Flint slowly rises from the cold, stone ground of the impossibly large room. His low groans and cracking of corroded bones weakly echo throughout the room. Flint’s breaths become more erratic and his body shivers due to the injuries he has sustained. Despite the pain, Flint keeps standing. Flint shambles through the dark void of the room, distancing himself away from the large metal dome.
He shambles through the dark void, in hopes that there is something to bring him out of this horrid and hidden place. He is accompanied by the sounds of his stiff steps and a crackling radio echoing through the room.
It doesn’t take long for him to see an old, rusted lift in the distance, despite the darkness. He immediately bolts to the lift, leaving a trail of black sludge footprints on the stone floor.
Flint stops mere inches away from the lift, breathing heavily. He presses the call button on the lift. The rusty lift squeaks and scrapes loudly as it lowers down. Flint leans against the rusty grill gate as he waits for the lift.
The lift finally reaches the stop after what felt like hours to Flint. He opens the gate and finds a large lift accommodating his corrupted body’s size. He closes the gate and presses the up button on the lift.
He lies down as the lift’s loud creaks and scraps echo throughout the room. He patches his wounds with whatever is left of his stained, destroyed button-up polo.
Flint takes out his revolver and only finds enough ammunition to replenish his used bullets. He loads the bullets into the empty spots of the revolver barrel. He keeps the revolver close to him, knowing that those are his only shots left. Flint looks up at the seemingly infinite height the lift has to travel. He takes a deep breath, and savors this little moment of respite.
Romander stands in front of a large device. The giant ridged cylinder-shaped machine whirs and rumbles loudly. There is a circular window showing the dark inside of the room. The dim blue light glowing from its pulsing various tubes prevents Romander from being enveloped in the darkness within the large room.
Romander holds a monitor in his large grotesque hand. The monitor shows the symbols on the glowing barrier. All the petals have been dimmed. He crushes the monitor in his hand. Romander throws the monitor aside and keeps staring at the window on the door of the large machine.
“IT MATTERS NOT IF THE SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN.” The robotic voice crackles from the voice box. “I MUST BEGIN THE PROCEDURE.”
Romander wheels over to a control panel beside the machine. He flips several switches and presses buttons on the panel. The pipes on the machine pulse intensely and glow brightly while the machine rumbles violently. His large grotesque robotic hand slams down on the power button. A progress bar shows on the monitor screen.
“NOW, IT IS A MATTER OF WAITING. IF MY GAMBIT WITH THE LOST SOUL RESULTS IN SUCCESS, EVERYTHING SHALL GO ACCORDING TO PROCEDURE.” The robotic voice crackles from the voice box. “ALAYA, THIS SHALL WORK. I PROMISE YOU.”
Flint is still on the lift, lying down. He takes a good look through the camera feed, noticing the new photos in the storage. The first five new photos consist of various photos of the damned trapped within the dome. Each photo captures their suffering and the horrid conditions they are kept under.
The last of the new photos is of LN’s spectral figure standing next to Argus, Toby, Christie, and Rayne. Flint grips the camera tightly at the sight of the photo, reminded of their horrid pasts and his duty. But it isn’t only about freeing them. Those poor victims that are trapped in the dome too had their precious life taken away from them by that bastard thief, Romander. Though he knows nothing of their pasts, he cannot ignore their suffering.
Flint snaps out of his reflective state when he sees the screen scroll past many photos, each containing the same grim sights as the photos he has taken through his journey. He loosens his grip on the camera, which stops on a special photo.
It is the first-ever photo he has taken with the camera. The photo shows Flint in his college days with much shorter hair and a younger, livelier expression sitting next to Ronlo, who too appears younger and has shorter hair. Flint, despite his corrupted body, forms a smile as he gazes at the photo. Never in a million years did Flint think he would fall in love with Ronlo on that fateful day.
But the smile on Flint’s face disappears. He has caused such destruction towards his love for Ronlo, not because he wanted to, but because he was afraid. He can still remember his father’s lectures every time he cries and he cannot bear making Ronlo suffer more by revealing the morbid crimes he deals in his cases. But no more will he feel this. After all of this is over, Flint wants to return home, where he will find his dear Ronlo waiting for him at the door. He wants nothing more than to give him the tightest hug.
Flint snaps out of his reflective state again after hearing the lift come to a sudden halt. Flint puts away the camera in his pocket and opens the grill gate behind him. He slowly shambles out of the lift.
Serena rises from the ground feeling disorientated sometime after the large, powerful flash. She takes a moment to fix her hair and shake her body out of her current state. She looks around and her eyes widen, unable to find Flint in the dining area.
“Crap…” she mutters.
She sits down on the velvet seat of the booth to ponder about the situation. Though Flint can be anywhere throughout the facility, she limits her next course of action to searching for him on this floor. It doesn’t take Serena long to determine an obvious location where he can be.
She stands up and bolts toward the laboratory area of this floor, gripping the frying pan tightly in her right hand.
Serena leans against the door of the filing room, breathing heavily. She has spent so much time looking through every room for Flint. Alas, she has come empty-handed. She continues her respite, hoping to have regained enough energy for another look around.
The sounds of creaking bones and the crackling of a radio travel down the hall. Serena immediately jolts, recognizing the sounds. As she takes a turn on a nearby corner of the hallway, she finds Flint slowly shambling down the hallway.
“Flint!” she exclaims.
Flint notices Serena and sees her running toward him. Serena hugs Flint, despite the black sludge all over his body, grateful that he is okay. Though Flint wants to hug her back, he does not want more of the black sludge on his body to stain her. Serena releases her hug, realizing how much of a mess she is in.
