NeoVital

The group gathered in a cramped space at the back of NeoVital, far from the surveillance cameras. The area was cluttered with equipment crates scattered everywhere. Rubi crouched on the ground and manipulated her symbiont as she finished calibrating a small device. Lights flickered on its metallic surface, reflecting the intensity of her focus.

“Done,” she finally said, standing up and handing the device to Leo. “This is our key. Based on Lucy’s data and the schematics we found, this device can erase and deactivate everything tied to their plans.”

Leo held the object carefully, examining it. It was smaller than he expected, fitting neatly in the palm of his hand. “Will it work on any terminal?”

Rubi shook her head. “Not exactly. It needs to be connected to a main terminal—something that controls NeoVital’s entire network. And we only get one shot. Once activated, it will trigger a chain reaction, wiping everything out. But it’ll also set off alarms. They’ll know immediately that it was us.”

Diego crossed his arms, eyeing the device with a thoughtful expression. “So we need to find that terminal before doing anything else. If they catch wind of us, we’re screwed.”

“Exactly,” Rubi confirmed. “Which is why I need you two inside the main complex. Alice and I will track the main terminal from the control room. Once we locate it, we’ll let you know.”

Alice stepped forward, her gaze steady as she studied the device in Leo’s hand. “This could be the beginning of the end for the Vanguard. But it won’t be easy, and they won’t give us a second chance.”

Leo looked at the object once more, feeling the symbolic weight it carried. This was Lucy’s legacy in action. A last-ditch effort to resist, her words echoed in his mind.

“Then let’s do this,” he said, his voice firm.

Alice nodded. “We’ll split up as soon as we’re inside. You two cover the research sector. Rubi and I will handle the control room. Stay sharp and stick to the plan.”

The group finalized their preparations and double-checked their equipment before moving into the complex. The lights of the main building shone like a beacon, but what lay within was something they couldn’t yet imagine.

The infiltration began more smoothly than anyone expected, but the tension remained high. They had planned every detail meticulously, using the internal schematics recovered from Lucy’s files. They took a maintenance route at the back of NeoVital, a path usually overlooked, used only by technical teams and repair drones.

Rubi led the group, constantly adjusting her portable device to monitor the security systems. “The cameras here are on a scanning cycle,” she whispered, crouching behind a set of exposed pipes. “We have exactly 15 seconds before the next one rotates toward this corridor.”

Alice glanced at the others, making a quick hand signal. “Follow me. No noise.”

Moving in a single file, the group crossed the narrow corridor, their steps muffled by reinforced boots. The metal walls reflected the intermittent glow of power indicators, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. Leo felt sweat trickle down his neck but stayed focused, gripping the device Rubi had given him tightly.

When they reached the first door, Rubi quickly connected her symbiont to the control panel, activating a stream of code that projected onto a small screen. “Low-level lock,” she murmured. “Easy.” With a subtle click, the door slid open, revealing an even darker corridor.

“So far, so good,” Diego muttered, casting a wary glance down the dim passage ahead. “But this is way too quiet.”

Alice nodded, clenching her fists as her symbiont hummed faintly. “Quiet doesn’t mean safe. Stay alert.”

The next corridors were filled with loose cables and control panels worn down by time. In some sections, repair drones floated by, making automatic adjustments to exposed systems. The group moved carefully, synchronizing their steps with the drones’ mechanical hums to avoid drawing attention.

Reaching a brighter section, Rubi checked a terminal embedded in the wall. “The credentials have worked so far, but from here on, things will get trickier. This next sector is tied to biometric sensors.”

“That’s not a problem,” Diego said, pulling a small device from his belt. He activated it, and a blue light began projecting a fake biometric signature. “District Four’s got tricks for situations like this,” he said with a confident grin.

Rubi and Leo exchanged raised eyebrows in unison. Diego shrugged, gesturing with his hands. “What? Can’t I have my secrets too?”

