Project Eclipse

Alessa cries in our arms, her sobs are muffled as she presses her face against my chest. Chloe's arms are tight around us, and she leans her head against my shoulder. We hold Alessa close, her trembling gradually subsides, but she never lets go.

After a while, Alessa speaks again.

"James," she murmurs, her red eyes wide with fear. "Chloe... we have to get out of here."

"I agree, but lets stay in the bunker for now." I look a my watch, "We have just a little over 10 hours in here as a safe zone." I point where Alex's smoldering body lies. "He's proof that whoever is running the game cares about the safe zone rule"

Chloe nods in agreement, "James is right, lets stay here until we have to move."

Alessa bites her lip, nodding in agreement. We move to the back of the bunker and begin searching Alex's belongings. We find a backpack full of supplies and a strange, silver bracelet. Chloe's gaze lingers on the bracelet for a moment, an almost conflicted look on her face.

I turn my attention back to Alex's backpack, searching it for any useful items. There's a few bottles of water, some dried meat, and a flashlight. Chloe finds a first aid kit and Alessa discovers a box of ammo.

We decide to move deeper into the bunker, the smell of Alex's body is starting to make us nauseous. Alessa looks a bit better now that she has something to occupy her mind, she helps us explore the bunker.

As we search, Chloe finds a computer console. There's a small, holographic display that shows the island's security cameras. Chloe's blue eyes widen, and she lets out a gasp.

"James," she murmurs, pointing to the screen. "Look, there are more people here."

Chloe gestures towards the holographic display, pointing to a girl about our age. She's sitting in a classroom, alone, and she appears to be reading a book. A boy our age is sitting on a desk, a gun in his hands. Chloe points to another camera, revealing a boy and a girl our age standing in a hallway.

"James," Chloe says, her blue eyes wide with terror. "This game... it's bigger than we thought."

I point out what looks like a command prompt in the bottom corner of the display. Chloe types in a command, and the display changes. Now, it shows all the other cameras. There are a dozen people trapped on this island, and Chloe and I exchange worried glances.

The holographic display flickers, an image appearing on the screen. It's the silhouette of a woman, a school's uniform is draped over her slender frame. A large knife is sticking out of her chest, blood stains her uniform.

Chloe and I gasp, turning our attention to the display. Alessa moves closer, her gaze fixated on the holographic screen, and we can tell she's terrified.

On a whim I ask Chloe to ask the computer about Base 23. Chloe types in the question, and the display responds with:

Base 23 was built in 1946 by the government of Japan as an airbase during World War One. During the War, experiments involving psychic research were conducted without consent from the subjects involved, many suffered horrible side-effects that left many of them with mental problems or even death. Pullico Resort was built on the island to cater to wealthy tourists seeking an alternative vacation destination.

Current Status : ACTIVE. Base 23 is currently operational and occupied.

Chloe types in another question, asking if it can give us any information about the players.

Players in Test Group 17 : 32

Survivors in Test Group 17 :18

"James, could you do me a favor? Could you.... talk off Alex's watch and bring it to me?" Chloe asks.

"Ok Chloe, why do you need his watch?" I reply.

Chloe hesitates, her blue eyes wide with worry. "James, I... I have a plan. But I'll need Alex's watch."

I nod, moving towards Alex's body. Alessa follows me, her red eyes bright with fear, and she swallows back a gasp as we kneel down next to the smoldering husk, the watch slide of easily, pulling a mass of burnt flesh with it. Alessa retches, her face contorting, and she moves away to vomit on the floor.

I hand Chloe Alex's watch, she turns away, her blue eyes gleaming. Chloe flips over his watch and reads an inscription on the back "Group 17 Subject 4" Chloe gasps, her eyes widening, and she looks up at me.

"James," she whispers, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Group 17 is us. Alex was in our test group.

The revelation hits us like a punch to the gut. We're not just survivors in a sick game. We're fucking lab rats in some twisted experiment.

"What the hell?" Chloe stammers out, her fingers frozen on the keyboard. "We're... we're part of a damn experiment?"

Alessa looks like she might vomit any second. "This... this is too much... shit!" she blurts out, her body trembling.

"We need to figure this shit out," I say, swallowing down the panic. "Chloe, look up 'Test Group 17' and 'Base 23'. Maybe we can find some answers."

Chloe nods, her hands shaking as she types the commands. We're all huddled around the screen, our breaths hitching as the horrific truth unravels before us.

"Psychic research? Are you fucking kidding me?" Alessa says, her voice barely above a whisper. "They've messed with our heads?"

Chloe, usually so composed, looks close to breaking. "I... I don't know, Alessa," she admits, her voice shaking. "But whatever this is... it's bigger than we ever imagined."

It feels like we spend hours staring at that damned screen. Hours learning about the horror show that is Base 23. Alessa starts to break down, her sobs echoing in the silent bunker.

"God damn it," I whisper, an arm around Alessa as she shakes with terror. "We're... we're part of some fucked up psychic experiment."

Alessa's sobs turn into hysterical laughter, the grim reality pushing her over the edge. "We're just...just lab rats," she repeats, her laughter turning shrill.

"Focus, Alessa," I tell her, but it feels like I'm trying to hold back a tidal wave.

