Chapter 451: Copy at Level Zero

Varos didn’t move away from the panel. Serik tried to go around him, but the commander followed his movement and placed a hand over the control device.

"Answer the question."

Serik looked at his hand and then at Damon, who remained near Neria’s cylinder.

"You’ve already heard the explanation, Commander. The procedures carried out in this facility have allowed us to develop treatments that would not exist otherwise."

"I asked why the Order’s agents don’t know she’s being held prisoner here."

"Because the origin of the material doesn’t affect the execution of their tasks."

Varos clenched his jaw. "It affects mine. I led an operation to capture another manifestation without knowing we were already holding one captive."

"You received the information necessary to complete your mission."

"Then the entire Order is working without knowing what it’s helping to build."

Serik didn’t respond. Instead, he touched a small device on his sleeve. A red indicator lit up on the panel behind Varos, and Damon heard a lock engage on the door through which they had entered.

"Aria, get away from the wall," he said.

She immediately stepped back. A metal plate descended from the ceiling, isolating the archive from the laboratory controls. Another began closing off the passage to the corridor.

Varos grabbed Serik’s wrist before he could activate the mechanism again.

"I told you to answer."

Serik tried to break free, but Varos was stronger. Damon took the opportunity to cross the room and prevent the second door from closing completely. He wedged his sword between the plate and the doorframe, holding the mechanism in place for a few seconds until Xue Lian reached the side panel.

"Can you stop it?" Damon asked.

Xue Lian examined the three illuminated controls. "I can try turning off the motor."

"I’d prefer a slightly more reassuring answer."

"Then pull your sword out and let the door close."

Damon held his position. Xue Lian activated two controls in sequence, and the motor finally stopped. The blade was trapped between the metal and the doorframe, but the corridor remained accessible.

"Great," Damon said. "Now we have an exit."

Ester, who remained beside Neria, looked at the door and then at the cylinder.

"We need to shut down this equipment before he does the same thing here."

"Don’t turn off the main nourishment system," Neria warned. "I’m still using part of it."

"I know. First, I’ll separate what keeps you alive from what sends material to the archive."

Damon pulled his sword free of the doorframe and turned his attention back to Serik. The man had stopped resisting Varos’s grip, but his expression remained controlled.

"You were waiting for Liora to get here," Damon said. "Why did you try to seal the room before connecting her to her sister?"

"Because Neria identified a way to compromise the archive."

"Then she knows something you don’t."

Serik glanced briefly toward the cylinder.

"She knows the facility’s original structure. That doesn’t mean she understands its current functions."

"Maybe. But you looked pretty worried."

Aurelia walked over to the metal plate isolating the archive and examined the chains attached to its side supports. Unlike those used in Eir’s Valley, these had been installed in two layers. The first secured the modern structure to the wall. The second disappeared into a narrow opening between the ancient blocks.

"Aria, come look at this."

Aria approached and placed her small observation instrument against one of the supports.

"There are two different references," she confirmed. "One corresponds to the original construction. The other was installed later."

"The stabilizers aren’t protecting the entire archive," Aurelia explained. "They’re preventing the original structure from separating from the modern system."

Neria nodded.

"My mother can recognize the ancient archive. The problem is that Serik built a second structure over it and started using the original records as part of the protocol."

Damon looked at the two of them.

"So telling Eir to restore the wall won’t help."

"No," Aurelia replied. "If she does that now, the two structures will try to occupy the same space. We could destroy the archive and everything connected to it."

Aria checked the indicators.

"Including the equipment that’s still nourishing Neria."

Ester looked up. "Then nobody touches that wall until I’m finished here."

Serik followed the conversation closely.

"Finally, you’re beginning to understand the problem. You can’t simply remove a person from a container and consider the matter settled. There are dependencies you know nothing about."

Damon looked at him.

"We’re finding out. You could help."

"I can, if you stop trying to alter the archive."