“Geez…I should have thought this through…” she mutters. “Oh well, I suppose it’ll take a while to clean off.”
Serena looks behind Flint, seeing the hallway becoming gradually darker behind him.
“I will explain to you later. Right now it is vital we regroup with Sercas. There is…a lot I must discuss with you.” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
Serena understands the situation, despite her many questions. Flint and Serena take a long trek back to Sercas’s location.
Sercas is lying on the floor of the kitchen, slowly breathing in and out. Though his wounds have not recovered yet after all this time, he feels well enough that the pain is not too distracting.
He takes his pistol from his holster and inspects its condition. Though there are a few dents and scratches on the body of the gun from his altercation against the Self-Building Man, the mechanisms have been untouched. He takes out a loaded magazine and loads it into his pistol.
Sercas hears crooked steps slowly approaching the room. Sercas is reminded of that damn Self-Building Man as the steps approach closer. Sercas aims his pistol at the door, resting his finger on the trigger.
Sercas finds a towering figure slowly entering the room. The figure’s skin is akin to that of the Self-Building Man, though unlike him, the figure adorns Flint’s usual attire.
“NOT TODAY BASTARD!” Sercas shouts.
*BANG*
The gunshot rings throughout the halls. The bullet is lodged into Flint’s flesh. Flint winces, though he is not seriously injured. Sercas rises from the floor, wincing due to his wounds. Sercas has his pistol still aimed at Flint, willing to die fighting.
The realization hits Flint that Sercas does not know of his new appearance. Hearing the shot, Serena rushes into the room before Sercas can fire another shot. She stands in front of Flint with her arms spread out.
“Wait! Sercas!” she exclaims. “Don’t shoot!”
“Serena?” he asks, confused.
“Just lower your gun, alright? We’ll explain.” Serena tells him.
Though Sercas is relieved that Serena has not been hurt, he does not lower his pistol.
“Who the hell is that?” Sercas asks.
“Isn’t that a rude question to ask someone you just shot?” Flint’s voice crackles from the radio.
Sercas jumps back, almost dropping his gun.
“Flint? That’s you?” he asks in disbelief.
“It’s a long story…” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
Serena, Sercas, and Flint get comfortable in the kitchen. Flint recounts all the events that have happened to him in the facility thus far. Though the events are quite supernatural and macabre for Serena and Sercas to comprehend at first, the photos on Flint’s camera reassure them that those events did happen to Flint.
“Damn Flint, you went through all this shite?” Sercas asks.
“Yes, yes I have,” Flint replies over the radio.
Flint senses Serena’s unusual silence. He looks over and sees her pondering.
“Flint, I believe everything that you have said is true but there are so many questions left unanswered,” Serena mentions. “Are you sure you should off Romander without at least answering them?”
Flint nods, knowing she is right.
“You are correct in your assessment Serena. But I have not forgotten about that I assure you.” Flint replies over the radio. “For my goal to be successful, I require your aid.”
Serena and Sercas look at each other with a surprised expression. They then look back at Flint.
“You need us, Flint?” Serena asks.
“It is a contingency plan. If I cannot escape here, I need you two to carry whatever evidence we find.” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
“Oh, yeah that’s very smart.” Serena notes.
“Come on Flint, don’t be such a damn downer. We will get out of here alive, you old fart.” Sercas tells him.
Flint glares at Sercas while Serena tries her best to hold back her laughter. Even during such a serious moment, Sercas manages to make cheeky jabs at Flint. But, Flint doesn’t mind, he does miss Sercas messing with him.
“Okay, mister weaponsexual.” Flint jests over the radio.
Flint’s jest over the radio is met with silence. Flint supposes Sercas’s old man comment is correct. Before Flint can speak, he hears both Serena and Sercas burst into laughter at how bad his comeback is. Flint eventually joins along with them, unable to hold back his laughter at his poor jest.
Though they all know that they should all be more serious in an environment such as this, it has been so long since they have been able to have fun around each other. They savor the moment as it slowly forms into a more serious one as the laughter dies down.
Serena helps Sercas up from the ground. He winces, though manages to stay standing.
“Sercas, are you better now?” Flint inquires over the radio.
Sercas looks at Flint, nodding.
“It will take a lot more to keep me down,” Sercas replies.
Sercas moves some steps forward, wincing slightly. Serena stays close to him, making sure he does not fall.
“If we get into any scuffles, I’ll have to stick with my trusty pistol,” Sercas tells him. “It sucks I can’t use my baton though…”
“You know, I can use your baton,” Serena suggests. “I can handle weapons just fine. And…”
Serena shows Sercas the rough state of the pan. The pan has many dents and is deeply stained with black sludge. She discards the pan on the side. Though Sercas is surprised by her suggestion, given her lack of experience, he trusts Serena. He lends her his baton
“Here, make sure you use it well,” Sercas tells her.
Serena nods and takes his baton, holding it with great care. After Flint sees their weapon situation has been sorted out, he shambles out of the room. Serena and Sercas follow closely behind.
After an uneventful trek through the casino and the maze-like halls on the floor above, the group finds themselves at the entrance to the stairwell leading to the upper floors. The talismans glow intensely as Flint enters the stairwell. As Flint leads the way, he feels an overwhelming presence slowly crushing him as he climbs the stairs. Serena and Sercas are quick to notice Flint’s slower motions and shaky body due to the presence.
Sercas and Serena both go up to Flint and support him with their shoulders. They hear Flint’s breathing becoming heavier and his body shaking even more. As they reach the top of the stairs, Flint sees the symbols on the barrier no longer there.
