Goldwin and Gareth, their faces tight with concern, immediately called out to Audrey through the PDA. "Where was Juan's last known position?" Goldwin asked, his voice tense but steady.
Audrey, monitoring the team from the Hope, replied quickly. "He mentioned something about wanting to explore an underground facility. I've got his last known coordinates here." She paused before continuing, her voice laced with worry. "There's a match with the map data Roy uploaded when he accessed the system. Five possible routes lead underground."
Goldwin turned to Roy, his dependable robot companion. "Roy, show us those routes."
Roy projected a holographic map in front of them, highlighting five different pathways to the underground levels. Audrey cross-referenced the data and pinpointed Juan's last known location.
"That's it," she said. "That's where he was before we lost contact."
Goldwin and Gareth exchanged a glance before breaking into a sprint toward the area Audrey had indicated. When they arrived, they found another blast door, this one still sealed shut. However, not far from the door, a narrow ventilation shaft stood open.
Gareth muttered, half to himself, "Did he squeeze through that thing?"
Goldwin frowned, his mind racing. "Did the other kids go with him?" he asked, not wanting to think the worst.
Audrey's voice came back quickly. "No, they returned to the Hope just a moment ago. The kids said Juan wanted to go alone and told them to head back."
Goldwin let out a slow breath, relieved that the others weren't involved in Juan's risky venture. "Alright. Less to worry about, for now."
Turning back to the blast door, Goldwin gave a quick nod to Roy. "Get this door open."
Roy moved toward the control panel, accessing it with a series of rapid clicks and beeps. Slowly, the massive door began to creak open. But before it could fully rise, Goldwin and Gareth ducked under the gap and darted inside, flashlights from their PDAs cutting through the darkness.
The underground facility was eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of machinery that hadn't completely powered down over the years. As they moved through the tight corridors, they came upon a small post—an office, of sorts, with the lights still on.
Goldwin's eyes immediately went to the breaker box on the wall. Roy beeped, analyzing the area. "The breaker was recently activated. Fingerprint residue indicates it was done within the last hour."
"Juan must've turned the power on," Gareth said, scanning the room. His flashlight beam caught something on the floor.
It was Juan's PDA, lying in pieces, its screen shattered. Gareth knelt to pick it up, examining the damage. "Looks like he smashed it."
Goldwin shook his head. "No, that's not possible. He may be the toughest kid among everyone his age, but he's scared of being left alone. My guess is it slipped from his hand and he accidentally stepped on it." He sighed. "That's why Audrey lost his signal."
Gareth looked at him, the beam of his flashlight casting shadows across the tight space. "So where the hell is he now?"
They pressed forward, tension rising with each step. As they ventured deeper into the underground facility, a disturbing sight stopped them cold—dark red stains smeared across the floor.
"Blood," Gareth muttered, his tone sharp.
Goldwin crouched down, Roy beside him, analyzing the droplets. "It's fresh."
The two men exchanged a glance before bolting down the corridor, following the trail of blood. Their footsteps echoed through the silent halls as they hurried deeper into the unknown. The blood led them to yet another blast door, this one marked with a large, menacing sign: KEEP OUT.
The blood trail continued under the door.
Goldwin's heart pounded as he and Gareth skidded to a stop in front of it. Without a second thought, they shouted Juan's name, their voices ringing through the cold, empty corridor. No answer came.
Gareth banged his fist on the door in frustration. "Damn it, kid! Where are you?"
Goldwin pressed his ear to the cold steel door, listening for any sign of movement beyond. "Roy," he whispered, his voice tight. "Can you tap into this panel?"
Roy rolled forward, his mechanical arms already reaching for the control interface. The silence stretched as they waited, dread creeping in.
Suddenly, a faint sound—a scuffling—came from behind the door. Goldwin straightened, his pulse quickening. He exchanged a glance with Gareth.
"Juan?" Goldwin called again, louder this time, his voice echoing through the metallic walls. "If you're in there, answer me!"
For a moment, there was nothing but silence.
Then, faintly, they heard it—a voice. Weak, barely audible.
"Old Man…?"