Project 863 - The Mystery

~Chapter 21~

Everyone was once again sitting in the blue base while Matthias made a noise which made Sam comment something about it as Matthias spoke. "I had an idea last night. Dreaming about this stuff one does that when they are obsessing over how to fix their lives. I don't want people to feel sorry for me." Matthias responded as River nodded looking at him as they talked about finding them antidotes as River sat there starting to zone out once again as she messed with her sleeves as she listened to them planning to go to Mega desk as Sam looked at Woods before she spoke. "Woods are you down? You didn't sleep at all?" Sam asked looking at him as he nodded before they got up going to the mega desk as Matthias spoke walking with them. "Everyone feels bad for Woods but not us. Your perfectly healthy man." Matthias spoke looking at River as she laughed before they went into the mega desk. 

When they got to the mega desk Matthias played the video of the numbers that were spoken from Benjamin as he told the camera how they were going to leak a bit of it for Subject 4 to figure it out before talking about how he wouldn't leak everything since there were people who were just watching it for entertainment as he chuckled some before going to the YouTube channel feature to send out the message to the fans as they waited for responses by going to Reddit to read people's theories. They sat there joking about how Phantom had been shorter than they had expected before looking at fan art before seeing an image that said happy birthday to Woods as everyone said happy birthday to him before Matthias spoke. "Woods, where's your hat?" He asked glancing at him as Woods sat there before responding. "It's out in the lobby." He responded as Sam looked at him before she responded to him.

"I didn't come in here at 7:30 am to put birthday hats on your desk just for you to not wear it," Sam spoke as Matthias told him to go put it on as River got up from her spot in mega desk before going to grab Wood's birthday hat as when she came back she gave it to him, letting him put it on himself as Matthias thanked her before speaking. "Welcome to tiny hat Woods, you look great dude. What's your favorite gift you have ever gotten?" Matthias spoke as he chuckled while Woods responded with the gift of life as everyone laughed while Sam brought up the fact that they couldn't see it so much before going back to looking at Reddit memes as they laughed about the simps Woods was getting which caused for Woods to speak out loud. "Just gimme this Matt," Woods spoke which caused Matthias to laugh as he spoke. "Just gimme this Matt. Gimme just this one time Matt, all the other times I don't need." Matthias joked as everyone laughed before seeing more videos for Wood's birthday as they watched it before going back to 863 things.

They had all watched an animation that was made as everyone laughed watching it joking about the video as they continued looking through seeing creepy but good art and other things related to 863 as Matthias made a joke about wanting the blue vial on a video they saw which caused for River to chuckle agreeing with him as Matthias spoke about something someone submitted as a theory trying to show how Wes could have been the one to start it as a theory as they saw a flex Woods image as they laughed before reading another theory that was submitted by someone as they saw more artwork, memes, and things related to 863 before going back to YouTube seeing 280 comments as they began to read the comments from people before realizing that the area the group was too late for could have been a failed bomb event as they went to the vault to turn on the RSD. 

While waiting for the RSD to start up they spoke about how Deb might have wanted them to not look for a serum for reasons as when Matthias ran to search an area for radiation they found that there was an area in radiation at that moment before they grabbed a Geiger counter for the radiation levels before going downstairs to Matthias car as everyone got in before driving to the location as they talked about how they could be too late and how Benjamin was attempting to use Wes's creations to infect people. "When we get to this location, I'm not going to pull up super close like I did last time. We pulled into the zone. I and Woods did a high five, we confirmed we are going to die together." This time I don't want to do that because I know what's at stake here and I don't want you guys to have that experience. What we are going to do is we are gonna pull off, get out and slowly move forward. I don't know what's going to go on, this is the last chance to bail. Maybe the thing won't go off, maybe it went off already and we have no chance." Matthias explained as it caused for everyone to chuckle before nodding when they became serious as they pulled up to the location

