Chapter 17: The Last Experiment
The alarms became louder.
Red lights flashed across the facility.
Lily covered her ears.
I immediately pulled her close.
"Don't listen.""
But the sound wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was watching Emma.
She looked terrified.
Not because she might die.
Because she understood what Victoria had done.
"Emma.""
Adrian grabbed her shoulder.
"Tell me how to stop this.""
She stared at the screen.
"There's a manual override.""
"Where?""
"The central room.""
James looked around.
"Where is that?""
Emma pointed toward the locked hallway.
"Behind the original laboratory.""
Adrian looked at the timer.
"How much time?""
"Eight minutes.""
"We move.""
We ran.
The facility seemed alive around us.
Doors locked.
Lights flickered.
Warning messages appeared on every screen.
The deeper we went, the more disturbing the rooms became.
Old files.
Old recordings.
Old memories.
Then we reached the laboratory.
Emma stopped.
She couldn't move.
Adrian noticed.
"What is it?""
She stared through the glass.
"This is where it happened.""
"What?""
"My father.""
She swallowed.
"This is where Victoria forced him to sign everything over.""
Adrian looked at her.
"Emma.""
She shook her head.
"No.""
Her voice cracked.
"I need to tell you something.""
"We don't have time.""
"We need to.""
The alarms continued.
But she kept going.
"Your father didn't die because he was attacked.""
Adrian froze.
"What?""
"He died because he refused to cooperate.""
James looked at her.
"What are you saying?""
Emma looked at Adrian.
"Victoria gave him a choice.""
The room became silent.
"Leave the company. Leave the family. Let her take control.""
"And?""
"He refused.""
Adrian closed his eyes.
Emma continued.
"She wanted him to sign a confession.""
"But he didn't.""
"No.""
She looked at the laboratory.
"He recorded everything.""
A thought hit me.
"The evidence.""
Emma nodded.
"That's why Victoria wanted this place destroyed.""
We rushed inside.
The central computer was still running.
Emma typed quickly.
"Password?""
Adrian asked.
She hesitated.
Then typed something.
The system unlocked.
Everyone stared.
"What did you enter?""
Emma looked at him.
"My name.""
The computer opened.
Files appeared.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
And one final folder.
Richard Oleso.
Adrian opened it.
Inside was a video.
His father.
Alive.
The room went silent.
The older man looked exhausted.
But his eyes were clear.
"If you are watching this, Victoria failed.""
Adrian stepped closer.
His father's voice continued.
"I need you to understand something.""
A pause.
"Emma is not responsible for my death.""
Emma closed her eyes.
Tears fell.
The recording continued.
"She was manipulated. She was a child.""
Adrian looked at Emma.
His expression broke.
"I spent years believing...""
He couldn't finish.
The video continued.
"Adrian, protect her.""
The message ended.
Nobody spoke.
Then another file appeared.
A live connection.
Victoria.
She was watching.
"You found it.""
Adrian looked at the screen.
"You knew.""
Victoria smiled.
"I knew you would.""
"You lied about Emma.""
"Of course.""
Her smile disappeared.
"Because lies are easier than the truth.""
Emma stepped forward.
"Why?""
Victoria looked at her.
"You want to know why?""
Her voice became cold.
"Because you were supposed to be my greatest success.""
Emma froze.
"What?""
Victoria continued.
"I took a broken child and created someone who could survive anything.""
Adrian's face hardened.
"You turned her into you.""
Victoria smiled.
"Exactly.""
Then the system warning changed.
The countdown stopped.
Everyone looked.
Victoria had stopped it.
For a moment, relief came.
Then she spoke.
"But there is one thing you don't know.""
Adrian stared.
"What?""
Victoria smiled.
"The facility wasn't my project.""
She looked directly at him.
"It was your father's.""
The screen changed.
A new file appeared.
*PROJECT ECHO: ORIGINAL DESIGNER - RICHARD OLESO*
Adrian stared.
"No.""
Victoria whispered:
"Your father started this.""
The screen went black.
May you like
And for the first time...
Adrian didn't know who the enemy was.
