The facility at night had an eerie stillness to it, a contrast to the structured chaos of the day. The hum of machinery never fully stopped, but without active personnel moving through the halls, it felt almost hollow. I stayed later than usual, watching as the drones were methodically placed into their charging stations, one after the other, their bodies locking into position like pieces of an intricate puzzle.

  Even Alpha, with his more fluid and unpredictable nature, followed the cycle, stepping into his designated station without resistance. Something about the sight unsettled me—how they all stood in neat, lifeless rows, silent and obedient.

  Shaking off the unease, I made my way to the housing area within the facility. My assigned quarters were simple, just a cot and a desk, but it was familiar. I laid down, exhausted but restless, thoughts of the day’s strange observations lingering in my mind.

  The Epsilon and Yotta drones. The way they acted. The way they hesitated. The implications of what Patel had been studying wondering how far he came. It all swirled together, but eventually, exhaustion won out, pulling me into an uneasy sleep.

  Morning came too quickly.

  The moment I stepped out into the hallway, the sterile smell of the facility filled my lungs, the artificial lighting buzzing faintly overhead. I had planned to leave soon and return to the house, but something nagged at me. A lingering sense of unfinished business.

  Dr. Patel our head of Biology.

  I hadn’t spoken to him in a while. Not properly. He’d practically disappeared into his lab over the past few weeks even before I left with alpha to the outside but it was manageble he still did his work in the biolab but neglected it more and more, his obsession with the drone behaviors consuming him since the Lovebird Incident. and ellis told me that he practicly dissappeared Maybe he had found something new. Maybe I could get some insight into what the hell was happening with Alpha and some others.

  With that in mind, I made my way toward his private lab. The hallway leading there was quiet, more isolated than other areas of the facility. His lab was at the far end, a space he’d sealed off from most of the other staff to work undisturbed.

  I knocked once. No answer.

  Again. Still nothing.

  A sense of unease settled in my stomach as I placed my Card on the door’s access panel. The lock disengaged with a soft click, allowing me to push it open.

  The moment I stepped inside, the air felt different—stale, unmoving. The dim glow of the computer screen was the only light in the room, casting eerie shadows across the walls.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Then I saw him.

  Dr. Patel was slumped over his desk, his head resting on his folded arms as if he had simply fallen asleep mid-work.

  I took a step closer.

  "Doctor?" My voice was hesitant, but he didn’t stir.

  Another step.

  I reached out, lightly placing my hand on his shoulder. The moment my fingers made contact, a terrible realization washed over me.

  Cold.

  Too cold.

  My stomach twisted as I quickly pulled my hand away. My breathing turned shallow. I reached for his wrist instinctively, pressing my fingers against it. No pulse. My gaze flicked to his chest—motionless. No rise and fall. No sign of breath.

  Dead.

  I swallowed hard, stepping back as the weight of it sank in. A colleague. A scientist I had worked alongside for years. He was just… gone.

  Forcing myself to move, I reached for the Internal phone on the desk, my hands shaking slightly as I called and reported. The response was immediate. Within minutes, security arrived, followed by medical personnel. They moved quickly, their efficiency almost robotic as they assessed the situation.

  The black body bag was unzipped. Normally, those were reserved for post-combat test casualties. Seeing it here, in Patel’s lab, felt… wrong. He hadn’t died on a battlefield. He had died at his desk, overworking himself to death in pursuit of his research.

  A quiet respect filled the air as his body was carefully lifted, placed inside, and sealed away. I exhaled slowly, watching as they carried him out, the weight of the moment pressing down on my chest.

  This wasn’t supposed to happen.

  Later, I found myself in the break room, staring into my untouched coffee. The room was mostly empty, except for Ellis and James, who sat across from me. They had been waiting for me to say something, but I hadn’t found the words yet.

  James was the first to speak. "You found him, didn’t you?"

  I nodded slowly. "Yeah. He was at his desk. Looked like he was sleeping and just… never got back up."

  Ellis exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair. "Damn. Patel was obsessive, but I didn’t think it’d kill him. You think he knew how bad it was getting?"

  "Probably not," I muttered. "Or if he did, he didn’t care."

  Silence hung between us.

  Then, Dr. Graves entered the room, her sharp eyes scanning us before she walked over, arms crossed.

  "I heard," she said simply. "Patel’s death."

  James rubbed his temples. "This means we need a new head of biology now."

  Graves gave a slow nod. "Yes. And considering our limited personnel at the moment, HQ will need to approve a replacement soon."

  Ellis frowned. "And if they don’t?"

  Graves sighed, rolling her shoulders slightly. "Then we continue without one. Or—" she hesitated, "—I step in as an interim replacement, if HQ allows it."

  That made me look up. "You? You’re already the temporary acting head of operations. You’d take on biology too?"

  She shrugged. "Temporarily. Until HQ assigns someone permanent. This facility can’t afford a gap in leadership, not with everything going on."

  Ellis chuckled dryly. "So much for just filling in until Marcus was back full-time, huh?"

  Graves gave me a pointed look. "And are you back full-time, Marcus?"

  I didn’t answer immediately. The truth was, I didn’t know.

  After Patel’s death, after everything I’d been seeing lately… I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do.

  "I’ll let HQ decide on the biology head," Graves said finally, standing up. "But in the meantime, I’ll keep the department running. Patel’s research won’t go to waste."

  I stared at my coffee again.

  For some reason, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.