The Sentinel Project

A New Life

A rumble howled through the dark cavern as a pair of giant, steal, elevator doors grinded open. The light from inside cast a line out onto the black, shimmering soil as more lights began to flicker on. Revealed, was a seemingly endless cave. The path was walled by stalagmites, and stretched out into an underground lake. The black water glinted like stars, surrounded by its cold darkness, similar to that of space.

A middle aged man made his way across the soil as it crunched beneath his ebony, millitary boots. Half of his head was wrapped tightly in bandages. His hair was short, grey and spiked, receding at its sides. His forehead was wrinkled, as was the corner of his uncovered, diamond blue eye. Soulesly, it pierced through the stale air. His dark, colorless uniform held a name badge beneath it's collar that read: "Lieutenant. Harriot J. Prior."

"Alice Payne has been eliminated." He stated in a gravely whisper, halting his advance at the waters edge. "But the boy escaped." He snarled at the ground, irritated at his own failure.
"Nine Reign soldiers... defeated." A clickering voice sounded from the darkness above the water. It was deep and mechanical. Slowly, a glowing blue orb began to unveil itself, still cloaked mostly by the shadows. "I trained them myself." Harriot growled through his teeth, clenching his fists at the thought of if. "I didn't expect him to-" "Quinton Payne, was the most promising candidate of the Sentinel Project. The most likely to establish true connection with my blood. He still is... The most likely." The voice croaked from the shadows. Silence fell between them as drops of water echoed through the den.

"We can afford to loose him. It's unlikely that he will ever return and the others will make up for his absence." The man said. The orb waited in the silence for a brief moment, waited for the man to continue.
"But the only pieces left of Alice's research are hidden somewhere in that boys head... That's what we lost today. It could cost us everything!" He began pacing back and forth at the shore, rubbing his hand through his hair impatiently.

"You have his DNA, on file." The voice stated obviously to Harriot, causing the man stopped in his tracks. Once again, silence.

"Clone him." It crackled slowly in a low tone as glints of steel became barely visible through the darkness around the orb. "From there, we will extract the memories."

1 year later.

"RUN, QUE!!!" A blood curdling scream erupted from the blackness, followed by an echoing crack like thunder. Falling from the table, a ceramic kettle shattered across the floor as a burst of light blinded the room. Ribbons of smoke strayed like fabric in a breeze from a hole in her head. Her eyes, lifeless as she fell, blonde hair parting around the charred wound, burning flesh, glowing red. Ques pupils dilated, reliving the horror. Everything broke into silence. He looked down at his hands, covered in blood and returned upwards to see the Lieutenant facing him. Half of the mans head was disfigured, bruised and broken, bloodied and beaten in. His skull sprayed crimson blood across the wall of the living room. The same blood dripped from Ques shivering hands. The boys heart beat loudenned. A surging sound faded into the mix, growing deafening as the blood curdling screams of the blonde lady began again, tearing at Ques ears. Her head hit the ground, smashing like the ceramic kettle had done as the cracking sound of light rifles broke through the mix. Hyperventilating, drops of sweat began falling down Ques face. His complection was sickly pale as black veins began to creep inwards from the outskirts of his eye. The cracks spread through the floor as the entire room shattered like glass and came away to reveal an empty darkness. As the last of the pieces fell from the ladies face, her voice whispered once more. "Run, Que."

Silence filled the void and Que found himself suddenly floating in the emptiness. The veins retreated away from his eye and slowly, his breathing steadied. Exhaustion made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open as his body floated there in the darkness. The droplets of sweat that had formed on his forehead began to cool as the fear fell away. A long, glowing red crack began to seep through the shadows as if it were emerging from water. It stretched far to either side of Que as he starred at it, hair waving in the marine like environment. Suddenly, the crack burst open to reveal a towering red orb, glaring down at Que. As if it were some kind of mechanical eye, it shone like fire and shrunk the boy in its colossal glare. The mere size of it disorientated him as he tried to pull back, but was instead dragged towards it. Once more, his heart raced as the invisible hold on him seemed inescapable. Suddenly, the darkness seemed more like water. Ques ability to breath retreated from him as he clawed at his throat. Violently, he thrashed as he was drawn closer. He could see his reflection in the glowing, red eye as he kicked and threw himself around. He could see himself staring back at him through all of the chaos. But his eyes widenned, even through the suphocation, as he somehow realised, his own reflection, was not his own at all. The figure stared back at him. Ques pupils shook uncontrollably as a sick feeling grew rapidly inside of his stomach.