Biological Supercomputer System

Van Dyke entered the tunnel with a mixture of doubt and expectation.

His soldiers told him the tunnel was finally complete. The hidden route was going to connect them to the outside world, but most importantly, to Erik's people.

As an experienced veteran with a proper dose of practicality, Van Dyke always wanted to see things for himself, hence why he was there again, amidst the mud and dirt.

There was the earthy smell of just excavated soil hanging to the walls, the air wet and cold, but despite being a home used to live in luxury, he didn't dislike it.

Van Dyke strolled, his boots echoing in the mostly silent space. He knew it must have not been easy to make the tunnel in these conditions, especially because too much noise could've attracted the blackguards.

His fingertips traced the chilly, moist surface of the tunnel walls. Though uneven, the work appeared solid.

They had performed admirably, his guys. Pausing, he listened to the surrounding sounds.

Based on it, Van Dyke could tell the tunnel had been built near a water source, since there was the trickling sound of water.

However, the tunnel was also close, or rather beneath, the city, because the rumbling of the metropolis above could be heard, even if it was in the distance.

That was a reassuring sound, a sign that most of the noise they would make here was going to be drowned by those above.

A larger cavern with a roof supported by robust wooden beams emerged as he descended farther.

A bunch of proud-looking people waited. They were, of course, part of the resistance.

Among them were several known names to Van Dyke: workers, miners, and engineers who had put in endless hours on this covert endeavor.

A young engineer went up and said, "Principal Van Dyke," his voice resonating over the large

room.

"We finally made it." It was clear the man was happy.

"Yeah..." the old man said. But a smile crept on his face. The engineer's happiness was infectious. But then Van Dyke's face turned serious. There were many things to know, even more to do, and not nearly enough time to make it all.

"Tell me the situation."

"Yes, sir," the young engineer said with a pride filled voice.

"This tunnel links directly to the forest. It leads to an exit placed at a safe distance from the city's walls and prying eyes. We've concealed the entrance with natural camouflage, making sure it would stay hidden from Volkov's forces."

He gestured towards a map carved onto the wall at different intervals while pointing a light to it.

"As you can see, sir, we've taken a winding route to avoid any existing infrastructure above or patrol routes. The tunnel itself is reinforced with metal supports and lined with stone to prevent collapse. We've also installed ventilation shafts to ensure a constant flow of fresh air."

The engineer pointed to a series of recesses carved into the tunnel walls.

"These are storage areas for supplies, weapons, and medical equipment. We can easily stockpile enough resources to sustain a prolonged siege if necessary, and to hide our resources in case the headquarters are found out."

Van Dyke listened, nodding in approval as the engineer explained the tunnel's features. He was impressed by the meticulous planning and execution.

Van Dyke looked around the tunnel and nodded. He looked at the ventilation shafts, the storage spaces, and the robust barriers built to keep the entry secure.

Everything looked fine made.

"Excellent work. You all performed incredibly well. This tunnel will help our cause a lot. I can't stress enough how important the result you achieved is. Of course, I don't need to remind you how confidential this place is, right? Don't talk to anyone about this."

"Of course, sir. It's the bare minimum."

With a handshake, Van Dyke thanked and encouraged everyone of them. He understood this tunnel represented hope and a lifeline for a community trying to escape the bonds of oppression.

The man then headed to the tunnel entrance, but that sight had made him feel optimist about the situation. This was a tremendous advancement, evidence that the resistance was gathering steam.

Though he understood the path ahead would be difficult, but most importantly, that it depended on how many resources Erik could pour into the rebels.

To know they depended on a single man wasn't exactly reassuring, but what Erik did for the rebels was a lot and for this reason, he was grateful.

With the tunnels, getting weapons was bound to be much easier. Erik said he could also provide various types of potions, meaning that at least soldiers who needed immediate care would avoid death.

The soldiers could carry one or two vials of healing potions, and could prolong a battle, or gain the strength to escape from it.

The tunnel was also big enough to let the rebels bring vehicles in and out of the city.

The problem was that they were too big to be concealed, so bringing them inside the city would not be ideal, despite being possible.

<But I guess what we do would depend on how the situation will unfold from now on.>

The only problem now was to keep the tunnel a secret. Van Dyke was searching for potential spies since Erik told him. This obviously meant they were keeping the tunnel secret.

Only those working on it, and 3 people from the Red Palace and Fischer's people knew about

it.

Unfortunately, spy searching wasn't progressing well. The rebels found nothing, but he was sure Erik was right and that a spy was really within them.

Since they weren't making any progress, Van Dyke was contemplating the idea to ask for Erik's help, even in this circumstance, but he was reluctant to do it.

In the end, the Red Palace's principal emerged from the tunnel's hidden entrance, and reached for his communication device.

"June," he said, his voice low and urgent.

A moment of static went on, then June's voice crackled through the speaker. "Van Dyke, what's the situation?"

"The tunnel is complete," the old man said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "It's a direct route to the forest, well-concealed and secure."

"That's excellent news," June said. "If things are like this, I'll contact the others and arrange for the first batch of supplies to be delivered within the week."

But the man had more to say.

"Yes, thank you," Van Dyke said, his voice hardening. "The situation here is getting more complicated. The blackguards and Volkov's soldiers are displaying multiple brain crystal powers. Erik was already an anomaly from this point of view, but at least he was on our side. But now our enemies have similar abilities. We are losing... June."

"I understand. Then I'll tell the others to prioritize the delivery of weapons and healing potions. The master mentioned something about experimental enhancements potions as well. We might need to consider those if the situation continues to deteriorate too much."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Van Dyke said, a note of weariness creeping into his voice. "But we need to be prepared for anything."

"We will be." June paused for a second.

"I'll update you as soon as we have a delivery schedule. In the meantime, stay safe,

Principal."

Van Dyke nodded, even though June couldn't see him. "You too. And tell Erik we appreciate

his help. We couldn't have done this without him."

He ended the call and stepped out of the tunnel, back into the heart of New Alexandria.

***

Water drops stuck to Emily's skin like glittering diamonds.

She was briefly hidden by the steam coming from the shower's hot water as it evaporated into the room's chilly air. She opened the shower's door and headed out.

Emily was present at the Blackguards' enlistment center two days before, but despite the time having passed, she was still mentally worn out.

The mayhem of the struggle remained in her thoughts long after it had ended. She had never seen so much death in a single and short time.

She could still hear the panicked shouts of the injured and the loud crackle of gunfire. They were enemies, but they were still humans.

She felt exhausted and emotionally sensitive as the scenes of the havoc, the vicious fights between Erik's clones and the blackguards, kept playing over in her head. Emily bundled up a fluffy towel and shivered a little when the chilly air hit her wet skin.

While stepping up to the vanity, she padded the luxurious carpet with her bare feet.

She went to the mirror and saw a tired young woman with vivid green eyes. But she was not

the same as usual.

Her hair, usually styled impeccably, now hung in damp strands around her face. The woman tried to cut them, but she made a mess.

Though, she couldn't go search for a hair stylist or the likes like she often did back at home.

She let out a long, tired sigh that sounded to mirror the weariness in her soul. Despite her and the others having done nothing physically demanding, she was a

psychological mess.

Since she wasn't as used to fights and kills like the others, she felt all that was happening

much more than them.

Even the toughest fighters needed time to recover, so it was clear she needed time, too.

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