The barrier slowly dissipates into thin air, no longer blocking the entrance to the third floor. Serena supports Flint as Sercas goes ahead and opens the door.
Sercas moves out of the way as Serena rushes into the hallway, dragging Flint along as his shakiness and breathing intensifies. Despite Serena’s best efforts to keep him standing, Flint collapses onto the cold ground. Serena hears his groans crackle over the radio.
“Flint, are you alright?” Serena asks.
Flint nods as he lies on the ground. The pain from the fall is nothing compared to the crushing force of the overwhelming presence in the stairwell. Flint does not stay down for long. He rises from the ground, noticing that Sercas has entered the hall. In his hands is one of the talismans on the wall. It glows intensely in Flint’s presence.
“Flint, I think you may want to take a look at this,” Sercas tells him.
Flint clenches his head as he feels a severe migraine. Sercas notices his reaction and its intense glow around Flint. Sercas discards the talisman back into the hall. Flint’s migraine ceases as the talisman is no longer there. Though this confirms that talismans are the cause of their presence, he does not know why they do so.
“I wonder if it has to do with my current state?” Flint’s voice mutters over the radio.
“We’ll just have to find out I suppose.” Serena chimes in.
Flint nods. Flint leads the way, with Serena following behind. Sercas stays behind, making sure no one ambushes them.
The hallways are well-maintained, despite the current condition of the rest of the facility. The group passes by closed and locked metal doors and large windows, which show various-sized rooms on the other side. Most of the rooms are occupied with various wires of many sizes connected to complex machinery or power systems. They hear a faint whirring sound in the distance, which does not come from the machines in the locked rooms.
They encounter the same monotonous sights of these rooms down the long hallways, but the group persists and ventures deeper into 3rd level. They hear the whirring gradually become louder and louder.
After traversing the long hallways and making various turns at splitting pathways, the group’s venture is put to a sudden halt at the sight of a large, thick metal door. It is in the middle of two branching paths. They hear the whirring at its loudest and coming from behind the door.
As Sercas approaches from behind, he feels he has seen this kind of door before, despite its mundane appearance. Sercas moves past Serena and Flint and approaches the door. Upon closer inspection, he finds a hidden panel embedded into the door. He pries it open, revealing a keypad inside.
“Just as I thought. This isn’t your ordinary door.” Sercas mutters.
“I mean, isn’t that obvious? It’s a large metal door.” Serena replies.
Sercas shakes his head and motions the other two to approach closer. As the two of them get closer, Sercas directs their attention to the screen where the numbers are displayed. The screen is clear like glass, showing another complex mechanism to unlock the door.
“I’ve seen this at a recent security convention. This is an older model, but functionally it works the same as the newer one.” Sercas tells them. “The number pad is self-explanatory, but the mechanism behind this makes this unique. See, a specific item will be able to unlock it. They designed this damn thing to unlock if the mechanism recognizes the item in particular or if you have the master key. No copies or replicas of the item will work. So if you want to get in, you have to find the item or the master key. And if you don’t want to deal with that crap, I dare you to try to break down the door.”
“Damn…” Serena mutters.
They look to Flint, who stands there, pondering and weighing the options. Though it will take a while, it is clear what option they must take.
“We have to find the code and item. But…it may not be as difficult as you may think.” Flint mutters over the radio.
“Really?” Serena asks. “Can you elaborate?”
“Every area I have been in, there has been some room of significance holding all the important information regarding the entity wandering there.” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio. “In theory, this should apply here as well.”
“I hope you’re bloody right, Flint. I’d rather not spend more time in this damn place. It reeks of death here. Hell, it smells worse around you. No offense.” Sercas replies.
Flint shakes his head, telling Sercas not to worry. Sercas further inspects the door trying to find any design quirks in the mechanism, with Serena beside him. Flint shambles down the hall to his left, leaving them behind. As he passes the monotonous doors of the floor, he finds one that stands out.
The door is constructed from fine mahogany and the doorknob has a faint luster. The door has the plaque with the name: Michael Romander.
Flint shambles to the door and wiggles the knob, finding it unlocked. He opens the door and finds a nice office space. There is a large, finely crafted wooden desk on the other side. He sees large wooden shelves behind the desk housing manila folders.
As he enters the office, he finds a velvet couch with a large coffee table in front of it. What is most interesting to Flint is the old CRT TV at the furthest end of the room. It sits upon a wooden stand with four VHS tapes shelved. Flint shambles back to the door and leans into the hallway.
“Hey guys! I found something!” Flint’s voice shouts over the radio.
Serena nudges Sercas to stop inspecting the mechanism. Sercas looks at her, who motions him to follow her. Sercas follows Serena down the hall, where they approach Flint’s location. The two of them enter the office and are surprised by the nice condition and appearance of the room compared to the rest of the facility.
Serena immediately rushes to the shelves and skims through the documents. Sercas approaches Flint from behind, who is standing in front of the CRT TV with four VHS tapes in his corroded hands.
“Well is there something here?” Sercas asks.
Flint shows him the VHS tapes, most of them unlabeled.
“It would be best for us to watch these tapes. This would at least be a starting place for what we are trying to achieve. Worst case scenario, we waste time.” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
Before Flint can put one of the VHS tapes into the player in the CRT TV, Serena approaches behind them with several documents in her hands.
“I think I found something you may want to read,” Serena tells them.
She hands them a lab report of FMNL-X serum, which Flint recognizes from the comments on Rayne’s report. Flint takes the document and gives it a good read. Skimming past the technical jargon, Flint finds a passage in the discussion section of the report that stands out.