Leo smirked slightly as Rubi rolled her eyes, refocusing on the terminal. “It’ll only work for two minutes. Don’t mess this up with your ‘District Four preparation.’”

Diego chuckled softly, though his gaze grew sharp as the group pressed forward.

Alice led them down another corridor, where they finally reached the entrance to the research sector. They gathered around the door as Rubi worked quickly to disable the locks. When the door slid open, it revealed a sprawling area of corridors and side rooms, all illuminated by cold, impersonal lights.

“From here, we split up,” Alice said, adjusting the communicator in her ear. “Rubi and I will head to the control room. Leo, Diego, cover the research sector. If you find anything, report it immediately. Remember, the main terminal is our priority.”

Leo took a deep breath, exchanging a quick glance with Diego before nodding. “Understood.”

As the group separated, Leo felt the weight of the mission intensify. Every step was carefully calculated, but he knew the real test was yet to come.

The two of them continued down the main corridor, the embedded floor lights illuminating their path. “This is going way too smoothly,” Diego muttered, his expression wary. “A place like this should have tighter security.”

“Maybe they didn’t expect anyone to take this route,” Leo replied, gripping his energized knife tightly. “Or maybe we’re walking straight into a trap.”

The corridor led them to a large room sealed by hermetic doors. Diego worked the controls, unlocking the access. When the doors slid open, both of them froze, standing motionless. The scene before them was like something out of a nightmare.

The room was immense, its dimensions swallowing the space as if designed for something far beyond human comprehension. Pillars rose to the high ceiling, where thick cables snaked like artificial veins, pulsing with an energy that seemed almost alive. Greenish light emanated from panels embedded in the walls.

Suspended throughout the room were massive metal structures hanging from cables and supports. There were dozens of them, maybe even hundreds, arranged in perfect geometric patterns. Inside each structure were people. They were restrained, unconscious, with wires and devices connected to their heads and bodies. Their faces looked serene, but the small, involuntary spasms of their limbs betrayed that this was anything but peace.

A flickering glow bathed the victims’ faces, the shifting light exposing unsettling details—a youthful reflection, a shadowed arm pulled taut, or wires vanishing into organic casings.

Leo took a few hesitant steps into the room, his eyes scanning the space without knowing where to focus. It was too much to process. “So this is what they’ve been doing,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. He looked around, realizing the structures stretched as far as the light could reach.

Diego approached one of the structures, his expression hardening as he examined the devices connected to the victims’ bodies. “This isn’t testing. It’s active. They’re manipulating these people.”

Leo’s stomach churned, the air heavy with the weight of realization. The Vanguard’s cruelty had always been evident, but this... this was beyond comprehension—a grotesque violation of humanity itself. A thought surfaced in his mind—a recent memory of Lucy’s words. They’re using the devices to manipulate people’s minds. He clenched his fists, a knot forming in his throat as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing.

Before they could fully process what they were witnessing, Diego’s communicator emitted a faint buzz. It was Rubi.

“We’ve got a problem,” she whispered, tension evident in her voice. “We’re near the control room, but we’ve spotted movement. Vanguard operatives—Ron Wireback among them.”

Ron Wireback. The name lingered in Leo’s thoughts like a shadow—an ever-present reminder of their suffering, the puppet master pulling the strings of the Vanguard’s cruelty. A wave of tension coursed through his body as he absorbed the gravity of the revelation.

Diego raised a hand for silence, his eyes locking with Leo’s. The unspoken message was clear: This was bigger than they had imagined.

“We’re trying to stay discreet, but stay sharp,” Rubi continued, her voice tinged with urgency. “They seem to be reviewing something in the systems. This might be our chance to uncover more, but we need to move fast.”

Diego pressed the communicator closer to his ear, his brow furrowed. “Understood. But you need to know what we’ve found here.”

Leo felt the weight of the moment as he looked at the structures around him, each one bearing the scars of what the Vanguard was capable of. Something was about to change—and they needed to be ready for whatever came next.