Chapter 8 - THE UNDERGROUND FACILITY

The entrance was hidden beneath an abandoned research building.
No signs.
No guards.
No cameras.
Almost like Vortex wanted them to find it.
Sam noticed.
“That bothers me.”
Maya looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because traps are usually obvious.”
Rachel opened the door.
“This isn’t a trap.”
She looked inside.
“It’s an invitation.”
The underground facility was frozen in time.
Old computers.
Broken glass.
Empty laboratories.
Sam walked through the hallway slowly.
Every step brought back another memory.
A laugh.
A conversation.
A promise.
Then they reached the main laboratory.
Sam stopped.
The chair was still there.
The same chair from his memories.
Maya looked around.
“This place is where they created Helix.”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
She looked at Sam.
“This place is where they created you.”
Suddenly, the doors locked.
The lights turned red.
A voice filled the room.
“Welcome home, Sam.”
Daniel appeared on the glass wall.
Sam raised his weapon.
“Come out.”
Daniel smiled.
“I wish I could.”
“You’re afraid?”
“No.”
Daniel looked at Maya.
“I’m protecting you.”
Maya frowned.
“Me?”
The screen changed.
A file appeared.
MAYA VOSS.
SUBJECT NUMBER 27.
Her face went pale.
“No.”
Sam looked at her.
“What is it?”
Maya stepped back.
“I was never an employee.”
Rachel whispered.
“You were one of their experiments.”
Maya shook her head.
“I escaped.”
Daniel smiled.
“You never escaped.”
The screen showed footage.
A young Maya inside the laboratory.
A doctor saying:
“Subject 27 is responding.”
Sam stared.
“Maya…”
She looked away.
“I didn’t know.”
Daniel continued.
“Both of you were designed for this moment.”
Sam’s anger grew.
“What moment?”
The doors opened.
A man walked in.
Dr. Adrian Vale.
Sam froze.
“Doctor…”
Vale looked at him sadly.
“I’m sorry.”
Sam pointed his weapon.
“You were dead.”
Vale looked at the chair.
May you like
“So were you.”
---