Chapter 3 - The Hidden Laboratory (1/2)

Chapter 3 The Hidden Laboratory

They spoke loudly. I guess they did not even have the slightest clue that there were people around them.

“Fanny, I’ve told you long ago- the task the higher-ups gave me of protecting you was far too simple. Just now, there were a few vagrants in the town that wanted to fight. Ha! I sent them to their maker with few pulls of my trigger! The only pity is that I dirtied my fighting gear in the process,” said the man who was armed rather happily, as he patted his bulletproof vest.

“Soldier, let me say this once more! Watch how you address me! It should be ‘officer’! Also, shape your attitude up! We’re now on a task, and there’s danger everywhere!” said the black haired girl know as Fanny in an icy tone. Evidently, she was a little angry.

“Furthermore, if you hadn’t taunted them in the first place, would they have struck? I’ll write this down in my report after this mission’s over,” Fanny continued. She drew her pistol from her waist and followed the small path which circled round the factory toward the Factory District. The armed man scratched his head somewhat awkwardly but still picked his gun up and followed after her.

I cannot guess their motives, but according to the journal I read in the manager’s room, perhaps their appearance has something to do with that matter of the waste water management plant. I decided to follow both of them to find out, and went down the block quietly, following them from a distance with bushes as cover. We walked past the weed-filled small path of the Factory District and a few big towers, before they arrived before a spacious factory building. A huge amount of animal and human carcasses were strewn nearby the entrance of the building.

“Officer, are you sure… that this is the place?” asked the armed man in an extremely serious tone. Even the weapon in his hand began to appear formidable.

“That’s right, the marking on the map points to this factory building,” Fanny said. She sounded very sure of herself, but she still took out the map to seek confirmation.

“Hey! I’ve a feeling that we’re being served as food to some wild beast. Will be turn into crap later?” said the man; even as he was observing the surroundings, he could not help teasing his superior.

“Shut up! Maintain your vigilance!” Fanny replied coldly, as distant as usual. The armed man really did not know how to adapt- did he not know that ice queens such as her did not like joking the most?

At this moment, a chilly voice was transmitted from the loudspeaker above the main entrance of the building, “Please produce your personal identification card. You have 30 seconds to do so. Non-employees should leave immediately, otherwise you’ll be removed by force.” The center plate at the bottom of the entrance twisted open to reveal a rectangle-shaped receptacle, and at the same time, a few sentry gun towers twisted out of the surrounding floor space of the building in a similar fashion, the muzzles directed at the two strangers. Fanny appeared unflustered even when facing the guns and drew out a card from her waist pouch and slotted it into the reader.

“Identity verified,” a voice prompt said, as the main entrance of the factory building began opening up slowly. The sentry gun towers went back into concealment; it was as if they had never appeared before.

After both of them walked in, the entrance shut itself automatically. By this time, my curiosity was already uncontrollable, and I took out the card I found in the manager’s office from my pocket for a look. A gold chip with special markings on it was embedded on the card, and it looked like the same color as the woman’s.

With the card in hand, I walked up to the main entrance and just like I expected, the voice prompted me to insert my identification into the reader, which I did.

“Identity verified.”

I heaved a long sigh of relief. To be honest, the carcasses around me made me feel uncomfortable, and if were not for the card in my hand, I would not have chosen to take such a risk.

As I entered the factory building, all I could see were mostly some rusted factory equipment. Of course, I would not believe it if anyone told me such tight security was only meant to protect these pieces of scrap. I spotted the shoe prints in the dust-covered floor and followed them, circling around a big pile of discarded equipment until I finally came to a cabinet made of galvanized steel that was more than two meters high. I opened it carefully and noticed that there was a gate made of alloy inside, along with a identity card reader to the left of it. I inserted my card in the reader, and the gate slowly opened; I could not help but grip the gun in my hand tightly.

After the gate was completely open, an underground passage appeared in front of me, a slightly pungent smell emanating from it. The lights on the wall of the passage were still on, surprising me. It was in the shape of a semi-circle and seemed new- its surface must have been coated with some special paint. Its roof was covered with various types of pipes and cables.