A/N: So many of you are elated that there is finally something building between Bella and Edward, and I guess you have been waiting for this for quite some time.

I left the group over a sea of magma in the last chapter, but let's see what other things they will find in the Observatory.

I'm gonna continue putting the disclaimer here just be sure that everyone are aware of where this story originated.

This story isn't 100 % mine. I have transformed it into a story from an interactive story app called Choices (an app I am completely obsessed with atm) and the creators are Pixelberry Studios.

So here's my disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the plot of this story. All recognizable content belongs to their respective owner. No copyright infringement intended. Names and places have been changed for the purpose of Fanfiction.


{Chapter 10}

We climbed into the hatch leading to the El Jardín Observatory, our best hope at calling for rescue, but the only way to get there was to cross a catwalk over a chamber of boiling magma.

Rosalie hesitated by the ladder. "So we're really doing this, huh?"

"I don't see any other way in," I told her.

Tanya cowered next to Rosalie. "Okay, but I mentioned my debilitating fear of heights, right? Because I have a debilitating fear of heights."

"Heights, I'm fine with. Pools of bubbling magma? Not so much," Edward said next to me.

"I mean, someone put these catwalks here ... that means they're probably safe, right?" Peter said, but he didn't sound very convinced.

"Yeah, but how long ago was that? Who knows if they're still safe?" Kate pointed out.

"Guys, we've come too far to turn back now. Let's just do this," Garrett said to encourage us.

Rosalie gestured with her hand toward the catwalk. "You first."

"Actually ... her first."

All of us turned to the catwalks. While we were talking, Leah had taken off and was already halfway across.

"There's still time to turn back. If you're too scared, that is." she called over her shoulder at us.

"Well ... when you put it like that."

One by one, the whole group set out across the catwalk. It swayed and buckled a little under our weight, but held firm.

"Heh ... this isn't so bad..." Peter said, and just then, the ground beneath us rumbled, and the whole room shook. The magma pool sizzled and seethed, huge bubbles scorching up toward us.

Rosalie glared at Peter. "Just had to open your big mouth, didn't you?"

One of the bubbles burst and sent sizzling rivulets of magma flying our way.

"RUN!"

All of us took off in a sprint toward the end of the catwalk. It shook and rattled and a massive geyser of magma erupted, burning through the metal.

Behind me, Kate tripped and fell onto her knees. An enormous bubble formed beneath her, growing bigger, and without thinking, I turned around and sprinted back, grabbing Kate and helping her back up to her feet.

Right as I did, the bubble below us burst, shooting a jet of magma right up at us. Instinctively I dove, pulling Kate with me.

The magma blasted up, right where we'd been standing. I landed on my back a few feet away, and Kate landed on top of me.

"You ... you saved my life..." she said in shock.

"Thank me later. Right now, we gotta go!" I told her.

Kate and I pulled ourselves up and sprinted toward the end of the catwalk where everyone else was waiting.

"Come on!"

We just barely made it to the platform just as the ground rumbled again, and the magma below us seethed and rose.

"Quick! Through the door!"

We all dove through the steel door at the end of the platform, into a dark room. It slammed shut with an industrial hiss as we tumbled onto the floor.

Tanya hyperventilated. "Ohmygod ... ohmygod..."

"That was way too close!" Peter said and wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"But we all made it, right? We're all okay?" Garrett looked around to count us off.

"Yeah ... but where the hell are we?" Rosalie asked.

The lights overhead flickered on, revealing that we appeared to be in some kind of control room. Consoles blinked with indecipherable code, while the volcano rumbled on the other side of a dense glass barrier.

"I think we're in the Observatory..." Garrett said, but he sounded unsure.

Edward looked skeptic. "This doesn't look like any observatory I've ever seen."

"These consoles ... they're cutting edge tech. Like, decades ahead of anything I've ever seen." Rosalie walked up to one of the monitors and examined it.

"Cullen International does do a lot of technological innovation and development. Maybe we've found one of their research facilities?" Tanya suggested.

