The sand underfoot sank deep, every step Trung took felt like treading on a memory. The wind blew from the West, dry and hot, sweeping across the ground like an invisible hand trying to erase all traces of humanity.
In the ash gray sky, a streak of cyan light flashed in the distance the place indicated by the chip map: Facility No. 03 West Bank of the Mekong. Dũng touched his shoulder, his voice low:
"Are you sure? From here on, there's no turning back."
Trung didn't reply. He unlocked his energy rifle, hid it under his coat, and looked towards that distant light a cold light, exactly like that Saigon night when Mai said her last words to him:
"If anything happens... you must live."
A silent echo reverberated in his head, faint like the wind blowing through a memory gap. Then he walked.
The terrain around them gradually changed color. The red sand turned light yellow, then silver, reflecting an unusual light.
In front, a structure of white steel was half buried underground. No signboards, no guards. Only the howling wind, like the screech of ancient metal. Trung placed his hand on the steel surface. A small light lit up a biological scanner.
"Assimilation signal detected. Temporary authorization granted."
The door opened. Inside was a long corridor covered in cyan light, cold and silent. Trung and Dũng walked slowly. Neither spoke, only listening to the sound of their boots hitting the floor and the restless beat of their hearts in their chests.
At the end of the corridor was a massive glass partition.
On the other side, a large room the Bio Restructuring Chamber. Dozens of glass tubes stood upright, inside which bodies floated, wires inserted everywhere.
But in the center was a figure that, with just a glance, made Trung feel his knees nearly buckle.
A woman. Black hair. Small frame. On her skin were faint glowing lines running along, like electric rivers flowing in the blood. She stood still, eyes closed, hands hanging limp.
"Mai..." He whispered her name.
No sound answered. Only the ceiling light changed tone, becoming bluer. Dũng looked across, whispering softly:
"Are you sure... that's her?"
"I know her silhouette, Dũng. Even if she's just a shadow... I recognize her."
Suddenly, a small electronic sound rang out a feminine voice, soft, but emotionless:
"Signal M-01 Activated."
Trung took half a step back, his eyes hardening. "M-01?"
The light in the central room suddenly intensified. The woman slowly opened her eyes. The cyan light reflected in her dark irises, glowing brilliantly like glass. She moved, one step. Then another step. Not the trembling walk of someone waking up, but the precise stride of a machine. Trung's hand trembled, his voice choked:
"Mai... is that you?"
No reply. She looked at him, her eyes empty. Then her lips moved, her voice echoing through the internal speaker, slow and slightly distorted:
"Trung... came... late."
His entire body froze. "You... recognize me?"
She tilted her head, slightly, as if analyzing:
"Data retrieval... 'You' does not exist in the personal profile."
A long silence, only the sound of the wind howling through the door gap.
"You really don't recognize me?"
"I... have no memories. I only have orders."
"What orders?"
"Protect the project. Eliminate the emotional interference factor."
"The emotional interference factor?" Trung repeated, a bitter smile on his face.
"So I am the interference, aren't I?"
The light flickered. Her voice suddenly lowered, as if something else was intruding:
"You... must... go..."
"Mai?!"
The sound abruptly cut off. From the ceiling, the light changed to red, the system voice sounding urgently:
"Intrusion detected. Central area lock initiated."
A glass door slid down between the two, separating them with a cold wall. Trung slammed his hand hard against the glass.
"Mai! It's me! I'll get you out of here!"
She raised her hand to touch the glass, right where his hand was placed. It felt like a small electrical current passed through. Her voice rang out very faintly, like a sigh:
"There is... no... Mai."
"I don't believe it!" Trung yelled, his voice breaking. "The woman I love is still in there! I know it!"
She blinked. Just once. Then she turned away, walking step by step further away. The cyan light swallowed her, her silhouette shrinking in the blue haze like mist. The steel door behind Trung slammed shut. The warning system flashed:
"Intrusion aborted. M-01 data secured."
Dũng pulled his arm, shouting softly: "Trung! Let's go, the gate above is locking!"
He remained standing, his eyes fixed on the steel wall.
His hand still held the faint, cold dew-mark of her touch, but also the residual tremor. Finally, he turned back, his voice hoarse:
"She's still alive. I can feel it."
Dũng looked at him, saying nothing. Only a slight nod.
"If so... we'll find a way deeper."
Trung clenched his fist, his eyes directed towards the gate. Outside, the sand was still blowing, and in his heart, two blood engraved words flared up again: SÁT THÁT.
Not against the enemy, but against the thing that stole the soul of the woman he loved. Beyond the steel door, there might be the corpse of a woman. Or perhaps a sleeping soul among the wires. Either way, he would find her again with his own bloodline.