[Selene] - Aren't we on phase 4 by now? This is a lot of work Dad.
[Dad] - You're almost there. You're doing great kid. Now, do you see those concrete blocks with a tapered edge in the back? Should be in a row behind the hangars.
Selene pretended to patrol that way. There was an open field behind the hangars, just before the fences they setup around the entire airfield. It was out in the open. On the edge.
[Selene] - There's no way I'm going to be able to get to any of those without being seen.
[Dad] - Sure you will. Just wait. Our little distraction should be going off any second now.
Selene looked up from her tablet in disbelief. Then checked her surroundings. Then went back to typing when—
'BOOM!'
"Holy shit!" Selene covered herself as the ground shook beneath her. A cyan colored explosion came from a fuel tank near a landing pad in the distance.
Shouting and the stomping of enforcer boots immediately sounded as a good number of the hangars guards left. Some stayed—but sure enough none of them are looking towards the grey cube things.
A bird chirp came from her tablet.
[Dad] - Gogogogogo! The one directly behind 2-F!
That could've killed someone! Maybe it did... And wasn't he stuck in class B? If he could do that why wasn't he the one out here playing secret agent?
She didn't have time to tell him how much of an idiot he was and ran towards the 6 by 6 meter grey block. The distance was covered quickly thanks to the armors enhancements. But it did nothing for her cardio.
She was breathing hard as she ducked behind it.
There was a keypad outside a security door next to her.
She held up her tablet to type to her dad when the screen glitched. It got all pixelated for a second then showed a loading bar which filled quickly.
'Ping'
The keypad went green and the door hissed open...
'Holy...'
There was a shadowed set of stairs that led deep into the ground. Yellow lights lit up one-by-one down the length of it with a loud 'click' sound. As she stepped inside the steel door slid closed behind her. Then a bird chirped.
[Dad] - Good job.
[Selene] - When did you learn to hack into my tablet? I had to install games for you on yours.
[Dad] - Wasn't me. I know a guy. Doesn't matter, but when you find evidence it'll be sent to the news network instantly, and we have someone there who can spread the message. Hurry. They're going to start combing the place soon after that little 'distraction'.
Who was 'we'? And exactly what did they hack? Because if they saw her search history she'd have some explaining to do... It was just for artistic reference. For her drawings. That's what she'd say.
Selene didn't have time to think about it. She started heading down the stairs.
What was she supposed to be even looking for anyways?
[Dad] - I might not be able to text you for awhile. Just point your tablets camera at whatever evidence you find and my people will do the rest. Then hide. Keep that gun close.
Selene hesitated halfway down the long flight of stairs.
[Selene] - What!? Am I supposed to shoot them if they find me?
She waited for what seemed like ages but the speech bubbles that appeared when the other person typed never showed.
"Oh no." she whispered. She was all alone now. It was one think taking orders. It was another entirely to make it up as she went along.
She reached the bottom of the stairs. It was darker there. Every so often there was a vent, some fans, pipes. Classic industrial complex stuff.
Some of the lights were flickering in a desperate attempt to stay on, with sparks occasionally shooting out in places. Was it just poorly maintained, or was something happening in the hangar above that was causing this?
It was like a horror game down here. She turned on the flashlight attached to the rifle. The thing was bright.
What made it worse was the narrow tunnel she entered had intersections. Really added to the creepy ambience.
"Okay. The hangar was straight across from the access entrance. So that means I need to take the first left I see."
She really wish she had a minimap in the corner of her vision like the games.
It was getting more humid the deeper she went. Selene had to keep wiping her visor when the condensation became too foggy.
How long did she have? She checked her tablet.
Only 15 minutes have passed!?
'SLAM!'
Her heart jumped—a heavy iron door was slammed shut ahead of her. Around the corner of one of the tunnels.
"Eh! Ah! Oh no, oh no!" some dude murmured to themselves as they turned a corner ahead of her. They slid to a stop.
"Ah! Don't shoot! I'm the head researcher—Dr. Bryant! there's been a containment breach!"
Selene took in their disheveled appearance.
They were old enough to be her grandparent. Their long dreaded braids had faded black hair with two stripes of white in it and their goatee had a white tip at the bottom. Teal checkered flannel half untucked in khaki pants, cuts and tears in his coat in places.
"What kind of breach? Are you hurt?" she asked. Lowering her weapon slightly.
Dr. Bryant eyed her from beneath his raised hand which blocked most of the light of her rifles flashlight. "I'm fine! We need to get to the surface so I can contact the Protectorate!" he shimmied closer.
"Stop!" she thrust her rifle forward; "...Wait a second."
He hesitated and gave her a confused look.
Selene kept her rifle trained on him with one hand and took out her tablet with the other from the enforcer armors holster. There was no connection! Did dad plan for that? He didn't mention it.
"You won't be able to contact the surface from here- we have a blocker setup around 2-F. Didn't they tell you in your briefing?" the doctor took another step forward haphazardly. "Are you supposed to be here?"
"T-turn around." Selene's order didn't have much confidence behind it. The doctor wasn't sure if he should listen to it, clearly. "Turn around! Now. Or I'll... Kneecap you, or something." she lowered her gun towards his legs.
"Fine! For fucks sake..." he raised his hands and turned around. Selene pulled the zip-tie cuffs from the enforcer armors toolbelt.
"You're coming with me. If Endelon is in danger, we deserve to know.",
He glanced over his shoulder; "Endelon? Shit. You're a colonist aren't you?", she pushed him against the wall and pulled the cuffs tight. "You sure figured that out quick—it's like you have a Phd or something." she shoved him forward. Back towards the door he fled.
"I need a picture of whatever you're running from. THEN we can go to the surface and get help. The right help."
The doctor took steps backwards towards her until he was pressed up against her. "I-I'm not going back there! You don't understand—armor or not, we'll die!"
Selene was just as terrified as he was. And she didn't even see whatever it was that attacked him.
But she thought about what would happen if they went to the surface together. Right now. —She'd get in trouble, Camden wouldn't be freed, and who knows what would happen to her dad once they found the messages on her tablet.
No. It wasn't going down like that.
"Go... Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." she put a hand on his shoulder and started guiding him.
"I'm sorry but you don't exactly inspire confidence, how old are you I might ask? Are you a child?"
"I'm 19!" she blurted out without much thought. It just pissed her off. What did being younger have to do with anything? She was still an adult.
"19... So yes, a child." he began walking towards the heavy metal door he had slammed shut. "You have a lot of life ahead of you, girl. Don't throw it away for something like this."
"I don't plan to."
He continued walking as he spoke.
"...Perhaps you are worried about what would happen to you or your family once we reached the surface? Because I can assure you, I will petition for a full pardon. It is within my authority to do so. Rescuing me will certainly earn you such."
"QUIET!" she shouted.
He looked over his shoulder with an extreme expression. "Precisely." he said in a hushed angry tone. "These specimen have acute senses. So keep. Your voice. Down. Young lady. If you are so insistent to walk into the belly of the beast."
Selene reached ahead of him and pulled the door open. There was a set of stairs going up. Like before. "Go." she pushed him with the nuzzle of the rifle.
Dr. Bryant closed his eyes sullenly for a second.
Then steeled himself and moved forward.