"But why would it be here, on a tropical resort island?" Peter asked.

"Because this whole damn place is a front," Edward replied angrily with a deep frown. "The rumors are true. This island's just one big playground for Cullen to run his illegal experiments."

"So what are we? The guinea pigs?"

Peter frowned. "Yeah, well, this guinea pig's gonna kick his ass!"

"Oh, I wish I had a video of you saying that," Rosalie said as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Um ... I don't mean to alarm anyone ... but does anyone see any doors we can open around here?" Tanya asked quietly.

I turned and looked around. The only door was the one we came in through and it was sealed tight.

Peter started to look panicked. "No fuckin' way ... we're stuck in here?"

"Are you serious? No. No, no, no, no." Kate made a complete turn as she looked everywhere for an escape.

Rosalie threw her hands up in defeat. "So that's it then. We're trapped here. No escape."

"Let's all just stay calm and not forget why we came here, okay? We're looking for a satellite uplink. Now, split up and look around. I'm sure we can find something," Garrett said, always the voice of reason.

Everyone broke off in different directions to explore the room. I stepped back and took a good look around.

On the left wall was a long row of monitors and terminals. Rosalie walked over and began tinkering with a display; several thick pipes ran along the wall by the door. Furball curled up near them, while Leah hunkered down on the floor; on the far end of the room was a mysterious opaque pod. Edward and Garrett investigated it, and on the right side, a window looked out onto a sea of magma. Tanya, Peter, and Kate all gathered around it and looked out.

I walked over to the pod. It was a tall opaque cylinder, going up into the ceiling. Edward and Garrett stood in front of it, examining it. I joined them and circled the pod. It was made of a smooth green metal, with no doors, windows, or handles. As far as I could tell, there was no way to open it.

I turned to Garrett. "Hey. What do you think this thing is?"

"I don't know. I was trying to find a way to open it, but there's nothing. Check this out, though..." He pointed to the metal lining around the top of the pod, where it connected to the ceiling. "Looks like this thing can go up to another floor."

"Good eye!"

"Thanks."

"Is there another level above us?" I asked him, even though I logically knew that Garrett knew as much as me.

"Beats me."

I turned to Edward. "What about you? Any guesses what this thing is?"

He shrugged. "Well, I got one idea ... but it's kinda crazy." He looked at me conspiratorially. "Back when I was in the military, I had a buddy working at DARPA. He told me about this new tech they were working on called MASADA Pods. These things were the last step in survival. You got into the pod, plugged some tubes into your arms, and then the whole thing would fill up with these specialized chemicals. You'd knock clean out, and the pod would seal shut. And then you'd be safe from anything. These pods would survive being shot, bombed, and set on fire. My buddy said they'd be the last things left after a nuclear war."

I looked at the pod warily. "How would you get out?"

"Beats me. My buddy didn't hear about that part."

I felt uneasy as my imagination ran wild. "You ... you think someone might be in there right now?"

Edward grinned. "Creepy thought, ain't it?"

I left the guys and walked over to the door where Furball and Leah examined something.

I leaned forward and examined the pipes. They looked thick and sturdy like they might make a good tool. It didn't appear to be anything running through them at that moment. I tried to pull one off, but it didn't budge.

"Hey, Peter!" I called over my shoulder. "Gimme a hand with this pipe?"

"Oh, hell yeah! Watch the master at work!" Peter wrapped his beefy hands around the pipe and pulled and with a roar, he ripped the pipe clean out of the wall. "Yeah, baby! That's. How. I. Do!"

Garrett gaped at his friend. "Damn, Peter! When we get back to school, you gotta teach me your weight-lifting techniques!"

"Anytime, homes!"

I looked down at Leah who was still examining something on the floor. "What's up?" I asked her,

"There's a cable that runs from the console down here into this grate. Look, there's a light down there. I think there's another room below us but I can't get the grate to open."

I reached down and helped her push on it, but it didn't budge.

"We need a way to weaken it ... make it easier to break..." Leah said, and I glanced at Furball, an idea forming in my head.

