Enclave in Albion??

Chapter 107: Enclave in Albion??

The lab was chaos. Alarms blared, a deafening cacophony of screeches and mechanical warnings as toxic fumes hissed from broken vats. The sound of glass cracking echoed ominously beneath the roar, and the chemicals spilling onto the floor began to bubble and churn, reacting violently to the residual magic in the air.

"We need to move! Now!" Langston shouted, his gauntlet sparking as he turned toward the exit. Euphrates and Sasha were already ahead, sprinting back toward the first room near the portal, their boots skidding on the slick floor. Scotty lagged only a step behind them, his flaming saber still glowing in his hand.

Langston turned to follow but slipped suddenly, his boots skidding on a slick patch of congealing vampire blood. He hit the ground hard, his throat tightened with panic as the floor beneath him trembled with the pressure of the impending explosion. "Damn it!" he hissed, scrambling to find his footing.

"Langston!" Scotty's voice cut through the noise. He was already moving back, his hand outstretched. "Get up, mate!"

Langston grabbed Scotty's wrist, the other man hauling him upright with surprising strength. "Thanks," Langston muttered.

Scotty grinned. "You can thank me later. Let's go!"

Together, they sprinted toward the exit, the room behind them erupting into chaos. The first vat shattered with an earsplitting crack, sending a geyser of neon-green liquid into the air. The mix of glass and corrosive chemicals tore apart the trapped monsters, causing their wet cries to echo, high-pitched and haunting.

The second explosion followed almost instantly, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Langston glanced back once and wished he hadn't. The air spun with gas and shards as the contents of the vats were obliterated. One of the nearly-formed Cu Sith let out a final, guttural howl before collapsing into a mess of fur and viscera.

They sprinted as fast as they could, fear and adrenaline giving them speed beyond normal efforts. "What the hell did you do back there, Euphrates??" Scotty bellowed in astonishment while he ran.

"Don't stop! Go! Go! Go!" Euphrates shouted from the doorway ahead, waving them through.

Sasha was already over the threshold, her hands shining as she prepared a protective spell to shield them from the worst of the blast.

The final explosion came just as Scotty and Langston dove through the doorway. The force of it sent them sprawling, a wave of fire chasing their heels as the room behind them disintegrated. The portal room felt oppressive, thick with heat and smoke, each breath stinging with chemical fumes.

Langston coughed, dragging himself upright. "Everyone in one piece?"

"Barely," Sasha said, her voice tight as she worked to strengthen the barrier she'd thrown up behind them. The barrier flickered, its edges unstable, the light dimming as her breathing grew shallow.

Euphrates knelt nearby, her hands glowing as she summoned a mist to push back the fumes. "This... is my fault," she admitted quietly. "I, I thought I was shutting the lab down, not... causing this."

Scotty leaned against the wall, grinning despite the chaos. "Well, that's one way to ruin a perfectly good lab."

Langston's frustration boiled over. "Damn it. There was a lot of data to be gleaned in that room. Perhaps there were alchemical processes that Snow could have employed. Ugh, even possible cures for much of their research!" He kicked a broken chair near him, sending it flying against a wall.

Sasha frowned, crossing her arms. "Easy, tough guy," she said sarcastically.

The portal room felt oppressive, thick with heat and smoke. Toxic fog curled low across the floor, clinging to their boots like a shroud. Sasha's protective barrier flickered, the light dimming as her breathing grew shallow. Euphrates crouched, summoning a cool mist to push back the fumes, her hands glowing softly.

Langston coughed again, his throat raw. "Everyone in one piece?" he repeated, his voice rough from the smoke.

Scotty slapped a hand against the wall to steady himself, laughing. "That was like a movie! Explosions, running for our lives—even a slow-motion dive!"

Sasha shot him a glare, her tone sharp. "Maybe save the comedy for when we're not choking on fumes."

Euphrates' voice trembled as she knelt, her mist spreading slowly across the floor. "This... is my fault," she admitted quietly. "I, I thought I was shutting the lab down, not... causing this."

Scotty leaned his weight casually against the wall, his flaming saber still flickering in his hand. "Yeah, well, you sure know how to make an exit. That regulator thing? Top-notch meltdown material."

Langston spun to face him, his boots scuffing against the stone floor as he paced, gauntlet sparking. "We didn't need a meltdown, Scotty! We needed data! The lab contained everything, including alchemical processes, vampire research, and potentially even countermeasures for their toxins, but now it has vanished!"

A sudden kick sent a broken chair flying against the wall, the loud clatter echoing through the room. Langston shook his head, muttering. "All of it was just gone, erased in an instant."

Sasha frowned at him, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Easy, tough guy. Breaking chairs won't bring it back. Let's figure out our next step before something else explodes."

Euphrates, still avoiding eye contact, spoke in a quieter tone. "I didn't mean for this to happen..."

Langston stopped pacing and exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. "I know," he said at last. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the fog and shattered remnants of the lab. "I just, this was supposed to give us answers, not more questions."

