Chapter 6: The Veiled Awakening
The sound of a helicopter resonated through the air as it traversed various landscapes, finally arriving in the middle of the desert. The golden sands split, revealing an enormous structure hidden beneath. People clad in white lab coats moved about, their activities buzzing with purpose. Doctor Morgan, accompanied by several scientists, descended from the helicopter. They were greeted by the vast expanse of a secret government research facility known as the Advanced Scientific Research Facility (ASRF).
Doctor Morgan wasted no time and swiftly entered the facility. The elevator descended to the deepest levels, beyond where the molten lava could be seen. The architectural marvel of the lab defied comprehension, built with intricate precision and nestled within the earth. Doctor Morgan reached a massive steel door adorned with a symbol of a snake entwined around an anvil. Placing his palm on the control panel, the door scanned his hand, and a blue light illuminated the mechanism. The door parted, revealing a hidden section of the facility.
Inside this section, individuals donned black lab coats, their presence denoting a different purpose. Doctor Morgan acknowledged them with a nod as he passed. After navigating a labyrinth of corridors and passing through various security measures, he arrived at a room protected by a glass window with tiny communication holes.
"Hello, Gabriel," Doctor Morgan called out, but received no response.
It had been five years since that fateful event, and the majority of people had forgotten or remained unaware due to the effective cover-up orchestrated by the US government. Gabriel should have reached the age of 21, but he appeared to be frozen in time, unchanged since that incident.
Since that day, Doctor Morgan had subjected Gabriel to inhumane experiments. The depths of suffering Gabriel endured were unfathomable. His mind had been shattered and reconstructed repeatedly, trapped in an unending cycle of torment. Being from Africa, his parents had no means to search for him in a place halfway across the world, assuming they even knew where he was. Gabriel couldn't blame them, for he himself had no knowledge of the location.
Gabriel's mind and body underwent incredible transformations. His bones and tissues displayed astonishing healing properties, defying scientific explanation. Doctor Morgan was plagued by countless uncertainties, and his frustration grew exponentially. Even the government threatened to withdraw funding due to the lack of substantial results. Moreover, a dormant force lay concealed within Gabriel's body. Each time the scientists extracted tissue or blood samples, a mysterious black liquid would surge forth, seamlessly replacing the taken parts. The enigmatic nature of these processes both fascinated and terrified Doctor Morgan, who yearned to unravel the secrets behind this phenomenon. Now, for the first time in five years, Gabriel had fallen into a vegetative state, unresponsive to any external stimuli.
Doctor Morgan stood there, lost in thought, as he observed Gabriel's sleeping form. Suddenly, his phone rang, and it was his superior, Mr. Park. Stepping out of the room into the lobby, Doctor Morgan answered, "Hello, Mr. Park. To what do I owe the pleasure?" The voice on the other end delivered a stern message. "Doctor Morgan, the board has decided that if you fail to produce substantial results within the month, you will be replaced." Before he could voice his frustration, the line went dead, leaving Doctor Morgan seething with anger. "Bastard!" he exclaimed, venting his annoyance. The staff nearby glanced at him with fear-filled eyes, scurrying back to their duties.
Doctor Morgan retreated to his office, a space filled with research papers, whiteboards covered in formulas, and shelves lined with scientific literature. He sank into his chair, contemplating the weight of the challenge before him. Within the confines of Gabriel's vegetative state, his mind became a battleground between the light of his original self and the encroaching darkness of the cube. Memories flickered through his consciousness, fragments of his past intermingling with foreboding visions of an unknown future. Gabriel's mind was a chaotic mix of hope and despair, his very essence on the precipice of transformation.