Acid Reign : Genesis

William checked the fiber-optic connections and compared readings on the displays. Satisfied, he unplugged them. The displays flickered, but remained connected. Vitals, brain activity, and a seemingly endless display of numbers and DNA strands filled the screens.

The man on the chair was unconscious this time. There was no need to create the same diversion he had with Amon. Yeong had caught on to the attempts to delay the project and had given him an ultimatum that he couldn’t ignore. He had to make it work, at least until the Catalyst could find another way to get his family safe.

William set a tablet on the small white table and activated a 3D hologram of a DNA strand. He studied it for a moment, took some notes, then typed in a command on a virtual keyboard. The DNA strand separated and a second appeared. He manipulated the first and combined it with the second, then immediately shut down the hologram display as if it had been some horrible scene of carnage.

It was too late to be a martyr. He was now responsible for the enslavement of the last people on earth. The beep of the keypad shook him from his self-loathing.

A soldier, whose face was completely covered with a tactical mask, opened the sliding door. He looked quickly down the hall and stepped inside the chamber.

William relaxed when the soldier pulled a small piece of folded paper from a pocket on his vest and handed it to him. He quickly read it, pulled a small piece of paper from his own uniform and gave both of them to the soldier.

“Make sure she gets this today,” William pleaded.

“I will.”

“Please, it has to be today.”

The soldier turned to leave then paused. “William?”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll get you out,” the soldier whispered.

William nodded.

“Just make sure you keep your end of the deal,” the soldier added.

William stared into nothing as the door closed. He didn’t know how to feel. He thought that his life and his family’s would be a fair trade for humanity’s future, but he couldn’t help but feel hope that the plan would still work. For now, it was done, the data and equipment worked, and Yeong had his neural implants. There was only one chance to stop all of this. It was a long shot, but something had to be done.