As evening approached, the night wrapped the Sentinels Outpost in layers of ash-gray fog and silence. The corridor lights flickered weakly due to the outpost's power-saving measures.
The low hum of hydro-processing pumps echoed faintly from the pump house nearby.
Inside her quarters, Dr. Eliya Ward sat cross-legged on a bunk that was too stiff to be comfortable. Pale blue light from her data projector lit up her face as she scrolled through layers of fragmented data, coordinates, old schematics, and faded logs from Dr. Lena Arctis.
She clicked on the coordinates. A map appeared, showing a route to the Black Archive.
"This is about 600 kilometers," she whispered unhappily. "It could take up to a month trekking through wasteland and broken roads, probably filled with Shades. I'll be dead meat before I even reach the Black Archive."
Her voice cracked with emotion. "Kaden, I need you on this journey."
She expanded the map, revealing once-beautiful buildings and images of the world before it fell apart.
"Old map," she laughed briefly, remembering when life was simple, when there was no fear of the Vesper virus or monsters waiting to tear you apart.
She deeply missed those days, when the world still had green lands and working roads.
If only Kaden had agreed to go with her, they could've traveled by car, feeling the wind in their hair and the sun on their faces. They would've cruised down highways, the engine roaring, hearts pounding with the excitement of adventure.
They would've stopped at small roadside eateries, juicy burgers at a retro diner, spicy meals at cozy, family-run places. The smell of fresh coffee would have filled their car as they grabbed breakfast from a quiet café.
As they drove, the scenery would've changed like a moving painting, majestic mountains, rolling hills, green forests, and golden fields waving in the breeze.
They would've laughed, talked, and shared memories along the way. After days of traveling, they would've reached the Black Archive, ready to uncover its secrets.
But all that was just a dream. The world was no longer like that.
Even the farmlands were now dry and cracked. Dust replaced the green. The air was thick with smelly, poisonous fog. The skies were no longer blue, but a hazy gray filled with smoke and the stench of death. Survival had become a daily struggle. The silence was heavy, broken only by the occasional growl of a Shade or distant thunder. Earth had become a dead, broken wasteland.
Eliya shook off the memories and focused on reading the pieces of fragmented research data.
RESEARCH NOTES: Serum Development.
This serum blueprint is based on uncorrupted DNA. It was designed to fight the Vesper virus. According to Dr. Lena Arctis's notes, the team collected corrupted DNA samples from infected people to understand the virus better.
The work of the Coalition of scientist was key. The helped create a stable prototype using advanced gene-editing methods.
Key Findings:
The serum has shown promising results in controlling the virus. However, resources are limited. New materials and resources will be needed to help improve it.
A possible weakness has been found. The serum may not remain effective, depending on the source of materials. It works best when used early in the infection.
More DNA is needed to continue the research.
Eliya sighed as she read the notes deeply, she wished she had witnessed the creation of the serum. If only she could get her hands on what the content of the raw resources was made up of.
Suddenly, a knock on the door broke the silence. She paused, staring at the door, unsure if it was real or her mind playing tricks on her.
The knock came again.
She looked up as the door slid open. Kaden Mercer stood there, the dim corridor light casting shadows on his face.
Eliya's face lit up. She silently hoped he had come to say something good. She couldn't take another blow of continuous rejections from him.
She noticed the fire in his eyes had cooled. But the embers still burned.
"I'll go with you," he said.
Eliya blinked. "What?"
"I'll help you find the Black Archive." Kaden said coldy looking away.
She stood up slowly. "Are you sure?" She asked.
"Do you want me to return to my quarters," Kaden asked, "or do you still want this mission achieved?"
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry I doubted you. At first, you didn't seem like you wanted to come." she laughed
"Oh my God Kaden, this is a miracle."
"dont be too excited. I'm still not sure I want to come" he replied bluntly, stepping back into the corridor.
Eliya cooled down her excitement as She followed him out. They stood silently along the barracks corridor, looking over the vast expanse of the outpost.
"I just can't pretend anymore," Kaden said.
"The virus is changing. The Shades are evolving. If there's even a little truth in what you said... I can't ignore it."
Eliya tilted her head. "What changed your mind?"
Kaden clenched his jaw. "I don't know. But when I got back to my quarters, I couldn't sleep. The part you said about how the Sovereign Hand turned the Black Archive into a myth that got to me. Why would they bury something that could give people hope?"
Eliya locked eyes with him, the weight of the truth pressing down hard.
A cold silence stretched between them. It was Heavy and Long.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Kaden asked.
Eliya took a deep breath. "The Sovereign Hand... isn't what you think they are. They're not just a good government trying to save people and rebuild."
"What do you mean?" Kaden asked.
"They're selfish. My mentor, Dr. Lena Arctis, used to work for them and I assisted her. She saw things that weren't right. But she had no choice but to follow orders. Still, she made an alternative plan one that would outsmart the Sovereign Hand so they wouldn't abuse the black archive."
"What plan?"
"Something happened she got betrayed so out of revenge she took the Archive and hid it far away. And she paid a deadly price for it."
"Why would she take away something that could help people"
"The serum she developed was limited but the soverign hand took advantage of the serum. the details of everything concerning the serum was embedded in the black archive"
Kaden's voice was quiet but sharp. "Whatever she saw... it must've been dangerous. Why didn't she leave if she knew it wasn't right?"