With the objectives now clear, Marcus waved the goblins ahead. Shields raised, rifles at the ready, they left the bags where they were and advanced from the Armory towards Data Processing. With the doctor restrained and strapped to a dolly found in the armory, they moved with increased caution as the rest of the massive facility remained uncleared, risking encounters with hostiles hiding in the numerous rooms.

  They reached the door labeled 251, only to discover that the doctor’s codes and ID didn't work. To Columbus, a skilled hacker, a locked door was merely a suggestion. He pried open the terminal, plugged his device and delved into the lines of code, searching for backdoors to unlock it, only for it to fail on his first attempt, and then his second.

  “If you give me enough time and some tools. We can punch through the door.” Marcus suggested, as Columbus started his third attempt.

  “No. We can’t risk a destructive entry triggering something in the facility.” Columbus replied, stubbornly trying again.

  He failed again, and Marcus scratched his head at the man’s uncharacteristic stubbornness. “Look man, how about we check the doctor’s office? Maybe he has something else hidden we could use.”

  “Fine.” Columbus conceded, stepping away from the panel. “Maybe he has some other access we could exploit.”

  Having familiarity with the facility’s layout, Columbus led the way. Using the Doctor’s credentials, they took the elevator to the 1st level, where the officer’s quarters and administrative offices were located. Doctor Robert Isaac’s office was the largest and most lavishly decorated, with books lining the walls, a grand large table made of rare hardwoods, and photos showing him receiving numerous awards.

  Marcus studied the photos, comparing the young, brightly smiling man in the photo to the older one tied up and brought with them on a dolly. ‘Not good at my job, my ass.’ Marcus grumbled to himself.

  “Besides us and the creature in the containment, it looks like the facility is empty.” Columbus said, his fingers tapping away at the doctor’s terminal, eyes darting along the screen as lines of code scrolled over the display and breaking through the locks in place. With nothing else to do, Marcus wandered to the small globe bar in the corner and helped himself to the fine liquor the doctor kept stocked, despite his time underground.

  He set a snifter on the polished oak table, unconcerned as the drink he poured spilled some into the wood. He watched as the dark amber liquid spread along the surface when a realization struck him. “Can you check if the Doctor made a call before or around the time we arrived?”

  “You think he might have called someone?” Columbus asked.

  “It’d be nice to know if he did, figure out if anyone’s coming to check on him.” Marcus replied. “Besides, it’d be tough to keep this bar stocked if you’re all alone and bunking near that thing in the lab.”

  “I’ll check.” Columbus said, opening a drawer and pulling out an ID with a five-digit code scribbled on a post it note. “Set up a defense either way. It’s unlikely that he didn’t have access to the outside world. Response forces could already be on the way.”

  Marcus picked up the ID and peeked beneath the note, revealing a thoughtful looking man named Jaco Toit, head of security. “What happened to this guy?”

  “As far as I know, he died shortly after the ship crashed atop this facility. I’d bet good money it's tied to the gas attack that killed half the city.” Columbus replied, his eyes fixed on the screen.

  “Gas attack?” Marcus asked.

  “The official record states that after the ship crashed into the city, it unleashed a deadly gas attack that killed nearly everyone in the immediate vicinity. Ship Captain Mendoza was then captured and executed for the crime.” Columbus explained.

  “And the story stank enough for you to start digging.” Marcus said.

  Columbus nodded. “First, the ship was a converted colony vessel, it lacked the capacity to produce chemical or biological weapons. And it didn’t make sense to sacrifice a ship to take out a single city. All that was brushed aside with claims of the Captain’s madness.”

  Marcus nodded, glancing back at the photo. “What do you think happened to the bodies?”

  “You’ve already seen what they turned into.” Columbus said, his gaze dropping, not at the floor, but at the levels below.

  “Damn.” Marcus muttered, picturing that grotesque lump of flesh. “That’s fucked up.”

  “All the more reason we need to get out with this information. Someone is bound to want it kept buried. Columbus replied. “I’ll print you a map.”

  “I’ll take it.” Marcus replied, grabbing the map. It showed two entrances to the facility; one via the rails on the 3rd level where they entered, and another at their current level, a long elevator shaft leading to the surface.

  The facility was designed like an underground pyramid with its top sliced off. The 1st level (office/ administration) had the smallest floor area, followed by the 2nd level (living quarters), the 3rd level (cafeteria and storage), the 4th level (maintenance and support equipment), the 5th level (data processing and armory), the 6th level (labs), and the 7th level (power plant).

  Following the map, Marcus reached the central lift. Using the card and the attached code, he opened the elevator doors, a faint tune played, breaking the dead silence. Testing it, he radioed Columbus. “Elevator seems to be working.”

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  “Roger that. Plan still stands.” Columbus replied, his voice crackling. Marcus clicked his tongue, even on the same level, the signal was weak, meaning they’d need another way to communicate between the levels.

  “What’s up top?” Marcus asked, peering down the long hallway leading to the elevator. He could plant mines to secure it, but he’d still need to check the surface in case they need to use the elevator themselves.

  “I don’t know, but it shouldn’t concern you.” Columbus said.

  “Considering that his place is a gold mine, I’d say we need all hands on deck. Also, we're eight hours in, how long do you think this would take?”

  “I don’t know. I first thought it’d be straightforward, but…” Columbus paused. “Do you trust them?”

  “Yeah, I trust them.” Marcus replied, “They’re good, reliable, and they can kick some ass. One of them is Ylenka, the one I beat to get this job. Should I call them?”

  Columbus thought about it. “Go ahead.” he sighed.

  “Sorry. I’m still being paranoid, even though you’ve proven yourself solid. I should have shared this with you at the beginning to prevent you from going in blind. Feel free to share it with your guild. If you trust them, then so shall I.”