The FMNL-X serum allows the preservation of the human body through a sublimation process called Shadow-Carbonization. The human body will change from organic material into a gaseous state, one that we would describe as a shadow, that retains all its current features and shape. What is most intriguing is that the gas itself behaves like a solid. Furthermore, exposure to severe elements does no damage to the structure and physical appearance of the subjects who have taken the serum.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
After that portion, the rest of the discussion portion delves into the same technical jargon he cannot understand. He gives it back to Serena, telling her to keep it safe.
“Well, we have to start somewhere. Put in those tapes.” Sercas tells Flint.
Flint nods. Flint shambles over to the CRT TV and inserts one of the VHS tapes into the player. The CRT TV screen flickers as he turns on the TV.
FMNL-X SERUM EXPERIMENT
The title screen transitions to a young Romander adjusting the camera. Romander steps away from the camera, showing an older man in a medical gown sitting on a chair behind him. The man is strapped down on the chair. The straps have needles with tubing connected to a large machine behind him that administers the serum.
“Experiment 5 of the FMNL-X Serum. This experiment aims to test the serum’s transformative effects.” Romander announces.
Romander walks off-camera to check the status of the machine.
“Now Sonny, will I be okay?” he asks.
“Yes, you should be alright sir,” Romander tells him off-camera.
Romander walks back on camera and straps him down. The old man winces after feeling the needles prick his body.
“Now Sonny, I’ve read the contract and all that hoopla, but you can see why I have my reservations…” the older man comments again.
“Sir, I assure you we have the proper procedures in place,” Romander assures him. “Besides, you need the money, right?”
The old man nods.
“Yes, but it’s not for me, but for my grandson. He’s been in a rough spot in college and I know he needs the money.” The old man tells Romander.
“Then do it for him. It’s a precious thing to have someone you care for.” Romander mutters.
Romander walks off-camera and a door shuts in the background. There is a loud chunk sound from button presses. The machine behind the old man rumbles loudly. The old man takes a deep breath as he is strapped down to the chair. The FMNL-X Serum, a shadowy viscous liquid, flows through the tubes from the machine.
The old man feels vast discomfort as the fluid enters his veins. His bluish veins change into the same shadowy color as the serum. The old man’s body shakes profusely.
“Sonny…what have you done to me?” the old man asks with a quivering voice.
His flesh and skin slowly corrode into the same shadowy color as the serum. Black sludge starts dripping from the old man’s body.
“MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!” The old man shouts.
Loud chunking button presses are heard behind the camera. The machine shuts down, though the old man continues to deform. Romander rushes into the room and unstraps him from the chair. He calls for emergency services.
Romander props him up to the chair and punctures a hole in the old man’s flesh, making the serum mixed with his blood bleed out. He hears the old man’s frantic breaths ease as he bleeds.
“Help will be on the way. Stay with me, alright?” Romander tells him.
Emergency personnel rush into the room with a gurney. They place the old man on it and rush him out of the room. Only Romander remains on screen. He slams his arm onto the machine out of frustration.
“Another failed trial…” he mutters. “Damn it…I need this to work.”
The screen on the CRT TV shows static as the video ends. Flint looks over to Sercas and Serena. Serena has a clear distraught and frightened expression on her visage. Sercas fairs better, but Flint can sense his unease after viewing the tape.
“You can leave the room if you wish,” Flint tells them over the radio. “After all, this is not your burden.”
“I’ll be fine Flint…” she replies.
She moves closer to Sercas, who places his arm on her shoulders. Flint shambles to the CRT TV. Flint presses the button, which ejects the VHS tape from the player. He places the VHS tape on top of the CRT TV.
“Is that what happened to you, Flint?” Serena asks.
Flint nods. Though not the same, his transformation is due to a similar process.
“Damn…” Sercas mutters. “Poor man wanted to help his grandson, and for thanks, he suffers.”
Flint inserts the next VHS tape into the player in the CRT TV. The CRT TV screen flickers brightly as the next tape is being played.
BLESSED MEMORIES
The title screen fades away. The camera records Romander sitting on his chair, browsing through various documents and academic journals on his desk. The only sounds in the room are from the flipping of pages from the documents he reads. He is too absorbed in his work to realize that the camera is still recording.
He sighs loudly as he pushes the documents aside on his desk. The camera captures him looking around his large, empty room. He pulls out a clock from his drawer. His tired expression worsens when he checks the time.
“I have to stay four more hours in this damn place?” he asks himself.
He sighs in frustration and stands up from his desk, stretching his body.
“Four more hours, trying to find a way to make this serum work as intended. Hooray. How fun.” He mutters sarcastically.
He sits back down and drowns himself in the contents of the documents. After all, they are his only company in this large, lonely office of his. The footage speeds up as Romander takes notes and absorbs the content from these sources.
The footage returns to normal speed, still showing Romander reading through several documents. Romander hears someone knocking on the door.
“Come in.” He shouts.
The captures the steps of someone entering the room. Romander does not look up from reading through his documents.
“Dr. Romander, someone is looking for you.” The man off-camera tells him.
Romander groans while still reading through his documents.
“I am not available at this moment. I am performing vital research.” Romander tells the messenger. “Send them away.”
“You’d say that to me?” a feminine voice asks.
Romander recognizes the voice. He stops reading through the documents and looks up at the door. His eyes widen with surprise.
“Alaya?” he asks in disbelief.
