Phase 22

Mandryx's Perspective

The night was inky black as we made our way to the outskirts of the tower. Clad in dark tactical gear, we moved with the grace of shadows, our breaths synchronized, our hearts pounding in anticipation.

As we approached the entrance, two of San's kids, who were already waiting for our arrival, were there doing their job as guards. I raised my hand, signaling a halt. I peered through night-vision binoculars, analyzing the area. The Two guards stood vigilant, their rifles at the ready. Motion sensors and pressure plates were scattered across the ground, making any sudden move a perilous risk.

San stepped forward, a small device in his hand, and whispered, "I'll disable the cameras first." With a few swift taps, the surveillance cameras blinked off one by one. The darkness enveloped the area even further, cloaking our approach.

Raiden nodded at San, his eyes focused and determined. Taking a deep breath, he activated a small device on his wrist that emitted a low-frequency sound. The guards, pretending to be oblivious to the sonic disruption, glanced at each other uneasily before dismissing it as a minor glitch.

Seizing the opportunity, Raiden and I swiftly but silently rushed past the motion sensors, expertly avoiding detection. San followed closely, his fingers ready to deploy his hacking skills if necessary. The two guards let the three of us inside the airlock and informed us that at the maintenance tunnels, another San's kid is waiting for us and someone will cover for us as well.

Approaching the maintenance tunnels, we found an old, rusted grate blocking our path. I pulled out a set of lockpicks and skillfully worked my way through, ensuring the entrance remained undamaged. We crouched and entered the narrow tunnels one by one, barely fitting through the tight spaces, especially since we were still in our diving suits.

Inside the labyrinthine network of tunnels, we moved cautiously, treading lightly to avoid drawing attention. We navigated the dark, winding passages with silent coordination, our footsteps barely making a sound on the damp ground.

Finally, we reached the vent system Raiden had mentioned earlier. It was a cramped space, but my lithe figure allowed me to crawl through with relative ease. San and Raiden waited anxiously on the other side as I ventured deeper into the heart of Grandpa's laboratory.

I emerged within the central lab, my eyes scanning the room, finding the finger sensor that San saw on the footage. The blueprints we sought were kept in a secure terminal at the far end. I moved with utmost caution, using my exceptional stealth to avoid detection. I managed to open the hidden door on the wall using the fingerprint we get from Grandpa.

Meanwhile, San and Raiden waited anxiously, communicating through discreet earpieces. I managed to find the terminal and connect San's remote hacking device. The skilled technician took control, disabling security measures and wiping any traces of our presence.

My heart raced as I successfully downloaded the blueprints onto a secure drive. Retrieving the data, I slipped inside the hidden hallway, retracing my steps through the labyrinth of hallways.

The hallway is dimly lit by green lights. I didn't know Grandpa was obsessed with all types of green to this extent. Finding the heart of the hallway didn't take me long, as only one hallway leads into it. I move cautiously as secure systems are active around, but thanks to San's skills, all these didn't hinder me from successfully entering another door where all the experiments of Grandpa are being kept without being noticed or setting an alarm.

The whole room is pitch black, but I didn't light the lamp even though I knew Grandpa would not be around today as he's on our station and staying for the week. I used the device that San gave me so that I could clearly see my surroundings in the middle of this pitch-black room without using any kind of light. The room was filled with advanced equipment and delicate machinery, but the human-sized tube caught my attention; it was located in the middle of the room. There I saw the creature that was accompanying Grandpa at the time Raiden got stocked on the cliff.

Tubes, monitors, and some kind of advanced technology are directly connected to that creature who happens to be currently unconscious. After assuring myself that all that I'm witnessing right now is being recorded in detail, I looked around the room and found a list of schedules on the white board in front of Grandpa's working space. There are tons of activities he usually does, but the last words written there triggered me. I hurriedly checked around, looking for a clock, as Grandpa usually has clocks around him.

After recording everything, I left the place, leaving no trace. Reunited with San and Raiden, a sense of urgency washed over me as the time for the last activity that Grandpa will be doing today is within 20 minutes. However, I knew our mission was far from over. We needed to reach the extraction point and escape the labyrinthine tower without raising an alarm.

I led the way, guiding my companions through the winding tunnels back to the maintenance entrance. Just as we reached the grate, we heard faint voices approaching. Guards were investigating the earlier sonic disruption. Without hesitation, we bolted out of the maintenance tunnels, running with controlled urgency. Raiden and I dispatched the guards in swift, silent takedowns, ensuring their foes would not raise an alarm.

We reached the rendezvous point near the back airlock, where San's extraction team awaited. As we boarded the airlock, adrenaline still coursing through our veins, we knew we had accomplished our daring mission, retrieving important files that are related to Grandpa's activities and escaping undetected.

The night was our ally, shrouding our actions from prying eyes. And as we swim away, I begin to explain to them the last activity that Grandpa will be accomplishing at this hour. I explained to them that Grandpa would be heading to the end of the cliff with God knowing what reason behind him. In order for us to learn more about Grandpa's motives, we have to go there and follow him. It happens that the end of the cliff has another end that has a thin rock connecting both sides of the cliff. That place is being used for a risky investigation, and we can use that bridge as a hideout to get a better view of what Grandpa will be doing there.

We headed straight to that cliff bridge and waited for the arrival of our target. We remained cautious about our surroundings as possible accidents may attack us anytime, especially since we are at one of the most risky parts of the cliff, where the current is stronger than the usual current we encounter for an everyday dive. It's 2:00 in the morning, but our surroundings are the same, as light from the surface can't reach the depth of our location. It's always dark, even though time continues to move from day to night and vice versa.

Both me and San turned our gazes to Raiden when we heard him sigh. "Is there any problem, Thunder?" San asked.

Raiden confusedly looked at him. "You're not mute," I informed him.

We didn't have the chance to hear his reply as two figures arrived meters away from where we were hiding. We focused on what the two figures will be doing in the middle of the cliff; we can't see clearly who they are, but I'm sure it's Grandpa and John.

"San, do you think you can enter their line?" I asked, hoping to get to hear their conversation.

San did something to his device, so I waited for his response. "We can, but I don't want to risk it. If I tried intruding on their line, it would alarm them, and I don't have the skill to block that alarm," San explained.

For the second time, our conversation got cut short as another five figures arrived crowding the cliff. We got alarmed when a strong force pulled us away from the bridge, but luckily I got to cling my hand to the bridge while my other hand was holding San's hands and Raiden was gripping San's leg, preventing us from completely getting caught by that force. Followed by that increasing force is the snake-like creature swimming like a tornado just under the bridge. I almost lost my grip on the bridge, but I got to hold onto it until the enormous creature completely passed by us.

I followed where it headed and saw that it was circling those figures, but only five of them were left. I scanned the two other figures and saw them meters away from the cliff; they were there watching all those right in front of us. I used all the force I had to lift San and Raiden back to the bridge, and we witnessed how those five figures completely vanished while the other two just left as though nothing happened. As the creature also vanished, I left that place completely forgetting that I have companions. I can't digest what just happened; I didn't expect him to do such a thing to that extent; he's like a murderer.