"Is it safe to assume your father is dead and the Failed Ones broke free?" The robot asked. The question made Lee Seng's blood run ice cold. Goosebumps flared and Lee SEng hesitantly took a step back. The robot cocked its head. The metal groaned as it held on by a thread. It was quietly withering away.
"Why would you assume that?" Lee Seng asked. The robot thought for a moment and closed its eyes. It's uncanny smile faded which should've made Lee Seng and the others feel safer, but… it wasn't at all like that.
"You know the answer to that, young master." The robot answered. It opened its eyes, void of any emotional response. "The runes used on Veria Conet specifically states —"
"I know." Lee Seng answered. "It was a shock response. Nothing else."
"Your father is dead and the Failed Ones are alive. I know the first one because the portal activated. I know the Failed Ones are alive because of him." The robot pointed its crooked finger to Calis. "I sense it on him." Lee Seng, Calis and Evan looked over to Calis.
"Can a robot detect something like that? Robots can't even detect that now." Evan asked in confusion. The robot lowered its finger and rested its arm on the metallic chair.
"I was equipped with technology to adapt. It may not be up to the standard of technology you have now, but the runes help me discern the difference between humans and the Failed Ones." The robot answered. "Now, young master, I assume this clears everything up?" Lee Seng nodded. "Good. Onto the next matter…"
The robot started to stand. Strands of large rubber cords lifted as the robot fully stood up. Varying sizes of cords moved as the robot slowly made its way over to Lee Seng. The robot wasn't rusted like the bunker. It was in pristine shape. It's body creaked as it lifted its right hand out to Lee Seng.
"You must have questions about the bunker and myself. You'll find all supplementary information on this rune. Please break it to begin." The robot told Lee Seng.
'Orlio.' Lee Seng recognized the rune. 'An information sharing rune. Only rune mages can use this.'
"How can you—" Lee Seng began to ask when the robot interjected.
"Everything is on here." The robot offered the rune to Lee Seng, letting it hover in front of them. Lee Seng looked at the others. "Do not worry about your friends. They will be getting the same information if you say so, young master. You must give consent. They can view it first before you break it, but I would advise against it. This was specifically curated for you and only you, young master."
"Just look at it. We'll be here." Ritsuka answered Lee Seng's unspoken question as he turned to face them. "I'm more curious about this bunker and how it's still in one piece."
"Don't worry about us. The faster we learn what the Failed Ones are doing here, we can stop them." Evan added.
"Your friends are safe with me, young master." The robot commented. Lee Seng sighed and turned back to the rune. He lifted his hand up and slashed it.
The particles of the rune filled Lee Seng's entire vision. The robot, the bunker and his friends disappeared from view. A more pristine version of the bunker appeared. An unfinished mechanical robot sat slumped over on the metallic chair. A young Vang Chang tinkered with the robot.
"Sir, it's on." Nikolai's voice spoke from somewhere behind the video. Dr. Chang set the cords down and turned to look at Nikolai. He lifted himself up and wandered closer into view. There weren't wrinkles under his eyes or forehead. He didn't look so tired and dead. He looked full of life. He looked… happy..
"Thank you, Nikolai." Dad nodded to Nikolai off screen. He cleared his throat and looked at the rune. "To my future child, children or whatever may come…" He waved at the screen. "I hope you're doing well and I'm sorry you're seeing this. This rune is only ever meant for you in case I die and the Failed Ones get out." Dad shifted. His happy and cheery face died down. He moved his hands behind his back like he always did and continued.
"The Failed Ones were an experiment… They are an experiment that happened long before the Biohuman serum came to be. There were six-hundred fifty-seven experiments before the serum was finally perfected…" Dad sighed, pushing his glasses before looking back at the rune. "Six-hundred fifty-seven experiments - no, people - perished horribly. Their bodies mutated and they became different. Why am I telling you the exact number? Well, in the case the Failed Ones were to break out, there would be that exact number you'd need to hunt and find.
"In the case the Numbers cannot find them, you my dear child, will have to do it in their place. I know it is a lot of pressure to put you under. You are my child and I want you to live a wonderful life, but the one thing that has haunted me all these years and surely to my death… are them.
"The Numbers safeguard the lab for a particular reason… They don't protect what is above, they protect what is underneath. Fifty floors under is the start of the large prison set from the Failed Ones. They're to be monitored, watched by rotating staff, in case something were to happen. We can't let them out… but I cannot bring myself to kill them. It's my fault they are like that.
"I've been turning my efforts into finding a way to change them. I still haven't figured out a way, yet, but I hope I can find something soon… In the case that didn't happen, you need to kill them. I will hate myself for this, but…" Dad moved to the side and revealed the half-built robot. "Nikolai, come closer to the robot."
"Yes, sir." Nikolai answered. Their feet clamped against the bunker floor, echoing. The robot grew into its full size and Dad crouched next to it.
"This guy is a product of wonderful engineering." Dad smiled. "He'll be pumped with Biohuman serum, specifically from Nikolai, to withhold this message in a rune. He will also be the tool for you to eradicate my wrongdoings…" Dad moved his hand to the left shoulder and clicked open a compartment. The robot hissed and a small notice went off.
"Shoulder compartment is open." A voice echoed throughout the bunker. Dad pulled a vial out and showed it to the runic camera.
"This is F-5109. It's…" Dad sighed before pressing on. "It's a serum I made. It will supercharge you and allow you to kill the Failed Ones. If they break out, I will assume they'll want to destroy this. They'll come for it, so you need to safeguard this until you find Failed 001." Dad's face grew dark. "Pull it out like this and stab her with it. Do whatever you need to do. If you kill 001, the rest will wither away. Do not let her get this or else there won't be any way to kill them.
"001 is the most dangerous one of them all. She's trying to use her charms to get to me. She'll use any method to get to you and once you lower yourself enough, she'll kill you. Use the serum." Dad lifted it up one last time before putting it back in place. He stood up and moved over to the back of the head where a large cord hole was. Dad pressed down around the cord hole and listened to it open.
"This is for you, my child." Dad pulled a large vial out. "I probably subjected you to a lot of things… It was all in case something were to go wrong. You might hate me. You might not want anything to do with me, but… I've been injecting you with this formula since you were little… Well, I will be. To get this you must tell Y0Z04 'this is the end.' He will know what that means and make the necessary preparations to give you this… He might even give his Biohuman serum to you… I'm not sure yet."
"Sir, let's not go off topic. We don't have much time left before they come looking." Nikolai reminded Dad. Dad nodded and showed the vial to the screen before putting it back into place. He moved around the chair and looked straight into the camera.
"I shouldn't use my future child or children to finish what I couldn't but… That's a worst-case scenario." Dad sighed and smiled. "I hope it never comes to be… Well… Goodbye." Dad awkwardly waved and the rune fizzled out.
Lee Seng blinked and noticed he was staring at the old light above him.
"Oh, he's awake!" Evan poked his head into view. "You've been asleep for a while. Didn't know that rune would put you out like that! Hey Yozo-4, Lee Seng's awake."
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