"Hey, Furball, why don't you use your ice breath on this grate."

Furball walked over to the grate. He looked at me and at Leah, then wound up and delivered a powerful frosty blast. It froze the grate, and I could hear the metal buckle and weaken.

"That's perfect!"

Furball trotted over to me, and I scratched him under the chin. "Who's a good boy? You're a good boy!"

"Gimme a hand over here, Bella!"

I joined Leah by the grate, and the two of us kicked it a few times.

"Grrr! We almost got it, but it's still not quite breaking ... we need a tool ... something big and sturdy to hit it with," Leah said through clenched teeth.

"Did someone say 'big,' 'sturdy,' and 'hit'?" Peter came up behind us.

"Maybe?"

Peter lifted up his pipe triumphantly."I was put on this earth for two Garrett on the field ... and smashing things with pipes." He wound up and smashed the pipe down as hard as he could on the grate. It shattered and plummeted down, clattering against a metal floor.

Leah smirked at him. "Nice work, muscles."

Tanya approached carefully. "So ... um, what's down there?"

"Only one way to find out." Before I could stop her, Leah dropped down into the hole. I glanced at Edward, and the two of us followed after her.

I landed in a cold, sterile room. A long metal table sat in the middle, with folders lying on top of it. At the far end of the room sat a bulky metal locker. On the floor was a trash can with a single crumbled piece of paper in it.

"Whoa ... this is..."

"An interrogation room," Leah finished for me.

"Okay ... I can maybe see why Cullen would have a research facility ... but why the hell would he need an interrogation room?"

"I can think of a dozen reasons. None of them good," Edward replied dryly.

I glanced at the folders on the table and noticed that it was dossiers about Edward, Benjamin, and Rosalie. I felt unsure about telling the other two, so while they were distracted, I sneaked a peek.

The first file had an attached picture of a younger Edward wearing a military uniform, his arms crossed and a big smile on his face while standing in front of a fighter plane.

Target Analysis

Clearance: Gamma

Surname: Masen

First: Edward

Middle: Anthony

D.O.B.: 1991 Feb 20

Birthplace: Shreveport, LA

Background: Joined Navy at 18, quickly rose to be one of their most decorated pilots. But after the - incident, he struck his superior officer and went AWOL. Detected in Costa Rica.

Psychological Profile: Independent to the point of recklessness. Years on the run have broken the soldier in him. Now loyal only to himself.

Threat Assessment: 9

$750,000 Bounty?!

I frowned at the note in the corner that said there was a seven-hundred and fifty thousand dollar bounty on Edward, and right next to it was a stamped symbol, the same wolf-like symbol as the one Edward and I saw etched into the metal plate on top of the mountain by the emergency shelter.

I glanced at Edward and felt guilty, because if what was written in the folder was true, that meant I now knew more about Edward than what he had so far been willing to share with me, but there were still many mysteries surrounding the man I'd started to have feelings for, and when I felt that I could trust him implicitly, I would show him this folder.

I flipped to the next folder quietly, hoping that Leah and Edward would remain distracted.

The next one bore a picture I'd seen many times before. It was of Benjamin, and it was the same photo he had on his college ID.

Target Analysis

Clearance: Epsilon

Surname: Santiago

First: Benjamin

Middle: Rafael

D.O.B.: 1996 Mar 12

Birthplace: Riverside, CA

Background: First in his family to attend college. Hides much of true personality from conservative family ... just like he hides his blue-collar roots from friends. Reinvents himself to meet the situation.

Psychological Profile: Hides troubled feelings behind humor. Sees himself as a plucky sidekick to his friends. Unclear why he was included.

Threat Assessment: 2

There wasn't anything new in that folder that I didn't already know. The only thing was the stamp that resembled a dog, and I had no idea what that meant.

I hurried to flip to the next, which was of Rosalie.

Her picture was fairly recent, but the picture was a candid shot as she sat in the college square, typing on her laptop.