When we find personal files on each of us, I feel a sickening lurch in my stomach. They've been spying on us, planning... this. "Those fucking bastards," I mutter, feeling Chloe's hand squeeze my arm in shared fear.

Without warning, Alessa's face contorts, and her lips pull back into a snarl. She picks up an empty can, hurling it against the wall with a clatter. A manic light has entered her eyes, making them gleam like a cornered animal's.

"What the fuck is this?!" She screams, her voice echoing in the small space. "Is this some kind of fucking joke?!"

Chloe and I stare at her, frozen in shock. Alessa has always been the composed one, the sensible one. But now, she's falling apart, and it's like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

"We're just fucking kids!" Alessa shrieks, grabbing a knife from our pile of supplies. She brandishes it wildly, her wild gaze switching between me and Chloe. "We're not soldiers! We're not... we're not fucking lab rats!"

"Alessa, put the knife down," I say, trying to keep my voice steady. I can see the terror in Chloe's eyes, mirrored in my own.

Alessa ignores me, jabbing the knife in my direction. "And you!" she accuses, her voice wavering. "You're just as bad! You're just going along with this like it's some fucking game!"

She whirls to face Chloe, the blade glinting ominously. "And you! You're just fucking calm! How can you be calm?!"

But before we can respond, the knife's point is suddenly facing inward, pressing against Alessa's own chest. Her wild eyes well up with tears, the knife's blade trembles in her unsteady hand.

"Alessa!" Chloe cries, springing into action. I follow her lead, rushing toward our friend. But Alessa shrieks, pressing the blade harder against her chest.

"Stay the fuck away!" She screams, her voice choked with tears. "I'll do it! I swear, I'll fucking do it!"

"Alessa, please!" I plead, inching closer. The terror in her eyes is like a physical blow, and it feels like my heart might shatter from the sheer intensity of it.

It's a tense, drawn-out moment, a standoff that lasts for an eternity. But then, with a strangled sob, Alessa drops the knife. It clatters to the floor, and she collapses, sinking to her knees.

Chloe and I rush forward, wrapping our arms around her. Alessa's entire body is shaking, wracked with sobs. She clings to us, her face buried in Chloe's chest.

"I'm sorry," she sobs, her words muffled. "I'm so fucking scared."

"It's okay, Alessa," Chloe whispers, her voice thick with emotion. "We're scared too. We're all fucking terrified."

I nod in understanding, "We have a couple of hours left of safety, we should use that to explore the rest of the bunker. There may be more information or resources we can use."

Chloe and Alessa, though shaken, nod in agreement. We descend deeper into the labyrinthine structure of the bunker, our flashlights cutting through the gloom. Alessa finds a thick stack of yellowed documents in a rotting wooden crate. The scent of old paper fills the air as we start to sift through the files.

"Look at this," Chloe says, her eyes wide as she scans a yellowed document. She takes a deep breath before she begins reading aloud. "According to this research, people with a gene labeled 'Lambda-X7' may develop psychic abilities when exposed to severe emotional distress." She looks up at us, the color drained from her face.

"Psychic abilities?" James scoffs, his laugh brittle. "Are you fucking kidding me? That's... that's just sci-fi shit."

But I don't laugh. Something is niggling at the back of my mind. "Wait," I say slowly, drawing their attention. "Do you remember the blood tests we had at school a few months ago? They claimed it was a nutritional check..." The words hang in the air, unspoken implications making our stomachs churn.

James's scoff dies on his lips, and Chloe's eyes widen. "You think... could they have been testing us for this 'Lambda-X7' gene?" James asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Chloe is already shaking her head, running her hands through her hair. "No, no, no," she mutters, but the doubt is evident in her eyes. We all look at each other, the room suddenly feeling much colder.

As if our night isn't shocking enough, Chloe finds another document. This one is different. It's newer, marked with the title 'Project Eclipse'. Most of the pages are heavily redacted with thick black lines. But there's just enough to read, to add more horror to our situation.

"Project Eclipse?" James repeats, taking the file from Chloe. He flips through the almost blank pages. "It says something about 'Test Group 17'... and 'Base 23'."

We freeze. I can see the terror mirrored in their eyes. "That's... that's us," I whisper, my voice shaky. "We're Test Group 17. We're in Base 23."

There's a beat of silence before James throws the file away, a harsh laugh escaping him. "Great. We're not just trapped in some insane game. We're fucking lab rats for 'Project Eclipse'."

A sudden crash makes us jump. Alyssa, who's been silent this entire time, has knocked over a chair. Her eyes are wide, unfocused, and she's mumbling under her breath, fingers digging into her palms. Her fear is palpable and it sends icy tendrils of dread down my spine.

"Fuck, not again," James curses, but we're all frozen in our places. It's only when Alyssa's hands move towards a forgotten knife that we snap into action. The fear is almost paralyzing, but we have to stop her. We can't lose her, not now. The struggle feels like it lasts for an eternity before she finally collapses into Chloe, sobbing uncontrollably.

We're left in the aftermath, shaken and on edge, trying to come to terms with the horrifying reality. Not just participants in a sick game, but subjects in an ominous experiment: Project Eclipse.