He immediately stands up, knocking off the camera from his desk. The camera captures the legs of Romander and Alaya’s tanned legs as the other man exits the room, closing the door. It appears that Romander and Ayala are hugging each other tightly.
“There, there. I’m here.” Alaya whispers into his ear.
They eventually release from their hug. Romander notices the camera on the ground and places it back on the table. The camera faces away from the desk and captures a better view of them in the room.
Romander admires Alaya’s beautiful tanned visage and her medium coral hair. He is surprised to see her wearing a patterned red dress in his presence.
Alaya walks and looks around Romander’s office, taking note of its fine quality and large space. She sits on the velvet couch of his room. Romander coughs a bit and fixes his appearance as he approaches her.
“Well…um, love. What are you doing here?” Romander asks.
“I thought one of these days I would visit you while you’re working.” She replies. “I hope I’m not intruding or anything.”
“Oh, uh, not at all!” He responds.
Alaya looks at him with a quizzical expression. Romander sighs, knowing he cannot lie to her.
“Listen, I did mean what I said earlier. The serum is not working as intended and I’ve been hounded by my higher-ups to do more research. I really don’t have much time to relax.” Romander tells her.
Alaya nods in understanding. She stands up from her couch and leans into Romander, who blushes at her sudden approach.
“Then when you are free, why don’t we head out?” Alaya asks, stroking her finger down his chest. “Just the two of us.”
Romander gulps at her forward suggestion, but he nods. He lets Alaya lean closer to him. A small smile forms on his face as he gently hugs and caresses her.
“I can’t wait for it,” Romander mutters.
Alaya and Romander sway back and forth in their embrace for some more moments. They release from their hug. Alaya kisses Romander on the cheek before exiting.
Romander smiles fondly at her as she leaves. Though he savors the moment, he sighs, knowing those moments cannot last forever. He walks back to his desk, noticing that he has accidentally left the camera on record. He presses the off button on the camera.
The screen flickers again. Romander’s face is up close to the camera lens.
“Ah, it’s on. Darn thing.” He mutters to himself.
The camera is turned around, facing his point of view. The camera captures the beautiful, starry night sky. The humming of grasshoppers and the gentle breeze are heard in the background.
“Isn’t this nice honey?” Alaya asks him.
“Yeah…yeah it is…” Romander replies. “I’ll be honest, I was expecting us to eat at a fancy restaurant, not here.”
Alaya giggles at his comment.
“I think this would be a nice change of pace. Besides, you’ve been held up in your office for so long. Fresh air would be nice.” Alaya replies.
“Heh, I guess you’re right,” Romander replies.
The camera continues facing the night sky. Though far away, the bright stars and even nebulae can be seen. Romander takes a deep breath behind the camera.
“Hey…Alaya?” Romander asks her.
“Yes honey?” she asks.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if this happiness lasted forever?” Romander asks her.
Romander turns the camera away from the starry night sky to Alaya, who is dressed in a white blouse and jeans. Alaya has a reflective look on her face. Her hand shivers slightly and she appears somewhat pale.
“It would be nice, wouldn’t it?” she asks.
“Yeah, it would,” Romander replies. “It would be nice.”
Romander turns the camera back to the starry night sky.
“It would be nice to just, live in pure bliss. I wouldn’t have my higher-ups breathing down my neck, asking if I found a damn solution. I wouldn’t have countless hours in my office in the dark, frustrated that I cannot find a solution…and…and I wouldn’t be alone.” Romander mutters. “It would be nice to have happiness last forever, but we all know it won’t. It will fade away, and I’ll be here, alone.”
The camera rustles in Romander’s hand.
“Honey, as long as I’m around I’ll make every day of your life the happiest it can be,” Alaya tells him.
“You promise?” he asks.
“I promise,” Alaya tells her.
The camera flickers again. A montage of previous happy moments in Romander’s and Alaya’s life is shown in quick succession. Some of them show them strolling in a park, others show them at a restaurant eating together. In all the videos, Alaya gradually becomes paler.
The camera flickers again. The camera is on a stand, recording Romander, who is dressed in a simple gray tuxedo, and Alaya, in her patterned red dress, slow dancing to soothing orchestra music in their living room. Alaya appears paler than before and holds onto Romander for support.
Romander holds her tight, as they sway back and forth, to and fro. The faint breaths from Alaya and Romander’s erratic breaths can be heard in the background. Despite her condition, Alaya keeps dancing with Romander, desperately trying to keep standing. The music ends. Alaya’s feet buckle. She collapses to the ground.
The camera flickers again. Alaya lays in a hospital bed, unconscious. She is connected to several IVs and a heart rate monitor. The occasional beeps from the heart rate monitor overpower Romander’s faint crying behind the camera.
“Nothing lasts forever…” Romander mutters. “I feel so cold…so alone…”
The heart rate monitor flattens, and a loud beep fills the room. The CRT TV crackles.
The screen on the CRT TV shows static as the video ends. Flint, Sercas, and Serena stand in the room in solemn silence.
Flint ejects the VHS tape from the player and places it on top of the CRT TV. He inserts the next VHS tape into the player. The CRT TV screen flickers brightly as the next tape is being played.
DEVELOPMENTS
The title screen fades away. The camera records Romander in his office. He has a blank, thousand-yard stare on his face. Messy piles of documents and academic articles are scattered all over his desk. He slams his arms on his desk, scattering the documents everywhere.
“Damn it Alaya! Why did you have to die? Why did you break our promise?” he shouts in pure anger. “You promised me! You promised me…that…that you’d be there for me…You promised that I wouldn’t be alone…”
Romander further slumps in his seat. His eyes wander towards the documents on his desk. Romander stands up and gathers a large book from his shelf. The cover of the book is petrified and rotten. He drops the book on the desk and gets to work.
