11:00, 11 Kilometers headed east as pointed out by Randall through instinct. The van halts right after passing a curb. 

I was the first off and surveyed the local “landmark”, Cookies followed with Randall checking the car for repairs. Overgrown by moss and ferns slithering among the cracks the roads had better days. 

Broken windows and fallen concrete chunks of the decrepit walls of the abandoned factory, similar to the road, time hadn’t been kind to these forgotten buildings.

Despite yearning for its collapse to encroach sooner, the erect structure stands as the final monument of what used to be, flanked by the ubiquity of nature. 

The sun managed to breach through the thunderous clouds— basking us in yolk-yellow light— clashing with the precipitations. Although, I’ve seen my fair share of incongruent weather, to last for days without end in sight caused unsettle to fester in my head.

Ting

A small cylinder collides with my heel, it rang before slipping into the dark. I fixed my glasses to zoom into the object and saw more things. Spent bullet casings slid concealed among the gaps and cracks on the road; between the ferns and moss. 

They didn’t belong there, yet to be changed and eroded by time, these casings still soothing and warm to the touch, I picked one up to ask about it later.  

“On me!” Randall calls, sliding the van’s side door shut, catching the eye of both me and Cookies. “You t-two, lead the way.” He remarks, aiming his barrel down the darkened hall of the factory. 

I forfeit my investigation for the time being— not wanting to attract either’s attention— and stopped before the entrance. 

“ MALWARE PROTOCOL: (TIER 1) CAST STRINGS ”

I cleared the way with light and chased the darkness to the room's corners. I motioned my head for Cookies to move in. 

“T-thanks!” Cookies replied on cue and guided himself until only his yellow coat remained visible. Machine silhouettes reflect off the sunlit rays piercing the high windows, despite the sunny overcast struggling to illuminate the floors.  

“Units truly are a cut above the rest…” Randall mumbles in stride behind me. “Sir, when did you lose the girl before we enter?” I disrupt with narrowed eyes. 

“Hah, her name’s Vanessa, sorry for not telling it sooner.” He chuckles before pulling a cindered photo from his tattered pockets.     

“Three days ago since I lost her here, I’ve turned this world upside down searching for anyone— everyone for help.” He explains while handing a near-identical photo I got from that basement. “She doesn’t look like this, but insisted that it becomes our memento since we’ll share it.”  

The reminiscent photo felt alive in my hands, holding the same warmth the arm left me.  

“She has the other half?” I asked and returned his “memento”, he nodded and went inside, and like a deer in headlights, I stood dumbfounded.

The longer I stayed, the more this place bemuses me with nonsense. It can’t be a coincidence, I’ve seen enough just to dismiss this as something impossible. Yet, if I entertained that they were the same person, then he must’ve recovered from death, could it have been the same thing responsible for this disaster?

Like respawning back from a fatal encounter— just to make things even more game-like than they already are— and driving the wolves back, using his past self as bait to reverse the situation on them…

Could a variant have an ability as strong as that? I doubt it, yet I'd keep it my deepest secret if I were in the same situation. 

After entering, the factory was worse for wear inside than out, with rusted support pillars and an uncanny fracture-split run across the room, exacerbated by the consistent leaking from the tattered ceiling submerging the floor with a water blanket.   

“Vanessa! Vanessa!” Randall yells yet none answer, though this didn’t dampen his spirit, in fact, it only strengthened his resolve to search deeper. 

Although we don’t have any evidence besides his words, pointing that out is needless cruelty. It’s up to him to realize that if the worst comes.

“Malware… I found this,” Cookies calls from behind one of the machines, I follow and find dead wolven bodies across from each other, “T-they’re all dead.” he whimpers while I give a closer look. 

The dilapidated corner of the factory had two doors: a fire exit and a way leading deeper in, the space was flanked by two heavily worn-down pieces of machinery. Soaked plastic and torn cardboard drifted apart by my passing, the smell was detestable but I’d be overreacting if I’d said I’d never waded through contaminated water.

Approaching the three bodies, each wolf had a distinct hole through its head, crushing their skull with such ferocity would’ve disintegrated skin and flesh.    

Yet, a few glimmers caught my eyes spent bullet casings laid on the floor; six of them strewn almost next to each other. The shooter stood where I was, gunning their heads one by one completely still. 

Yet, there was one thing I needed to confirm besides the shooter’s position and accuracy.

“There’s more… they’re new too,” I remark while plucking a bullet off the fractured floor, warm to the touch as expected, Someone has been here, recently and they’re an excellent shot too. I pulled the fallen bodies which should’ve yet didn’t have anywhere else to house these three missing bullets.  

“Why would they have twice the number of casings for each confirmed shot…” I remarked although It could’ve been all an overthink on my behalf. “M-maybe they missed?” Cookies suggest.  

“Unlikely, a missed bullet this strong would’ve collapsed the building.” I retort, he  shifts his fingers while in thought “Then, could something else have survived it?” He replies, I nod.  

“Yes, I was considering that, we still have those doors to investigate,” I remark, pointing at the two unopened doors, which occupy the two sides of the corner. more especially the one leading deeper in. 

Light pierces through the door gaps— something unseen in this room— hiding its purpose.  

I’d gaze at the stunned Cookies who’s managed to piece together the pieces. “S-so t-the shooter is in there—” He gasps.

Several gunshots reverberated from inside, yet it didn’t sound like it came from the other room. The sound came from a distance as if the room was larger than it originally poised.   

“Call Randall here, okay?” I retort in an instant, Cookies snapped into form in an instant  “O-on it!” He yells while stomping splashes of shallow flood water on his way out.

Inhale… Exhale…    

I unknowingly tensed up, despite being a cog for all my life, I’d always found it needless to connect to anyone, even before all of this happened. It never felt wrong, not that I remember. being lonesome was never a bother, until now. 

