Armageddon 2309 (The W-files)

Chapter 34

It was Batho.

Rio watched in shock as Batho, his face now showing a healthier color compared to when he was first brought to the forest, injected something into Dr. Rega's neck. Rio's voice quivered as he asked Batho what he was doing.

Batho turned, not meeting Rio's gaze.

"I did what needed to be done," Batho replied, his voice calm but devoid of emotion. Rio, his own voice trembling, pressed further, "But why? What did you do?" Batho remained silent, his gaze fixed on the ground.

"Batho, what do you mean?" Rio asked, his voice tinged with confusion and a hint of fear.

Batho finally looked up, his eyes meeting Rio's. "We can't escape from the forest," he stated calmly. "I knew what you were thinking when you looked at Dr. Rega. I'm just executing the plan."

Rio watched helplessly as Dr. Rega struggled, his body convulsing violently from the injection Batho had administered. With each spasm, Dr. Rega's breaths grew more labored, until finally, he exhaled his last.

"Why?" Rio's voice trembled.

"You know exactly why," Batho's face, illuminated by the eerie moonlight, appeared devoid of emotion, his features sharp and cold. It was a stark contrast to what one would expect from a child, who should be enjoying the innocence of childhood. Yet, here he was, entangled in a conspiracy far beyond their understanding.

"Surely, there must be another way," Rio protested, his voice strained with desperation. However, the approaching shouts and footsteps of the company operatives quickly extinguished any hope his words had sparked. The reality was undeniable: they were trapped, with no escape route in sight. Capture was imminent.

Batho's gaze remained fixed on the lifeless form of Dr. Rega as he spoke in a chilling tone. "What's done is done. The only way to rectify this is to assume Dr. Rega's appearance, hide his body, and avoid detection by the company operatives."

Rio felt a surge of conflicting emotions. After a few deep breaths to steady himself, he reluctantly acquiesced. "Fine," he hissed through gritted teeth.

As Rio's fingers flew over the AD's interface, the tension in the air was palpable. Every keystroke felt like an eternity as he entered the crucial information.

The approaching footsteps seemed to echo louder with each passing second, a constant reminder of the impending danger.

Rio's heart pounded in his chest, his breaths coming in short, rapid gasps. He knew he had only a minute, perhaps less, to complete the transformation and conceal Dr. Rega's body. The urgency of the situation was overwhelming, driving him to work faster, his movements becoming more frantic as time slipped away.

As the green laser light from Rio's AD illuminated his face, the eerie glow cast strange shadows in the dark forest. The beam traced a path from his forehead to his chin, and with each passing moment, Rio's features shifted, morphing into an exact replica of Dr. Rega. The transformation was unsettling, as if his identity was being rewritten before his very eyes.

With his new appearance in place, Batho gestured urgently towards Dr. Rega's lifeless body, a silent reminder of the task at hand. Rio knew he had to act quickly, to move the body and conceal it before the approaching operatives arrived.

Rio lifted Dr. Rega's body with a sense of dread and urgency. Batho helped him carry the body to a nearby thicket, where they laid it down and covered it with branches and leaves. It was a crude attempt at concealment, but it would have to do for now.

Just as they emerged from the thicket, the company operatives arrived at the clearing. One of them spotted Rio, now resembling Dr. Rega, and Batho, and shouted for them to freeze.