Chapter 10 - THE FIRST MOTHERThe chamber erupted into chaos.
Hundreds of voices called Stefan's name.
He covered his ears.
"Make them stop."
Lidia grabbed his hand.
"They remember you."
"I don't remember them."
"You were here."
"No."
"You were born here."
Stefan stared at her.
"What?"
Pavel looked between them.
Lidia finally confessed everything.
Stefan had not been born in the village.
He had been created in the facility.
His mother had discovered the truth years later.
The woman known as Lidia had been part of a group investigating illegal human experimentation.
She had tried to destroy the program.
Instead, they used her.
They created biological copies.
Some survived.
Most didn't.
The copies required enormous amounts of protein to remain alive during development.
That was the reason for the sixty kilos of beef.
Pavel felt sick.
"But why did she keep buying it?"
Stefan looked at Lidia.
"Because she was feeding the last survivors."
"Why hide them?"
"Because the government wants them dead."
A gunshot echoed.
Everyone froze.
A shadow moved behind them.
Ovidiu appeared.
Blood covered his shirt.
But he was alive.
Pavel ran toward him.
"What happened?"
Ovidiu pointed behind himself.
"They're coming."
"Who?"
He shook his head.
"Everyone."
A hundred footsteps echoed through the tunnels.
Lidia whispered:
"They found the entrance."
Pavel raised his weapon.
Then he noticed something.
The people in the rooms were not attacking.
They were terrified.
They were looking behind the police.
Pavel turned.
A man stood at the far end.
Perfectly calm.
Adrian Voss.
The man they believed dead.
He smiled.
"You finally found me."
Stefan stepped forward.
"You killed my father."
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
He pointed to Lidia.
"She did."
Lidia collapsed.
Stefan stared at her.
"Mother?"
Lidia's voice broke.
"I had no choice."
Adrian smiled.
"She volunteered you."
Stefan's face changed.
Pavel lowered his weapon.
Adrian continued:
"Your mother agreed to give us the first child."
Stefan stared at Lidia.
"Why?"
Lidia looked up.
"Because they said they'd kill you."
Adrian laughed.
"They said many things."
Then he pressed a button.
All the doors opened.
And every patient in the chamber stood up.
They began walking toward Stefan.
Not attacking.
Kneeling.
May you like
One by one.
As if he were their king.