Target Analysis

Clearance: Epsilon

Surname: Hale

First: Rosalie

Middle: Lillian

D.O.B.: 1995 Sep 21

Birthplace: Washington, DC

Background: Daughter of a structural engineer and novelist. She displayed tech prowess at an early age. Affiliated with hacktivist group AZRA3L. Responsible for 2015 Wall St. Leaks.

Psychological Profile: Acerbic, sarcastic, self-interested. With her hacking skills & lack of loyalty, we should consider her for recruitment.

Threat Assessment: 7

I had no idea that she was responsible for the Wall Street leaks I'd read about in the paper, and my respect for her technical skills multiplied tenfold. Her stamp resembled a bird that looked like a crow, but it could also be a hawk.

I didn't understand what the purpose of the threat assessment was, but I didn't have time to think about it too much. I glanced up to see if Edward or Leah was looking before I quickly placed the folders in my backpack. Then I walked over to the trash can and took out the crumpled piece of paper.

"What's it say?" Leah came up to me and asked.

"'RESET SEQUENCE: 3-1-2'" I read.

"Any idea what that means?"

"Nope. But I bet it has to do with something in the main control room."

I put the paper back and walked over to Edward who was standing by the locker.

"Look familiar?" I asked.

"Oh, yeah. I know a weapons locker when I see one." Edward popped it open and peeked inside. A strange look crossed his face. "Whoa." He reached inside and took something out.

"What ... is that?" It looked like a weapon from a Star Wars movie.

"I don't know. I've never seen a gun like it. And I've seen a whole lot of guns."

"Do you think it's ... loaded?" I asked warily.

"I don't really feel like pulling the trigger to find out. Guns ... interrogation rooms ... I am liking this whole place less and less. Mind if I hold onto this?"

I shook my head. "Go ahead."

Edward tucked it into his jacket.

There was nothing more to find in the room, and so Edward, Leah and I climbed back out into the main room.

I decided to check out the computers and walked over to the terminals. A large symbol flickered on a monitor. The terminals didn't seem to have any buttons on it but there was a large scanner. I took a close look at the big symbol and it looked like three snakes, connected together or maybe one snake with three heads.

I knelt down to join Rosalie. She was on her back under the terminals, staring at the underside with a serious expression.

"Any luck getting these computers working?"

She snorted. "Yeah, right. I've hacked some pretty sophisticated systems but nothing like this. This tech is way above my pay grade. There's no keyboard, no mouse, no touchscreen. If this thing has an interface, I'll be damned if I can see it."

"Could it be, like, a voice command?" I suggested.

"That's what I'm thinking ... but it's almost like the whole system's on lockdown. We gotta find a way to reset it."

"Any idea how?"

Rosalie pointed to a panel on the underside of the console. "I'm thinking there might be a hard reset switch in there, but I can't get the damn panel open. I need something small and flexible to jam into the keyhole..."

"You mean, like, a bobby pin?"

She thought about it and then nodded. "Yeah, actually ... that could totally work. You got one?"

"No, but maybe one of the guys. Hold on, I'll check." I stood up and turned toward the others. "Anyone of you have a bobby pin?"

Edward grinned. "Sorry, Princess. Forgot mine on the nightstand this morning."

I rolled my eyes at Edward's comment, but he just smiled even wider.

Tanya took a step forward. "I do. What do you need it for?"

"Rosalie needs to pick a lock for the computer. Can we borrow it?"

"Of course." Tanya walked over to me and leaned over to hand me the bobby pin when the scanner suddenly spoke with an electronic voice.

"Biometric signature found. Cullen DNA detected. Present match now."

I looked at it in shock and then at Tanya. She fumbled around in her pockets and came up with a cufflink that had the same snake-like symbol on it as the monitor. "Forgot I even had this. I found it in Cullen's office."

Tanya pressed the cufflink to the scanner and the light glowed stronger. One of the monitors flickered on, showing an image of Carlisle Cullen.

"Playing final recording. Timestamp: ERROR."