The footage speeds up as Romander takes more diligent notes and reads through the documents and journals. The footage returns to its original speed as Romander now bears a disheveled appearance.
“What if…what if I don’t need to use a serum?” Romander asks himself. “What if…I use the soul manipulation methods in this book. Yes…but I need to test it myself.”
The camera flickers. A blindfolded person is in a dark room. There are purple translucent chains linked to her body. She moves around, confused and panicking about where she is.
“Experiment 1: Commence.”
The woman begins panicking as the chains tug on her forcefully. They stretch her limbs, corroding them away. Her screams of pure agony become more and more corrupted. Her entire body has now become bony and corroded away. Her soul is forcefully pulled out of her body. It is ripped and torn into pieces before being shoved back inside. She lies there dead, in her corrupted form.
The camera flickers. Romander is in his office looking at his shivering hands, crying and muttering indiscernible noises.
“I……I just…what did I do?” Romander mutters. “It was so horrid…even worse than all the injections. It never got this bad during the experiments before…I…I killed someone…”
Romander looks at the report on his table. He holds it in his shivering hands.
“But…the results show me one thing…it’s an alternative method,” he mutters to himself. “This…this calls for further testing. Maybe…I’m missing something. Some personal connection or something to evoke some emotions within them…”
The camera flickers. Romander is in his office with a more disheveled and older appearance. There are many documents on his desk.
“Do they know? Do they know about my experiments?” he asks himself. “No. They won’t know. They WON’T know. I already made too much progress to let this aside. All those test subjects have been worthless! They all become those same mindless monsters, except for those three! Why can’t I replicate my results? But, there has to be something about these experiments I can use! I just need to find it! This needs more testing.”
The camera flickers. Romander is now an old man, his clothes are stained and disheveled. He is reading through the book and various documents.
“There has to be something I’m missing! That damned process is worthless for me! I’ve wasted so much time and damn resource on this shit!” Romander shouts out loud.
Romander throws the book aside and shouts in frustration. Underneath the book, he notices documentation about the serum he had abandoned research on many years ago. He picks it up.
“Of course…of course that’s it! I see the light!” Romander exclaims. “I just need to perfect the serum!”
The camera flickers. Romander, still old, frail, and disheveled, is in his office, injecting himself with the developing serum. He winces as the shadowy fluid flows through his veins. He takes a flask from his desk full of a dark translucent liquid. He chugs it. The liquid stops the serum from corroding his body and neutralizes the serum’s color. He appears rejuvenated, though appears more delirious.
“I need to refine the serum and Altephine more,” Romander mutters to himself. “But I need to do so soon. I’m running low on Altephine…”
Romander walks back and forth in his room erratically.
“Lost souls…don’t worry, my dear lost souls. I shall bring you peace. I shall bring you to paradise.” Romander mutters.
The camera flickers. Romander, now frail and pale, stands in an experimental room. He is inside his robotic body submerged in the Altephine. He injects himself with the new iteration of the serum. Before the negative effects of the serum activate, he sticks the wiring pads on his body and closes the glass dome of the body.
His body falls into paralysis, though the Altephine stops his body from corroding and rotting away any further. He is able to control the grotesque arm and wheel around the room.
“DO NOT WORRY LOST SOULS. MY BODY MAY BE WEAK, BUT MY SOUL IS STRONG. I SHALL BE HERE TO GUIDE YOU TO YOUR TRUE HOME.” The robotic voice crackles from the voice box. “YOU LOST SOULS HAVE SERVED THE GREATEST PURPOSE. YOU SHALL BRING JOY BACK INTO MY LIFE. ALAYA, YOU WILL NOT BE GONE FOR ANY LONGER. I SHALL SET YOU FREE.”
The screen on the CRT TV shows static as the video ends. Flint unloads the VHS tape from the player.
“That bastard…” Sercas mutters in pure anger.
Serena looks at Sercas, frightened to see him this angry. She holds his hand tightly, trying to calm him down. Sercas notices Serena’s fear. He takes a deep breath and calms down. Serena relaxes a bit after he has done so.
“I know he’s done horrid things…but I can’t help but feel sorry for him.” Serena says out loud.
Flint stares at the CRT TV, trying to process everything he has seen.
“Romander…you never had to go through this route, but I will not let your misdeeds be hidden for any longer. I will free them.” Flint’s voice mutters over the radio.
Flint inserts the last VHS tape into the CRT TV. The CRT TV screen flickers brightly as the next tape is being played.
LOCATION
The title screen fades away and shows a map of Romander’s office. His desk is circled in red.
The VHS tape is ejected from the player. Flint grabs the VHS tapes and heads to the desk. Serena and Sercas follow behind and gather around the desk. He pulls the drawer and finds a passcode written on a piece of paper and next to it is a photo of Romander with Alaya on the day of their wedding.
Flint places the passcode, photo, VHS tapes, and his camera on the desk. Flint stands there, pondering as he gazes upon the items.
“So what’s the plan, Flint?” Serena asks.
Flint stands there in silence, still pondering. He looks at them.
“I need you to gather everything you can. Documents, books, whatever. Take my camera and the VHS tapes as well.” Flint tells them over the radio.
“Flint…are you implying..?”
“Yes, Serena. I need you two to leave this facility.” Flint tells them.
Silence fills the air. Flint takes a deep breath and faces them.
