Chapter 30: Bio Research Facility

Bio-Dome

22 November 2003

09:35

Kurtis Trent

Kurtis had been maneuvering around the Strahov, meticulously avoiding detection as he made his way through the labyrinthine complex. The sudden power outage changed everything. He didn't like this at all. The dim emergency lighting cast long shadows, perfect for someone like him. He blended into the darkness as guards started running around in a panic, their shouts echoing through the corridors.

Kurtis knew who had cut the power. Lara Croft. He had to find her before she did anything else that might jeopardize his mission. His footsteps were silent as he moved swiftly through the shadows, his senses on high alert. The chaotic movements of the guards made it easier for him to slip past unnoticed.

He paused for a moment, his back pressed against a cold, concrete wall. A group of guards ran past, their boots clattering on the floor, their voices raised in confusion and anger. Once they were out of sight, Kurtis continued his search, his mind focused on locating Lara.

Kurtis navigated through a series of hallways, each turn bringing him closer to where he suspected Lara might be. He checked every corner, every doorway, his eyes scanning for any sign of her. The darkness was both an ally and an enemy, concealing him from the guards but also hiding Lara from his sight.

His thoughts raced as he moved. Lara was capable and resourceful, but she didn't fully understand the dangers within the Strahov. If she made one wrong move, it could mean disaster for both of them. He couldn't let that happen. He had to find her and make sure she didn't do anything else that might alert the entire complex to their presence.

As he rounded a corner, he heard a faint noise ahead. He slowed his pace, moving even more cautiously. The noise grew louder, and he recognized it as the sound of footsteps – light, deliberate. It had to be Lara. Kurtis quickened his pace, following the sound.

At last, he caught sight of her. He observed as she ascended the vines to the upper walkways. Following her gaze, he turned and found himself looking at the same sight.

Bio-Dome

22 November 2003

09:25

Lara Croft

Lara stepped cautiously through the door, entering the greenhouse with a mix of curiosity and wariness. The air inside was warm and humid, filled with the heady scent of exotic plants. Strange, luminescent flora cast an eerie glow, their tendrils seeming to reach out towards her as she moved down the steps.

Her boots made soft thuds on the stone steps, each one echoing slightly in the vast, enclosed space. She kept her eyes sharp, scanning her surroundings for any signs of danger. The greenhouse was a tangle of vibrant colors and unusual shapes, the plants unlike anything she had ever seen. Some had broad, waxy leaves, while others had long, spindly vines that curled and twisted in the air.

As she descended, she noticed a man standing near a fountain at the center of the greenhouse. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his back turned to her as he seemed to be examining the water. The light from the plants cast shifting patterns on his figure, making him appear almost ghostly in the dimness.

Lara's heart rate quickened, and she tightened her grip on her pistol. She moved quietly, her steps measured and deliberate, closing the distance between them. Her eyes flicked to the plants around her, half-expecting one to lash out at any moment.

"Don't breathe and definitely don't move." She called out to him, pointing her gun at him.

Müller turned slowly, a sneer curling on his lips. "You're in big trouble, whoever you are. Intruders don't last long in the Strahov."

"Just answer my questions!" Lara's voice was firm. "First question - who are you? Second question - what are you and your buddies up to in here?"

Müller chuckled darkly. "You really don't know what the Cabal is? We are the beginning of a new order of life on Earth."

"Well, I've never heard of you."

"Ignorant mortal! The Cabal! We control everything here in Prague. It means that we are going to be immortal, and you are going to be dead, intruder!"

"Immortal? That is impressive. How are you going to manage that?"

"Meister Eckhardt is about to return the Nephilim race to glory. For our part in that triumph, he will grant us immortality."

"If I had a coconut for every time some lunatic said something like that..."

Müller's eyes blazed with anger. "Your pathetic ignorance blinds you. We already have the last vital element from Turkey here in the Strahov."

"And that is...?"

"The only true remaining Nephilim. The Cubiculum Nephili, The Sleeper. That's right. The last of the extinct race, here in the Strahov."

"Surely the Nephilim are just a myth."

"You see! Ignorance! With vital essences extracted from this precious specimen, Meister Eckhardt can breed the next generation of pure Nephilim. No more abomination to run amok like Boaz's Proto-Nephilim. She deserved to pay for her stupidity."

"Yes, highly inconvenient having abominations running around loose, isn't it?"

Müller suddenly sprayed a green substance at Lara, making her cough and stumble back, her vision blurring. When she recovered, Müller was gone.

"Damn it," Lara muttered, rubbing her eyes and scanning the room for any sign of him. The greenhouse was silent again, the plants' eerie glow casting shifting shadows.

Lara steadied herself, determined to push forward.

Lara entered another room filled with strange creatures in glass cases, their distorted forms a testament to twisted experiments. The air was thick with a sterile, chemical smell. Following the narrow walkway to the right, she turned the first valve, the metal handle squeaking under her grip. Steam hissed from pipes above as she moved to the other side and turned the second valve. A trapdoor at the bottom of a tank creaked open, releasing a live mutant into the room. Lara glanced at it but remained focused on her objective.

She climbed down the broken ladder, the rungs shaky under her weight, and dropped to the floor, landing with a soft thud. The passage ahead sloped down towards another pool. Standing at the center of the ramp, she stepped off, slid forward, and jumped to grab the ladder ahead. The cold metal bit into her hands as she climbed up and through the door into a steamy hallway.

