Chapter 90: Destiny
An immense sea of serenity and seriousness stretched before them.
It was not a sea composed of water, but of people. They shared schedules and obsessively immersed themselves in their tasks.
Coffee was practically the lab’s currency. Like a forgotten ritual that rose again with the force of old times, without laboratory formulas.
Scientists dressed in impeccable white coats moved through the laboratories with an almost mechanical discipline.
Each one carried documents, holographic tablets, or small encapsulated samples. No one raised their gaze.
Apparently their brief interruption had not caused any distraction.
There were also armed guards who remained standing in corners or performed routine walks through the facilities.
They were silent and attentive, with deep countenances.
Their eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, transmitting a tension that contrasted with the superficial calm of the place.
It was like observing an enormous scientific and technological anthill. Each individual knew exactly what their function was and all fulfilled it without needing to receive a single order.
Gabriel contemplated that scene with intrigued eyes.
He definitely did not belong to that kind of place.
After a few seconds he ended up murmuring almost to himself:
"I think I’ve seen a movie like this before..."
The younger agent let out a mocking laugh.
"Reality is much more interesting than any movie, idiot."
The arrogant smile settled again on his face. The huge bump Gabriel had caused him continued to protrude on his forehead.
The contrast was impossible to miss.
When he observed it, he had to stop himself from laughing. The bump still had opportunities to keep growing during the night.
"You look like the typical intellectual villain from a low-budget movie."
The agent growled in response.
"And when do you die?"
It seemed like a previously scripted response. He was about to answer, however, the veteran agent’s voice emerged first.
"You can keep arguing, but do it in a low voice. For now limit yourselves to following me," he said with resignation.
In that way he continued walking with his hands behind his back. At no point did he turn around to observe them.
His tone acquired a pride that was rare in his voice.
"And do not be astonished before the armed arm of the new century."
The words were enough to sweep away Gabriel’s naive facet.
From the message to that instant, the situation had been a succession of strange events. His mind was worn to a limit where he needed to vent.
The facilities and their mystery only added flavor so that his palate could ingest it.
But his steps never stopped. The mystery only managed to feed his expectations for answers.
He had never feared the great riddles or pain.
***
The hallways seemed to have an extension that had no end. With a shiny luminosity that hurt the eyes and the mind.
Their white walls reflected a uniform illumination that eliminated any shadow. And the floor was so lustrous that it was similar to a mirror.
Every few meters they crossed new security controls.
Biometric scanners, DNA readers, and facial recognition.
The doors were hermetically sealed.
He had already lost count of how many they had crossed. The facilities resembled more a hermetic fortress than a laboratory dedicated to research and science.
The veteran agent spoke without stopping the march.
"Now do you understand why the dissemination of all this is completely prohibited?"
Gabriel observed another enormous automatic door opening before them.
He thought a few seconds before responding.
"Sir, with all due respect, I may be poor and have a rather reduced horizon, but if this is all we are still capable of... Then we are destined to go extinct." He said, looking attentively at his surroundings.
At all times he maintained seriousness, expressing his thoughts naturally.
For an instant silence became the ruler among the three, until the old man let out a sincere laugh.
It contained authentic amusement at his casual comment.
In contrast, the younger agent frowned— Probably he could never forgive the terrible blow he received.
The veteran stopped for a second and looked toward the ceiling.
"Destiny is a very powerful force. It constantly attracts us and when we finally collide against it, the collision only provokes our own destruction; But it is also that collision that turns us... Into humans." His voice had lost any trace of joy.
He continued walking without his words affecting him. His smile reflected a slight sadness.
The young guard, on the other hand, was totally ignorant of the atmosphere that had settled. He seemed to listen to those words with authentic and enthusiastic interest.
"Mr. M... Does that belong to the knowledge preserved before the Great Disaster?" He said while turning his head toward Gabriel with doubts.
The veteran smiled in a very different way. More nostalgic and sentimental.
"It is from a good that we have lost, young man..."
He diverted his gaze toward one of the windows.
His following words sounded much heavier.
"And this cruel destiny... Will probably attract us again until it leads us to our own destruction: extinction."
Gabriel felt a chill, being enveloped by the heaviness of that declaration.
They were words that resonated with an unstoppable force in the long and empty hallway.
His tone contained no exaggerations or threats... It was rather a truth declared by a madman who had prophesied it with an almost supernatural ability.
Observing him more clearly, for the first time he noticed faces of fatigue that reflected on the old man’s face.
There was no fear or resignation, only a deep and immense fatigue.
Like an experienced general before an inevitable defeat.
"Our extinction? You are talking... As humanity?" Gabriel pronounced, his voice coming out practically involuntarily.
The old man continued walking.
"For now keep the optimism. Until those things savagely ravage our shelters, our cities, and our last homes."
His arm pointed directly toward an enormous reinforced window.
His gaze remained fixed on the other side of the glass.
"That... Will be the end of the order as we know it."
Gabriel automatically followed the direction of his arm. For a second he forgot how to breathe.
On the other side of the glass there was an enormous completely sealed room. In its center rested a gigantic metallic dissection table.
Strong mechanical arms kept immobilized a monstrous creature.
Its body was covered by disproportionate muscles. Without eyes or nose. Its gray skin seemed living rock.
It transmitted a chaotic sensation of pure violence.
His words left his mouth by natural inclination.
"A... Pseudo-Tyrant."
The veteran barely smiled.
"You can call it whatever you want. As long as you keep present one single thing: These beasts represent ferocity and chaos. They are authentic demons from hell."
The young guard remained completely motionless. All arrogance, mockery, or joy had disappeared.
His expression was solemn.
He had recovered the discipline of a soldier. In front of an unstoppable beast, he needed to be an unstoppable force.
The monster remained lying on the dissection bed without any kind of movement.
He remembered the enemies he had managed to defeat in the game. Every detail was identical.
The brutality reflected on its gray skin, containing a great terror in its fantasy muscles.
For the first time he felt a knot in his stomach that was inevitable.
"Then..."
The veteran finished the phrase for him.
"Yes. This is the new great challenge we face. But, as always... We human beings will have the last word." He said with confidence.
He had recovered security after observing the creature for a few seconds.
But even so he did not receive any kind of response.
Both of his companions remained in silence. They continued walking that way, enveloped in a veil of doubts.
Only the echoes of their steps remained.
Each one seemed lost inside their own thoughts.
Finally they arrived at a wide elevator. With rapid movements they managed to descend several levels and finally the doors opened again.
Gabriel had to blink with surprise.
There was too radical a change between each floor of the building. The former coldness that belonged to the hygienic laboratories had completely disappeared— Those sanctuaries of knowledge had been replaced by nature.
It was an enormous open space with trees and grass. Small stone paths decorated the place.
An artificial sky projected from the ceiling.
It was like a small park hidden inside that gigantic facility.
"This area is reserved for recruits. You will be able to meet your friend, but your time will be limited."
On the horizon different male and female figures could be observed. They were in charge of exercising, running, and participating in other activities.
When he was about to start walking, he was interrupted:
"Gabriel, remember one thing: every number represents an asset. But every name is a person... A person with dreams, fears, and adversities. No one escapes their own purpose."
The man observed him with absolute seriousness. His gaze diverted to the recruits for brief instants.
Gabriel maintained a solemn silence before the declarations. They were words destined for a greater impact than a simple conversation.
Finally he ended up nodding.
"Thank you... Mr. M."
The veteran smiled with satisfaction.
Finally he ended up withdrawing through the same elevator with the young agent.
Neither needed to share more unnecessary words.