Chapter 2

AR text?!

I froze. This wasn't a hallucination.

Was it the nurse?

How was she doing this?

There was no time to think. Survival instinct kicked in, and I chose to trust this sudden "guardian angel."

With my right foot bound by the metal ring, I slammed my heel downward with all my might.

*Bang!*

I hit an inconspicuous gray cover plate on the inner wall of the medical pod!

The plate popped open, revealing a messy bundle of wires and circuit boards.

"Stop him!" the guard yelled, lunging forward to pin my legs.

Following the glowing text prompts in my eyes, I used my toenails to snag and rip the red and blue data wires.

*Sparks flew!*

The metal bands locking my wrists and ankles instantly snapped open due to the power overload!

The doctor slammed his hands onto the control panel, but the screen flickered wildly. The system was failing.

The two guards lunged at me again.

I grabbed the live, sparking wires and whipped them directly across the face of the nearest guard.

`[Go to the main console! Override code: Delta-Seven-Zero-Alpha! Now!]`

I scrambled out of the pod, my wet body sliding across the floor.

The doctor tried to block me, but I slammed my elbow into his jaw, knocking him back.

With wet fingers, I tapped the code onto the touchscreen.

The master system override popped up!

`[Environmental control! Fire sprinklers! High-frequency strobe light!]`

I hit activate!

*Swoosh—!*

A freezing deluge of water rained down from the ceiling, flooding the room.

The emergency lights began flashing at an blinding, nauseating speed.

The guard who had grabbed my shoulder let go to shield his eyes.

`[Access database! Look up your ID: B-737!]`

Squinting through the pouring water, I frantically typed on the screen.

I entered B-737.

The screen flashed: *Donor status: Quarantined. Physical sample location: Sublevel 2, Cryo-Storage, Sector 7, Shelf C-17. Access level: Omega Lock.*

My original blood samples were in the cryo-vault!

`[Remember the location! Cut the power! Create chaos! Exit through the east corridor!]`

I grabbed the main power cable of the console and ripped it out of the wall.

I picked up a metal stool and hurled it at the nearest ceiling light.

Total darkness and pouring water engulfed the room.

Amidst the screaming alarms, I burst through the door and ran into the hallway.

`[Left! Go straight fifty yards! Avoid the security camera!]`

`[Guards coming from the right! Duck into the janitor's closet!]`

`[Go! Get out! Keep moving! Turn left at the end, take the emergency stairs down to B2!]`

I ran like a madman, the AR text in my eyes updating every second.

It predicted every obstacle and guard patrol route with terrifying precision.

Finally, I slammed into a heavy blast door marked "B2 - Restricted Area."

`[Authorization temporarily bypassed! Get in! They’ve initiated lockdown!]`

I pushed, and the door clicked open.

I slipped inside, and the heavy door locked behind me with a solid hiss.

But before I could even catch my breath, new red text flashed in my eyes, blinking with desperate urgency.

`[Warning! Dynamic biometric scanners active in the vault! Unauthorized entry will trigger a silent alarm!]`

`[They know you're here! They are setting up a perimeter!]`

`[Watch out! There’s something else inside... not just guards...]`

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