ECHO PROTOCOL: Rise Of The Rejected

CHAPTER SIX

Velmora Institute of Neural Sciences (VINS)

The large door opened. It was the secret door to the laboratory located on Sector V-13 of the building, the only restricted floor and only a few have access to it.

Then the door to the laboratory opened. It was more of a technological building, with large machines and systems, and lots of electrical wiring.

Ryker entered followed by Veyra. As she stepped into the large room, she felt a pang of pain, one she had always felt whenever she was saddened.

“You are a few minutes late, but I will spare you this time.” Lazik started, he was hidden in the shadow of the machinery behind him, but his voice boomed as he spoke.

Spare her? That was weird. Lazik never spared anyone. He used and discarded them like garbage.

“We have a new specimen,” he announced as he emerged into the light.

He stood tall in his lab coat, the only identification he had as a doctor, holding out his hand which gestured to the room on the left. Veyra shivered. This was nothing good.

On seeing her expression, Lazik smirked and Veyra rolled her eyes secretly. Regardless of his actions, he was undeniably attractive, but he was double sided with a cold heart.

Veyra followed him as he walked towards the door and opened it. It was a large laboratory, one that she always operated in.

“Look what we have here!” he announced to her as he pointed at a figure sitting on the floor.

She took a look at the shadow of what appeared to be a girl, and as she got closer, it confirmed her thoughts. The young teenage girl was bundled up in tightropes and her mouth was gagged, allowing her to only muffle a scream.

“This operation, Project HollowNest, needs to be completed successfully; we have made a lot of mistakes, and I do not want that to happen again,” he said, pacing around the room.

Who was he to tell her about her job? He was only a doctor but she was more than that, even though her real identity had been reduced to a common nurse.

She knew Lazik needed her and he could not do away with her. He had killed lots, those of which proved futile. Even her best friend.

“Remember your brother. He is the only family you've got. Your actions determine what he is going to face. So the ball is in your court, will you accept or not?” he paused, then continued, “after all, this is not your first time.”

“What is in store for me this time?” Veyra blurted out boldly.

She knew she had already stained her hand but if she was going to do this again, she would have to secure her rewards.

On hearing this, Lazik let out a laugh, “When you started newly, you had declined but now you want a share?” he asked inquisitively.

Veyra gave a slight sigh. She hated to do this but he had forced her to and since she had already been pulled into it, the consequences would still come either way.

When she did not say a word, he continued, “I will let you see your brother. Isn't that what you have always requested for? To set your eyes on him?”

Veyra gulped hard. That was the best proposal she could ever get for now, she said to herself as she stared at the whimpering girl, then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Consider it done.” she concluded and gestured to Ryker, “Put her there.”

As he laid her down, she noticed the girl was weak, her body trembling, and her eyes swollen from crying.

Veyra quickly averted her gaze. She cannot allow it to get to her heart. She knew what she was about to do was wrong, but she had done it before and would do it again, this was her only way to survive, her only way to remain alive.

Suddenly her mind went back to her best friend, Sera Wynne, who had refused to abide by their ways and was killed immediately by Lazik's men.

The thought of it shook her, the fear had made her to tread carefully and to make sure she doesn't fall victim.

She walked to her lab table, wore a pair of transparent gloves, and sterilized her apparatus and after mixing some portions of chemicals, she filled it in a syringe and turned to face the girl.

Seeing the girl seated on the floor, she approached her slowly, raising the syringe in her right hand.

The girl trembled and struggled to move back, her screams which were supposed to be held were now restricted by the clothing between her open mouth.

As Veyra got closer to the girl, she could see her head shaking as she tried to plead, but it was not worth it as she pierced the girl's skin and released the chemical into her bloodstream.

It was only a few seconds before the specimen collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

***

Brinnnngggggg! Brinnnnnggggggg!!

Vira's phone rang. The calls were incoming. They were nonstop. But this one, she picked it up.

“Hello mum,” she said into the phone.

“What the hell is going on?!” she asked loudly.

"What do you mean, mum?" she inquired.

Vira was sure her mum must have heard about the selling of the company. One thing she couldn't do was bring herself to face her parents. It was an embarrassing thing to do.

“Don’t you dare act like you haven't seen the articles being posted around. You are going viral my dear. What the hell happened? And why am I seeing that man you call your ex-husband in the picture?” she questioned.

“Mum, it is a long story, the company–”

“– forget about the company.” he mum quickly interrupted. "Your husband owns a number of other businesses that you can profit from. I am only concerned about the negative comments I have read about you and that man."

“You won't believe it if I tell you.” Vira told her.

“Spill it, after all he isn't worth a thing.” her mum said.

“No mum, that man is worth everything. He was the one that bought the company.”

“What?!” the old woman screamed and it suddenly became quiet.

“Mum? Mum??” Vira called but there was no answer.