“There’s no way I’ll be able to escape. Those talismans keep whoever has been corrupted from leaving. Someone has to show them all his sins.” Flint tells them over the radio. “And…it would be far too dangerous for you to encounter Romander. I know not of his plans, but I cannot risk your safety any further.”
“Then what will happen to you, Flint?” Serena asks. “Will you be able to escape?”
They are met with silence, a deafening answer.
“So that’s it, huh? You’ll be on a bloody suicide mission?” Sercas asks.
They hear Flint’s low breaths. Serena and Sercas stare at each other with looks of understanding. They slowly gather whatever they can in the room. They return to the desk with several documents in their hands. Sercas puts the VHS tapes and Flint’s camera in whatever free space he can find. They look back at Flint before they approach the door.
“Serena…Sercas…” Flint lowly mutters from the radio. “Thank you, for everything. I…I would be so lost without you.”
Serena and Sercas stop at the door.
“Please Flint…come back alive,” Serena mutters, holding back her tears.
“If you don’t come back, I’ll kill your ghost!” Sercas exclaims.
They exit the office. Flint hears their steps grow fainter in the distance. Flint gazes upon the photo of Alaya and Romander on the desk. His breaths become heavier and his body shivers.
“Damn it…if there were only another way…” Flint’s mutters over the radio. “Ronlo…I’m sorry for everything. If only I had the opportunity to mend things with you…”
Flint pulls out his revolver, holding it tightly in his right hand. He grabs the photo and passcode note in his other hand. Flint shambles out of the office. It feels like many painstaking hours to Flint as he shambles down the hallway.
He now stands in front of the large hulking door. The whirring is unbearably loud behind the door. No matter what horrors await him, he will free them, he will fulfill his oath.
He inserts the code on the number pad. The number pad slides away, activating the mechanism behind it. Flint takes one last look at the photo of Romander and Alaya. The man once human, is now a monster. He inserts the photo in the mechanism.
The chunking of locks echoes down the hall. Flint steps away as the hulking metal door opens slowly. The whirring is at its loudest, no longer muffled by the door. Flint shambles around the door and into the room.
Flint enters a small observation room, with durable glass showing the inside of the large dark room. Flint is astounded to see the large machine at the end of the room, pulsating like a human heart. He finds Romander standing in front of the machine, staring at Flint.
Flint shambles out of the room and approaches Romander. He glares at Romander, pointing his revolver at him. Romander jerks his grotesque metal fingers more violently as Flint approaches closer.
“YOU ARE HERE, LOST SOUL.” The robotic voice crackles from Romander’s voice box. “IT SEEMS THE PROCEDURE WILL GO ACCORDINGLY.”
Flint a good distance away from Romander, still pointing the revolver at him.
“It’s over Romander. I will not let you continue your horrid crimes any further!” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
“FOOLISH, NAIVE LOST SOUL. EVERYTHING HAS FALLEN IN PLACE FOR ME.” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box.
Flint’s poker face does not let Romander see his confusion. Flint sees a progress bar on a monitor near the large machine. It is around 80 percent completed. Flint looks back at Romander, still somewhat confused.
“LOST SOUL, I KNOW YOU HAVE SEEN THOSE VIDEO TAPES. HOW ELSE WOULD YOU BE HERE?” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box.
Flint flinches hearing Romander’s statement. Thinking quickly, he realizes what the machine is doing.
“Wait…is that the serum?” Flint asks over the radio.
“INDEED. I HAVE FINALLY REFINED THE SOLUTION.” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box. “I HAVE GUIDED ALL THESE LOST SOULS TO THEIR TRUE HOME, THEIR TRUE PURPOSE. BRINGING BACK MY LOVELY ALAYA.”
Romander wheels to the control panel and slams his grotesque metal arm on the machinery, creating a large hole. The machine pulsates more violently. Romander wheels away from the control panel and stands in front of the large, pulsating machine.
“YOUR FRIENDS WILL CREATE ISSUES FOR ME. BUT THESE LOST SOULS ARE INDEBTED TO ME. THEY SHALL AID ME IN STOPPING THEM.” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box.
Serena and Sercas traverse through the second level, carrying all the evidence. Though Sercas lags due to his injuries, he keeps powering through. Their advance is interrupted as they hear low groans coming from the distance.
Two figures lanky figures with corroded, bony shadowy skin burst out of the doors in the distance. They growl loudly and shamble toward them. Serena readies Sercas’s baton while Sercas aims his pistol at the approaching figures.
Flint does not flinch from his comment. He knows they are capable of defeating them and breaking free from this hell hole.
“NO MORE DELAYS. NO MORE SUFFERING. I SHALL FINALLY RECEIVE THE RESULTS I HAVE TOILED OVER!” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box.
Romander charges at Flint readying his large grotesque metal arm. Flint dodges out of the way. Romander’s arm becomes lodged into the ground. The wheels grind against the ground as Romander tries to free his arm.
Flint aims the revolver at Romander’s glass dome.
*BANG*
A stream of bright green flame darts towards Romander’s glass dome head. The bullet shatters the glass dome and pierces through Romander’s head. The glass shards lie on the ground.
“NO…WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?” The robotic voice crackles over Romander’s voice box.
His wheels generate enough force for him to dislodge his arm from the ground. However, the force is too great, which causes his metallic body to tip over. The Altephine inside the metallic body spills all over the ground.