"After one hundred and seventeen years, I think Neria deserves to choose what happens to the records taken from her."

"Some of those records belong to the facility itself."

Neria gripped the edge of the cylinder more tightly.

"No. They were taken from my body."

Serik turned toward her.

"The original records weren’t created by you."

"I’m not talking about the original records. I’m talking about everything you did to me to fill in what was missing from them."

Damon looked at Aria.

"Can you separate those two things?"

"Maybe, but I need access to the archive controls."

Aurelia pointed at the isolation plate.

"First, we need to remove the modern stabilizers. Not all at once. We can start with the external supports and check how the structure reacts."

Varos released Serik’s arm only after taking the device that had activated the doors from his belt.

"You’re staying right where you are."

Serik rubbed his wrist.

"You don’t intend to imprison me indefinitely inside my own laboratory, Commander."

"I don’t need to decide that right now."

Varos put the device away and approached the controls beside Aria. Although he wasn’t familiar with the archive’s specific procedures, he recognized the security system used in the Order’s facilities. He explained that each stabilizer had an independent mechanical lock and that cutting off the main power supply would cause all of them to enter a state of maximum fixation.

"That’s exactly what happened in the Valley when we tried to shut down the machines without following the correct sequence," he said.

Damon frowned.

"So shutting everything down makes it worse."

"Yes. First, we need to release the locks. Then we can interrupt the power supply to each support."

Aria examined the panel. "Can you do that?"

"If Serik hasn’t changed the codes."

The man in red remained silent.

Varos entered the first command. A green indicator lit up, and the chain closest to the wall lost some of its tension.

"One," Aria announced.

Aurelia brought the small wooden sphere she’d received from Eir close to the released support. A thin line appeared on the sphere’s surface, showing two overlapping configurations of the wall. The first corresponded to the ancient blocks. The second showed the modern metal structure.

"Now I can distinguish where one ends and the other begins."

Damon looked at Liora.

"Can you do anything with that?"

The girl approached, but Neria raised her hand.

"Don’t touch the wall."

Liora stopped.

"I just wanted to look."

"I know. But the remaining supports could still trap your roots if they recognize your structure."

Xue Mei stood beside her.

"Then we’ll wait until they’ve released all of them."

Liora nodded, although she continued looking at the wall impatiently.

While Varos and Aria worked on the second support, Ester found the point where the tubes connected to Neria’s back divided. One section carried nutrients and water. Another extracted material from her roots and sent it to the research containers. The third led directly to the archive.

"I can stop the extraction without affecting her nourishment," Ester explained. "But the filaments connected to the archive are tangled with her roots. I’m not going to tear them out."

Neria looked at her arms, where small red lines remained visible beneath her skin.

"I can release them from the inside."

"Have you done that before?"

"I’ve tried. The machines always reestablished the connection."

"And now?"

"If you turn off the recording system, I can try again."

Ester called Damon over and pointed at the panel controlling the tubes.

"We need to interrupt the information transfer before removing those filaments. Otherwise, any attempt to separate them could activate the fixation mechanism."

Damon looked toward the metal plate.

"Aria, how much longer?"

"Two external supports released. One left."

Varos entered a sequence, but the indicator remained red. He tried again and received the same response.

"Serik changed this code."

Damon turned toward the man.

"Want to tell us what it is?"

"No."

"You just said you were willing to talk."

"I’m not willing to hand over the archive."

Varos stepped away from the panel and faced his former superior.

"I know your justifications. I know the treatments developed here, and I know some of this research has helped people. But you killed agents to conceal an operation, and you’re preventing Neria from leaving the laboratory. That’s not protecting the records."

Serik looked at him.

"You believe removing me from command would be enough to solve the Order’s problems."

"I don’t know. I want to find out how many other procedures were hidden from our own researchers."

"And meanwhile, the biological models will continue to degrade."

