Chapter 20 The Red Button

Virell's cluttered workbench was a chaotic mess, the remnants of failed experiments, half-assembled machinery, and crumpled papers strewn across the surface. He shoved a pile of junk off to the side, his hands shaking as he grabbed a small storage device, holding it aloft like it was the last precious thing on Earth. He held it up to the group, his voice becoming increasingly erratic.

“They came for this!” Virell yelled, “They’ll steal it again! You must destroy it! They’ll misuse the data! The military, the president, no one can have it! Not the factions, not the corporations! This—this research is too important! No one should control this power!” 

His words tumbled out in a frenzied rant, his mind spiraling deeper into the abyss of madness.

 “What do I care anymore? The world ended long ago! Nothing matters! Nothing except the project, the project! Should I give up on it? No! I must finish what I started! This is it! The key to saving everything! You can’t let them take it! You can’t let them—”

 He paused, his voice faltering as he seemed to lose the thread of his thoughts.

 “No… No! Don’t let them get it! It’s all… it’s all my fault. I should have finished it, I should have—”

He stopped suddenly, staring blankly at the device, and then at the group before him. 

“What’s the point anymore?” he muttered to himself, as if he had forgotten they were even there.

 “Everything’s already gone. They’ll just take it again. It’s too late, too late for all of us—”

Sable stepped forward cautiously, his voice calm, trying to reach the man. 

“Let me finish what you started. Pass me your research. I can save this world from desertification. I won’t let it fall into the wrong hands.”

Virell froze mid-rant, his mechanical eye flickering as he turned his head slowly to face Sable. There was a long, tense silence as he seemed to weigh the words, his gaze shifting between Sable and the data in his hand.

 Then he slowly whispered, “Oh, I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

Before anyone could respond, a deafening gunshot rang out from behind them.

The sound of the bullet reverberated in the room, and Virell’s body jerked violently as blood sprayed from his chest. His mouth opened in a silent scream, and he stumbled backward, collapsing into his chair. The momentum of his fall sent him crashing into the table, sending papers and equipment scattering across the floor.

Sable’s eyes went wide with horror.

The voice that followed was mocking and cold.

 “Ah-ha!” voice rang out from behind them, his footsteps heavy as he strode into the room.

 “What a shame! If only he was right in his mind. We could’ve brought him with us back to Skytech. He could’ve finished the project for us, made us that precious machine of his. But, I suppose, his data will have to suffice.”

 “No! You fool!” Sable shouted, his heart sinking into his stomach.

 “What have you done, Henry?!”

Dune, Mia, and Reed immediately dove behind cover, weapons drawn and ready. 

Sable’s face was twisted in fury, his voice shaking with anger.

 “Do not kill him! He is not entirely lost!”

Henry stepped into the room with his soldiers in tow, his gun still smoking in his gloved hand. The soldiers flanking him looked just as ruthless— all dressed in matching Skytech suits. 

“Ah, you think I care about some crazy scientist, Professor? Always so naïve. You really thought this deranged husk of a man was going to save the world? Look at him. He’s a relic, just like this bunker." 

Dune peeked over the debris, her eyes narrowing at Henry and his men.

 “You think you can walk in here and just take what’s not yours? You’ve made a mistake.”

Henry chuckled darkly.

 “A mistake?” He tilted his head and gave her a mock bow.

 “I’m afraid you’re the one making a mistake, sweetheart. You should’ve known better than to come to get in Skytech way. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll take what’s mine and you can all disappear before I decide to make this more permanent.”

“Cover me!” Sable yelled as he reached for the data storage device.

 “We can’t let him leave with this!”

Virell started to laugh violently, blood pooling at his feet. 

 “You fools... the machine won’t save you... only doom... but that does not matter! None of you will leave this place alive!” His mechanical fist slammed on the red button on his table.

Henry shot him again, finishing him off. 

“We’ll see about that. But one this is certain; you're not going anywhere.”

Verill fell to the ground, letting out his final laugh.

 Henry turned back to Sable. 

