07:56 AM — N.P.U. Headquarters, North Metro
Adrian killed the engine and stayed in the car a heartbeat too long. The black sedan's ghost still sat on his nerves. He slid the card, the gate sighed open, and he walked through like the city hadn't been watching him all morning.
Boots, radios, the smell of cheap coffee. He kept his shoulders loose, eyes narrow. He wanted the file. He wanted names.
08:10 AM — Captain Elias's Office
Elias sat behind the desk. No greetings. No small talk. He slid a thick black folder across the table and didn't look away.
"You asked for it," Elias said. "Read. Tell me if you still want inside."
Adrian cracked the folder. The first header burned red.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // FOUNDER
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains psychological manipulation, biohazard origins, corporate corruption, and moral collapse. Proceed with caution.
[SC] - DR. SERENA KOVACS.
Origin: Toronto, Canada.
Current Location: Metro City ( Nexo HQ).
Role: Founder, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Age: 38.
Appearance: Brown hair (ponytail). Blue eyes, sharp + unyielding. Wears a single silver ring (suspected surveillance device). Prefers muted attire — clean lines, clinical precision.
[BACKGROUND]
Her mother was among the early casualties of the Hailstorm Virus. Loss = catalyst. Serena founded Nexo with genuine intent: research, treatment, prevention.
What began as hope → metastasized into empire.
First breakthroughs = hailed as miracles. But rapid growth, investor pressure, + demand for weaponized medicine drove her beyond ethical limits.
[PROFILE]
Psychological notes: Cold, calculating. Emotional detachment amplified post-2020. Displays signs of high-functioning psychopathy — no empathy, no guilt. Views control as survival.
Morality line: Nonexistent.
Strengths: Charismatic manipulator, scientific brilliance, long-term planner.
Weakness: Arrogance — believes herself untouchable.
[DYNAMICS]
Family: Alive, but severed. No confirmed contact in years.
Co-Founder: Dr. Adrian Vale (see attached). Partnership = strategic. Vale = ambition, Kovacs = vision. Mutual distrust, but alliance sustained by necessity.
Corporate hierarchy: Absolute authority. Her voice = final word.
[NOTES]
Surveillance suggests ring may contain nanotech-linked recorder (further testing required).
Field operatives warned: underestimation = certain failure.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
Threat Level: EXTREME.
Adrian closed the page slow. He let the silence fill the space between lines.
"She wanted to save the world," he said, flat. "Now she wants to own it."
Elias's eyes were hard. "Don't underestimate her."
Adrian lit a breathless laugh that wasn't funny. "Nobody does. That's the problem."
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // CO-FOUNDER
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains corporate corruption, scientific malpractice, and evidence of strategic exploitation. Proceed with caution.
[SC] - DR. JAMES VALE.
Origin: South Ridge, Australia (fictional).
Current Location: Metro City (HQ).
Role: Co-Founder, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Age: 39.
Appearance: Tan complexion. Black hair, Black eyes, sharp + assessing. Tailored suits. Always pristine, meticulous.
[BACKGROUND]
South Ridge suffered heavily under the Hailstorm Virus. James Vale entered the project motivated not by loss, but by ambition.
Joined Kovacs in the founding years — brought funding networks, biotech expertise, and ruthless practicality.
Early years: presented as "the face" of Nexo to investors. Charm = mask. Beneath: opportunism.
[PROFILE]
Psychological notes: Charismatic, ambitious, pragmatic. Entirely corrupt. Believes science = tool for dominance, not salvation.
Morality line: Absent. Survival instinct fused with hunger for power.
Strengths: Public manipulator, high intelligence, ruthless decision-making.
Weakness: Chronic underestimation of others. Pride → exploitable.
[DYNAMICS]
Partnership: Kovacs = vision, Vale = execution. Publicly allied, privately contentious. Both aware that betrayal is inevitable, but alliance = profitable.
Family: None confirmed. Personal ties erased or buried.
Corporate role: Handles corporate expansion, investor relations, + external networks. Leaves "dirty science" to others, but signs off on all high-risk projects.
[NOTES]
"If Kovacs built the machine, Vale sells it to the world."
Suspected to have funneled experimental data to private contractors for personal gain.
Field operatives warned: underestimating his charisma = exposure.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
Threat Level: HIGH.
Adrian's lip curled. "The salesman. Smooth and shallow."
Elias tapped the table. "Watch the charm. He sells what he's told to sell."
Adrian flipped the next divider without looking away. He wanted the full portrait, not platitudes.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // EXECUTIVE HEAD
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains loyalty manipulation, corporate enforcement, and classified chain-of-command intel. Proceed if you d4re.
[SC] - DAMIEN D'ARAMOND.
Origin: Cindrov, Canada (fictional).
Current Location: Metro City ( Nexo HQ).
Role: Executive Head, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Age: 44.
Appearance: Tall. Broad frame. Black hair streaked with grey. Dark onyx eyes. Always in regulation suit. Carries himself like an officer, not an executive.
