Just like on any other day, Guilos woke up earlier and faster than most, but now that all had the same personal specialised baths in their rooms as well, there were a few already patrolling the corridors, greeting her as she passed by. She had lost her silent mornings.
"This place is really getting to me."
"Lead R.?"
She had told them all to shorted lead researcher to Lead R. after countless tedious conversations that mostly had those words ringing in her head.
"Oh, it's nothing really."
She then got to her observation deck when it all began.
***
I knew this place could never be as safe as need be, after all, we all knew the type of work we did in here. Truth be told, we all felt like horrible people at most times, but at this level pushing pain to the back of our minds became child's play, so was pushing away such thoughts.
Even then, never did I once imagine that the world I had grown to know, would fall apart around me so easily. It was with a sudden powerful bang that I felt it. Monsters that felt more like nightmares raided this place. I myself am no push over but I probably would make a bad guard, my only saving grace was my ability to restore myself and the things that could be considered part of me. As such when the guards came to drag me to safety after the explosion, I could only think of the losses.
I know I told them that they were replaceable, that was true on a single person basis – not on this scale. Whilst passing through the piles of the dead, the only thing I thought about how much research was lost. This place was supposed to be not only clear from suspicion, but it was also set up to be a strong hold.
The retaliation from the queen was something else. Who else commands such power? I surely know that the knights wouldn't bother, unless we directly helped the darkness and the destroyers. In another explosion, the guard carrying me was gone. I was almost dead too, but luckily, I managed to put my hands on my sides allowing me to restore myself to the healthy backup.
Then I began to run, as I passed through the carnage, I noticed something strange about our adversaries. I had thought that just like the one out front, they were either an elemental or a spirit, but these were all monsters, strange ones. Their behaviour was new; I would be detailing it if not for the peril I faced. But I managed to gleam one thing from them, they weren't sent by the queen.
Their use of so many versatile skills was impressive to say the least, the intriguing part is that some of the corpses looked like how our subjects did, there was no way, that's impossible!
Was this some kind of retribution, dying the same way our test subjects did – maybe even worse? Did the forces from beyond come to eradicate us for the retched deeds we have committed here? Even if it was for the benefit for the future, this place dished out things worse than torture, worse than physical and mental anguish, and beyond it in sheer intensity.
Luckily enough, the day staff did not live here, they were long gone and thus spared. Only fitting considering that they don't know about our work. This place was built with many raids in consideration, though not this one in particular, it had been built to survive. And even if compromised it had routes and failsafe to ensure our survival, or at least the survival of our research.
The guards had gathered the subjects, most of the researchers, the staff, and even the forest folk, and some specialised equipment. There was no need to collect or destroy information, since it all existed in the minds of the researchers. Their scribbles of notes were forced to be as vague as possible such that only the writer could understand.
I am not completely sure who our attacker is, but the most problematic thing about it is the fact that the monsters could teleport like the Nareds of Orial. On my way to the main safety enclosure, I happened to pass by a disturbing pile of flesh – not as disturbing as our work, so I manged to look at it just fine. I noticed that although many had lost colour, one was fine.
'I guess I can try to save one more.'
I thought this as I began dragging her body out. Surprise! Surprise! It was one of the happy couples – I couldn't find her husband though; strange they were nowhere near each other – I had to assume he was eaten and carry her onwards. Even with her build she was still easy to carry, more muscle but not enough bone for all of it.
Once everyone was gathered it began, the escape. Usually even under raid, the internal place was built to store us in our rooms for years and the entire building would fill up with a gas that eventually reacts to make a solid area, filling the corridors and other non-living quarters – this is why every room possessed a normal shower before they all got upgraded.
We would stay hidden until everyone is convinced, we're dead. Or that the area does not exist. Then a liquid and a spell would undo the solidification, slowly restoring everything. Then research would resume like nothing happened, and the chances of a second raid would also be dropped significantly.
Retreat is only reserved for an impossible situation like this where a being managed to get through the barriers and carvings on the walls. But knowing that staying could not always be possible and that all escape routes blocked, another measure was set up to ensure our survival.
Achieving teleportation as the Nareds do. Near impossible, but mostly because doing it regardless will result in ineffective solutions – so this is an Abio research facility original, something not even shared with the rest of the world yet – all credit belongs to the day staff, but sadly it had to be kept under wraps.
Mid-range mass teleportation.
It began, even I know not how they achieved it, and I chose not to read their papers and instead focus on my own work, we can't as well have a distracted Lead R. could we?
It sent everyone in the room, in an instant to a halfway between the lower exit and the base. Just as predicted – I don't know how one managed it with monsters though – they blocked the main paths, even the secret one. But even then, exists an even more secret tunnel not remotely close or even connected or even leading to the research centre.
Actually, all the others are decoys, through some complex arrangement of schedules and pathed, even when bring led here from the outside, one would never notice the teleportation since it has no lights and teleports you from one dark room to another seamlessly, as if no teleportation took place. Basically, even if using this path or the direct gate, you would never be able to realise you were ever teleported at a specific point.
So, even with all this caution, all this meticulous planning, and creative use of unknown technology, and even an abandonment of the main plan, tell me, please explain, clear up, because it made no sense, none whatsoever, exactly why is it that this thing waiting for us?
We marched in silence, in the darkness, all I could feel was the limp legs of the unconscious Yellow on my arms as I carried her like some overgrown child. Then I heard it.
"So, you are all here. I was starting to think your leader is more pathetic than I thought and my greedy friends had butchered all of you before you could make it to me."
I felt a strange shift, and just like that I felt the presence of all the monsters we had just escaped surround us. The guards were no light weights, but I doubted they could protect us. So, I put Yellow down and faced the mysterious adversary, the one who managed to outdo our defensive system, playing us like puppets in his hands.
One of the guards stepped forward, and in seconds he had been gobbled up by the monster like he was nothing – I am sure last time I checked he was level 243, I doubt anyone here could stop him, but more guards stepped forward, probably because all the cowards were probably dead at this point.
He is controlling these monsters, safe to say he is strong. He or someone he knows is quite brilliant if they managed to outsmart the boss. I need to survive and make sure to save as much researchers as I can. I am sure he can be reasoned with, he has to want something, after all he didn't just kill us on sight, meaning he needs something.
I then began marching forward, my night vision was good in the dark, so I knew where I stood. Before the guards tried to protect me, failing to grasp the fact that they could not, I had to act.
"No, Lead R. stay back…" yelled some of the researchers and guards.
I continued against the protests of the guards, I put my hand asking them to step back.
"I'll be alright" I said to the guards, then I turned to face the direction of the voice, avoiding the glare from the monsters, "I am the Lead Researcher at Abio research facility, I am Guilos. I am the highest authority here. I am sure there is something I can help me with."
…
After an intense and chilling silence, no answer came, instead another voice answered, a younger and softer, but demanding voice – masking the shyness of a child – "In fact, there is something you could help us with…"