Scotty stepped forward, clapping a hand on Langston's shoulder. "Well, we're still alive, so that's something. And you've got that fancy gauntlet. Maybe it picked up something useful before everything went boom?"

Langston hesitated, glancing at his gauntlet. "Maybe," he said reluctantly. "I'll check it later. Right now, we need to clear this place before we can even think about analyzing anything."

Sasha gestured toward Euphrates, softening her tone. "And Euphrates, next time? Maybe double-check before you short out a regulator."

Euphrates managed a smirk, though embarrassment lingered in her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Lesson learned."

They moved carefully back into the lab's wreckage. Debris choked the hallway, fumes clinging to the air like a shroud. Langston's gauntlet flickered as he led the group, his jaw set tight. "Let's clear this. Keep your spells sharp and don't touch anything unless you're sure it won't blow up."

Sasha stepped forward, her hands glowing as she cast a purifying spell to push back the worst of the toxic haze. The air shimmered where her magic passed, clearing just enough space to breathe. "At least we can see what we're walking into now," she muttered, sweat beading on her brow.

Euphrates summoned a stream of water, her hands trembling slightly as she directed the jet to wash away the chemical sludge pooling on the floor. The water hissed as it met the residue, sending up plumes of vapor. "This stuff is everywhere," she said, her voice tight. "Whatever blew up, it was holding a lot more than just basic chemicals."

Scotty followed at the rear, his saber casting flickering light on the walls. "You'd think a vampire lab would be a little less... messy. I'm not even sure what half this stuff used to be."

Langston ignored him, scanning the wreckage with sharp eyes. His gauntlet snapped out golden wires, shifting between materials to slice through a tangle of collapsed pipes blocking their path. The metal screeched as it gave way, falling in a heap. "Whatever's left of the regulator system might still be usable," he said, half to himself.

Euphrates flinched but kept working. "I told you, it wasn't a control panel. I thought it was, but it wasn't." She sprayed another blast of water, clearing a path through a slick of greenish fluid. "It just... shorted everything out. I didn't mean to—"

"We know," Langston cut her off, his tone clipped. "Just focus on getting us through this."

Sasha paused beside a shattered vat, her face pale as she looked at the remains inside. "The monsters," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "They had no chance."

Langston glanced back, his face hard. "Good riddance. They definitely wouldn't have felt any remorse if they were trying to eat you. Besides, they weren't monsters yet. Just experiments. Don't lose focus, Sasha."

Scotty approached, tapping her shoulder lightly. "Come on. We're almost through."

The next section of the hallway was worse. Shards of glass littered the floor, mixed with pulsing veins of some strange organic material that hadn't been there before. Langston's gauntlet sparked as he sent out a controlled shock, burning away a strand that had started creeping toward Euphrates' boot.

Euphrates stomped on it in fright but swallowed hard and summoned more water, dousing the hallway ahead. The organic tendrils recoiled slightly but didn't stop spreading. "This isn't just chemical. It's magic," she said, her voice shaking. "It's feeding off the residue."

Langston nodded grimly. "Then we burn it. Scotty?"

Scotty grinned, raising his saber. "Gladly." The flames from his blade surged brighter as he slashed at the nearest growth, the fire roaring across the floor and consuming the tendrils in a burst of heat. "Uhh... That smells oddly good. Like sausage."

Sasha gagged involuntarily at his words. "You're disgusting," she said through clenched teeth.

Langston didn't look up from his work. "Scotty, shut up and keep burning. Euphrates, focus on the floor. We're almost at the regulator system."

The hallway began to clear, the combined efforts of water, fire, and purifying magic forcing back the toxic remnants. "Almost there," Langston muttered, his eyes fixed on the sparking remains of the regulator system ahead.

Scotty moved ahead with purpose, his saber flaring brighter with every step. The flames roared at the walls and floors, seeking out any movement. When the fire struck a hidden tendril or a patch of the strange organic residue, the substance recoiled violently, writhing and curling in on itself. Each impact sent small plumes of smoke curling upward, each breath stinging with chemical fumes.

Langston followed close behind, his gauntlet wires snapping outward with surgical precision. He sliced through collapsed beams and twisted pipes, the glowing silver wires quickly clearing the debris that cluttered their path. Each severed piece clattered harmlessly to the floor, clearing the way for the others.

Sasha, staying between the two, slowed her steps. Her hands glowed brighter as she activated her newly learned aura spell. A soft, golden light expanded outward from her body, enveloping the group in a gentle but steady sphere of purification. The toxic fumes that lingered in the air dissipated as they touched the aura, the haze retreating with every step she took.

"Breathe easier," she said, her voice steady but strained. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she concentrated on maintaining the magic. "This should keep the air clear."

Euphrates glanced back at Sasha, her own hands glowing as she continued to direct streams of water against the sludge coating the floors. "That's a neat trick, Sasha," she said, her tone genuine despite her exhaustion. "Doesn't make this smell any better, though."

