Chapter 25: Echoes and threat
Individuals like him usually held critical positions in modern society: calm, reflective, observant, and always masking their true intentions.
"What kind of crimes was he involved in before showing up here?" Benjamin muttered to the others.
"We can't do anything about the radio frequency," said Benjamin aloud. "It seems like something is jamming it."
He turned to Linus, who nodded silently and produced an oval-shaped ball—a miniaturized scanning device. Holding it up to the sky, the ball suddenly reconfigured, expanding like a transforming machine. With a hum, it lifted off the ground and flew skyward, initiating a 360° environmental scan every minute.
"We can keep track of our surroundings this way," Linus said. "Let's move fast. Whoever we spotted earlier might already be at the core."
"Why didn't we take a vehicle?" Sebastian complained.
Benjamin shot him a glare. "How exactly did you expect us to pass through the door and climb all those stairs with a vehicle?"
The more Sebastian spoke, the more Benjamin thought of him as an idiot.
"Some of the facilities might still be functional," said Levi. "Even if power levels are low, we could find a working vehicle."
"Or something like that," Linus said, pointing with his thumb and grinning. The rest turned to look.
"Uh… I've never ridden a bike before," Benjamin admitted. The others glanced at him but offered no sympathy. With a sigh, he accepted the fact that he'd have to learn on the spot.
"How do we activate them?" They approached a glitching holographic billboard displaying sci-fi-style ATV bikes. But on the floor, all they saw were sleek tech squares—compact, featureless boxes with intricate patterns and futuristic design.
Linus examined the boxes. His eyes flickered with numerical overlays and activation instructions.
> ATV Mobile Bike: Dual-format vehicle. Two-wheel or four-wheel configuration. Designed for delivery and transport across industrial facilities. Moderate speed. Energy-efficient.
After scanning the manual, Linus praised the AI interface and stepped toward one of the boxes. He pressed his palm against the surface. A circular panel depressed beneath his hand.
The box levitated and transformed. Four wheels extended, followed by a sleek front and back. Within moments, a brand-new futuristic ATV bike hovered beside him.
"Do what I just did," Linus instructed before mounting the bike and speeding off.
"Hey! Wait for us!" Sebastian shouted.
He followed Linus' example and activated his own vehicle. Behind him, he heard the rev of two more engines.
"What are you waiting for?" Levi had already customized his to two-wheel mode and was speeding ahead.
Benjamin, sharper than he let on, had activated his in four-wheel mode and followed close behind.
Sebastian scowled at their indifference, then climbed aboard his own bike.
Just before he hit the road, he heard an echo—faint and distant, from the direction they had come.
"Damn, this place creeps me out," he muttered before taking off, leaving behind a musty, silent corridor littered with stone remains.
Kyaaaa!
A scream echoed again, louder this time. But the four riders were too far gone to hear it.
---
"Their movement has accelerated," reported Charlotte.
She looked at Cross, who gave a slight nod.
"They may have realized something's following them," Beatrice said.
"That's possible," Cross agreed. "But we need to focus on our primary mission."
He turned to the technician. "How long to gain access to the core?"
"Not long. The system hasn't been maintained in years. Bypassing it should be easy," the technician replied.
The group stood before a massive black door—the only entrance to the sky-piercing tower known as the Core. The structure connected the top of the dome to the facility's lower levels.
Moments later, the door cracked open.
Weapons ready, the team moved inside cautiously. But they froze just steps in.
"What really happened here?" Beatrice whispered.
The facility was filled with stone figures—some shattered, others half-collapsed—dozens of them. A haunting graveyard of frozen expressions.
"Looks like whatever hit them was near-annihilation level," said Paul, one of the technicians, as he poked at a statue.
Frzzz!
The statue crumbled into dust. Paul flinched. The others glared at him.
"I hope not," said a technician. "I'd rather deal with mutated earth-born creatures than the others. SCP-class entities are too dangerous."
"Yeah, thinking about SCPs gives me chills," Paul added. "They're unpredictable—and they can be anywhere."
They walked past the ruins toward a massive dark elevator, large enough to hold twenty people.
"Can you restore it?" Cross asked.
"The energy's low, but it's sufficient for core access," Paul confirmed. But then he hesitated. "Do you know anything that could consume an NSC?"
NSC: Nuclear Solar Core —a condensed ball of solar-level energy, like a miniature sun.
"That might've caused the disaster," Cross said. "This colony was tasked with advanced experimentation. It's possible they reached too close to godhood—and paid the price."
"What if it was one of those SCPs?" the girl beside Paul asked.
"That's a possibility," Cross replied. "SCPs were rumors before the Blackout. Afterward, their existence became undeniable. Unpredictable. Lethal. Breaches happen even in secure zones."
He paused.
"But worse things exist now. You've heard of the Annihilators, the Things, Bloop-class horrors, the Dominators…"
The room grew cold.
"The old world was a mystery people yearned to explore. The new world is a Pandora's Box best left sealed."
No one spoke. Everyone had witnessed something unspeakable in their careers.
"But even among the worst," Beatrice whispered, "the Prime stands above all."
"Still just a myth," Charlotte said.
"Prime?" Paul looked confused.
"Yes," said Beatrice. "An entity close to divinity itself. The name appears in scattered records. No one knows if it's real or invented—but in today's world, nothing's truly impossible."
"You mean... cosmic threats exist on Earth?" Paul asked, his voice unsteady.
No one answered. But the silence was louder than any reply.
Ding!
They had reached the lowest floor.
The doors opened—and horror greeted them.
Where a bright orange core should have glowed, a swirling, unstable black hole hovered.
Even Cross—the coldest among them—twitched with visible fear.
"What is this?" Paul whispered. "Why... why is there a black hole in place of the NSC?"
The answer chilled them all.
---
"Hey, wake up."
Nathalie winced, her eyes snapping open before pain crashed into her skull. She groaned, reaching up to find her head bandaged.
The wound had been treated.
"What happened?" she muttered, eyes scanning her surroundings.
Petty sat by her side, staring at her with wide, bright eyes.
"Petty?" Nathalie blinked, then gasped. Her hand shot toward her blade. "Where's that bastard!?"
She looked around. But they were alone.
"Huh?" she frowned. "What's going on?"
"You ask too many questions," Petty said flatly. "Which one am I supposed to answer first? Whatever. I took care of him."
Petty rose and walked toward the cockpit.
"You should rest for now."
Nathalie stared at her back, sensing something different—something colder.
"Have you finally shown your true self?" she asked.
Petty stopped. Turned. Her eyes were devoid of emotion.
—To be Continued