Chapter 12 - Daniel ripped the cables from his head.Sparks exploded.
He fell onto the floor.
"Evelyn!"
He ran toward her chamber.
The glass door was locked.
Inside, Evelyn was unconscious.
Machines flashed red.
Thomas tried to open the door.
"She's alive."
"Get her out."
"I can't."
Daniel looked at the control panel.
His father's voice came through the speakers.
"Don't."
Daniel looked up.
"Dad!"
"She's being tested."
"Tested for what?"
"Whether she can resist."
Daniel punched the glass.
"Open the door!"
Jonathan remained silent.
Then another voice entered.
Marcus.
"You never could follow instructions, Gabriel."
Daniel turned.
Marcus stood at the end of the chamber.
He was holding a detonator.
Thomas raised his weapon.
Marcus smiled.
"Don't."
He held up the detonator.
"One button."
Daniel stared at him.
"What do you want?"
Marcus looked at Evelyn.
"Her."
"No."
Marcus pressed the button halfway.
Warning lights flashed.
Jonathan's face appeared on a monitor.
"Marcus."
Marcus laughed.
"Still alive, Jonathan?"
"You don't understand what you're doing."
"I understand perfectly."
Marcus looked at Daniel.
"The Architects don't need Final Dawn anymore."
Daniel frowned.
"Then what?"
Marcus smiled.
"They need a new leader."
Daniel's face hardened.
"What?"
Marcus pointed at him.
"You."
Silence.
Marcus continued.
"You were built to control the system."
Daniel shook his head.
"I'd rather die."
Marcus smiled.
"That's what I expected."
He released the detonator.
The chamber locked down.
Alarms screamed.
Evelyn suddenly woke.
She opened her eyes.
Daniel rushed toward the glass.
"Evelyn!"
She looked at him.
But something was wrong.
Her eyes were completely calm.
Too calm.
She stood.
The wires disconnected automatically.
She looked directly at Daniel.
Then she smiled.
"Hello, Gabriel."
Daniel froze.
She had never called him that.
"What happened to you?"
Evelyn walked toward the glass.
"The system showed me the truth."
"What truth?"
"That we don't have to destroy The Architects."
Daniel shook his head.
"Yes, we do."
She smiled.
"No."
She touched the glass.
"We can control them."
Thomas stepped back.
"Evelyn."
She turned toward him.
"You always were afraid of power."
Thomas raised his weapon.
Daniel grabbed him.
"Don't."
Evelyn looked at Daniel.
"They made us into weapons."
Her voice became colder.
"Why shouldn't we use the weapons they gave us?"
Daniel stared.
"This isn't you."
She smiled.
"That's the problem, Gabriel."
She pressed her hand against the glass.
"You don't know who I am."
The glass door opened.
Evelyn stepped out.
Marcus smiled.
"Welcome back."
She walked past him.
Daniel watched.
"Evelyn?"
She turned.
For a moment, her eyes softened.
Then she whispered:
"Run."
Daniel didn't understand.
Marcus suddenly looked confused.
Evelyn pulled a small device from her pocket.
She pressed it.
Every monitor exploded.
The entire facility went dark.
Then a distant alarm began.
Daniel heard voices through the emergency speakers.
Thousands of voices.
Crying.
Screaming.
Remembering.
The memory system had activated anyway.
Jonathan's voice came through one final time.
"Final Dawn has begun."
Thomas looked at Daniel.
"What do we do?"
Daniel stared at Evelyn.
She was gone.
Marcus was gone.
Only blood remained on the floor.
Then Daniel saw a message appearing on the wall.
SUBJECT 18 HAS ESCAPED.
May you like
Underneath it:
NEXT TARGET: WASHINGTON.
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