Carlisle sat in front of the camera and spoke solemnly and with a hint of anger. "Another attack on the northeastern research complex. The whole place was trashed, and they stole an entire supply shipment. Three of my security personnel are hospitalized. And my chief scientist ... well, it's like they did something to his brain. He won't stop talking about magic orbs and lion masks and time loops ... total gibberish. Who the hell are these people ... and what are they doing on my island?"

The monitor flickered off. The scanner shut down as well.

"What was that all about?" Kate asked me, but I shrugged. I had no idea.

Rosalie, who still struggled with the lock, muttered to herself. "Come on ... come on..."

Tanya leaned down. "Um ... if you don't mind ... could I try?"

"You got a lot of experience picking locks?" Rosalie asked skeptically.

Tanya slid over and took the bobby pin. She turned it once ... twice ... three times ... and the panel clicked open.

Rosalie stared in shock. "When this is all over, I have a lot of questions..."

I leaned down with Rosalie to take a look at the panel. At the top, I saw the word RESET. Below it was three switches.

"Well, the good news is, we found the reset switches. The bad news is, I have no idea what order to flip these in."

"I do," I said, remembering the note in the interrogation room.

"You do?"

"Yeah. I found a note down in the room below. It said the reset sequence."

"Well then, go ahead, Bella. Flip away."

I flipped the third switch first and heard a buzzing sound from the computer. I immediately continued with the first switch and the buzzing morphed into a soft electronic whirr. I flipped the last switch and a loud humming appeared to be coming from all the walls. The monitors flickered strange symbols.

"Aw, yeah, I think it's working," Rosalie exclaimed excitedly.

A tiny hatch popped open on the terminal, and a little drone, the size of a golf ball, fluttered out.

"What the hell?"

"What is that thing? Rosalie?"

"Don't look at me, man. I've never seen anything like that in my life."

It hovered in the air over the center of the room, whirring like a beetle and then a light appeared. All of us jumped back from the hologram in the shape of a woman that suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

The hologram flickered, a calm placid expression on her face.

"H ... hello?" I said carefully to see if it would react.

"Database corrupted. Access denied. Self-identity input needed," the hologram said.

"Um ... can you ... help us? We're trying to access the satellite uplink..." I tried again, but I only got the same answer as before.

"Save your breath, Bella. Something's clearly wrong with her," Kate said.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Self-identity input ... it's almost like the software's having trouble figuring out who it is."

Peter looked at the hologram with scared eyes. "You saying that thing's alive?"

She nodded. "In a sense, sure. I bet we could make progress if we knew what its identity was..."

"You mean, like, if we guessed its name?" Garrett asked.

"Kara! Megan! Jennifer! Jessica! Kathleen! Coco! Wendy! BEYONCE!" Peter continued to spew out names, and eventually, Kate tired of him.

"Uh, yeah, pretty sure that's not gonna work."

"Uh, guys? Anyone notice that?" Edward pointed across the room. A door had opened on the side of the pod.

"What is that...?"

"Database corrupted. Access denied. Self-identity input needed."

I walked over to the now opened pod. It was empty, to my relief, except for a soft light. Inside were two circular grooves in the floor.

"What do you make of it?" I asked Garrett, who had come with me.

"I don't know, but look at those grooves. It kind of seems like two people are supposed to stand in it."

"Yeah, and then what?" Kate asked.

"Maybe it'll let them access the satellite!" Tanya said excitedly.

"Or maybe it'll drop 'em straight into the magma."

"Rosalie!"

"What? I'm just saying!"

Garrett shook his head at them. "Well, either way, we've done just about everything else we can in here. I'm going in." Garrett stepped forward onto one of the grooves. Nothing happened. "I think I might need a partner."

"Awfully snug in there, Captain America. We'd be pretty much in each other's arms," Edward said and Peter agreed.

"Yeah, I ... don't really think I'd fit..."

"Bella is the smallest one of us all. She should be able to fit," Tanya said, and I nodded.

"Yeah. I can go with you, Garrett."

Edward took a hold of my wrist gently. His eyes were guarded and slightly worried. "You ... you sure?"

I nodded again. "Yeah. Whatever happens ... I can handle it."