After being asked to turn on the Geiger counter they continued to pull up to the location, seeing that they were at the same location where they planted the tracker on the phantom's car as Woods explained how he's getting a reading of radiation levels as he spoke about it being high as Matthias stopped the car as he spoke. "I guess I'll go alone. I'm already affected." Matthias explained as River looked at him before she spoke up. "I'm affected too, you're not going alone Matt." She told him as he tried to tell her she wasn't going as she protested against him before he finally gave in as they got out of the car walking to the location as Matthias spoke. "Hold up. Listen, these readings are getting relatively high nothing you guys can't shake off. I don't want you guys going past this bush okay? We're gonna stop at this bush, you understand. I don't want you going past this bush because you don't have a serum in you, do you understand? I might be immune to radiation." Matthias said looking at them as Sam nodded agreeing with him before Matthias spoke looking at all of them once more.

"Just promise me you don't go past this barrier. If something bad happens you don't go past it. No matter what." Matthias spoke before looking at everyone to make sure he had their word as everyone nodded even though River wasn't going to listen to him. When they got to the bush they saw a U-Haul as Matthias saw how high the radiation had gotten as he mentioned how it was at the level that is acceptable for them for a year as he spoke. "What do we do? Like if this is happening right now do I go up there? Why don't we just wait it out for a moment? If this is a bomb he might leave." Matthias explained as Sam nodded while Woods mentioned how he could have already left as Matthias sighed before he spoke. "I say we wait, half an hour. I'm going to be looking at the radiation level readings, if it gets higher it might cue for us to go. I'm working with limited information." Matthias explained as they nodded understanding what he was talking about as they sat down in the bush waiting. 

They began to talk about how the phantom had done the bomb in the middle of the day and try to understand why he was doing it in the middle of the day as Matthias stood up seeing that the U-Haul had started moving as he alerted the group as he told them to not stick their heads up as they saw someone inside before it opened as everyone ducked watching the phantom get out of the U-Haul and walking away as Matthias spoke, "This is it. I'm going. I'm gonna have this on me right now in case radiation gets too high. It is what it is. You guys stay down." Matthias explained getting out of the bush as River followed him in case he needed help as the two walked toward the U-Haul seeing that the truck was on and the gate was opened as the two opened the door before seeing the big creation as the two stepped in being surprised at what they were seeing as Matthias saw it was currently running as they heard beeping as Matthias looked at the creation before speaking loudly. "This is serum. It's mixed in." Matthias said in worry as the two tried to stop it while Matthias tried to look for a way to stop it.

"There's no display?! There's just a keyboard?! What is happening?!" Matthias spoke looking around as he noticed something as he took it out, the machine had stopped as well as the noises and the machine running as he looked at the thing in his hands confused before he spoke. "What is this...? Wait, is this the absalate?" Matthias spoke as River shrugged her shoulders before the two got out of the U-Haul and closed the door before quickly walking back over to the others as they saw him with the necklace from Wes as Matthias and River walked over to them as Sam spoke. "What happened in there?" She asked as River was surprised as she spoke. "It shut off. Matthias pulled the necklace out and it stopped." River spoke as Matthias nodded before telling people to get down in case the phantom came back to see why it didn't go off Matthias explained what happened as he put the necklace on as he looked at it. 

While sitting there River and he explained the creation that was created and how big it was as they planned what they were going to do if the phantom comes back to find that the bomb didn't go off as Matthias shows a lock he found, explaining that they would wait and trap him in the U-Haul and drive it as River explained how it had been running. Matthias had explained to everyone how he was going back to them as Sam spoke before he went running to the U-Haul. "Matt, you told us not to go past the bushes." She told him as he nodded before quickly responding to her. "I know I told you not to go past the bushes but the bomb is disarmed. He's not gonna know. I need your help in the case." Matthias spoke as he waited for the phantom to get in, getting asked if it was radioactive as River shook her head looking at Sam before they ran to the U-Haul quickly as they closed the gate on the phantom, locking it as they got into the U-Haul before explaining how they were going to the police station.