Chapter 14: End of Overture
Damn it. Damn it all. I let my emotions get the better of me. I let my curiosity take over. And now they took advantage of my emotional turmoil and my physical detriments and trapped me in a room. I don't know where I am, and the door is locked. I can't get out of this room, it's dark and I feel absolutely horrible.
I should have listened to what Silver said, but instead I went through that door, slowly walking down a spiral staircase. On one of the steps was a crumbled up piece of paper. Upon unraveling the paper, I realized it was a list of staff.
They call themselves the Archaic. This could only be the research station my father mentioned in the letter, and most likely my current whereabouts. The list was comprised of several names categorized into three groups: Chief, Elevated and Lower. I recognized a few names on the list.
My father's name in the Chief category, with the designation of Chief Overseer. The two hedgehogs were in the Elevated Caste, as people of importance to the project, but with no experience in any scientific branch. They were most likely here because of their firsthand knowledge on the subject, and they also consented to being test subjects, so the staff could monitor how they were affected by whatever thing they were researching here. Silver's name was listed among the former staff. I'm not sure whether they assumed he was dead or missing, or if they thought he left the project voluntarily.
Stepping off the staircase, I found myself in a long corridor, but the walls resembled that of a building, and not a mine. That's when I saw a dark silhouette at the end of it. I couldn't discern who it was, but it was just standing there slightly hunched over.
Naturally I rushed over to them. I just lost a friend who left me with more questions than answers. I needed to see another living being. I needed to actually have a face connected to a voice.
As I did, the lights turned off one by one, starting from his end of the hallway. This unsettled me quite a bit. As to not let myself venture into this blindly, I turned on my flashlight, but I couldn't see the silhouette anymore.
A few steps forward and something hit the back of my head. I tried to fight back, but my retaliation was met with even more blows to my head and torso. I don't know who attacked me, I didn't get a chance to see them. I must have blacked out. The next thing I knew, I was here, in this dark room.
I don't know what they want with me. I don't know whether they were members of the Archaic or something else. I only know I was a fool to think after all of this there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. It never was there, and it never will. Only madness and death awaits me here.
Mark my words, the man who descended into this mine is no more. The next chapter of my endeavor begins now.
- END OF ACT ONE (OVERTURE) -