“By the way, thanks for leading us here, professor. You saved us a lot of time.”

Dune peered over her cover, her sharp eyes locking on the storage device. 

“We’re not letting you walk out of here with that!”

Henry chuckled. 

“Oh, you’re welcome to try, Ms. Vega. But let’s not pretend your little gang of misfits is any match for my team.”

Mia whispered to Dune, “They’ve got us pinned. What’s the plan?”

Dune smirked.

 “The usual. Improvise.”

Before Mia could protest further, the entire room shook violently. The walls trembled, and a muffled explosion reverberated through the air, rattling the metal structure. The lights flickered, and for a brief moment, everything seemed to hold its breath.

 Then, the ominous sound of an automated warning blared through the speakers.

 "Attention all personnel, the self-destruct protocol has been initiated. This is not a drill. Evacuate immediately. Self-destruct will commence in ten minutes."

But before anyone could make a move, Henry's earpiece crackled with static. Then a voice, filled with panic and desperation, shot through.

 "Sir! We have a problem! The cryopods... they’re opening! The Abominators are waking up! We can’t hold them off—AHHHHH!"

The voice was abruptly cut off, replaced by the harsh static of a broken connection. Henry’s eyes narrowed, and he clicked his earpiece.

 "Respond! Anyone who can hear me, respond!"

Another soldier’s voice crackled through, sounding disoriented and fearful. 

"Sir! We’re taking heavy casualties! There are too many of them, and more are waking up! We… we can’t contain them!"

"Permission to use tech granted!" he shouted.

 "Clear them out at any cost! Use everything we brought!"

"Understood, sir!" came the strained reply from the other end.

The sounds of explosions and mechanical growls reverberated through the hallways as the Abominators began to awaken. The hallway shook with the violent impact of gunfire and explosion. The soldiers’ screams mixing with the horrifying mechanical growls of the creatures. It was a slaughter.

 "Half of you get out there and help the others! The rest of you—stay here and help me deal with these fools! Take them down!” Henry barked, his soldiers opening fire.

“You’re outnumbered!” Henry shouted, “Give it up!”

 The room transformed into a warzone. Gunfire lit up the walls, whizzed by, ricocheting off walls, and screams of soldiers filled the air. Henry didn’t waste a second. While soldiers lay down suppressive fire, he snatched the device from the table—a small storage unit that held everything they needed—and turned to his men.

“Cover me and don't let them pass! Or better, just kill them!” he barked. His soldiers responded immediately, diving into positions, unleashing suppressive fire in every direction.

With the hallway a maelstrom of violence, Henry moved quickly. The air smelled of burning metal and gunpowder. Dead soldiers littered the floor, their bodies twisted in unnatural positions from the violent clash with the Abominators. The creatures, monstrous machines built for destruction, tore through the ranks of soldiers.

“Hold the line! Cover my back!” he shouted, pushing past his men.

His soldiers fell into formation as he made his way to the exit. Explosions rocked the bunker, sending tremors through the ground. Bullets from the Abominators' weapons carved into the walls, turning the hallway into a shredded mess. 

Finally, he reached the exit. Henry slammed his fist against the control panel, activating the blast doors to close behind them. The sound of grinding metal echoed as the massive doors began to shut, sealing the bunker off from the outside world. His men were still inside, but that was a price Henry was willing to pay. He wasn’t sticking around to get caught in the explosion.

With the doors closing behind him, Henry quickly turned and ran toward his vehicle. The sleek, armored transport sat waiting just outside.

But just as he flicked the ignition switch, a sharp crack rang through the air. A bullet sliced through the engine bay, tearing a fist-sized hole through the vehicle’s armor. The car jerked violently, the engine sputtering before it died completely.

Mia. She’d tracked him. She’d gotten the shot off before the blast doors closed. She had taken the perfect shot, disabling his escape route before he could even get away.

Dune and her team had already made their escape, slipping through the chaos of the bunker just before the blast doors closed shut, sealing them off from the hellish warzone inside. They were clear, but Henry wasn’t.