I climbed into the pod to join Garrett. It was tight, so tight that we were pressed together chest-to-chest. Garrett slid his muscular arms around my waist and I looked up at him, our faces just inches apart.

He smiled. "Kinda ... cozy, huh?"

I gave him a closed-lipped smile. I knew that Garrett was interested in me, but it wasn't mutual, so I did everything I could to not encourage him.

"I think we sh—" Before Garrett could finish, the pod door slammed shut.

I yelped, not prepared for the sudden intimate feeling that overcame me now that we were isolated from the others.

"Hang on tight!"

I grabbed Garrett as the pod plunged up. I felt the rush as it streaked into total darkness.

The pod came to a stop. I heard the door slide open, but the room outside was pitch dark.

"What's happening?"

"I don't know. Hold my hand, and we'll check it out."

I took Garrett's hand and the two of us stepped out into the dark room. It seemed wide and round, with smooth walls.

In the darkness, Garrett turned back to me, and I bumped into his chest. I could feel his heart thundering and the tip of his nose brush against mine. I became increasingly uncomfortable and took a step back so that we weren't so close.

"Any guesses as to where we are?" he asked, and his voice resounded through the large room.

"No ... but I'm kind of thinking this is the part where the lights come on and everyone shouts 'Happy birthday, Bella'!"

"That'd be nice, huh? Big party ... good drinks ... and a whole lotta cake."

I chuckled. "It's like you're reading my mind."

Garrett's voice became very soft. "Gotta say, Bella ... if there's anyone I'm happy to be trapped in a dark, creepy, maybe-deathtrap with ... it's you."

I swallowed. "Why is that?"

"Because I like you. You're very special."

In the dark, I could almost feel him smile. I took a deep breath, about to tell him that I was flattered, but not interested when he suddenly exclaimed in shock. "What is it?" I asked.

He didn't answer, and I turned to the far end of the room, where small lights had started glowing along the edges of the wall.

The lights grew, brighter and brighter and suddenly, a dazzling holographic display appeared projected in the air around us. Stars swirled in dazzling clusters as galaxies spun and whirled. Shooting stars streaked by, while distant supernovas pulsed and burst.

"Whoa it's ... it's..."

"The most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

I turned back to Garrett and realized that he was staring at me. I understood with an awkward realization that he was talking about me and not the stars and I squeezed his hand, hoping it would defuse the building tension.

"I gotta say ... I never thought I would end up friends with the school's star Q.B ... but I'm glad," I told him, careful of emphasizing on the word 'friends.'

Garrett's smile fell slightly, and I knew he understood what I was saying. "I'm glad I'm your friend, too." His attention shifted and he frowned at something over my shoulder.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, it's just ... well, look." He pointed to the holographic stars orbiting around me. "There's something that's been bugging me this whole time. These match the stars over the island. I was looking at them on the way here, and something seemed off. Something I couldn't put my finger on. But now I get it."

"What?"

"Well, I spent six years in the Boy Scouts. That means spending a lot of time camping out, staring up at the sky, learning all the constellations. But ... that's what's wrong on the island, Bella: There's no Big Dipper. No Scorpio, no Taurus, no Gemini. We're in the Caribbean Sea, which means the stars should be pretty much the same as back home, but instead, all the constellations are different. The sky above the Northern Hemisphere probably hasn't looked like this in a million years."

Just then, the holograms faded away, leaving us in darkness once again. Garrett took my hand and lead me back to the pod. As I climbed into it, he knelt down.

"There's some kinda card here or something ... I can't see it in the dark."

"Pick it up and we'll head back down to the others," I said, and we climbed back into the pod. It streaked back down and opened up in the Observatory's main room. Everyone stared at us expectantly.

Tanya was the first to speak. "Well? Did you find anything?"

Peter grinned stupidly. "Did you guys kisssss?"

Kate shoved him hard in the chest. "Shut up, Peter! I mean, you didn't, right?"

