The sight of Dr. Elias Thorne, alive and radiating a chillingly triumphant aura, sent a shockwave through the chamber. My fragmented memories, the grainy video logs – they hadn't prepared me for the sheer unsettling presence of the man who had orchestrated my forgotten childhood. And the younger version of myself trapped within the Core Unit's energy field… it was a visual confirmation of the horrifying experiments I had only begun to grasp.
Nightshade stood frozen, her energy pistols lowered, her face a mask of stunned disbelief. "Thorne… but… how?"
Thorne chuckled, a dry, rasping sound that seemed to mock her shock. "Death is such a… limiting concept, Elias. Especially when one has made certain… preparations." His gaze flickered towards Nightshade, a hint of something akin to disappointment in his eyes. "I had such high hopes for you, 'Spectre.' Such dedication to my vision… before your unfortunate bout of conscience."
Maya and Nova, still recovering from Thorne's energy blasts, exchanged horrified glances. The implications of Thorne's survival and the existence of multiple "subjects" within the Core Unit were terrifying.
"What is this?" Maya demanded, her voice strained. "What are you doing?"
"Bringing my research to its glorious conclusion," Thorne declared, his eyes gleaming with fanatical zeal. "Unlocking the latent potential within humanity. Beginning with those… uniquely gifted individuals." He gestured towards the Core Unit, and the younger version of me within its energy field seemed to flicker, a silent scream trapped within the blue light.
The resonance within me intensified, a painful feedback loop between my present self and the trapped echo of my past. The fragmented memories became more vivid, more visceral – the cold table, the humming machines, Thorne's voice echoing in my young mind, filled with a detached scientific curiosity that bordered on cruelty.
『Harem Streamer System: Bio-energetic feedback escalating. Potential for catastrophic resonance cascade: 91%. Recommendation: Sever connection to Core Unit. Method: Unknown.』
"Sever connection?" I muttered, clutching my head. "How am I supposed to do that? Unplug myself?"
Nightshade finally snapped out of her stunned paralysis. "What did you do to him, Thorne? To all of them?" Her voice was low and dangerous, the shock replaced by a simmering rage.
"I merely… nurtured their potential," Thorne replied, his tone dismissive. "Unlocked the energies that lay dormant within them. Subject Omega was always the most… promising. His ability to channel and amplify ambient energy was… extraordinary." He turned his gaze back to me, a disturbing glint in his eyes. "You were the key, Scott. The linchpin of my grand design."
"Your grand design involved trapping children in energy prisons?" I spat, the horror and anger finally coalescing into a burning fury.
Thorne waved a dismissive hand. "A temporary measure. Necessary for stabilization. Once the amplification process is complete…" He trailed off, a manic smile spreading across his face. "Imagine, Scott! A world where human potential is limitless! Where the constraints of normal biology are shattered!"
"You're insane," Nova whispered, her ethereal form shimmering with revulsion.
"Insane?" Thorne scoffed. "I am a visionary! A pioneer! And you, Scott, you are about to witness the dawn of a new age!" He raised the remote again.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Nightshade snarled, charging towards Thorne, her energy pistols blazing.
Thorne simply raised his hand, and the energy tendrils from the Core Unit lashed out, intercepting Nightshade's blasts and forcing her to duck for cover. He seemed to have direct control over the machine's power.
Maya, recovering quickly, unleashed a powerful concussive blast, aiming for Thorne's remote. But Thorne anticipated her move, erecting a shimmering energy shield that absorbed the impact.
"Futile," Thorne said, his gaze never leaving mine. "This power is beyond your comprehension."
The resonance within me was becoming unbearable, a cacophony of echoes from my past self. I could almost feel the cold metal of the table, the prick of the needles, the oppressive weight of Thorne's presence.
『Harem Streamer System: Resonance cascade imminent. Host energy levels fluctuating wildly. New skill unlocked: 'Echo Burst.' Description: Release a concentrated wave of sympathetic energy linked to past trauma. Potential side effects: Existential angst, uncontrollable sobbing, mild temporal displacement.』
"Temporal displacement?" I groaned. "Great. Just what I need: to accidentally travel back in time and give my younger self even more therapy material."
But the pain was intensifying, the connection to the Core Unit feeling like a physical tether being stretched to its breaking point. I could feel a surge of raw, untamed energy building within me, a chaotic echo of the power contained within the machine.
Without conscious thought, I lashed out, a wave of uncontrolled energy erupting from me. It wasn't a focused blast like I had accidentally unleashed before; it was a raw, undirected pulse, a sympathetic scream echoing the trapped energy of my younger self.
The energy wave slammed into the Core Unit, causing it to shudder violently. The blue light flickered erratically, and the humming sputtered. Thorne staggered back, momentarily stunned, his control over the machine wavering.
"What… what was that?" Thorne stammered, his eyes wide with surprise and a flicker of fear.
"That," I gasped, clutching my chest, "was years of repressed childhood trauma finally finding an outlet."
The Core Unit continued to fluctuate, and the younger version of me within its energy field seemed to react to my outburst, its form flickering more intensely. The resonance between us was still strong, but something had shifted. The connection felt… less like a pull and more like a shared vibration.
Thorne, recovering quickly, raised the remote again, his face contorted with rage. "You will not interfere with my destiny!"
But the momentary disruption had bought us precious seconds. Nightshade, Maya, and Nova renewed their attack with a ferocity born of desperation. The chamber became a chaotic battleground of energy blasts, concussive waves, and the ominous hum of the unstable Project Chimera Core Unit. And in the center of it all, Dr. Elias Thorne, the ghost of my past, was determined to unleash his terrifying vision, with me – and the echoes of other stolen lives – as the key. The unpleasant reunion was about to get a whole lot more explosive.