I stood there, hunched over the table hands on the edge watching the unconscious naked angel on the table. Her skin light, fair and smooth without a single flaw. Her hair short as a male's hair. Her face round and beautiful. I scrutinized every detail but was left perplexed as to how she became corrupted. Veronica's tale was unfathomable, even though she hadn't spoken and given her account.

Then a surge of energy burst out from behind me. The implosion of the dimensional gate created this surge of energy and was going to disintegrate everything in its surrounding. Everything took notice of what was happening and I took off my nanite backpack and placed it on Veronica's abdomen and nanite suit cover her entire body. I picked her up from the table and carried her in my arms.

"We have to leave now!" I told everyone urgently.

"Captain, what's going on?" Marie asked.

I looked at everyone and sighed. "The energy surge is going to fry us and turn us to dust if we don't get out of here. The immense energy will destroy anything with in a 100 metre radius. So we have to leave right now and get out of range." I explained while walking toward the door with Veronica still in my arms.

Eliza got to the ahead of us and got the door open for us.

As we moved around the sub-level turning this way and that around corners. We were in areas we hadn't previously explored. Eliza was leading us through the empty corridors of the level with Laura right beside her and her shotgun in her hands. Eliza was quick and knew exactly what she was doing. Laura though seemed to be untrained in such stressful situations especially with getting away from the range of the energy left behind by the imploded dimensional gate.

Around one of the corners Eliza stopped by the edge and we had our backs against the wall. I walked slowly toward her in order to not make noise. "Why did you stop?" I asked cautiously. She peeked the corner then looked back at me with an expression of worry.

"I need to get my research," she said.

"Eliza, we don't have time for that. Leaving is our priority now and we can't stop for anything." I told her.

"Look, you don't know how important this research is to me. I spent five years on this and I just can't let it get destroyed!" she argued.

I look at her face, she couldn't let this go nor did she want to leave it behind. I was left a difficult choice that would make a difference in later encounters with her. "You must care deeply for these humans but is it necessary to grant her request, body?" my Mind asked inquisitive of me considering the choice.

"How I continue with whatever decision I make depends on the actions I take. Will this be of use to me in future will depend Mind. Taking the decision is where the difficulty begins." my Body replied.

"Very well but do have the knowledge of the ever expanding surge of energy and limited time that follows." my Mind concluded.

I looked back at my team and Laura who stood behind me and I sighed. 'Give me a break!' I said under my breath. I approached Tarius and gave Veronica to him, placing her in his arms.

"You're going to get her out of here. The three of you go with Tarius and get out of here, while Eliza and I stay behind to get recover her research and leave with it. We are going to split up I know but that's how I am going to manage things. Laura you're going to go with my team, you're safer with them." I instructed them.

"Hey! I am not going to take orders from some guy I just met and go with these strangers. How do I know you're not one of those guys or working with them?" Laura disputed.

"If we were with whoever you're talking about we wouldn't be here now would we?" I asked her.

"Laura, please go with them for my sake. I know Captain... Chris and his team. They are well trained and you don't need to worry about anyone getting you. Trust me." Eliza reassured Laura in the best way possible.

"Fine, if you say so Eliza," Laura spoke in a more timid tone.

"Follow his instructions and you will be safe." Marie said cheerily in this grim situation.

A smile creaked on my mouth, I remember Marie being this way with others.

Laura's response to Eliza's request seemed peculiar. 'Are these two related somehow? I would need to ask her about that.' leaving a mental note for what's to come next.

Eliza then gave them directions to follow looking at digital map and they rushed off, leaving Eliza and I behind. I followed her to her in the opposite direction of the corridor my team and Laura took into her lab room that had electrical equipment on the east wall, computers on the south wall and other equipment on the west wall. In the middle was a table attached to the countertops with a her main work computer. She pulled out a hard drive from her lab coat and connected it to her computer.

"This might take some time," she said.

"How long exactly?"

"Probably five minutes or so"

"You really hope that the energy surge moves at a snails pace? What's is in your research that is more important than your life?"

"I can't explain it to you, it's complicated."

"Hmm. Seems like you are hiding something? But I gotta say I find what you said about Laura hard to believe. Who is she to you?"

"Laura? I am her protector, though I don't seem like it. Her father was part of the army and he retired. His sons are in service right now and that left him with Laura. He was harsh with the girl. Taught to shoot a gun when she was seven. I came by to visit them from time to time. Then, something happened to him and he ended up hospitalized, Captain. Laura had no one else, her two older brothers were distant and her mother passed away when she was just at a tender age. Her father raised like his sons. I told her to come here when there is trouble but I didn't know about this happening, you know? All these demons taking over and stuff. Meanwhile her father is stuck in the hospital and most probably dead by now and I am here buried in work."

"So that's her background, huh? I guess she didn't want you tell all of us while she was around but this isn't you. What had changed while I was asleep for so long?"

"I don't know. I just don't know Captain. It just all happen-"

The alarmed blared out loud and sounded all through the whole facility. Emergency red lights went on flashing the whole room. 'T-minus ten minutes 'til self-destruction' the system spoke. I looked around and looked at Eliza's faced. She was puzzled and she became anxious as she wanted the file transfer to hasten.

"Fuck, can this shit go any faster!" she spoke impatiently.

"Eliza we have to move!"

"Give me a little more time, okay!"

I walked up to her and grabbed her arm. "We have to leave!" I told her urgently. She gave me a more saddened face like I had betrayed her and she pleaded, "Please, give me more time."

I let her arm go and sighed in frustration, clenching my hands into fists. I pointed a finger toward her and said, "I am going to give you two more minutes. If that isn't done by then I will have to force out of this fucking place. You got it Eliza!"

She nodded her and looked back at the monitor screen still waiting for the files to transfer completely. "It's 98% complete," she said however it wasn't a victorious announcement.

On the ear pieces I kept from the suit I asked Donny what had happened on their way out. "We have a little company by the entrance!" he said.

"We are trying to immobilize them right now!" Marie said.

"What about Laura?" I asked.

"Laura was in the line of fire but Tarius took the hit for her. She behind cover and she knows how to handle that shotgun!" Donny said.

"Hold tight! We will be there in two minutes. Double time!" I exclaimed.

In that moment Eliza looked at me worried and becoming terrified about what could have happened to Laura. "She is alright but we have to leave NOW!" I told her. She nodded and took the hard drive out of the computer. "Get on my back, I will carry out of here but you're going to have to hold on tight!" I ordered her.

She looked at me confused but still nodded and got on my back and grabbed me tightly with a strong grip. I then took a deep breath and stepped into a running motion which became a full on sprint as I felt that the energy surge nearby.

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