"Then we’ll continue researching," Varos replied. "Without treating people like equipment."

Serik seemed to consider the answer for a few seconds. Then he brought a hand to his neck.

Damon noticed the movement and charged, but he wasn’t fast enough to stop him.

The circular implant at the base of Serik’s neck lit up. A series of red filaments appeared beneath his skin, spreading along his jaw and disappearing under his clothing. At the same time, the laboratory indicators changed from green to red.

Varos stepped back from the panel.

"He activated the protocol."

Serik looked directly at Damon.

"You had the opportunity to stop interfering."

Damon drew his sword.

"I didn’t think I’d need to ask you twice to stop using people."

The side door opened. Four guards entered with short weapons and metal guards covering their necks. Two positioned themselves in front of the researchers; the others aimed their weapons at Damon and Varos.

"Don’t shoot," Serik ordered. "The second manifestation must remain intact."

Liora took a step back.

Xue Mei immediately drew her sword and stood between her and the guards.

Damon observed the positions of the four men. They didn’t seem eager to fight. One of them looked at Varos and recognized the commander.

"Sir?"

Varos raised his hands, showing that he wasn’t carrying a weapon.

"Lower your weapons."

The guard hesitated.

Serik answered before he could.

"Commander Varos has been relieved of his duties. He’s interfering with a security operation."

"You’re using a biological facility to keep two people imprisoned," Varos said. "I want everyone to step away from the controls until we clarify what’s happening here."

The first guard looked at Neria, who was outside the cylinder, leaning against Ester. His expression changed when he saw the filaments attached to the woman’s back.

Serik raised his hand toward his own neck.

Varos noticed.

"Don’t use the marks."

The guard closest to Serik brought a hand to his ear, confused. A small red light appeared behind it.

Damon charged before Serik could complete the command. He didn’t attack the man. Instead, he struck the support of the table beside him, causing the panel to fall between them. Serik retreated to avoid the debris, and Varos took the opportunity to grab him by the shoulders.

"Deactivate it!"

Serik tried to break free.

The indicator behind the guard’s ear grew brighter.

Ester threw a needle.

It struck the point beneath the man’s jaw, the same location she’d used to interrupt communication with Varos’s mark. The guard staggered and dropped his weapon, but the light went out.

"Put down your weapons!" Ester shouted. "He can activate those marks inside you."

The other three guards looked at their companion. Two obeyed immediately. The last kept his weapon raised, unsure whether to aim it at Damon or his own superior.

Serik managed to strike Varos with his elbow and pull away. Damon was already in front of him when he tried to reach the fallen panel.

"Enough."

Serik attacked first. His arm moved with unusual speed, and small red filaments appeared beneath the skin of his fist. Damon narrowly dodged, but realized the strike hadn’t been aimed at his face. Serik was trying to reach his neck.

Damon took half a step back and struck his forearm with the hilt of his sword.

The impact produced a crack.

Serik gritted his teeth but kept advancing.

"You think you can stop the reinitialization by breaking an arm?"

"No. I’m stopping you from using that arm while we figure out the rest."

Serik tried another strike. Damon grabbed his wrist, turned, and threw him against an empty table. The man struck its surface sideways, knocking instruments onto the floor.

Damon brought his sword close to the man’s neck.

"Varos, restrain him."

Varos took two straps used to secure equipment and bound Serik’s arms behind his back. They wouldn’t be enough to hold him indefinitely, but they would prevent him from reaching the controls while Damon remained nearby.

Serik stayed on his knees, breathing with difficulty.

"You don’t understand what you’ve done."

Damon looked at the main panel. The red indicators were still lit.

"Then explain why the laboratory hasn’t returned to normal."

Aria examined the controls.

"The command was accepted before you interrupted him."

"Can you cancel it?"

"Not from the external panel."

Aurelia approached her and studied the sequence of indicators. Three supports connected to the archive had entered maximum fixation, including the two Varos had managed to release. The protocol was attempting to prevent any further alterations to the structure.