My knees tremble, sweat rushes down my head while the scene of the sentinel flashes every time… 

I— If I could fight it again, would anything have changed? I’m not stronger now, but with hindsight on my side would I be able to finish them off for good?  Damnit Firewall I always thought about where I’d be without your help— even though the answer was clear as day— I stubbornly refused to accept it. 

Even now, I’ve let myself become vulnerable to this “shooter” like everything is under my control. Like a knee-jerk reaction, it was second nature for me.

Now, I’m locked in a standoff with a door of my hubris, yet as if malfunctioning, a contradiction filled my heart with joy— excitement—  what’s wrong with me, bearing happiness in times of unease. 

Step

As if weighted down by anchors, I struggled— but heaved my foot a step ahead, could this be adrenaline?

Step, step, step… 

The door creaked open, uncloaking the shade of light previously blocking the other side. The way forward was only down… my instincts were shouting for me to leave this place, but I hate debts more than anything, and if I’ll even it out with this, I’ll take it. 

A descending pristine staircase made of white bricks with lights every 6-7 steps; blinding white mining lamps kept the place vividly bright— a far outcry from the tattered remains of the factory above— although the descent wasn’t too low, the place was a tunnel and the water from outside seeped in like a pervasive bacterial infection, tainting the innocence of the staircase and subsequent tunnel down.  

I lowered myself like eggshells were on every step, my resounding heart in sync with my movement as my hands gripped the white brick walls.   

I instinctively flinched stepping off the stairs, expecting a gun pointed in my direction, but the room I found myself in was quite stainless… too stainless.

Before me was a pristine white hallway, the brick walls harshly transitioned with the composite materials of plastic and metal. I shook my head and charged, the way forward being less “simple” than I thought. 

Like a hall of mirrors, the way ahead zig-zagged, making sure I’m slowed in my advance while keeping me blind for what’s up ahead. The deeper I delved, the increasingly disturbing the shreds of evidence became, leaving me to piece together the fate of this structure, at first bullet holes, then white cloth, combine them and you get blood marks all over the wall, ashened uniforms, then the people— variants I guess— themselves, slumped up against the walls and on the floor lifeless.      

Similarly to when I first stepped in the vicinity of this factory, which I assumed to be just the shooter’s work, however, people must’ve hidden here for safety…  

 “L-let me go!” Yelled a girly voice not far from where I was, I couldn’t tell how many zig-zags were away, but It could’ve only been only one person.  

“Vanessa?” I mumbled, a miracle? Perhaps Randall was right in believing his instincts, best I keep my side of the bargain now that it’s real.  

BANG BANG

After hearing the gunshots my eyes fluttered, urging me to quicken my pace despite my growing unease, hoping that the worst didn’t just happen this close to my objective.

“Augh—” I almost tumbled off balance, I turned to see a pair of arms clung onto my leg, the perpetrator, a one-eyed variant whose attire resembled a scientist. 

“What’s happening? help me…” pleaded a half-bodied variant while clinging onto my leg. Their almost dead expression sent shivers down my spine 

Having no time to waste, with one fell swoop my heel sent the thing crashing back on the ground, it’s eyes losing their light for good. 

I couldn’t let my conscience of someone on their way out get in the way of potentially losing the life of someone who has a chance at life, to one I’m indebted to I add.  

I held my breath as my steps slowed to make another turn, from the hall of dead bodies and sizzling bullet holes, I could see more space and darkness ahead, which only meant they were inside this room.  

My hand inched behind the cover, letting me peak ahead.

The room was cylindrical and extended deeper underground, at its center, was a pillar of humming cyan which radiated just beyond the hall’s reach. A flimsy catwalk connected the two, on it were two 

My eyes widened as if encountering a ghost in this wasteland.  

The white-haired girl with the eye-sore attire— those who called themselves Aetheria— four metallic appendages lay dysfunctional on the floor holding a computer screen each, her back up against the grated floor of the catwalk and another unfamiliar figure wielding a pistol— A sheriff?— who's there for two things, her life or her information. I couldn’t deduce which it was, but based on her pointing the barrel down her forehead I’d say both…

Yet, someone seems to be missing. 

“T-this is not cool… ” groaned the lying gal, seemingly having lost her gusto after being lost. “Speak up, I’m short on time.” demanded the sheriff, pressing her gun up against the gal’s head. 

The gal wavers, her hands raised “W-we, Aetheria wishes only the best outcome of this disaster.” She explains, seemingly hesitant, yet way more reasonable than the other one we’ve met. 

“By killing everyone? Tsk, If it’d been that easy then why live?” She retorts back, sending the girl to shake her head. Just who was this other person?

“If we cut our last connection, we’ll be free from reality!” The gal pleads while the sheriff lowers her gun right at her chest “Keep your preachings to yourself.” she holds her finger down the trigger, 

BANG

Did s-she live? The gal would wail like a siren before settling down, her breathing sent into a panic “A-ah! W-we’re after the memory segments, t-they could be found on abandoned facilities like this one!” She explains with a rushed tone, 

“Keep talking, you’re only one shot away.” The sheriff threatens while nodding.

The gal was visibly upset now, seemingly unsettled and on the verge of tears “W-with it, we’ll be able to d-destroy this purgatory and freely move on to the afterlife.” she pleads. 

Where would Vanessa fit into all of this? Nothing included her whatsoever…

I pondered to myself while remaining as concealed as possible, yet before anything could happen a familiar voice would reverb throughout the hallway.

“Malware?!” Cookies called, disrupting the ongoing interrogation, and making the sheriff’s head snap towards my direction, thankfully after I’d hid my head. 

“Tsk, they’re here—”