Then, unexpectedly, something began to happen. The ground before him shifted, lowering itself, as if responding to his command. He gasped in disbelief as the soil parted beneath him, and he was gently drawn into the earth. It was as if the very soil recognized him, welcoming him. He moved forward, the tunnel expanding around him, adjusting to his size, until he could crawl freely. The earth beneath him seemed to grow softer and more accommodating with every passing second, allowing him to go deeper.
As he moved forward, the walls of the tunnel became more solid, and he knew he had passed beneath the foundation of the house. He was beneath the building now. He kept moving, the path seeming to stretch endlessly before him, until at last, he found himself in a large, spacious room. The air was thick with the musty, antiseptic scent that seemed to pervade these kinds of places, and Dick instantly recognized the sterile, clinical atmosphere. He was inside the building now, but he wasn't sure if it was a good thing.
Just then, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Dr. Bin was coming. Panic surged through Dick's body. He had to hide. There was no time to find a better hiding spot, so he crouched behind a pile of luggage, hoping it would be enough to conceal him. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. Dr. Bin passed by without noticing him, humming to himself, a drink in hand. He took a few steps, then turned in the opposite direction.
Dick waited until the sound of the doctor's footsteps faded, and then he quickly moved out from his hiding place. He made his way through the dark corridor and into the office where Dr. Bin had been earlier. He needed to find some answers, and hopefully, a way to stop whatever experiments Bin was conducting.
As he entered the room, he scanned the area. Moore was nowhere to be found, but his eyes immediately fell on the camera mounted in the corner of the room. He had been captured. There was no doubt about it. The realization hit him with a jolt of fear, but he couldn't dwell on that now. There was no time to waste. He had to find a way to neutralize the camera system.
Dick approached the desk, climbing onto the table to get a better look at the device. He checked every inch of the surface, but there was no sign of a switch or any way to turn it off. Frustration built in his chest as he racked his brain for a solution. Then, as if by luck, he noticed the computer on the desk. Without wasting a moment, he approached it, tapping the keyboard with his fingers. Fortunately, Dr. Bin had left the system unsecured, and Dick was able to access it without any trouble. He quickly navigated through the files, tapping a few buttons to disable the camera's feed.
With the camera disabled, Dick moved out of the office and into the hallway that led to another room. As he walked, his eyes landed on the motorized engine Mikey had been using to ride. It was an impressive piece of machinery, sleek and intimidating in its design. Dick couldn't help but pause to take a closer look. He ran his fingers along the steering wheel, touched the pedals, and examined every detail of the vehicle. It seemed to have been unused for some time, its once-vibrant surface now dull and clean of any bloodstains.
As he was lost in thought, he heard a groan from further down the hall. Dick's pulse quickened, and he turned in the direction of the sound. His heart sank when he realized it was Moore. Without hesitation, he moved quickly, following the noise until he found his friend. Moore was slumped weakly against a wall, struggling as Dr. Bin continued his brutal work.
Tears welled up in Dick's eyes as he watched his friend's suffering. He was powerless, watching the torment unfold in front of him. Moore was begging for mercy, his voice weak and pleading. It was more than Dick could bear. He felt the urge to lash out, to strike Dr. Bin, to end this madness once and for all. The thought of a punch that could end it all surged through him, but he held back. He couldn't risk it. He had to wait.
"Do you want to suck me dry? You should just kill me," Moore croaked.
Dr. Bin laughed, his voice cold and dismissive. "You? Kill you? Why would I do that?"
As Bin worked, he explained his cold, calculated plans. "Your blood matches perfectly with the DNA I need. The combination of your blood with a few… additions will power my new invention. That machine will be fueled by your DNA and your body's sensors."
Moore's voice was tinged with bitterness. "What will you tell my mother when she comes looking for me?"
Bin's answer was as heartless as ever. "I'll tell her to forget you. You're more important here. One day, your mother will be lying here too. I'll be needing her as well."
A fire sparked in Moore's eyes. "Don't you dare try anything with my mother. I'll kill you first."
Bin's voice was calm, his words chilling. "You'll be long gone by then."
Moore was on the verge of tears. "You want to kill me, don't you? You won't let me go?"
"It's not my fault," Bin sneered. "When the blood runs out, what's left?"
Moore was bitter. "You refill, you moron."
Bin's eyes narrowed in response. "I don't refill. I dispose."
The conversation was a sickening reminder of Bin's cruel and methodical nature. As Moore's blood drained into the flask, Dick's fists clenched. He was done waiting.
Dr. Bin had just gotten up to leave the room when the opportunity Dick had been waiting for finally arrived. As the doctor walked out, Dick prepared himself. He was only three steps away when he felt something sharp bite into his cheek. He recoiled, stunned. An ant, of all things, had bitten him. He couldn't believe it.
Dick turned to see Dr. Bin pass by, oblivious to his presence. The ant curled in his palm, and though he was confused and angry, he couldn't bring himself to hurt it. He dropped it into his pocket, not fully understanding what was happening.
With renewed urgency, Dick dashed into the room to rescue Moore. He hoisted his friend onto his shoulder, careful not to make any noise. Together, they retraced Dick's path, using the tunnels under the building to escape into the night.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bin had returned to the office, only to find something strange: a small amount of sand scattered across the floor. He bent down to inspect it, perplexed. The magnitude of it didn't make sense. As he entered his office, he noticed more sand, this time on his chair and desk. He could no longer deny it—someone had been in here.
Frantically, he searched for clues, but when he checked the blood machine, everything seemed fine. Still, something was off. He headed down the hallway, entering the operating theater only to find the bed empty. His heart pounded as he searched the rooms, but Moore was nowhere to be found.
Returning to his office, Bin turned to the camera system. As the footage flickered to life, he saw a blurry image of a young man—Dick. He watched the video, his anger building. It was clear that someone had infiltrated his operations.
Dr. Bin's eyes narrowed as he stared at the grainy footage, the pieces of the puzzle starting to fall into place. Something had gone wrong, but he was determined to find out who was behind it.
Frustrated, he kicked a glass of water off his desk, watching as it shattered on the floor. As the water flowed toward the door, something struck him. His eyes widened.
Dr. Bin was a brilliant mind, a genius in his own right, whose intelligence and curiosity knew no bounds. He spent hours thinking deeply, analyzing problems that others wouldn't even dare to consider. His latest revelation, however, seemed almost too far-fetched even for him—a theory that human limitations could be broken with science. As he pondered the ability of water to permeate the most secure barriers, an idea came to him with startling clarity. Water molecules were so small and agile, they could slip through even the tightest spaces, defying the barriers of security and obstacles alike. It struck him as a simple yet profound thought: if water could move through walls and barriers, perhaps other substances could do the same. He believed, with his extensive knowledge of science, that human bodies could be converted into liquid, and if that happened, there would be no stopping them from infiltrating any space.
Grabbing a pen, he quickly jotted down his hypotheses.
Hypothesis 1: If the rescuer of Moore had been composed of water, they would have effortlessly bypassed all security, entering spaces unseen and unnoticed.