Ten years ago…
A much younger Marcus walked through the white and gray walls of their Project Zonar lab. Although the hallways seemed empty, he knew all about the intricate experiments and full discoveries that sat in each room and the sound of the metal footsteps were common to his ears. Unfortunately, that was all going to end.
Their sponsors had backed out of their project and they lost their government funding too. It was only a few days ago when the bad news was broken to the whole team, but even though it was sad, Marcus felt like it was about time. Of course, they had accomplished so much: more advanced robotics for automation, special lasers that’d be useful in construction work, extremely durable light barriers that could act as cost-efficient shields, and even serums that could heal even the most gruesome injuries, but their best invention was a new more efficient and powerful energy source dubbed the Zonar Core, which could power all their creations. Marcus was satisfied with their work, but he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t a little disappointed, and he questioned why they lost so much funding despite all their results. He wasn’t the only one.
Another scientist was walking beside him, dark skin and bright emerald eyes. His name was Yvonne Star, an older but just as, if not, smarter scientist on the Project Zonar team.
“So, what’re you going to do after this?” Marcus asked.
Yvonne smiled, pulling out from his lab coat a picture of his family. A smiling wife that looked like she was trying really hard to get the perfect face for the photo, along with a small girl doing the same thing while holding onto her father, and another taller girl who just frowned. “I’ll probably go spend some more time with them. I’ve spent years on this project that I’ve barely had any time to even write to my daughters, and I just hope they even recognize my face,” Yvonne chuckled.
“What are their names?”
“The frowning one is Tessa, and the one I’m holding is Sora, she’s a bright one. Last time I saw her, I think she was trying to read one of my old science textbooks. Either that or eating it.”
“Seems like she’s got a bright future.”
“Indeed, but what about you, Marcus?”
“Not much, I guess. I’m not really in a hurry to go see my father, so I might just go back to school and finish it.”
“Well, with how much experience you have now, I’m sure you’ll knock it out. And hey, if you want my recommendation, I’m sure I could find you another project to work on.”
“Thanks, Yvonne. I’ll be sure to consider it,” Marcus said. “Say, wasn’t Raya supposed to join us?”
“She went ahead of us. Said she had something she needed to do.”
Dr. Raya Every was another scientist on their team. She was actually a medical doctor in Altaria before joining Project Zonar, but she’s been a valuable member. Probably the most compassionate of them, she’d helped with ethical concerns and kept them all in good standings with the government for the most part. She was also the biggest advocate for the Emerald Healing serums, but they barely got to test them before their shut down.
Marcus was about to say more before they heard a loud slam in a room farther down. They glanced at each other before rushing down to see.
There was some dust kicked up in the room with some slight smoke, but not enough to block the silhouette figure of another scientist, fumbling in the lab.
“Adrien?” Marcus called out. The figure turned around to reveal a gray-haired man with green streaks, dark bags under his eyes, and a smoke-stained lab coat. “What are you doing?” Adrien Dalstov, a genius scientist that started and led the Zonar Project, someone who Marcus worked very closely with here and was actually the reason why he was able to work on the project.
Adrien looked shocked before composing himself again, “Apologies, I’m just clearing out my equipment. Why are you here?”
“We were here to do the same thing…but the authorities told us to leave the technology here,” Yvonne said firmly.
“I don’t see why they should keep our hard work,” Adrien shot back with a hint of annoyance.
“What use could you even have with it?”
His eyes glinted with a certain unease, shame, but also determination. “I believe I’ve found a way to continue our project.”
“What do you mean ‘continue’?” Marcus said.
“I’ve found another organization to fund Project Zonar, without the government’s interference.”
“But the government still owns this stuff, we can’t just take it.”
“No. They don’t. They’re not the minds behind the discovery and creation of this tech. And I won’t let some laws stop me from achieving my life’s work!”
Yvonne and Marcus glanced at each other again, unsure of what was going on with Adrien or what to do. Yvonne eventually turned back to Adrien, “Who did you find that would agree to fund this project?” Adrien didn’t respond, pondering if he should tell them. “It’s okay, Adrien. You can trust us.”
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“The Black Dragons,” He said finally.
Both Marcus and Yvonne were shocked, finding it hard to believe that their leader, no their friend was dealing with terrorists. “Y–you can’t be SERIOUS!” Marcus cried out. “You’re dealing with the Black Dragons! The same people responsible for the Burning of Casedena Theater, or the Markesian Bridge Explosions?! Those are the people you want to work with?”
“I understand that they’re an unruly sort, but they’ve offered me enough funding for my project for the next seven years!”
“And what exactly do they want in return?” Yvonne said.
“They want me to produce more Zonar Cores and technology.”
“You realized what that means, right?”
“That isn’t any of my business.”
“Adrien! How could you say that? If you provide the Black Dragons with more technology, they’ll turn them into weapons, and then you’ll be just as responsible for all the people they kill.”
Adrien looked down for a moment, seemingly hesitating with an uneasy composure, but then he stared back at them with unwavering eyes, tightening fists. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to learn more about the Network and all its mysteries. I’ve already come this far! And I will not let anything get in my way!”
“Adrien! Please, think this through and stop this madness!” Marcus said.
“Madness?!” Adrien’s eyes flashed with fury. “Is that what this is all to you? All the things we’ve accomplished together! Was that all just a CRAZY dream to you?!”
