Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

Mark crouched low behind a dense cluster of bushes, his sharp eyes scanning the facility ahead. The faint hum of electricity filled the air, blending with the distant rustling of leaves. The facility was hidden in the thick of the forest, but its presence was anything but subtle.

Maya crouched beside him and adjusted the high-tech glasses perched on her nose. Tiny cameras attached to the frames transmitted live video feeds to Ezra and Yamal, who were stationed remotely, monitoring the situation.

"Not exactly a fortress," Maya muttered, her tone skeptical. "Guards with basic weapons, no heavy artillery. If they're hiding some grand secret here, they're not doing a great job of keeping it secure."

Yamal's voice crackled through the comms. "Or maybe their security isn't what we're used to. What if it's something… unconventional?"

Mark didn't look away from the facility, but his nod showed he agreed. "Yamal's got a point. The air here feels… wrong. Like something's pulsing from inside."

Maya stiffened slightly, the gravity in Mark's tone wiping away her earlier levity. "Guess I'll save the jokes for later. Let's focus."

Ezra's steady voice broke in. "I've hijacked the external cameras. You're good to move but stick to the shadows. Guards are overlapping in some spots, so timing is key."

Mark tapped his wrist device, syncing his interface with Maya's. Their glasses highlighted the guards' movements in real-time, overlaying their patrol patterns onto the feed.

Mark glanced at Maya. "Ready?"

She smirked faintly, her fingers tightening on the knife at her side. "Always."

They activated the stealth mode of their suits. The advanced tech absorbed the surrounding light and distorted their outlines, rendering them nearly invisible. Combined with their Ascendant-level skills, they moved like shadows.

Mark gestured forward, and they slipped through the gaps in the guards' patrols. Their movements were soundless, their breathing controlled, every step calculated. The guards didn't notice a thing as Mark and Maya slipped closer to the main gate.

Mark stopped a few meters from the gate and raised his hand. Maya crouched next to him, watching the retinal scanner in the wall. The blue light of the scanner pulsed softly, showing that they needed to get past this high-tech barrier.

"Yamal, we're at the gate. Retinal scanner. High-end," Maya whispered into the comms.

"Copy that," Yamal replied, his tone confident. "Send me a close-up feed of the scanner. I'll generate a bypass."

Mark adjusted his glasses, zoomed in on the scanner, and transmitted the data back to Yamal. As they waited, their suits' enhanced sensors picked up a faint shift in the air. One of the guards paused mid-patrol, his head tilting as if sensing something was off.

Mark's hand moved swiftly, pulling out his dart launcher. In two fluid motions, he fired. The darts hit both guards in the neck, their bodies freezing upright as the tranquilizer took effect.

"Ten seconds," Mark muttered, gesturing to Maya.

Yamal's voice came through just in time. "Got it. Your suits' emitters will project the retinal pattern. Maya, align it with the scanner."

Maya activated her suit's biometric emitter, positioning herself carefully. The scanner aligned with the projection. After a brief pause, the device beeped. Then, the gate opened with a hiss, showing a dimly lit corridor ahead.

The gate sealed shut with a soft metallic thud just seconds after Mark and Maya slipped inside.

Behind them, the two guards stationed at the checkpoint blinked, their bodies slowly regaining movement as the effects of the tranquilizer dust faded. One of them rubbed his neck, glancing at the other with a puzzled look.

"Did you… feel that just now?" he asked, voice low.

The other guard stretched his shoulders, still slightly disoriented. "Yeah. Like my whole body just… locked up."

They exchanged wary glances. For a moment, neither said a word.

"You think it was gas?" the first guard asked, looking around nervously.

"No smell. No noise," the second replied. "Maybe we've just been pulling too many night shifts. Probably microsleep or something."

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"Microsleep?" He scoffed. "I couldn't move, man. I was awake."

A silence settled between them again, both too uncertain to push the conversation further.

"Maybe we imagined it," one of them finally muttered, forcing a shrug. "Either way, if something had happened, the alarm would've gone off, right?"

"Right," the other echoed, though not entirely convinced.

They straightened their uniforms and returned to their posts, each trying to suppress the uneasy feeling crawling under their skin.

Unseen, unheard, Mark and Maya had already vanished into the compound's shadows.

The interior of the facility was vast and cold. Rows of industrial pipelines lined the walls, and crates stacked with biohazard symbols loomed in every direction. Massive machines hummed with mechanical precision, their purpose unclear but ominous.

Mark and Maya crouched behind a row of crates, scanning their surroundings. Ezra's voice came through the comms. "I've got the internal cameras on a loop. Thirty seconds of past footage, seamless replay. You're good to move, but don't linger in one spot for too long."

"Understood," Mark said. He pressed a button on his wrist device, releasing a wave that synchronized with Ezra's feed. The cameras now projected the looped footage flawlessly.