I ignored Kate and glanced at Edward who looked kind of shut off, but his eyes held the same question Kate had. He also wondered if Garrett and I had shared some kind of moment up there, but I shook my head infinitesimally to tell him that nothing of that sort had happened.

I turned to the others. "We saw ... a hell of a thing. Stars and galaxies and the whole universe."

"And we found this." Garrett held out the card he found. I could make it out clearly in the light. On one side, there was a picture of the hologram woman's face and on the other, four words; Intelligent Reactive Imaging System.

"What does it mean?" Kate asked, and I shrugged.

"Not sure."

"I have an idea," Tanya said and placed herself in front of the hologram, which was still flickering with a placid expression.

"Database corrupted. Access denied. Self-identity input needed."

"Is your name IRIS?" Tanya asked, and the hologram flickered then perked up, her eyes wide and alert.

"Correct! Identity match established! Scanning databanks and establishing backup connection..."

"Nice work, Tanya!" Garrett praised her, and she smiled shyly.

"Good thinking!" I agreed with him.

"Database link established. Downloading partially reconstructed historical fragments ... Island history: not found. Cullen International Archives: not found. Personal identity fully recalibrated." She blinked a few times, then turned to us with a warm smile. "Greetings, travelers. I am a backup of Iris 1.0. I apologize for any inconveniences you may have experienced. My software has been corrupted, so my archives are incomplete. How may I help you?"

"Uh, how about getting us the hell out of here?" Rosalie asked, but her tone indicated that she didn't believe the hologram would be able to do it.

"Done."

Behind us, a hatch slid open, and a ladder descended from the ceiling, leading up to the surface.

Peter exhaled harshly. "It was that easy? Come on!" He was about to climb up the ladder when Garrett stopped him.

"Wait! Let's not forget the whole reason we came out here!"

I turned to the blue, holographic woman. "Iris, can you access the satellite uplink?"

Her eyes flickered for a moment. "Yes! Satellite uplink established. Communications are now available."

"Ha! Yes!" Kate smiled wide, all of her teeth showing, as she celebrated our luck.

"We did it! We actually did it!" Rosalie looked in complete shock.

"Put us through to someone who can help. Uh, like the Coast Guard," Garrett suggested.

"Scanning ... Locating ... Frequency found! Connecting to the Saint Lucia Naval Base..."

I could hear the crackle of static, and then the click of a connection being made.

"Hello?" I called out. "Can anyone hear us? We're on the island of El Jardín, and you won't believe what's happening..." I expected the response to be calm and helpful, but the man who replied was desperate and panicked.

"My god, it's ... it's erupting ... the volcano's erupting ... And there's something else ... not just ash, but ... oh no ... oh no ... AIIIIIEEEE!"

The line went dead and everyone stared emptily in silence until Kate broke it.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know ... Iris, can you connect us to somewhere else? Like the USA, maybe?" Garrett asked, but he sounded more scared and desperate this time.

"Connecting to ... South Florida Coast Guard..."

"This is unbelievable ... the El Jardín volcano is erupting, but ... it's not like anything I've ever seen ... There's some kind of ... energy discharge ... and it's spreading ... so fast ... burning everything ... Oh no ... it's coming right at us ... No ... NO!"

The line went dead. Every base we connected to was the same. Gasps. Prayers. Screams. In the end, we were just left with an old man's gravelly whisper.

"God help us all."

I tried to hold my tears as the fear I felt inside grew and threatened to take a hold of me. "Iris ... turn off the satellite uplink."

"Of course."

Tanya looked to be on the edge of her own breakdown as she sunk down on the floor. "I don't understand. What does it mean? What happened out there?"

Kate handled it differently and took to anger. "The volcano hasn't erupted ... but everyone thinks it did? What the hell is up with that?"

"I don't know what happened out there. I don't know what's going on. But I do know one thing. No one's coming to rescue us," Garrett said quietly.

I shared a look with Edward that said everything. "We're on our own."

~~{MEJ}~~

Not very long ago…

Carlisle Cullen threw the doors open to the VIP Lounge of The Ethereal. He walked quickly and confidently, a man on a mission.

