Chapter 61: Something Seems Off

The dining hall was unusually crowded.

Gene couldn’t remember the last time so many people had gathered around the massive table at once.

The chef had apparently taken the return of the kidnapped group as a personal challenge.

The result was enough food to feed a small army.

Roasted meats.

Fresh bread.

Steaming vegetables.

Fruit tarts.

Three different soups.

A mountain of desserts.

And an entire tray dedicated solely to Lilith’s emergency snack reserves.

The small monster queen looked deeply pleased.

“Now THIS is a proper rescue operation.”

The chef bowed dramatically.

“I live to serve.”

Gene shook his head and laughed before taking a seat.

For the first time all day, he finally felt his anger beginning to fade.

Everyone was home.

Mostly unharmed.

The hotel stood.

Dinner smelled amazing.

Things could have been much worse.

Across from him, Cassian rubbed his temples.

“I still cannot believe you escaped because they lacked snacks.”

Lilith pointed her fork at him.

“They were given every opportunity to provide ample snacks.”

Aurelia buried her face in her hands.

“The priest looked like he was going to have a stroke.”

“He should have prepared better.”

Moira snorted into her drink.

Even Selene laughed.

The tension that had followed the kidnapping slowly dissolved as everyone began sharing their stories.

Gene listened while eating enough food to satisfy eight days of forgotten hunger.

Cassian described the fighting.

Aurelia described nearly getting lost inside the cult city.

Moira described how uncomfortable it had been listening to endless speeches about the Hollow King.

Lyra quietly described seeing what had become of her homeland.

The room fell silent during that part.

Gene gently squeezed her shoulder.

“We’ll fix it.”

Lyra looked doubtful.

But she smiled anyway.

Then everyone turned toward Gene.

“So,” Selene said.

“What did you do while we were gone?”

Gene grinned.

“Oh boy.”

⸻

The explanation lasted nearly an hour.

Gene described the Deep Chapel.

The haunted church.

The new horror religion.

The three new horror nuns.

The underground research facility.

The artificial intelligence.

The new security systems.

The containment sectors.

The church district.

The expanding horror world.

By the time he finished, Aurelia looked horrified.

Cassian looked impressed.

Moira looked fascinated.

Lilith looked disappointed.

“Wait, No giant snack factory?”

Gene blinked.

“…No. Atleast not yet, still haven’t gotten all the kinks worked out.”

“Missed opportunity.”

The conversation continued for a while longer.

Gene carefully omitted one detail.

The egg.

Specifically the pieces hidden inside the Caretaker and Jesse Belle.

He wasn’t sure why.

Something about the decision still felt unfinished.

Uncertain.

Until he understood exactly what the fragments were doing, he preferred to keep the information to himself.

The Caretaker sat silently nearby.

If anyone noticed the faint shadow tendrils occasionally moving behind him, nobody mentioned it.

⸻

Several hours later dinner finally ended.

Most of the residents had returned to their nightly routines.

Lilith sat with Lyra as she explained the way to properly make chocolate cake,  that way she can maximize its size to full chocolate potential. 

Selene went to freshen up in the bathroom. 

While gone he asked the scientists couple if they wanted to view the lab. 

Selene came in and asked to go on a tour with them, even saying that she was so excited that she’d wait for her favorite pie until after the tour. 

Gene, Selene, and the scientist couple headed toward the newly completed underground facility.

The deeper levels stretched far beneath the church district.

The elevator descended for almost three full minutes.

Selene whistled an odd tune.

“This is ridiculous.”

Gene grinned.

“Good ridiculous?”

“Mad scientist ridiculous.”

The scientist couple looked extremely pleased by that description.

The doors opened.

Bright white hallways stretched into the distance.

Automated lights illuminated as they approached.

Large observation windows overlooked laboratories.

Research rooms.

Containment sectors.

Testing chambers.

Everything gleamed.

Everything looked new.

Everything looked expensive.

The husband scientist nearly cried.

“It’s so beautiful.”

His wife immediately slapped the back of his head.

“It is efficient.”

“Like you my dear, it can be both beautiful and efficient.”

The argument continued as they wandered deeper into the complex.

Gene mostly ignored them.

His thoughts kept drifting toward Selene.

The egg fragments.

The prophecy.

The strange gem collection.

The cult.

Secrets were beginning to pile up.

Maybe he should tell her.

But something made him pause.

She definitely deserved to know.

They had merged worlds together.

Trusted each other with their lives.

Maybe the feeling he had was just—

“Athena has a message pending.”

The AI’s voice interrupted his thoughts instantly.

WARNING… LOCKDOWN INITIATED… WARNING 

Gene blinked.

“What?”

The facility lights shifted from white to yellow.

Everyone froze.

The scientists immediately looked concerned.

Selene frowned.

“What’s happening?”

“ Give me a second to check something. This lab is new so it might have bugs.”

