye. We've been here almost a month—it's time for us to leave. Is the ship to take us out of America ready?"
After the escape room incident, Henry and Claire had been on the run from the FEA, eventually seeking refuge with Harlan, an old dark web client. As Armacham's chief scientist, Harlan wielded significant influence. Armacham's subsidiary, Black Mountain Military, provided escort services for many West Coast shipping companies, making it easy to smuggle Henry and Claire out of the country.
Once they left American soil, the FEA would be powerless. Henry and Claire could start anew abroad with the money they'd brought.
But Henry hadn't anticipated that Harlan, despite his kindly facade, was a cunning and ruthless man. Harlan had deceived them, essentially holding them hostage and draining their funds.
"Why not stay a few more days? Are you unhappy with the accommodations?" Harlan asked, still smiling that disarming smile that made Claire want to punch him.
Henry's expression remained steady. "Harlan, I don't want to impose any longer. Besides, we've paid quite a bit for our stay. It's time to wrap this up, don't you think?"
Harlan's smile faded, his eyes narrowing. "Must you leave?"
"We must," Henry replied firmly.
"That's a shame," Harlan said, his tone shifting. "If you don't like our current hospitality, I'll have to switch to a different approach."
Henry caught the threat—Harlan was moving from soft coercion to hard. "Harlan Wade, I've already given you billions of dollars over these past few months. Isn't that enough?"
"Not nearly enough!" Harlan retorted. "That money's just a drop in the bucket for my grand experiment. Henry, I know you've got hundreds of billions more. Hand it over, and maybe you and your daughter will suffer less."
With a clap of his hands, a dozen Black Mountain mercenaries stormed into the room, guns trained on Henry and Claire.
Claire, who'd never faced such a situation, cowered behind her father. Henry, however, remained calm, suddenly letting out a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha…"
Harlan looked at him, puzzled. "What's so funny?"
"I was just wondering if Genevieve Aristide knows about all the moves you've been making behind her back," Henry said.
"She doesn't, and she never will," Harlan replied confidently.
"Oh, really? I think she'll find out soon enough," Henry countered.
Harlan's eyes narrowed, sensing something. "You're planning to leak this to her?"
Henry nodded. "My daughter's an excellent hacker. She breached your firewall and downloaded some things, which she passed to Mr. R. He's already set up a timed email in his room. If you don't let all three of us go, that email will reach Genevieve Aristide's private inbox in 48 hours."
Harlan's pupils constricted. Though his expression stayed neutral, his mind was racing. "You're working together!"
Henry smiled. "We're all in the same boat, so naturally, we stick together. Harlan, you know how ruthless Genevieve Aristide can be, don't you?"
Harlan did. He knew from Bartholomew's "suicide" in prison just how brutal she could be. If Genevieve found out about his secret dealings, his fate wouldn't be any better.
His face darkened. "What do you want?"
"Harlan, get the three of us out of America, and this is over. We'll cancel the email. You've already gotten plenty out of us—time to call it even, no?"
Harlan's face alternated between pale and flushed. He was clearly furious, but with his leverage in their hands, he had no choice but to comply.
"How do I know you won't send the email to Genevieve after you leave America?" he demanded.
"You'd better trust us, Harlan, because you don't have a choice," Henry replied. "Think about your experiment. It's almost done, isn't it? Can you afford to let it fail?"
Henry's words hit hard. For Harlan, the experiment was everything. Lately, it hadn't been going smoothly, and Genevieve was considering pulling the plug. That's why Harlan had been so desperate for money and resources to finish it.
"Henry, you win," Harlan conceded. "I'll get you out of America tonight. But you'd better keep your promise, or I won't let you off!"
Henry finally gave a genuine smile. "Harlan, my daughter and I just want to live quietly abroad. Red wants a fresh start. None of us want more trouble. You can rest easy."
"Hmph! You'd better mean it!" Harlan stormed out, clearly seething at Henry, Claire, and Mr. R.
In truth, the three had suffered major losses at Harlan's hands. Mr. R had lost several containment items from the Cabin, and Henry had parted with a fortune. But now, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. If they could board the ship tonight, they'd be free.
But would it really be that simple?
Back in his office, Harlan grew angrier the more he thought about it, with no outlet for his frustration. Then, his trusted assistant made a suggestion.
"Doctor, remember that person who came to you earlier?"
"You mean that mysterious nun?" Harlan asked.
The assistant nodded. "She seems to want to take down Genevieve Aristide. If we can bring Genevieve down, Henry and Red's threats become meaningless."
Harlan's expression shifted as he considered the idea. "But if Genevieve falls and the new chairman doesn't support my experiment, what then?"
"It can't get worse than it is now, can it?" the assistant replied.
Harlan closed his eyes, weighing the pros and cons. Genevieve's support for him had been waning, especially with the FEA's new projects (like UFOs) and Paxton Fettel's rampage. Fettel's actions had hit Armacham hard, causing the FEA and military to distance themselves and support rival tech companies.
This was a deathblow for Armacham, so Genevieve had been lobbying Congress to turn things around. Meanwhile, Iris was working against Armacham, aiming to purge its influence within the FEA. She'd approached Harlan before, asking for evidence to incriminate Genevieve and put her behind bars.
If Genevieve went to prison, a new chairman would cause some chaos at Armacham, but as chief scientist, Harlan's position would likely remain secure in the short term. Time was what he needed most—the experiment was so close to completion.
Opening his eyes, Harlan's face lit up with fervor. "Let's do it! I'll finish this experiment, and no one's going to stop me!"
With that, he left his office to contact Iris.
He didn't notice the cold smile on his assistant's face. "Didn't expect it'd be this easy to push him," the assistant muttered.
The assistant returned to their own room and knelt in a dark corner. "Master, I've successfully goaded Harlan Wade. He should be too distracted to notice us now."
A seductive voice came from the shadows. "Fettel, you've done well. Now, take me to see this so-called artificial god."
"Yes, my master," the assistant replied.
That's right—the assistant was under Paxton Fettel's control. Fettel's mental powers were immense, even allowing him to manipulate others' bodies remotely.
After her last plan failed, Adra had gone into hiding in the Bay Area, using Fettel's connections to start a new scheme. The succubus's target was none other than Harlan's prized experimental subject.
Fettel, controlling the assistant's body, led the invisible Adra into the laboratory. Using the assistant's clearance, they entered the observation room.
Adra stood beside the teenage girl on the operating table, her expression turning curious. "This is the so-called artificial god? Doesn't look like much."
"Human technology could never compare to your power, Master," Fettel said.
"Tch, tch, tch! I remember this girl is your mother. She looks so young," Adra remarked.
"Yes, her appearance was fixed long ago and hasn't changed. Even after my brother and I were born, she stayed the same."
Adra nodded. "Interesting. Let's give her a little help, then."
She touched the girl's forehead, channeling divine power inherited from her mother, Asmodeus. Pink energy seeped into the girl's body, forming intricate pink patterns on her skin, resembling a magical array. The patterns converged on her abdomen.
The next moment, the girl's eyes snapped open, and alarms blared through the laboratory.
(Adapted from F.E.A.R. Origin Project)