The Humans; Mysteries

Vincent stayed silent, contemplating Jake's words.

"I haven't been honest with you Vincent." Jake added.

"What else?" Vincent muttered, his voice barely audible.

"We know where your family may be, if they survived."

"What?"

"They're possibly in the hands of the Hominota." Jake's response came with a heavy sigh.

Vincent stayed silent. Then he spoke in a low voice. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because what would we do, anyway?" Jake sighed.

"Rescue them!? They're my family!" Vincent grunted.

"It's not that simple—"

"It is!" Vincent cut Jake off, his voice rising in tone. "You have the technology, you can go and shoot at them, I don't know!"

"We don't have the numbers, we're barely a hundred people. Them? Over thousands, Vincent." Jake murmured.

"But… my family… what can I do? Anything!" Vincent exclaimed.

Jake leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied Vincent's expression. "Vincent, I can see how much this is tearing you apart. And believe me, I want nothing more than to see those responsible for yours and many other families' suffering pay for their crimes."

Vincent's brow furrowed. "Then why aren't we doing something about it? Why are we just sitting here?"

Jake's voice lowered in tone. "Because, Vincent, we need to channel that anger. We need to use it to fuel our fight against the Hominota. They're the ones responsible for your pain. They're the cause. It's their fault, not yours, friend." he said, a very faint smile tugging at his lips.

"I'm… in. I'll do it." Vincent said, studying Jake, and his other two friends' expressions. Jake's eyes had a subtle glint, but he wasn't sure what. Peter was grinning, while Lance was simply eyeing Vincent, blankly.

"That's what I like to hear. You'll fit in nicely, Vincent. We'll need all the help we can get."

"What's the plan then?" Lance asked.

"Gathering intel is the priority. We have destroyed several of each other's bases. This one's our last one standing." Jake replied.

"Last one doesn't sound good…" Vincent murmured.

"Don't worry bud. We've got the team to wreck them." Peter reassured him. 

"Lance'll be our spy." Jake added.

"In and out." Lance chuckled.

"Vincent, you'll stay here with me and Peter, and familiarise yourself with our systems." Jake instructed.

"Got it." Vincent replied. "Wait, hang on, how long will that take?"

"Not much." Peter said.

"Don't I have to get used to like— everything? How to fight and stuff?" Vincent asked.

They chuckled. "Nope." Jake said.

"I don't understand…"

"Technology's solved your problems already." Peter said.

"What? You guys are gonna tell me technology can make me learn all of this, super fast? Yeah right." Vincent laughed.

"You're right, bud." 

"I… am?"

Jake nodded. "Mhm."

"I need explanations."

"Why not demonstrate? 

"Is that even…?" Vincent's voice trailed off.

Jake laughed. "Safe? Yeah. We've tested on countless recruits, they've become good soldiers."

Vincent's mind raced. "So, what, I just sit down and suddenly I'm all-knowing about this?"

Jake nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. "Essentially, yes. Our technology can implant the necessary skills directly into your brain."

"Sounds… impossible."

Peter chuckled. "Believe it or not, it's true. We've used it on all our recruits, including ourselves."

Jake added. "We can head to the Lab, for demonstration purposes, Vincent."

"Are you… sure?" Vincent laughed nervously.

"You'll be alright bud. Just look around, at others. They're fine." Peter said.

Vincent glanced around, the place was normal, nothing freaky or strange going on, which seemed to calm him. "I guess so… this sounds so weird."

Jake, Peter and Lance stood up from their chairs. "Just follow me." said Jake, rushing to a door that read 'Elevator'. Vincent hesitated for a bit, but ultimately went to follow them. Jake pressed the call button, the soft ding signalling its arrival. The doors slid open smoothly, revealing the gleaming interior of the elevator cabin. Without a word, Jake stepped inside, followed closely by Peter and Lance. Vincent entered, the doors closing behind him with a whoosh. The air inside was cool and sterile, the only sound the faint hum of machinery as the elevator began its descent. The ride was quiet. No one bothered to say anything. Vincent's eyes glanced around everywhere, while he fidgeted with his fingers. As the elevator came to a stop, the doors slid open once more, revealing the corridor to the lab. Jake led the way, his strides purposeful as he navigated the maze of hallways with ease. Vincent followed closely behind. Finally, they reached a door marked with a small plaque that read 'Training Lab'. Jake pushed it open, revealing a bright, light-blue room. The walls were lined with a multitude of screens and control panels. These displays flickered with various streams of data and diagrams, showcasing the intricacies of ongoing simulations and experiments. The room hummed with the soft whirring of computers and machinery, punctuated by occasional beeps and clicks as commands were executed. Hovering drones buzzed overhead. Rows of computers stood along one wall, their screens filled with lines of code and complex algorithms. In the centre of the room stood a large circular platform, its surface gleaming under the bright lights. Adjacent to the circular platform, rows of virtual reality headsets were neatly arranged on shelves. These headsets allowed trainees to immerse themselves in virtual environments, providing a realistic and interactive training experience. Alongside the headsets, sensory deprivation tanks were positioned, offering trainees the opportunity to enhance their focus and concentration through isolation. People were busy. Some were engrossed in analysing data on their screens, while others were engaged in calibrating equipment or conducting maintenance tasks. Various weapons and armour lined one corner of the room. There were neurostimulation devices and cognitive enhancement implants were available for those seeking to sharpen their focus and cognitive abilities. But Vincent's eye caught something else from all the marvelling sight. At the end of the room, far in the back, there was a faint bit of text on a plaque attached to a door that read 'Hominota Chamber'.