[BACKGROUND]
Born in Cindrov, mid-sized Canadian industrial town.
Military career cut short under undisclosed circumstances → pivoted to corporate security.
Recruited by Kovacs + Vale for his ability to enforce order without question.
Rose rapidly: from Head of Security to Executive Head, trusted to keep the corporation running without dissent.
[PROFILE]
Psychological notes: Loyal. Efficient. Cold. Functions less as an individual, more as an extension of orders.
Scientific input: Minimal. Administrative + enforcement focus. Keeps researchers "in line."
Strengths: Obedience, operational planning, chain-of-command discipline.
Weaknesses: Independent thought = limited. Rarely questions directives. Predictable pattern of loyalty.
[DYNAMICS]
Founder (Kovacs): Treats her words as law. Absolute devotion.
Co-Founder (Vale): Maintains wary respect, but underlying tension exists. Vale = manipulative; Damien = blunt soldier.
Corporate culture: Keeps order by fear, structure, and discipline. Employees view him as both shield + executioner.
Family ties: Estranged. Considered "dead" to them by choice.
[NOTES]
"He doesn't need belief. He just needs orders."
Known to handle corporate clean-ups, both paper trails + human.
Has not once disobeyed a directive in 20+ years of service.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
Threat Level: MED-HIGH (predictable, but uncompromising).
Adrian's jaw tightened. "Officer or executioner," he said. "Either way, he doesn't miss."
Elias didn't argue. "You don't take him head on. You outplay him or you never leave."
Adrian set his cigarette back between his lips and read the last file.
FILE: SUBJECT OF INTEREST // DEPUTY EXECUTIVE HEAD
⚠ WARNING: CONTENT ADVISORY
This file contains psychological instability, unverified human trials, and unpredictable violence. Proceed if you d4re.
[SC] - DR. CASSIAN RHEIN.
Origin: Dresden, Germany.
Current Location: Metro City ( Nexo HQ).
Role: Deputy Executive Head, Nexo Pharmaceutical Corporation.
Age: 38.
Appearance: Lean, wiry. Black hair cut short + uneven (self-trimmed). Grey-green eyes. Restless energy. Lab coat often bloodstained. Never without gloves.
[BACKGROUND]
Child prodigy → med school at 15, expelled at 19 for unauthorized experiments on cadavers.
Vanished into underground biotech networks before resurfacing at Nexo.
Recruited by Kovacs personally for "unconventional genius."
Given deputy role for his experimental ruthlessness. Considered too unstable for full command, but too valuable to discard.
[PROFILE]
Psychological notes: Unstable. Narcissistic. Oscillates between manic brilliance + chilling apathy.
Scientific specialty: Viral recombination, hybrid serums, mutation acceleration.
Strengths: Innovator of breakthroughs others deemed impossible. Immune to guilt, immune to fear.
Weaknesses: Erratic. Prone to obsessions. Easily triggered by disrespect.
[DYNAMICS]
Founder (Kovacs): Sees her as "mother of opportunity." Utterly devoted, like a zealot.
Co-Founder (Vale): Clashes often. Vale despises Rhein's chaos; Rhein mocks Vale's "hollow ambition."
Executive Head (D'Aramond): Tolerates him. D'Aramond cleans up Rhein's messes. Relationship of necessity.
Others: Most staff avoid him. Fear runs deeper than respect.
[NOTES]
Unconfirmed reports: Rhein may have injected himself with early-stage serum trials. Behavioral changes suggest truth.
Obsessed with combining human DNA + animal viruses. Believes true evolution demands monstrosity.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
Threat Level: EXTREME (unpredictable, brilliant, potentially enhanced).
Adrian let the last line sit in his mouth like acid. He folded the folder closed and pushed it toward Elias.
"You sure you want me walking into that?" Elias asked softly.
Adrian's grin was brittle. "I want the files. I want answers. I'll go in and come back."
Before Elias could answer, the door cracked. Marcus stepped in like a man carrying a bomb he didn't want to detonate.
He put a sealed folder down and stayed by the door, hands where you could see the shake.
"Sorry," Marcus said. "I wasn't supposed to bring this in. But you need to see it." He let Elias nod and then he left the folder between them.
Adrian opened it. The header stung.
EVIDENCE FILE — PROVIDED BY MARCUS VARIAS
⚠ CLASSIFIED — NEXO INTERNAL
Distribution outside this room = execution risk.
[SECTION: TEST SUBJECT ACQUISITION]
Public Label: "CarePlus Stipend Program."
Reality: janitorial + low-tier staff targeted as "volunteers."
Lure: bonus pay, debt forgiveness, lifetime medical coverage.
Truth: injections = prototype viral/serum trials.
Outcome: subjects rarely last 48 hours. Collapse, mutation, or death.
Casualty Rate: 100% (confirmed).
Clean-Up: "La Sangre Nera" mafia group contracted to dispose of corpses + neutralize mutated subjects.
