Chapter 6: Betrayal

The hum of the facility’s ventilation system was uneven and grating, its rhythm disrupted by years of neglect—or perhaps sabotage. Sirius Capella felt the tension in the air, thick and electric, as the group moved cautiously through the dimly lit medical wing. The flickering overhead lights revealed an environment that had once been sterile and orderly but was now a chaotic mess of overturned gurneys, shattered vials, and blood-streaked walls.

Dr. Mercer had insisted on guiding them this far, his earlier fear giving way to an uneasy determination. He had explained that this section of the facility housed quarantine chambers—secure areas meant to contain dangerous pathogens and experimental organisms. It was supposed to be one of the safest places in the complex.

But that promise of safety felt like a hollow echo now.

Maya Ramirez walked at the front of the group, her rifle steady and her gaze sharp. “This place gives me the creeps,” she muttered. “It’s too clean in some places and too messy in others.”

“It was abandoned in a rush,” Akira Tanaka replied from the rear, his scanner emitting a faint whine as he adjusted its settings. “Or maybe people were forced to leave—violently.”

Sirius stayed in the center of the group, his mind occupied with the growing unease that had settled in his gut. The survivors they had found earlier, now part of their group, trailed behind him in a disorganized cluster. They were still shaken, and their fear made them unpredictable.

“Dr. Mercer,” Sirius said, his voice cutting through the uneasy quiet. “Are you certain there’s something useful ahead?”

“Certain?” Mercer echoed, glancing back with a bitter smile. “No. But the quarantine labs are the last places anyone would think to search. If the research team left anything important, it’ll be there.”

“Let’s hope you’re right,” Sirius said, though he didn’t miss the wary glance Mercer cast toward the others.

They arrived at a set of reinforced doors marked with a bold biohazard emblem. The access panel beside the door was shattered, but Mercer stepped forward with a confident air.

“I can bypass this,” he said, kneeling beside the panel. “Give me a minute.”

“Make it quick,” Maya said, keeping her rifle trained on the hallway behind them.

Mercer worked in silence, his fingers deftly manipulating the tangled mess of wires and circuits. Sirius watched him closely, noting the nervous tension in his movements. Mercer wasn’t telling them everything. Sirius could feel it in the way the man avoided eye contact, in the occasional tremor in his hands.

With a hiss of pressurized air, the doors slid open, revealing a sterile corridor that seemed untouched by the chaos outside. The fluorescent lights inside were steady, their brightness a stark contrast to the dim and flickering illumination of the rest of the facility.

“This is it,” Mercer said, standing and brushing off his hands. “Quarantine labs are at the end of this hall.”

Sirius motioned for the group to follow, but something about the pristine corridor made his skin crawl. The walls were too smooth, the air too still. It felt like a trap waiting to spring.

They entered the lab area cautiously, their footsteps echoing on the polished floor. The room was a stark contrast to everything they’d seen so far: intact equipment, neatly arranged workstations, and no signs of struggle. It was as though the disaster that had ravaged the rest of the facility had stopped just outside these doors.

“Why is this place untouched?” Maya asked, her voice low.

“Sealed off early,” Mercer replied. “The quarantine labs were designed to isolate themselves in case of a breach. Looks like the system worked.”

“Convenient,” Akira muttered, scanning the room. “Too convenient.”

Sirius nodded in agreement, his eyes narrowing. “Search the area. Look for anything that might explain what happened—or help us get out of here.”

The team split up, each member moving to a different section of the lab. Akira examined a row of data terminals, his fingers flying over the keys as he attempted to access the system. Maya checked the storage cabinets, her movements brisk and efficient. Tino stood near the center of the room, its optics glowing faintly as it monitored their surroundings.

Sirius moved toward a large observation window that overlooked an adjacent chamber. Inside, a series of containment pods lined the walls, each one housing a grotesque organism in varying states of dissection. The sight made his stomach turn, but he forced himself to study the scene carefully. There were answers here, buried beneath the horror.

“What do you think they were doing here?” Maya asked, joining him at the window.

“Something they shouldn’t have,” Sirius replied. “Whatever these creatures are, they weren’t meant to exist.”

“Found something,” Akira called from across the room. He gestured for Sirius to join him, his expression tense. “The system’s still partially active. I’ve got access to research logs.”

Sirius crossed the room and leaned over Akira’s shoulder as he navigated the terminal. The logs were fragmented, but enough remained to paint a chilling picture. The experiments conducted in the quarantine labs were focused on adaptive biology—manipulating organisms to survive and thrive in extreme environments. But the logs hinted at something darker: the creatures had been designed to learn, to evolve, and to overcome.

“They weren’t just studying these things,” Akira said, his voice barely above a whisper. “They were turning them into weapons.”

“Figures,” Maya said, her tone cold. “Every time humanity reaches too far, it’s always for war.”

Sirius was about to respond when a sudden noise cut through the room—a heavy clang, followed by the sound of metal scraping against metal. The team froze, their weapons raised.

“What was that?” one of the survivors whispered, their voice trembling.

The answer came a moment later as the doors they had entered through slammed shut with a resounding thud. A series of locks engaged, the sound echoing ominously through the lab.

“It’s a trap,” Maya growled, spinning to face Mercer. “What the hell did you do?”

“I didn’t—” Mercer began, but his protest was cut off as a hidden panel in the far wall slid open. A group of armed figures stepped into the room, their faces obscured by helmets. They moved with military precision, their weapons trained on the team.

“Drop your weapons,” one of them ordered, their voice distorted by a modulator. “Now.”

Sirius held his ground, his weapon still raised. “Who are you?”

The figure didn’t answer, stepping forward instead. Their body language made it clear that they were in control. “I won’t ask again. Drop your weapons, or we’ll open fire.”

Reluctantly, Sirius lowered his weapon, signaling for the others to do the same. Maya’s expression was furious, but she complied, setting her rifle on the floor with deliberate slowness.

The armed group moved quickly, disarming the team and herding them toward the center of the room. One of the survivors began to cry softly, their fear palpable.

“This wasn’t the plan,” Mercer said, his voice shaking. “You said—”

“We said you’d live,” the leader interrupted, their tone cold. “And you will. For now.”

“You sold us out,” Maya hissed, glaring at Mercer. “You bastard.”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Mercer shot back, his voice desperate. “They would’ve killed me!”

“And now they’ll kill us,” Sirius said, his tone sharp. He turned to the leader. “What do you want?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” the leader said. They gestured toward the hidden panel, where more figures were entering, carrying heavy equipment. “You’ve seen too much, but you might still be useful.”

As the armed group began securing the room, Sirius’s mind raced. This wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about escape. And if he had to make a hard choice to get them out of here, he would.

The clang of locking restraints snapped him back to the present, and he glanced at Maya. Her expression was grim, her jaw set.

“Whatever’s coming next,” she said softly, “we’re not going to like it.”

Sirius didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. The sound of heavy machinery starting up was answer enough.