Under Irene's guidance, Barkley put the chip away. He hadn't fully digested the shock before, and everything in front of him still made him feel unreal: a small chip was related to the future of the entire human race, and there was such a huge secret hidden in his genes.
But Barkley knew that now was not the time to think, but the time to act. He and Irene knew very well that they didn't have much time left. The pursuers of the Shadow Council would not give up easily, especially after they had smelled the scent of their prey.
Irene turned off the console, and the data flow on the screen stopped at the last moment, and then the darkness swallowed all the information. Her fingers tapped the console a few times, and a mechanical click came from all around, as if this hidden safe house was entering a state of blockade.
"We can't stay here for long, it's no longer safe here." She whispered, her eyes fixed on the tunnel outside the door.
Barkley nodded, and a strong sense of uneasiness surged in his heart. He could feel that the shadow of the pursuer was approaching rapidly, and time seemed to be slipping through their fingers at an alarming speed.
The two quickly passed through the control room and came to the depths of the passage. Irene entered the password in a corner again, revealing a secret path leading to a deeper level.
"This route can avoid their surveillance system, but we must speed up." Irene's tone was full of urgency.
They went down all the way, deeper and deeper, the air gradually became colder and damper, and the walls of the tunnel were covered with thick moss, as if these passages had been forgotten for decades and only a few people knew of their existence.
Barkley's mind was still echoing with what Irene said. He never thought that his life would be linked to such a huge secret. Genetic coding, the Shadow Council, the disappearance of his parents-all these mysteries are intertwined to form a suffocating network. And he is trapped in the center of this huge conspiracy.
"Do your parents know that their research will cause these people to hunt them down?" Barkley asked as he walked.
Irene was silent for a moment before she slowly replied, "They know. But they also believe that these studies are for a better future. If this technology falls into the hands of the wrong people, the consequences will be disastrous."
"Why me?" Barkley couldn't help but get angry, "Why do they hide all this in me?"
Irene stopped and turned to look directly into Barkley's eyes. "Because you are the person they trust the most. You are their son and the only one who can bear all this. They know you have enough potential to face this crisis."
Barkley was silent. He didn't think he had the "potential" that Irene said. He was just a tax avoidance expert, an ordinary person who barely coped with life in order to survive. However, now he was forced to carry his parents' unfinished business and was pushed to a stage that he had never expected.
"Keep going," Irene interrupted his thoughts, "We must leave here as soon as possible."
They continued to go deeper into the tunnel, and the footsteps echoed in the darkness, as if they were infinitely extended. After walking for an unknown period of time, a faint light finally appeared in front of them, which was the sign of the exit at the end of the tunnel.
But at this moment, Barkley suddenly felt a chill coming from behind, as if some ominous breath was approaching. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned his head to look behind him. Something seemed to be moving in the dark depths of the passage.
"Erin, there's someone behind us." He whispered, his voice full of alertness.
Erin stopped immediately, keenly aware of Barkley's warning. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the darkness behind her. After a moment, her face became solemn.
"The pursuers are coming." Erin whispered, quickly pulling out an energy gun from her waist, her eyes calm and sharp. "We must split up and delay them."
"Split up?" Barkley couldn't help but widen his eyes, "But if we split up, they..."
"They won't let you go, I know." Erin interrupted him, "But the situation now is that we can't escape together, otherwise it will only make it easier for them to find us. I will lead them away, and you must leave with the chip. We will meet at the designated location outside."
Barkley hesitated, but finally nodded. He knew that Irene's judgment was usually correct, and they really had no better choice at the moment.
"Be careful." He said, with a hint of uneasiness in his eyes.
Irene smiled slightly, and although the weak light concealed her expression, Barkley could feel her confidence. "Don't worry, I will find you."
Before she finished speaking, Irene had turned and ran quickly to the other side of the tunnel, and her footsteps quickly disappeared into the darkness in the empty tunnel.
Barkley took a deep breath and turned to speed towards the exit. His heart was beating like thunder, and he could only hear his rapid breathing and footsteps in his ears, but he knew that the pursuer was following closely and would not give him too much breathing space.
The end of the tunnel was getting closer and closer, and the light of the exit became clearer and clearer. Barkley finally saw the sky outside the exit. It was a long-lost starry sky, although cold and distant, it symbolized some kind of hope.
He accelerated towards the exit, and the chill behind him became stronger and stronger, as if the breath of the pursuer was approaching behind him.
"Hurry, hurry!" Barkley kept urging himself in his heart, almost using up all his strength.
When he finally rushed out of the tunnel, what greeted him was not a safe shelter, but an empty wasteland. There were no tall buildings, no busy streets, only endless ruins, as if it was the end of the world.
Barkley stopped, panting, looking around, trying to find a hiding place. But the scene around him made him feel a little desperate. There was no place to hide here. He was exposed in the desolate open space, like a prey locked by a hunter.
"Damn..." He cursed, his heart beating violently. Just as he was thinking about the next plan, a mechanical buzzing sound suddenly came from his ears.
He looked up suddenly and saw a drone hovering over his head. The ruthless mechanical eyes were staring at him, as if they had locked him as a target.
"They are coming." Barkley muttered to himself and ran forward quickly, but the speed of the drone was much faster than he expected. Its sound was getting closer and closer, as if it had locked onto his trajectory.
Just then, there was a deafening explosion in the distance. Barkley turned his head and saw a huge flame rising in the direction of the tunnel. That was the mark left by Irene. She successfully detonated the passage and blocked the path of the pursuer.
"Irene..." Barkley's heart tightened. He didn't know how she was now, but he didn't have time to hesitate. He had to find a hiding place as soon as possible and meet up with Irene as planned.
However, he had just taken a few steps when the ground suddenly began to shake, as if some huge machine was approaching. Barkley widened his eyes. A black armored convoy appeared on the horizon in the distance, with high-powered weapon systems installed on the roof. There was no doubt that this was the Shadow Council's pursuer force.
"They came faster than I thought." Barkley gritted his teeth and his mind was running fast. He knew that he couldn't confront these armed forces head-on now. The only choice was to continue to escape and find better cover.
He quickly adjusted his direction and ran towards the side of the wasteland, where there were several abandoned buildings, perhaps he could temporarily avoid being tracked. But as he was running, a sharp pain suddenly came from his right leg.
Barkley let out a painful roar and almost fell to the ground. He looked down and found that his trouser legs had been burned by the laser, and there were charred marks on his skin.
"Not good..." He gritted his teeth and endured the pain and continued to run. The trackers have begun to use force, and they will not let him go easily.
"Hold on, can't stop." Barkley kept telling himself in his heart, trying his best to keep his legs moving, even if every step was accompanied by severe pain. He knew that if he stopped at this moment, he would never know the truth left by his parents, let alone complete this fateful choice.
He must keep going until he reaches the end of his fate.