  Marcus grunted. “Alright, I’m going up to call them then. Any ideas on how we can fix this interference? I’ll only get worse between levels.”

  “I have an idea. We can simply tap into the facility’s system and use that.” Columbus suggested.

  “Sounds like a plan. Alright. I’m heading up, and I’m taking a squad of goblins with me.” Marcus replied, sending Gabs’ squad back to stay with Columbus while taking Fleex’s team along.

  Buried three hundred meters underground, the elevator ride to the surface took time. It was cramped too. With everyone jostling for space, it made the journey feel longer than it was.

  With a ding, the doors slid open, and they spilled out. The shield bearer exited first, followed by Marcus, rifle raised and lights on. Ahead stretched an empty hallway with thick pipes snaking overhead. Water dripped, and the scent of mold filled the air. It was dark, his weapon light barely reached the far end.

  The rest filled out and fanned into position. Silence hung heavy, and Marcus waited for a few minutes, listening past his soft breathing and the blood pulsing in his ears.

  “Find us a way out.” He ordered the goblins, relying on their keen senses to detect fresh air seeping through cracks or holes. If there was an exit from this underground maze, they’d sniff it out.

  The goblins took point, with Marcus dropping to the rear to watch. With the practice and time he invested in their training, they were shaping into a cohesive squad. Not as polished as the Honest Scribes, but capable of overwhelming an experienced player through sheer numbers.

  They navigated empty halls, corridors, and stairs until light filtered in from above. Marcus emerged into a ruined building beside the massive scar left by the UNCS Light of the Stars’ crash landing. Dubbed, ‘the scar’, it carved an easterly line through the city’s heart, starting near the western coast. Following the gouge, he spotted the ship’s colossal thrusters aimed their way, its shattered remains sprawled behind.

  They were close to the main part of the ship, meaning that his guild, Marcus mulled at the thought, still not accustomed to using it, could respond quickly. But that also meant that there might be players neary. They’d need to keep this operation under wraps as much as possible.

  The radio’s one kilometer range was useless here. Marcus pulled out a sat phone and dialed Ylenka directly.

  The phone rang once, twice, before being picked up. “Yes?” Ylenka answered.

  “How is the search going?” Marcus asked, referring to their hunt for a potential base in the city. While renting space inside the ship offered safety and access to essential services like stores and the bar where he could find work, it limited direct expansion and flexibility, as using the main entrances allowed their movements to be tracked.

  “Promising. We got a few candidates and are gearing up to check them.” she replied. As it was, Marcus had to give strict guidelines to where they are able to set up: it had to be close to the ship, defensible, and provide direct or quick access to the tunnels below the city. But since they’d just started, with the best places already taken by the other guilds.

  “Where are you now and who’s with you?”

  “Me and the Honest scribes. Anna and Rex logged in later and will catch up with us in ten minutes. Why? Need something?”

  “This job I got, I’m getting the guild involved. I need help for a mutual friend of ours. It’s a part of his final questline. Things might get hectic soon, and I want every trusted shooter I can get to keep our numbers and firepower up. While we wait and help out, we can loot the facility for anything valuable.” Marcus said, grinning. “Trust me, it's worth it.”

  There was a pause. “Okay. Where are you?”

  “I’ll send you the coordinates.” Marcus replied.

  Fifteen minutes later, Ylenka contacted him. The goblins had spread out to scout the area. Apart from a few player groups, Malifs, and Grolls passing by, it was quiet. Occasionally, a stray round from the nearby shooting range landed close, ricocheting.

  “We're a few minutes out, approaching from the buildings to your south. I have the whole HS with me, along with Anna and Rex, oh and we brought Bo. You mentioned a facility, so he’ll know what’s worth taking.” Ylenka radioed.

  “Copy that.” Marcus replied, signalling the nearby goblins to regroup. Looking south, he saw Ylenka’s squad weaving between buildings, staggered and scattered, heading this way. He flicked on his designator to visible laser and marked his position.

  “Hey, hey. Welcome to the op. It’s not my show, so I had to wait for the green light to call you in.” Marcus greeted as they linked up. He glanced at Bo, who’d bought his two goblin assistants. “Feels good to see the sun, huh?”

  “I think it’s overrated.” Bo quipped, and Marcus chuckled.

  “So where to?” Ylenka asked.

  “Just down here.” Marcus said, leading them back. They reached the elevator, still sitting at their level.

  With their numbers, the elevator could only take half at a time, requiring at least two trips.

  “Alright. Two trips. It’s a long ride down, and the elevator needs ID and codes. Ylenka, your team goes first; the goblins will hold the fort up here. Down there, you’ll find Columbus. Get him to score you more IDs and codes to cover more ground and strip the place. It's still not cleared though, and you can run up on some hostiles. As for me, I’ll be delivering this guy to the ship along with the first load of loot to storage. I’ve already called a taxi service and they should be arriving any minute now. Sound good?” Marcus said, inputting the codes and scanning the ID. The doors opened and Ylenka’s group filed in, going down.

  “Fleex. You got that? You’ll hold the fort while I’m gone.”

  Fleex nodded and looked up the defensive positions by the elevator. Marcus gave the goblins a nod and a smile. He then nudged the still bound Doctor with his foot and grinned.

  “How about you? Comfortable?” Marcus asked.

  The doctor looked at him with eyes filled with hate, he mumbled something and struggled against his restraints.

  With the other goblins carrying the doctor up, they arrived near the surface when Marcus could hear sounds of engines coming. Peeking out of the ruined building, he saw the repaired MRAP of the SRT guild dismounting members who fanned out and covered both sides of the street; they entered the buildings, only to come out moments later.

  It was as if they were looking for something.

  Shit.