Chapter 18 - The Third SonEvan pushed Lucas aside.
The bullet struck the wall.
Mara screamed.
Daniel fired again.
Voss shot him in the shoulder.
He dropped.
Everyone froze.
Richard laughed.
“You still shoot like your father.”
Daniel looked up.
“You still talk too much.”
He threw a blade.
It struck Richard's hand.
Richard cursed.
Evan grabbed Lucas.
“Stay behind me.”
Daniel stood.
“You have no idea what's happening.”
“Then explain.”
“I was the first son.”
Evan stared.
“Subject Zero was the second.”
Daniel pointed at him.
“You were the third.”
Evan's blood ran cold.
Mara whispered:
“I couldn't save all of you.”
Daniel laughed.
“You saved none of us.”
He explained.
Their parents had experimented on three children.
Daniel had been the first.
Subject Zero the second.
Evan the third.
Each was built around a different memory architecture.
Daniel could predict.
Subject Zero could retain.
Evan could transfer.
Lucas had inherited all three traits.
That's why Helix wanted him.
He was the complete system.
Lucas stood frozen.
“I don't want this.”
Daniel looked at him.
“Neither did we.”
He lowered his gun.
“That doesn't matter now.”
Suddenly, Nina appeared.
She looked at Daniel.
“You.”
Daniel froze.
“Nina.”
She smiled.
“You remember me.”
“Yes.”
“You killed me.”
Daniel's face changed.
“I didn't.”
“Yes.”
Nina stepped closer.
“I remember.”
Voss stared.
“That's impossible.”
Nina's eyes darkened.
The voice of Evan's father returned.
“I told you the transfer worked.”
Daniel stared at her.
“You're carrying him.”
Nina nodded.
“And so is Lucas.”
The room became silent.
The entire family was connected.
Multiple minds.
Multiple lives.
One system.
Then the facility doors began closing.
Helix soldiers flooded the hall.
Daniel raised his gun.
“Time's up.”
Evan looked at Lucas.
“What do we do?”
Lucas looked at the machines.
Then at his family.
“I think…”
He swallowed.
“…I know.”
He walked toward the central console.
Voss shouted:
“Lucas, don't!”
He placed his hand on the terminal.
Every screen turned white.
Memories began appearing.
Millions of them.
Names.
Dates.
Experiments.
Victims.
Proof.
Helix's entire archive was opening.
Daniel stared.
“You're releasing everything.”
Lucas nodded.
“All of it.”
Richard's face went white.
“My God.”
Mara whispered:
“They'll see everything.”
Lucas looked at her.
“They should.”
The screens changed.
Every secret.
Every death.
Every erased child.
Every illegal experiment.
Every manipulated memory.
All of it streamed into the outside world.
The facility alarm became deafening.
Then the final screen appeared.
PUBLIC TRANSMISSION COMPLETE.
Helix was exposed.
But Lucas suddenly collapsed.
Evan caught him.
“Lucas!”
The boy opened his eyes.
And whispered:
“Dad…”
“What?”
“I found him.”
“Who?”
Lucas smiled.
“Your father.”
Then he pointed toward the door.
A man stood there.
Old.
Thin.
Alive.
Evan stared.
May you like
It was the man from the recording.
His father.