Romander’s old, rotting body convulses violently. Flint covers his ears from Romander’s agonizing screams as his body slowly corrupts. Romander’s old, wrinkly skin corrodes into the same color as the shadowy FMNL-X serum. Bones crack and stretch as Romander screams in utter agony. The hexagonal metal body starts expanding and becomes embedded into Romander. The grotesque metal arm becomes a part of Romander’s body and corrodes away like his flesh. Romander’s face stretches and expands like the rest of his body. Flint backs away as Romander becomes larger, and more corrupted. The man once known as Romander is no more. Flint stands in front of a raging behemoth.
The behemoth roars, causing the entire room to shake. Flint aims his revolver at the behemoth and pulls the trigger.
*BANG*
A stream of bright green flame darts towards the behemoth. Despite the sheer body mass, the bullet cleanly pierces the behemoth’s body. The behemoth roars and slams its large arms down at Flint. Reacting quickly, Flint dodges out of the way. A large crater is formed at the sight of the crash.
The behemoth’s free grotesque metal hand swipes at Flint while it dislodges his arms from the ground. Flint barely dodges the hands swipes as they graze his skin. Flint gains a better position and aims the revolver at the behemoth. The behemoth turns to him after dislodging its arms. He pulls the trigger twice.
*BANG*
*BANG*
Two streams of bright green flame erupt from the revolver. The streams of flame dart toward the behemoth. One of the bullets pierces the behemoth’s body again while the other bullet pierces the joint of the grotesque metal arm. The grotesque metal arm becomes loose on the behemoth’s body. The behemoth roars in agony, but it does not give up.
The behemoth swipes one of its large hands at Flint, trying to grab him. Flint dodges out of the way and aims his revolver at the loose joint of the grotesque metal arm. He pulls the trigger.
*BANG*
A stream of bright green flame darts to the joint. The bullet pierces through the skin and destroys the joint of the grotesque metal arm. The behemoth roars in agony as the arm snaps off its body.
Though Flint has done major damage to the behemoth, he does not notice the behemoth’s other large hand swipe at him. Flint is too late to realize as the behemoth grabs onto Flint with a tight grip. Flint screams in agony as the grip crushes his corroded, corrupted body.
The behemoth repeatedly slams Flint onto the ground, crushing him into a pulp. Countless amounts of black sludge splatter all over the ground. As the behemoth is about to slam Flint one more time, it notices the progress bar has reached one hundred percent. The behemoth throws Flint out of its hands. Flint crashes onto the ground, with his revolver thrown far away from him. Flint lies there, his entire body crushed and severely injured.
The behemoth rushes to the large, pulsating machine. The machine pulsates more intensely as the collective screams of all Romander’s victims intensify. The behemoth opens the door and shoves its entire body into the machine. The door slam shuts behind it.
Flint sees the machine whir loudly, overpowering the collective screams. Then, the room is covered in a bright light.
Flint’s vision becomes blurred as the light dissipates. He hears and can see the blurry vision of the machine door opening. As his vision clears, he finds Romander exit, bearing his young appearance in the photo with him and Alaya.
“See lost souls? Your souls have fully recovered me!” Romander exclaims.
He slowly approaches Flint, with a growing grin on his face.
“Love, we have finally reunited!” Romander exclaims.
“Love?” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio.
Romander picks up a sharp fragment from the large grotesque metal arm, wielding it like a knife.
“Oh love, it looks like there’s a parasite infecting your body. A soul of a man who no longer shall exist. No matter, I shall get rid of it!” Romander exclaims.
Romander slashes Flint’s legs. Flint screams in agony. Romander keeps slashing Flint, who is unable to fight back due to his severe condition. Romander climbs onto Flint and continuously stabs him. Black sludge sprays all over Romander’s body.
“Get out! Get out! GET OUT OF MY LOVE’S VESSEL!” Romander shouts repeatedly as he stabs into Flint’s chest.
Flint is helpless as Romander stabs into his body. Romander has enough fun and stands off of Flint, throwing aside the shard. He slowly drags him into the machine. Those poor souls, Romander’s poor wife, have to see the horrid corruption and downfall of a suffering man.
Flint has promised to free them. Argus, Toby, Christie, Rayne, LN, and all those victims. But they aren’t the only ones who need to be freed. He will free Romander from his own corruption.
As Romander drags Flint away, Flint throws his art at his revolver. Flint manages to barely reach the handle of his revolver. Romander hears the noise and turns to see Flint aiming the revolver at him.
“Romander, you have suffered for far too long. You have caused the suffering of all these victims by trapping them in this hell only to use them for your own selfish gain. But you know who else you’ve hurt? You’ve hurt Alaya. You are no longer the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago. She never wanted to be revived, she never wanted you to kill, she wanted you to live.” Flint’s voice crackles over the radio. “Now…I shall free everyone from this damn prison. I shall free you.”
*BANG*
A bright green flame darts from the gun. It pierces Romander’s head. For a brief moment, Flint can see a look of remorse and sorrow on Romander’s face. A powerful bright light erupts from the bullet hole. Romander steps back in agony, entering the machine. The door slams shut. The entire machine rumbles violently as it too glows the same bright light. Flint closes his eyes.
“I’m sorry everyone. It looks like I won’t make it out of here alive…” Flint mutters over the radio.
“Sercas, Serena, I wish I had been a better friend. Ronlo, I wish I had been a better husband for you. And Lily, I wish I had been a better father. Everyone…you’ve been with me all the way. Please…forgive this fool for not realizing the blessings he had in front of his eyes. I’m sorry. I love you all.”
The machine explodes. A great beam of light erupts from the explosion. The beam bursts through the upper floors of the facility.
Serena and Sercas stand outside of the facility, seeing the large beacon of light that has erupted from there. All the souls are now free.
“Flint…” they both mutter.