Scotty slashed at another creeping mass of writhing flesh tendrils, the flames roaring as the organic material curled back in defense. He sniffed the air exaggeratedly, grinning. "Actually... it smells like sausage now. Burnt sausage, but still. Could be worse."

Sasha gagged involuntarily, her focus faltering for a moment before she steadied herself again. "You're disgusting," she said through clenched teeth.

Langston didn't look up from his work. "Scotty, shut up and keep burning. Euphrates, focus on the floor. We're almost at the regulator system."

The group pressed forward, the combined efforts of fire, water, and light slowly reclaiming the hallway. The regulator system loomed ahead, sparking and crackling with unstable energy. Langston's jaw tightened as he saw the damage.

Langston examined the destroyed regulator system, its outer casing cracked and its interior a mess of tangled wires and charred components. "Completely ruined," he muttered, stepping closer. Sparks flew as he carefully nudged a loose wire with his gauntlet. "But the wiring..." His eyes followed the mess of cables snaking their way further into the wreckage.

"This way," Langston said, motioning for the others to follow. Pushing past shattered vats and broken refining machinery, they stumbled through the devastation. The air felt heavier here, thick with magic and the buzz of something still active.

At last, they came to a control station. Unlike the rest of the lab, this area seemed untouched by the destruction. A silver bubble of magic surrounded the console, its edges unstable, repelling any debris that came near. Langston's curiosity flared as he stepped closer, brushing loose rubble away from the bubble's edge.

"What is that?" Sasha asked, peering over his shoulder.

"A protective barrier," Langston replied, narrowing his eyes. "Looks like someone didn't want this station damaged." He flexed his gauntlet, silver wires snapping outward. "Let's see if we can get inside."

He sent the wires toward the magical shield. As they approached, the barrier pulsed, pushing them back with a sharp zap of energy. Langston frowned, adjusting the gauntlet's settings. The wires shifted color, glowing gold, then copper, and finally a soft green.

The barrier resisted again, but after a few moments, small holes opened in the shield, just wide enough for the wires to slip through. Langston guided them carefully, threading the wires toward the console inside. "There we go," he murmured, sweat beading on his brow from the effort, his wrist aching from the gauntlet's vibration.

The screen inside the bubble flickered to life, its red letters flashing ominously. WARNING. WARNING. WARNING. CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DETECTED.

"What does it say?" Euphrates asked, craning her neck to see.

"Catastrophic failure," Langston said flatly. He focused on manipulating his wires, carefully flipping a switch inside the bubble. The console buzzed, the magic shield dimming slightly. "Almost there..."

With tremendous effort, Langston managed to press the right sequence of buttons. The shield collapsed with an audible pop, leaving the control station fully exposed. He stepped closer, inspecting the console. The screen persistently flashed warnings, the text readable, but every button on the console bore unfamiliar symbols.

"Great," he muttered, scanning the controls. "I can read the warnings, but these symbols might as well be ancient hieroglyphs."

Scotty leaned in, squinting at the console. "Think you can figure it out?"

Langston hesitated, his fingers hovering over the buttons. "Maybe." He pushed a couple of buttons and gauged the reaction of the console. One of the buttons opened a cup holder from a side panel. Scotty laughed at the absurdity.

Langston thought for a moment and realized, "At least it didn't blow up. Connecting with it would make me feel better. Moira?"

"There you are," Moira responded with ease in his mind, her voice warm and mystical. "What's up?"

Langston asked, "I can't read these symbols, and I'm cautious to not blow this place up."

"Ohhh, I see," Moira said. "Well, that's the infernal language. I never learned it. Sorry."

Langston sighed, "Well. That's a big help."

Moira continued, "You are a technomancer. Use your device; connect directly. There are problems in Doras Dagda right now, so I'm going to go back. Be safe!" She said with a pop in his mind.

Langston started to ask, "What problems?" but she was already gone. He shook his head and glanced back at the console. "She's right. I am a technomancer."

Euphrates tilted her head curiously. "What's a technomancer?"

Langston adjusted a couple of settings on the panel of his gauntlet, twisting a dial to prepare it for hacking. "It's a unique class. It fuses magic with technology. I can use magic to enhance technological devices or create devices out of magic and materials. Basically, it means I can be a magical computer or an inventor of magically engineered devices." He spent a few more moments finding access ports and sending wires into them. As he did so, he constantly made adjustments to the readouts. As the wires wiggled their way into the computer, his screen flashed briefly, as if rebooting it. "Aha, I think I'm in."

The Enclave logo appeared on both his screen and the terminal display. A deep frown crossed his expression. "No fucking way," he stated darkly, fury growing in his heart. "This... This is not possible."

The others leaned around him and saw it too. "Enclave Corp," Scotty read aloud. "What about it? It looks like a standard computer to me."

Langston was beside himself with anger now. "Standard? Don't you see? This is a computer from Earth, the Enclave specifically, in the hands of these monsters, in the lair that spawned a Nuck. There's nothing standard about this."

Realization struck them then. "...Enclave is working with the Warlock?" Euphrates whispered.

Langston spoke through clenched teeth, "It would seem so."