Cecil's gasped in horror before she could contain herself. "D-do you think he's dead?" Her voice shook with fear, and she hated herself for it.
"Perhaps he just hasn't woken up yet," Retha supplied. "Maybe only the third floor inhabitants were able to regain consciousness."
"Optimistic, but no," Alt-Eisen's voice cut in. "I don't think he's breathing. Additionally, take a look at this monitor."
Kathryne Keyron leaned in closer, observing the screen. "It's the oxygen support system," she breathed softly. "It's failed. For this entire floor."
"Dear God," Seyren whispered.
"It looks like it happened recently, considering the body isn't decayed yet. Or perhaps…the green fluid is a preservative?" Kathryne posited. "I can't be certain unless I can test its properties first. However, I'm fairly certain that it was oxygen-enriched fluid….at least, up until now."
"So that's it," Retha said blankly. "They're all dead. We can't save any of them."
"That's it," Eremes replied. "There's nothing we could have done."
"You're right," Retha agreed, pulling herself together. "And standing around moping about it will get us nowhere. Are there any files on these people? Names, or hometowns? Their loved ones should at least learn of what became of them."
"Really?" Kathryne replied incredulously. "You would have their loved ones know that they died a terrible, suffocating, death in a biological laboratory as a test subject?"
"Of course, we wouldn't put it so bluntly. But they deserve to know that they won't be coming home. Closure can do wonders for a grieving soul."
"I see," Kathryne replied gravely. "I did not think of that."
"The original blueprints have the names," Alt-Eisen replied. "And considering how well-respected we all are in our particular fields, I have no doubt we will be able to find who these people were."
"Very well," Retha said. "Then, in that case, let us leave this accursed laboratory for good."
The journey out of the labyrinth was short and simple, especially with the aid of Alt-Eisen's blueprints. Occasionally, High Wizard Kathryne stopped to take a few samples, but other than that, there were no major detours. With their newly acquired powers, the weaker doppelgangers were easy to defeat.
As they walked through the door, Retha felt the oppressive mood around her dissipate. The darkness of the laboratory gave way to the light flooding in from outside, and she belatedly wondered how many years had passed during their imprisonment.
"So, what now?" Cecil asked her.
"Kathryne, as a high wizard, you are familiar with the Juno library, are you not?" Retha asked.
"Indeed I am, and I suspect I know what you have in mind. I would be glad to do so," Kathryne replied.
"Great. To be absolutely sure that we are on the same page, though, I would like you to research the names of the six deceased prisoners and find out where their families are."
"Exactly what I had presumed," Kathryne said. "It would be my pleasure to pay a visit to Juno. I also have quite a bit of research I would like to do myself. Some of the things that we have seen here require more study. And then there was that firefighter…quite intriguing, quite intriguing, I must say. I have mulled over quite a few theories about what these Rekenber scientists were experimenting on, and the ethical implications could be rather…complicated."
"Indeed," Retha said. "However, please do not neglect this task that I have given you – it may put a few troubled hearts to rest."
"If those few troubled hearts are still alive," Alt-Eisen added. "I wonder what year it is," he commented offhandedly.
"And what of the rest of us?" Lord Seyren asked. "What shall we do?"
"As I said before," Retha continued, "I want to find the people responsible for this atrocity and make them pay."
From the look in Retha's eyes, Kathryne once again reflected that this woman was not one who should be crossed.
"I will find them. And I will destroy them. Whether you choose to join me is your own business."
"In that case, I will return to the Holy Church. They at least deserve some news of what occurred during our journey. Should you find any leads, send a message to me," Seyren said. "I will gladly join you in your mission."
"If you're going to the Church, then bring these," Alt-Eisen said, handing Seyren the blueprints. "They will lend some credibility to your story."
"The archer's guild is sure to be worrying about me," Cecil chipped in. "I, too, shall return home, bringing news of the evils in Lighthalzen. Perhaps I could bring a few reinforcements, should you need my aid."
"Likewise," Kathryne said. "I will do the task you have assigned me, and pursue a few other research topics in the meantime. I would like to know exactly how far these studies have gone, and the scope of Rekenber's involvement before I plan my next move. Should you discover anything, please let me know and I will be happy to join you. And it goes without saying that if I make any discoveries, I will let you know, if you give me an address that I may reach you by."
Retha nodded impassively. She hadn't expected much when she asked for such a commitment from the others – especially when she herself didn't even know where to start looking. All she had was the name of the corporation: Rekenber. Was the entire company corrupt? Or was it only the dabbling of a few irresponsible mad scientists? Rekenber's influence was unprecedented – should the evil stem from its very roots, reinforcements would not be a bad idea.
"That leaves just the two of you," Retha said, turning towards Alt-Eisen and Eremes. "Will either of you accompany me?"
"My guild cares not whether I live or die," Eremes replied. "They've probably forgotten about me a long time ago. I will follow you."
Alt-Eisen bowed his head. "As much as I wish to join you in your noble cause, I have a wife and child."
"Understood," Retha said immediately. "Please, hurry home to see them. Eremes and I will do the rest."
"Wait," Seyren interjected. "Before we all go our separate ways, I would like to suggest something."
"What is it?" Retha asked.
"That we burn this horrible place to the ground."
"No," Eremes cut in. "The existence of this laboratory serves as evidence of the experimentation that was going on here. If we burn it down, we lose valuable proof."
"You have the card from the MVP, right?" Cecil pointed out. "And Seyren has the blueprints. I agree with him. This place gives me the creeps."
"Very well," Eremes acquiesced.
As the flames climbed high into the sky, Retha breathed a sigh of relief. The nightmare had finally ended. Already, their comrades were beginning to scatter to the four winds – Alt-Eisen hadn't bothered to wait around to watch the laboratory burn.
Eremes stood stalwartly by her side. "Now, where shall we go, Retha?"
"To Lighthalzen," she replied. "To Lighthalzen, and to Rekenber."
"As you wish."
Together, they turned towards the road. Behind them, a raging inferno devoured their former prison. The two of them did not look back.
A/N: I realize that this isn't complementary to the in-game biolabs with four floors, but when I started working on this fic I was playing a server that hadn't gotten the updates yet…sorry about that! Hope you all liked it :)