Translation: janitors sign for hazard pay. They walk out as cadavers, if at all.
Adrian's hand tightened on the folder. "They paid people to die. They paid janitors to be guinea pigs."
Elias's voice was flat. "And a mafia collects the receipts."
Marcus swallowed. "They don't always survive. Most don't. Those ones—La Sangre Nera takes care of them."
Adrian's stomach went cold. "Then there's no mercy here. Only accounting."
[SECTION: PROJECT ASCENDANT — ENHANCEMENT SERUM]
Objective: weaponize the human body into a soldier beyond natural limits.
Mechanism: rapid cellular overclock → forced growth in muscle + neural systems.
Casualty Rate: 99.7% (survival odds 0.03%).
Results:
Collapse: hemorrhage, heart rupture, organ implosion.
Mutation: unstable forms — shambling "zombies" with no cognition, or hypertrophic "giants" with uncontrolled rage.
Containment: La Sangre Nera enforcers routinely execute failures in underground labs.
Translation: Nexo promises super-soldiers. Reality: endless corpses + monsters that need bullets to silence.
Adrian's cigarette burned down until it was only ash.
"So ninety-nine point seven percent die," he said. "Point zero three survive and become what? Broken glorified tools? Or walking nightmares?"
Marcus's jaw tightened. "The survivors are unstable. Not useful. Not for long."
Elias's hands folded, knuckles white. "They're manufacturing a weapon that kills its user."
[SECTION: VIRAL STRAINS — CONFIRMED]
(More suspected, but two verified through recovered samples.)
• HX-13 "Reaper"
Effect: liquefies living tissue from the inside out.
Casualty Rate: 99.9%.
No cure. Antidote rumored, unstable.
• VX-7 "Goliath"
Effect: accelerates muscle growth + skeletal distortion.
Casualty Rate: 99.8%.
Survivors: violent, brain-damaged brutes. Essentially weapons with no leash.
Notes: Early buyers = law enforcement agencies. Belief: serum/viruses = safe, controlled enhancements. Truth: not market-ready. Public release = global outbreak within weeks.
Adrian stared at the two names printed there and tasted bile.
"Law enforcement is buying t this?" he rasped. "They're actually paying for this thinking they'd weaponize cops."
Marcus nodded. "Private channels. They think they're getting controlled strength. They don't know the math."
Elias closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped them open. "If anything slips, this is not a local problem. It's a city funeral."
[SECTION: DISTRIBUTION & COVER-UP]
Enhancement & viral programs not yet commercialized.
Target buyers: law enforcement, paramilitary groups, private security corps.
Failures hidden via mafia clean-up. Families compensated with "accidental death" payouts.
Corporate narrative: "health benefit accidents."
[FINAL ASSESSMENT]
Nexo's empire = built on corpses of their own workers.
The "miracle science" = unstable serums with >99% casualty.
The only ones profiting: Nexo's founders, investors, and the killers paid to hide their mistakes.
STATUS: ACTIVE.
Threat Level: EXTINCTION-CLASS if breached.
The folder snapped closed between them like a gravestone.
Adrian looked at Elias.
Marcus stepped forward, voice low but steady. "There's a gap. West wing rotation — they rotate squads. From 1:00 to 1:45 AM every night this week there's a blind window. Their post is empty. It's the only clean entry."
He pulled a small schematic from the folder and tapped it. "The archives? Vault A-13. Pressure plates on the access lanes are set to trigger at 100 lbs. I can push the SentinelGrid to accept 200 lbs for forty-five minutes. Patch lasts 2,700 seconds — then it snaps back."
Elias's jaw clenched. "Two hundred pounds and furniture path only. No second body. No stepping wrong. If the patch slips—"
"Sirens." Marcus said. "You run. I'll burn L2 with a phantom alarm to split response."
Adrian's grin was dangerous and tired. "One man. Fast. In and out. I go light."
Elias stared at him long enough to count the cost. "This is stupid."
"It's the only clean window they'll give us this week," Marcus said. "If we wait, they patch the rotation or move the post. You want to hit the heart of the thing, you don't wait for them to make it impossible."
Silence hung. The city outside felt like a held breath.
Elias looked from Marcus to Adrian. Then he exhaled slow and hard, a surrender or a command—Adrian couldn't tell.
"Majority." Elias said. "You want tonight? Fine Tonight."
Adrian stood before Elias could change his mind. He flicked his cigarette, the ember a small sun.
"Midnight prep," he said. "South Metro City on the count. We move at 00:59:30 to patch, go at 01:00. I'm in. One man, light and fast. Marcus — you run the patch. Elias — you have extraction."
Elias nodded once. The kind of nod that meant paperwork after and funerals later. Marcus's hands steadied by an inch.
Adrian walked out of the room with the folder under his arm, steps long and careful. The city already felt smaller, like something ready to fold. He lit a cigarette in the stairwell and let the smoke curl up, watching the clock in his head.