Gene opened the message 

BIOLOGICAL SCAN INCONSISTENCY DETECTED.

Gene frowned.

What does that mean?

SUBJECT DESIGNATION: SELENE MOONCREST.

MATCH CONFIDENCE: SEVENTY PERCENT.

Silence.

Gene stared.

“…What?”

Selene blinked.

“What… what does it say?”

The AI continued.

BIOLOGICAL PROFILE DOES NOT MATCH ARCHIVED RECORDS.

THIRTY PERCENT DEVIATION DETECTED.

The hallway abruptly flooded with warning lights.

Red emergency alarms activated.

Metal shutters slammed down over every exit.

The scientists jumped together as glass walls rose to separate the group.

Selene flipped backward and was encased in a glass cell by herself.

“Gene what’s happening?”

Athena’s voice played over the intercom. 

SECURITY PROTOCOL ACTIVE.

POTENTIAL INFILTRATOR DETECTED.

LOCKDOWN ENGAGED.

Gene slowly stared at Selene.

Selene stared back.

For several moments nobody moved.

Then Selene laughed nervously.

“This is completely ridiculous.”

Gene didn’t laugh.

Because Athena wasn’t joking.

Athena literally couldn’t joke.

The AI only worked from data.

Pure data.

And the system was claiming something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Selene looked around.

“…Gene?”

The scientist and his wife slowly stepped closer and held each others hands. 

He pulled up their information.

Just in case.

The atmosphere became uncomfortable.

Then unsettling.

Then dangerous.

Gene quietly activated part of his chaos armor.

Just enough.

Not enough to attack anyone.

Enough to defend himself.

Selene noticed immediately.

Her smile faltered.

“…You don’t actually believe this thing, do you baby? How could it actually be one of us?”

Gene didn’t answer immediately.

The couple were his summons and their stats popped up in front of him. The only person it could be, was Selene.

That answer alone seemed to change something.

Selene sighed.

Then lowered her head.

“…How did you know I wasn’t her?.”

The voice changed.

Completely.

Gone was Selene’s familiar warmth.

Gone was her bubbly personality.

Gone was everything.

A distorted male voice emerged instead.

“I was hoping to gather data a little longer.”

Gene’s stomach dropped.

The scientists immediately backed away from the glass cell.

Selene’s body began melting.

Like paint running from a canvas.

Skin shifted.

Hair darkened.

Features twisted.

An illusion.

A powerful illusion.

Several seconds later a completely different person stood before them.

A cultist.

The same hollow crown symbol marked his forehead.

The cultist slowly smiled.

“Interesting facility.”

Gene stared.

“Where is Selene?”

The cultist laughed.

“You’ll never—”

The room suddenly filled with a thick gas.

White mist exploded out from hidden vents.

The cultist managed exactly half a scream.

Then collapsed.

Head first.

Unconscious.

His leg twitched a few times.

Silence followed.

Athena spoke calmly.

THREAT NEUTRALIZED.

HAVE A PLEASANT EVENING.

Gene stared at the unconscious cultist.

The scientist husband slowly raised a hand.

“Babe… I think I like the new AI.”

Nobody disagreed.

⸻

Five minutes later the cultist sat restrained inside a containment chamber.

Six inches of reinforced crystal separated him from freedom.

The knockout gas continued flowing just under his neck.

Who knew when they would wake.

Just in case he had any ideas. 

Gene stood outside the cell.

His thoughts raced.

If that wasn’t Selene…

Then where was she?

How long had the switch happened?

The cult infiltrated the hotel, but how deep was the infiltration?

Had anyone else been replaced?

Questions multiplied rapidly.

Gene immediately pulled out his communication crystal.

“Hank.”

The response came instantly.

“Front desk.”

Gene’s heart pounded.

“Is Selene up there?”

Silence.

Then Hank answered.

“Uh…Gimmie a second….”

A soft clinking sound followed by a pause.

“Actually…”

Gene’s stomach dropped.

“…Actually what?”

Hank sounded confused.

“She’s sitting in the lobby eating pie.”

Gene froze.

“…What?”

“I think that’s maybe her third slice.”

Another pause.

“No…Wait… My mistake it’s like her 7th, I think I can see her feeding the plates to Chomper.”

Hank sounded alarmed now.

“Wait why are you asking? Is there something wrong with the pie?”

Gene looked toward the unconscious cultist.

Then toward the containment cell.

“Boss I had like two slices will I be ok? Boss? Guys stop eating the…”

Gene stopped the flashing security warnings.

He told Hank that he will need to have everyone hurry to meet up in the laboratory’s waiting area.

Something much bigger was happening than they realized.

And somewhere in the hotel…

The real Selene had absolutely no idea someone else had been pretending to be her.

Gene sprinted toward the elevator.

He has to figure out just how deep the cult’s infiltration truly went. 

And he needed a way to make sure they were all who they say they are.