Chapter 003: The Screams of B4 Level
Research Log Archive Date: March 19, 2024 - 11:30 PM
The tension from last night had left me sleepless. Zhang Lin and I were confined to a small, dimly lit room, waiting for an unknown fate. Our only chance was to escape. If we failed, the secrets of Bureau 756 would remain buried forever.
At dawn, the door creaked open, and Director Li entered. His face was expressionless, his gaze icy.
"Do you know what you've done?" he asked, his voice like a blade.
"We were just looking for records," Zhang Lin replied evenly.
"You broke the rules," Director Li said coldly. "There will be consequences."
"We were doing our job," I countered.
Director Li's lips twisted into a chilling smile. "Your 'job' is over. Now, you'll be transferred to B4 Level."
My heart sank. The infamous B4 Level—a place shrouded in mystery and dread. I knew that once we were taken there, escape would become nearly impossible.
We were escorted to B4 Level. The air grew heavier with each step, the antiseptic smell mingling with something metallic and unsettling. Surveillance cameras mounted on the walls turned methodically, watching our every move.
The guards locked us in a bare, windowless room. Inside were only a table and two chairs.
"We need to find a way out," Zhang Lin whispered.
"How?" I asked, feeling the weight of hopelessness.
She pulled out the jammer device she had used the night before.
"This can disrupt the door lock," she said, determination glinting in her eyes. "But we'll need to wait until the surveillance is weakest."
As night fell, B4 Level descended into an eerie silence. The hallway lights dimmed, and the surveillance cameras slowed their mechanical sweeps.
Zhang Lin activated the jammer. The door emitted a soft click and unlocked. We slipped into the hallway, which was empty and unnervingly quiet.
As we crept along the corridor, a piercing scream shattered the silence. It came from the far end, where a partially open door cast a sliver of light onto the dark floor.
Exchanging a glance, we moved cautiously toward the door. Inside was a laboratory, and the screams grew louder, more agonized.
We pushed the door open and froze in horror.
The lab was a grim theater of suffering. Several test subjects were restrained on metal tables, their bodies punctured by tubes and electrodes. Their anguished cries echoed off the sterile walls.
"What is this?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
"This is part of the 'Butterfly Project,'" Zhang Lin murmured, her voice laced with disgust. "They're experimenting on these people, pushing their bodies and minds beyond their limits."
Anger and helplessness surged within me as I looked at the tortured subjects. We couldn't let this continue. But how could we stop it?
Suddenly, the lab door swung open, and several researchers in white lab coats stepped in. They froze when they saw us, their surprise quickly morphing into hostility.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" one of them demanded.
"We're here to end this," I said firmly, though my voice quivered.
The man sneered. "End this? Do you think you two can stop the 'Butterfly Project'?"
"We'll try," Zhang Lin shot back, her tone defiant.
The man shook his head with a condescending smirk. "Then let me show you the true power of the 'Butterfly Project.'"
He pressed a button on a control panel. The lab's center floor slid open, revealing a massive glass chamber. Inside stood a woman, her body marked with glowing circuit-like patterns. Her expression was blank, her eyes devoid of humanity.
"This is Test Subject No. 7," the man announced proudly. "She's the perfect result of the Butterfly Project."
As we watched in stunned silence, the glass chamber opened. Test Subject No. 7 stepped out, her movements unnervingly smooth. Her eyes glowed faintly as she turned her gaze toward us, sending chills down my spine.
"Are you ready?" the researcher asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
I gripped Zhang Lin's hand tightly, my pulse racing. We had no idea what Test Subject No. 7 was capable of, but one thing was clear: this was no ordinary human.
This was a fight for survival.