Inverted Pyramid (7)

Adia knew a little about the project from what Master Mike had told them, but the Metalux hadn't mentioned anything about it.

"Ah! I don't know much about them either," Gin responded, "but the only thing I do know is that they are beings with diverse powers. Possibly, the child they took has the power to reopen the other side and transfer that power to others."

"Like us?" Ezequiel interrupted curiously. "I thought those practices had disappeared when they dismantled Doctor Laos's plans, and he died in the explosion at the Xerox company, though they never found his body."

"Ah! You're referring to Doctor Emerson Laos, the pioneer, the creator of the Blue Door Project and Nebula, which were successful, unlike Project Odysseus, which they're now reactivating because of his son, Doctor Richard Laos," Gin commented.

"So the doctor had a son." Adia paused thoughtfully after the revelation. "How interesting. I thought the plans would end with that doctor, according to our sources, but I never imagined someone else, and worse yet, someone from his own lineage, would continue his father's legacy," Marie reflected.

Ezequiel turned to Adia and asked:

"You, who are... Well, before we continue, and without saying that you're older than everyone here, do you know what that doctor worked on?"

"I preferred to forget all those things," Adia replied with a sigh. "I asked the leader of Team C to erase those painful memories from my past, but I think that mental wall breaks as we delve deeper into this place. Many years have passed since the supposed death of Doctor Laos Sr. The only thing I remember was his fall from one of the company floors into a deep pit, but my memories after that are vague. That human has already survived a hundred years, almost like me. He must have acquired something from the other side."

Adia lost herself in thought for a moment until they reached the door.

Gin interrupted everyone and announced:

"Well, folks, we've arrived at the door to the second-to-last floor."

Gin took out a card hanging from his neck and swiped it through a nearby scanner. A light changed from red to green, indicating the door was open. Before entering, he suggested improvising to avoid any confrontation. Next to the door, they found a box containing shackles. He proposed putting them on their arms and pretending they were part of the experiment.

"It seems like a good plan," Marie said, "but I'll keep the keys."

"Alright," Gin replied.

He opened one half of the large red door, stepped inside, and shouted:

"Hello, guardian of the sixth floor! It's me, Gin, the guardian of the fifth floor, and I've brought these people for the experiment!"

Gin kept shouting, but at that moment, a toy fire truck approached. When it reached him, it seemed to observe him, and from the hose it carried, a jet that looked like water shot out, transforming Gin into an ice statue upon contact.

"Marie, quickly, the keys!" Ezequiel shouted.

Marie freed herself swiftly and tossed the keys to Ezequiel, but they were surrounded by several toy fire trucks, which mercilessly fired at Adia, Rino, and Gat, freezing them instantly. Ezequiel was about to free himself when a toy helicopter sprayed him, freezing him on the spot. Before he was completely immobilized, he signaled to Marie to flee, but she was too frozen.

Once everyone had been turned into ice statues, the atmosphere grew bitterly cold. A hooded figure, cloaked in a coat that concealed their entire body, approached slowly, focusing especially on Gin.

"Traitor," the figure said in a cold voice, "you will now become part of my collection of ice statues in my arctic garden, along with the others."

An evil laugh echoed through the air. Then, the figure commanded:

"Take them away."

Suddenly, more toy carts appeared on the scene, deploying ropes and beginning to tie everyone up to take them where their master had instructed.

"But carefully," the figure added. "These statues will look wonderful, especially their faces of despair."

Everyone was taken through a door, including the hooded person, who was likely the guardian of this floor.

On the stairs leading to the fourth floor, Maria approached Billy and whispered in his ear:

"Hey, Billy! Did you notice that Elena laughed with us?"

"And what does that matter?" he replied softly.

"Well, you know what happened to her father," Billy insisted.

"Yes, that's true. She seems a bit better, but I don't think it'll be easy for her to return to how she was before we entered this place," Maria responded.

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Lidia shouted.

The two looked at each other and, with trembling voices, replied:

"Nothing."

Though they weren't very good at whispering, because Elena had heard everything. Her calm expression shifted slightly to a mix of sadness and anger at the destruction of this place.

"Well, we've arrived," Dani announced before attempting to swipe the card through the scanner like Gin had done. However, Dani hesitated, remembering that the person guarding this floor was extremely terrifying. "I had forgotten that little detail."

Lidia snatched the card from his hands and swiped it through the scanner. The light turned green, signaling the door was open. Everyone entered, including Dani, because Podbe began to glare at him distrustfully and growl.

The door closed behind them, and suddenly, a cart emerged from the floor. A metallic machine pushed everyone inside the cart, cramped and with their legs up, even Podbe. As they tried to adjust, everyone attempted to get out, but it was too late. Rails sprouted from the ground, and a voice resonated in the air:

"Intruders, welcome to my floor. I'll give you a nice tour before I finish you off."

The cart began moving at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour. No one knew where to hold on; some grabbed the edges, while others clung to Eduard, especially the children. From the walls, images of experiments conducted on this floor began to project: speed tests, abilities, and new armaments designed to measure resistance and velocity. The rails changed with each stop, showing scenes of how the tests were carried out, all the way to the resulting waste.

The tour continued, with illustrations and theatrical representations depicting the chemicals used, the founding of the company, and other irrelevant details for the audience. The voice said, "Applaud," but no one obeyed. In response, circular saws with sharp teeth emerged from the walls, passing dangerously close to the cart.

"Not yet," the voice indicated, "the grand finale is still to come."

Rails began extending from the ceiling, rising and falling repeatedly. The occupants of the cart were dizzy; some wanted to vomit, leaving their faces outside the vehicle. Explosives destroyed the rails behind them, and just before the explosions could reach them, the rail came to an end. Below, a large pool filled with sharks awaited.

"Well, this is your end, my dear intruder. Goodbye and safe travel to the other world."

The cart began slowing down directly above what appeared to be their final destination.