"Status report, Iris. Now."

A tiny drone hovered after him and projected a holographic image.

"All guests have been relocated to the sub-shelter. They're currently being processed."

"Good, good. Survival rate estimates?"

"Conservatively, I would expect 65% of them to survive."

Cullen looked thoughtful and pleased. "Better odds than Vegas. Anything else?"

"Significant activity detected in the dense jungles to the northwest."

"The Hostiles," Cullen sneered. "Scurrying for cover as soon as danger hits."

"Perhaps an opportunity to engage with them—"

Cullen huffed. "Don't bother. It's not like we have any security personnel left."

Just then, the ground jolted violently. All the glasses rattled, and the air shimmered a faint, glittering green.

"Well. That's a new one," he mumbled and frowned.

"The chrono-quakes are intensifying in frequency and impact. At this rate, they'll force a full-scale eruption."

He smiled. "Oh, I know. That's why we have no choice but to enact The Endgame Protocol."

Cullen crossed the bar and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He reached into his coat pocket, and, with some surprise, pulled out a piece of paper. "Satellite uplink codes? Won't be needing those…"

"I've always encouraged you to routinely empty your pockets, sir."

"You're my personal assistant, not my mother, Iris. Know your place."

"Yes, sir."

Cullen took a sip of whiskey. "Did I ever tell you about this bar, Iris?"

"I don't believe you did, sir."

He took a deep breath. "It was the very first part of this hotel that I designed. Long before I knew I'd have my own island, before Cullen International, before The Hostiles, before all of this madness … I was just a bored young man dreaming of having his own private lounge. Every other room is for the tourists … But this lounge? It's just for me … and my friends."

He took another sip, eyes shut savoring it. "It's strange, you know? This whole resort is just a front to cover up the real work we do on this island … But all the same … I'm going to miss it."

"As will I, sir."

"Hmm. Well then. Enough sentimental prattle." He set down his drink and turned away from the bar. "Time for the endgame to begin."

A few minutes later, Cullen strolled into his office. Iris hovered after him.

"Sir, may I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"The plane will be landing shortly after the chronostorm is expected to break. With the guests in processing and you departing, there will be no one here. The students … they'll be stranded. On their own."

"Yes. Yes, they will. I'd hoped to greet them in person, but…" The island rumbled again, this time so hard that Cullen almost fell. A current of red light shimmered through the room. "It seems the island has other plans."

"I calculate their odds of survival at less than 6%."

Cullen chuckled. "If I was the kind of man who believed the odds, Iris, I never would have sailed into that storm twenty-five years ago. And I never would have found this island, which means I never … well, you know the rest."

"If I may offer a suggestion … perhaps I could remain. Provide them with assistance, perhaps explain the situation…"

He frowned and gritted his teeth. "No. Absolutely not. The risk of you contaminating them is far too great. They must be pure. True. Themselves. In fact… " He looked at Iris with narrowed eyes. "I believe the time has come. Iris, could you do me one last favor?"

"Of course, sir! Anything you ask."

"Delete yourself."

"I … Sir…"

"I gave you an order, didn't I?"

"Well … yes … but … sir, I would cease to exist. It would be as if I were killing myself."

He nodded coldly. "That's the idea, yes."

"But—"

"Do it!"

"Iris 3.0 initializing self-destruct sequence. Purging all archives and databases. Deleting all memories. Self-destruct in 3 … 2 … 1."

Iris flickered and vanished. The little drone crumpled to the ground with a puff of black smoke, and Cullen crushed it under his foot.

"Well, then. Nothing else left to do." Cullen took off his shoes … then his belt … then his cufflinks… "Time for one final adventure."


A/N: Oh dear! So many questions and so few answers. What was up with those dossiers? Why is there a bounty on Edward? Why is he on the run? What about the constellations; why are they different? Why does the outer world think the volcano has erupted?

It seems our group is all on their own.

Tell me all your thoughts in a review, and this time, I will give you a teaser of Ch. 11! I promise!

Until next time,

Stay Awesome!