“No! No! Adrien, I just don’t want you to get into something you’ll regret later!”
“I don’t need warnings from an amatuer like you,” He said coldly.
Marcus felt a force punch his heart from that, but he needed to shake that off. They both needed to stop Adrien before he went too far, because this was getting too dangerous. He spotted a flash drive stuck in one of the computers, Adrien must be trying to copy all their notes, and salvage anything he can take. They just needed to destroy them, then.
He looked at Yvonne, “We need to stop him. Delete everything on file, I’ll hold him.” Before Yvonne could respond though, Adrien let out a cry of rage, and Marcus ran forward to block him.
“No! You can’t! Not my work!” Adrien screamed. Marcus could barely hold him at bay, and Adrien was surprisingly strong, but that might’ve been the adrenaline. Behind him, Yvonne quickly got to work on the computer, trying to destroy everything as fast as possible. However, disaster would strike in the next few seconds.
Something steel-gray with red veins flashed behind Adrien’s back and he took a step back to aim it at Marcus’s face, and he immediately recognized it. Adrien pulled out one of their prototype laser guns and he was about to fire it into his face, reacting quickly, Marcus ducked out of the way right as Adrien pulled the trigger. But although he avoided the laser, the long searing hot red line blazed through the air and struck Yvonne clean through the chest.
“YVONNE!!!” Marcus screamed and ran over to him, as he slumped to the ground with smoke rising from the gaping hole on his chest. “I—I, Yvonne, I’m sorry—no…” Marcus could barely think. He wanted to say things would be okay, but that was impossible. Yvonne was dying in his arms, barely able to even get any last words out, and Marcus felt like he had also been hit with the burning light as the tears and guilt welled up. Sora and Tessa would never be able to see their father again. And this project had killed him. No. Adrien killed him.
Marcus whirled on Adrien, eyes flaring with fury. Adrien looked back with horror, hands shaking around the gun and dropped it, shaking his head and backing up. “ADRIEN! How could you do this! YOU KILLED HIM!” Marcus charged him.
“No, NO! I–I–I…you made me do this!” Adrien clutched his head. “Why are you trying to stop me?” Marcus struck Adrien in the jaw and sent him slamming against the control panel of the Zonar Core. A blue glowing tube containing hexagonal crystals in the center of the lab, with metal panels surrounding it. The computers sparked and smoked from the laser that scorched it.
“Was this all really so worth—” Marcus cried out before getting cut off from Adrien’s punch. He found himself pinned to the ground with Adrien’s hands tightening around his throat. Rage and adrenaline fueled him as he clocked Adrien back to the ground. The two scientists struggled against the ground, swinging and punching each other like wild animals, slamming against the various machines, breaking devices, while the whole room coursed with unstable energy. The Zonar Core pulsated with growing energy, as the damaged control panel could no longer control it, and the unstable power cracked and scorched the entire laboratory.
“I told you!” Adrien screamed. “This is my life! This is everything I’ve worked for! Why do you want to take that away!!!” Blood splattered from both of them as Adrien’s fist crunched against Marcus’s jaw.
“Because you’ll hurt people…” Marcus kicked Adrien into the control panel again. “They’ll all see you, our work, our technology as dangerous, terrible. You’ll be labeled a monster. That’s not what we aimed for!”
Adrien was about to lunge at Marcus again with a scream, when the Zonar Core finally reached its peak. Suddenly, a blinding blue light seared through the room and they both felt its flowing energy burst and crushed everything there. The explosion sent them both slamming into the walls, but it didn’t end there. The explosion of power started to implode, as the gravitational force from the Core started pulling things in like a black hole. Marcus’s ears ringed and his vision blurred, he felt weak, powerless, but he needed to get back his senses.
Feeling himself get pulled around, he found enough strength to grab onto a steel table bolted into the floor. He was horrified to see tables, objects, and even pieces of walls fly through the air and into…a pure white beacon in place of where the Zonar Core was supposed to be. The beacon seemed to burn straight vertically through the entire laboratory, pressing deep into the floor, and firing through the ceiling. Anything that touched the beacon disappeared, disintegrated from existence. Was this the true power of the Network, of their technology? Maybe the government was right for shutting this down. This power was terrifying.
Adrien struggled to find his footing, quickly getting pulled towards the beacon. He managed to catch himself on one of the bolted down tables, but his grip was far weaker. His fingers strained from the pain and he was losing leverage. Adrien stared at Marcus with a plea, reaching a hand toward him. “Marcus! Please!”
Instinctively, Marcus reached back to take Adrien’s hand, to save his friend. But his mind said otherwise. This man killed Yvonne, a good scientist, a good friend, and someone with a family. This man was willing to work with terrorists for selfish goals. And this man wouldn’t let anything stop him from achieving his goals, no matter how much damage is caused. A shameful, agonizing thought came to his mind, but it was the most logical. The world would be better off with Adrien Dalastov gone.
And so, Marcus stopped reaching for Adrien’s hand and pulled back, unable to watch his old friend’s look turn from desperation to fury. Adrien gave one last scream and curse before he finally lost his grip and flew back towards the beacon. This time with nothing to stop him.
As quickly as the beacon appeared it was gone, perhaps finally satiated, the beacon shrank down and returned the lab to its darkness. And Marcus was on the ground, with a blood-spattered lab coat, a destroyed laboratory, and all alone in silence.