Killing a guard with swift precision, she then climbed the vine-covered wall to a high ledge, the lush greenery almost incongruous in this dark place. After navigating the area and turning off the steam, she used the pipes and ledges to reach the top of the room, dropping onto a platform below with practiced grace.

Crossing the walkway, Lara climbed down two ladders to a blue door, opening the airlock. Inside, she quickly dispatched another guard, took his Botanical Low Access Pass, and headed for the exit. Climbing the raised plant bed, she used the ladder to reach level 2, ascended to level 4, and navigated across the greenhouse roof.

Collecting the necessary access cards from guards, she climbed the vine-covered pole and reached level 6. The air was cooler up here, and she could hear the distant hum of machinery.

Lara sneaked around on a walkway, ducking behind a railing to see what was happening on another platform. Dr. Müller was using some kind of control panel. Pieter Van Eckhardt joined him, accompanied by Marten Gunderson.

Eckhardt's voice was sharp with irritation. "There's chaos out there! Why has the power been cut off?"

Gunderson turned to Müller. "Is this your doing, Müller?"

Müller shook his head, his expression tense. "No. The power's down everywhere."

Gunderson took Müller's place at the control panel, his fingers flying over the buttons.

"Just control things in the Dome then. Do it! Is everything locked down? We don't want anything getting loose," Eckhardt commanded.

"It's under control, Master Eckhardt," Gunderson assured, though his tone was less confident than his words.

Kristina Boaz rushed to the men, her face pale with worry. "We have a problem down in the Sanatorium!"

Eckhardt's eyes narrowed. "What problem, Boaz? Just have the guards deal with your inmates and pets."

Boaz hesitated, then confessed, "I have a confession, Master Eckhardt. I didn't destroy the Proto Nephilim!"

Gunderson's eyes widened. "The Proto! You are kidding! Right, Boaz? I need to supervise this personally."

Eckhardt's anger was palpable. "That experiment was to be eradicated! I expressly ordered it. It's far too dangerous to keep alive!"

Boaz's voice trembled. "I couldn't! It's half Nephilim. That makes it impossible to kill without your Periapt Shard."

Eckhardt's face twisted in rage. "You ignored my orders for the last time, Boaz! Müller, I need the services of one of your little creations."

Müller flipped a switch, lowering a spider-like creature down. Boaz's eyes widened in horror.

"Ahhh! Please, nooo!" she screamed.

Eckhardt slapped Boaz hard across the face, pushing her closer to the creature. He grabbed her arms and forced her nearer to the railing.

"It wasn't my fault. I'm loyal," Boaz pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"Your own incompetence has sentenced you, Boaz," Eckhardt said coldly.

"Give me a chance. Not the pod, no, no!" Boaz cried.

Eckhardt pushed Boaz to the creature, which lunged and enveloped her, her screams abruptly silenced.

Eckhardt's voice was icy as he spoke to the remaining men. "I will be obeyed! Now, sort this mess out."

Hidden in the shadows, Lara watched the scene unfold, her heart pounding. The stakes had just been raised. She knew she had to move quickly and carefully. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself for what lay ahead and silently slipped away, determined to uncover the full extent of Eckhardt's plans and put a stop to them.

Lara made her way back down to the ground floor and crossed the room, using the botanical low access pass to enter the first airlock. She pressed the button to exit on the other side and then turned left into another airlock. As the door closed behind her, she realized she was locked inside. Frustration bubbled up, but then she saw a familiar figure appear on the other side of the glass door. Her stalker.

"You really have made a mess of things, haven't you?" Kurtis remarked his tone a mix of irritation and amusement.

Lara glared at him through the glass. "Who for? The stalker who stole my painting? What do you need with the painting?"

"Maybe I'll explain later, Miss Croft," Kurtis replied, a hint of a smirk on his face. "But for now, I need to go and turn the power back on."

"Leaving me here," Lara retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You've caused enough problems over the last five days. Safer for everyone if you stay in one place for a while. You'll be OK in there," Kurtis said, his tone firm.

Lara's eyes narrowed, and she pulled the Periapt Shard from her pack, pressing it against the glass door, her gaze challenging. "And this?"

Kurtis's eyes widened in surprise. "My Periapt Shard! You..."

"...picked it up in the Louvre, yes. After you stole my painting," Lara interrupted, her voice cool and steady.

Kurtis's expression hardened. "All this can wait. I know where you'll be. Take a breather from damaging things, why don'tcha."

With that, Kurtis turned and left, leaving Lara alone in the airlock. She paced back and forth, her frustration mounting. The confined space made her feel trapped, and her mind raced with thoughts of the dangers still lurking within the Strahov. She needed to find a way out and get back to her mission. Time was of the essence, and she couldn't afford to be sidelined for long.

Her eyes scanned the airlock, searching for any potential means of escape. The walls were solid, and the glass door showed no signs of giving way. She clenched her fists, willing herself to stay calm and think logically. There had to be a way out of this predicament. She couldn't just wait for him to come back.

Minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. Lara's mind raced with possible solutions, but nothing seemed feasible. She sighed, leaning against the glass door, her frustration palpable. This was not how she had envisioned her mission going.

Finally, she took a deep breath and focused her thoughts. There had to be another way out. She wouldn't let this setback stop her. With renewed determination, she began to examine the airlock more closely, looking for any detail she might have missed. Her adventure was far from over, and she was determined to find a way to continue, no matter what obstacles lay in her path.