Chapter 1559 Breakthrough
Calla ignored the sycophantic greetings of the staff, walking directly to the selected subjects who stood like vacant shells, their consciousness seemingly erased. She surveyed them with clinical satisfaction before her gaze settled on Raymond.
"Is there a problem, Dr. Griffin?" one of the handlers asked nervously.
She pointed a slender finger at Raymond. "I want him to come with me."
The man's face contorted with unease. Personnel weren't supposed to move between sectors—Calla's own freedom to cross boundaries was already a special privilege from leadership. Taking someone else was pushing it.
"Is that a problem?" Her tone carried such authority that beads of sweat formed on the man's brow.
He quickly lowered his head, forcing a smile. "Alright, alright, since it's Dr. Griffin's request, he can go with you right away."
"I need him now," she stated flatly, her tone light but brooking no argument.
Though visibly uncomfortable, the man ultimately said nothing more.
As Raymond fell in step beside Calla, a cold calculation flickered behind his eyes. This woman clearly held significant rank in the facility—following her might provide access to areas he couldn't otherwise reach.
They passed through multiple corridors, each transition requiring biometric verification. Calla escorted him deep into the heart of the research complex, to her private laboratory.
Still in his hazmat suit, Raymond waited as she turned to him and asked in perfect Phoenixian, "Can you read?"
"Yes," he replied, surprised by her fluency.
"Hand me reagents when I ask. I'll arrange sleeping quarters for you tonight." With that, she turned her attention to her work.
Raymond complied, passing her various chemicals and instruments. After about thirty minutes, her phone rang—evidently someone from facility leadership questioning her decision to bring an outsider across sector boundaries.
"I simply need him," she explained coolly into the phone. "Perhaps in a few days, I'll use him for research. He won't leave here alive."
Whoever was on the other end seemed satisfied with this explanation and ended the call. Calla continued working as if she hadn't just casually threatened Raymond's life.
At ten that night, she showed him to his quarters—a spartan single room with a bed too short for his height. He'd have to curl up to sleep on it.
Calla switched off the lights and gave him a final appraising look. Raymond still wore his protective gear, including the goggles.
"Don't leave this room at night," she instructed flatly before closing the door behind her.
Alone in the stifling underground room, Raymond quickly assessed his surroundings. The only ventilation came from a duct in the ceiling—a potential weakness in the facility's security.
He climbed into the vent and was surprised to discover an extensive network that seemed to connect all sectors of the research base—a labyrinthine system stretching in every direction. A critical oversight in the facility's design.
Hunched over, he crawled through the ducts for what felt like thousands of feet until voices drifted up from below.
A woman's voice, sharp with irritation: "Why are you refusing me now?"
"Zaid not happy," came a simpler, almost childlike response.
"He's not happy? What does he have to be unhappy about? Atlas, don't make me angry."
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