"Serik didn’t just activate security," she explained. "He activated an automatic copy of the archive’s current state."

Aria’s expression grew serious.

"Where is it going?"

Varos checked the fallen panel.

"Level Zero."

Damon looked at him.

"Aren’t we on the central level?"

"We’re in the biological wing. The main archive is behind the wall. The central level has another facility, with the equipment necessary to carry out the recorded procedures."

Neria squeezed Liora’s hand.

"They’re going to use what they’ve already taken from me."

Damon looked at Serik.

"Has the reinitialization protocol started?"

Serik didn’t respond.

Aria found the corresponding indicator and read the message displayed on the panel.

STRUCTURAL COPY IN PROGRESS.

DESTINATION: LEVEL ZERO.

PHASE 3 PREPARATION: ACTIVE.

"How much time?" Damon asked.

"It doesn’t say."

Aurelia pointed toward a transmission line that crossed the wall and disappeared into the ceiling.

"If we interrupt that connection, the copy stops. But we need to free Neria first. Part of the recording process still runs through the filaments in her body."

Ester looked up.

"Then give me access to the nourishment machine, and nobody touches anything else."

Damon looked at Varos.

"You stay with Serik. If he tries to activate anything else, stop him."

"Understood."

"Aria and Aurelia, find out how to cancel the copy without erasing the medical records. Xue Lian, check the exit and find out whether we can reach Level Zero without going through this door."

Xue Lian nodded and called Xue Mei to accompany her. Liora tried to follow them, but Neria asked her to stay.

"I need you here."

The girl immediately returned to the cylinder.

Damon watched Ester examine the filaments connected to Neria’s back. The woman had been standing for only a few minutes and was already beginning to lose strength in her legs, but she remained conscious and seemed to understand the connection to the archive better than anyone else.

"Can you help Ester?" he asked.

"I can."

"Without hurting yourself any further?"

Neria looked at the filaments.

"I can’t promise that."

Damon accepted the answer. She wasn’t trying to convince him it would be easy.

While Ester prepared the separation, Liora placed the small wooden sphere on the table beside her sister. The object had been created by Eir to record Liora’s original state, but a second line began to appear when Neria brought her hand close.

Aurelia noticed.

"It recognized both of them."

Aria looked at the sphere.

"Even with the alterations to Neria?"

"It’s comparing what they share. It isn’t trying to restore anything."

Neria observed the line in the wood and smiled faintly.

"Mom still remembers me."

Liora held her hand.

"She never forgot."

Ester approached with her needles.

"First, I’m going to interrupt circulation through the red filaments. Then you’ll try to release them, one at a time. If you feel severe pain or lose sensation, tell me immediately."

Neria nodded.

Damon stepped away to make room but kept an eye on Serik. The man followed the procedure with an expression that mixed irritation and concern. He didn’t seem worried only about the possibility of losing his prisoner.

"You need her to stay connected until the copy is finished," Damon said.

Serik looked up.

"The transferred records still need validation."

"So the copy isn’t ready."

"No."

Damon looked at Aria.

"He just gave us something useful."

She checked the panel again. The transmission was progressing, but several sets of data were still marked as incomplete.

"If Neria disconnects before validation, the copy won’t be usable immediately."

Aurelia confirmed it after examining the indicators.

"That gives us time to reach Level Zero."

Damon smiled.

"Finally, some good news."

At that moment, Neria released the first red filament from her own back.

The validation indicator dropped.

Ester monitored her circulation closely, ready to interrupt the procedure if anything went wrong. Neria took a deep breath, rested part of her weight on Liora’s shoulder, and began separating the second filament.

Serik watched the indicators fall.

For the first time since Damon had met him, the man seemed to realize that the situation could slip out of his control without anyone needing to destroy the archive.

And that worried him far more than the sword still within reach of his neck.