You know how I said I should stop staying up late writing? Well, it's 2 AM. Today was a confusing day, to say the very least.
Archie decided to come into mine and Zinnia's room and wake me up this morning at 7:30. He seemed quite happy, actually. I didn't know why, but I did know that it was something related to the lab.
I realised my intuitions were right when he produced a small sticky note from his pocket. He cleared his throat and began to read.
"Today's first session - lab 6, at 8 AM. Don't be late, young scientists!" -- he added a horrible Aurelia impression to that last part. "See you there - Dr. Oxide,"
I groaned, rubbing my eyes. "Lab 6? Isn't that the one we didn't see on the tour? What's so special about it? She said it was under maintenance."
Archie nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Exactly! It's usually off-limits, so there must be something really interesting in there. No better way to keep us away than to tell us that excuse. Come on, let's get ready."
I couldn't deny the curiosity that was bubbling up inside me. Lab 6 had remained a mystery, and now we had the chance to explore it. I quickly got dressed and grabbed my notebook, my mind racing with possibilities. My clueless sister, on the other hand, slept like a log after Christmas lunch till 9:30."
We made our way to Lab 6, the corridors eerily quiet at this early hour. As we approached the door, I could see a sense of anticipation in Archie's eyes. He glanced at me and grinned. "Ready?"
I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this."
The door to Lab 6 slid open, revealing a room filled with advanced equipment and high-tech machinery. But instead of Aurelia, we were greeted by a young man in his early twenties - maybe Zinnia's age. He had gray eyes and dark hair, and there was an aura of intensity about him.
"Good morning, young scientists," he said, his voice steady but filled with an underlying tension. "Welcome to Lab 6. I'll be your guide today."
Archie and I exchanged a quick glance. This wasn't what we expected, but we rolled with it. "Thanks," Archie said, "We're excited to be here."
The young man led us to a large workstation in the center of the lab, where a partially assembled robotic arm lay waiting. "This is an advanced prototype," he explained. "Your task will be to complete the assembly and program it to perform specific tasks."
Archie looked around. "Where's all the others? Aren't there six lucky kids?"
He shook his head. "This is a... private session, with only the concerned team."
"At eight AM, though?" my head turned slightly.
The young man shrugged. "Early bird catches the worm, right? Plus, it's quieter in the morning. Easier to focus."
We began working on the robotic arm, following the instructions and piecing together the various components. Archie was in his element, his fingers deftly assembling the intricate parts. I tried to keep up, focusing on the programming aspect.
As we worked, I couldn't help but notice something strange about our guide. Occasionally, he would pause, his body tensing up as if he were experiencing some sort of spasm. At first, I thought it was just my imagination, but the episodes became more frequent and more pronounced.
"Hey, are you okay?" Archie finally asked, concern evident in his voice.
The young man nodded quickly, brushing off our concern. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit of a... muscle twitch. Don't worry about it."
But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. I kept a close eye on him as we continued working for the next hour, and the spasms seemed to grow more intense. Finally, one of them became so severe that he stumbled, knocking over a tray of tools.
Archie and I exchanged a worried glance. "This doesn't look good," Archie whispered.
Before we could react, the lab door slid open, and Aurelia strode in, her expression a mix of concern and urgency. "What's going on here?" she demanded.
Our guide struggled to regain his composure, but it was clear he was in distress. "I'm... I'm sorry, Dr. Oxide. I couldn't control it."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed as she assessed the situation. "Helios, you need to rest. Come with me."
The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. This was Helios, Oxidane's twin brother, the mysterious figure confined to the lab. Archie and I quickly ducked behind a large piece of equipment, hoping to remain unseen.
Aurelia led him out of the lab, all while speaking in hushed tones. "Be quiet... the teenagers might be waking up. Now all you need is..." I couldn't hear much after that.
I crept up to the door, listening for the sounds of the retreating footsteps. Archie looked so terrified he would have probably wet himself. Thank GOODNESS he didn't, because this was when I got a phone call. Zinnia.
"Aura, where are you both? Nobody saw you..." she said, clenching her jaw. "Get over here now!"
"The thing is I can't... I'm in a lab and I'm afraid to open it. What if she's there?" I said.
"Aurelia Oxide is not a monster. I'm coming out of the room now. Are you still in lab 6?"
"Yeah how'd you know?"
"I got one of those chits. They got the wrong sister though."
I could hear Zinnia's footsteps echoing down the hallway as she made her way to Lab 6. Her voice was growing louder, more agitated, with every step she took.
"Aura, you can't just hide in there," she scolded. "We need to stick together. You and Archie should come back to the room before you get into more trouble."
"I know, Zinnia," I replied, frustration creeping into my voice. "But you don't understand. We just saw Helios, and Aurelia took him away. Something's not right here."
She stopped short, her tone shifting from irritation to concern. "Helios? Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure," I insisted. "We need to find out what's going on."
Zinnia didn't hang up yet. Instead, she just let out an "OH MY GOODNESS" all of a sudden.
Just then, my phone buzzed again with a reminder message to cut the call, and I realized it was still picking up on the conversation between Zinnia and Helios. I could hear their voices faintly, but clearly enough to make out the words.
"I can't believe it's you!" she said, to which he replied, "I haven't seen you since we were nine!"
But then there was a third voice. "Zinnia, is that you? I didn't get the chance to meet you properly. I see you met Helios."
"What have you been doing to him?"
"We've been rehabilitating him. A few rooms down the hall, we've been giving him specialized care. Your friend is safe, Zinnia." Aurelia answered simply, before her tone grew sharper. "Not a word of this to anyone. Not your sister, your friend or her friend."
"Yes, ma'am. You won't have any trouble with me. I'm just happy for the fact that he's being taken care of."
That was a strange day but there's a lot left to do, I'm sure of it. But I need to sleep... get this stuff out of my head.
ns 15.158.61.16da2