"Cameras are neutralized," Mark whispered. "We move."

They advanced deeper into the facility, sticking to the shadows.

Researchers in white lab coats moved briskly through the halls, their faces focused and their movements purposeful. The pair stayed silent, their focus unbroken. The faint sound of hurried footsteps and the hum of machinery filled the air.

"Follow the group on your left," Ezra directed. "They're heading toward something we need to see."

Mark and Maya nodded, trailing the researchers at a safe distance. They arrived at a large, brightly lit room enclosed by thick glass walls.

Inside were rows of crates marked with biochemical hazard symbols, robotic arms assembling what looked like weapons, and shelves lined with vials containing a shimmering silver liquid.

Maya scanned the scene through the glass, her expression grim. "Neurotoxins. Mutagens. Bio-weapons engineered to target specific systems. This isn't just your average lab."

Mark placed a small tracker on the glass wall, his eyes narrowing. "It's a production facility. And they're gearing up for something big."

Just then, the glass door slid open as the group of researchers entered the room. Mark didn't miss a beat. Activating a compartment on his suit, he released a swarm of tiny robotic beetles. The devices darted through the open door, scattering across the room.

Ezra's voice carried a hint of approval. "Quick thinking, Mark. I've got control of the bugs. They'll attach trackers to key crates."

Mark smirked faintly. "Make sure they stay unnoticed."

The door hissed shut behind the researchers, locking with a soft click. Mark and Maya remained still in the dim corridor, letting the silence settle around them.

Maya glanced at Mark. "We've got enough footage and data from this wing. Do we pull out now?"

Mark didn't answer immediately. His eyes drifted toward a hallway stretching deeper into the facility, his expression tightening.

"That energy I sensed earlier… it's coming from somewhere farther in. We need to see what's there."

Before Maya could respond, Ezra's voice came through their comms, calm but firm. "Mark, don't forget what Steve said. This mission was recon only. You're already deep inside—don't push your luck."

Yamal's voice followed. "He's right. The intel we've gathered so far is enough to get the green light for backup. Let the next team handle whatever's deeper in."

But Mark shook his head. "We haven't found the Artificial Ascendants yet. That's the core of this place. If we leave now, they'll bury everything before the reinforcements even arrive."

He turned to Maya, his voice low but resolute. "We've come this far. If we back out now, we might never get another shot."

Maya hesitated. Part of her agreed with Ezra and Yamal—this was already a risk. But the other part, the part that trusted Mark's instincts, knew there was no turning back.

She gave a small nod. "Alright. Let's finish what we started."

Mark stepped forward, eyes scanning the shadows ahead. "Stay sharp. If something goes wrong, we're not getting a second chance."

As they moved deeper into the facility, the atmosphere grew heavier. The hum of energy was more pronounced now, almost like a faint vibration in the air. The sterile, industrial design of the corridors began to shift, replaced by a more clinical and ominous setting.

"There's no sign of guards inside," Maya noted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Mark's tone was grim. "They don't need them. Whatever's here… it's meant to stay hidden."

Ezra's voice cut through the tension. "You're heading toward a high-energy zone. Be careful."

Following Ezra's directions, they arrived at a large chamber. The sight before them made both Mark and Maya freeze.

The room was lined with rows of cylindrical chambers, each filled with some kind of glowing viscous liquid. Within the chambers were human figures, suspended and twitching grotesquely. The energy coming from them was overpowering, distorting the air they stood in.

Maya's eyes went wide, her voice dropping to a whisper. "What on fucking earth are we looking at?"

Mark's jaw clenched, but he did not look away. "This is what the cloaked figure warned me about. Artificial Ascendants."

Maya stepped closer, her glasses scanning the chambers. The data streamed in rapidly. "These aren't natural cores. Their energy signatures are unstable. It's like their bodies are rejecting whatever they've been infused with."

Mark placed a tracker on the main console, his voice calm but cold. "They're forcing Ascension. And it's failing."

Ezra's voice came through, tense. "Mark, you need to get out of there. The energy levels in that room are off the charts. If one of those chambers fails—"

"I know," Mark interrupted. "This isn't just a lab... it's a factory."

Maya recorded the readings with her glasses, her expression grim. "They've crossed every line imaginable. This isn't just unethical, it's catastrophic."

Mark glanced at her. "We've seen enough. Let's move."

As they turned to leave, a faint sound echoed through the chamber, the soft hiss of a chamber door beginning to open.

Mark and Maya froze in place as a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the chamber. From the shadows, a ahndsome man emerged, his footsteps resonating against the cold, sterile floor.

His impeccably tailored dark suit contrasted starkly with the unsettling glow of the chambers behind him.

Alexander LaRue.