Survival plot || H.S.

Chapter 20: A Dangerous Discovery

The air inside the safe house was thick with tension as Ava sat huddled around a cluttered table with her allies. The room was dimly lit, with flickering bulbs casting erratic shadows that danced across their tired faces, emphasizing the exhaustion etched into their features. They had managed to regroup after the harrowing encounter with the creature, but the weight of their losses hung heavily in the air, an invisible shroud that stifled their spirits.

As they sifted through various reports and data strewn across the table, Ava’s eyes landed on a familiar name that sent a chill down her spine—NexGen Innovations. This organization had been a major investor in her research project, initially promising to revolutionize the field of genetic engineering. Their grand claims of progress and innovation had dazzled Ava, fueling her ambition to push the boundaries of science. Yet, now, a nagging sensation crept into her thoughts, a feeling that had been festering since the creature's emergence—a sense of betrayal lurking beneath the surface, whispering that she might have been naïve to trust them. The unsettling realization that something deeper and more sinister might be at play clawed at her mind, demanding attention.

“Wait,” Ava said suddenly, drawing the attention of her allies, who were exhausted and drained from their recent encounters. The tension in the room was palpable, like the stillness before a storm. “I need to look at the funding details again. There’s something I missed.”

“Not now, Ava,” Lena urged, her voice weary but insistent. She leaned back in her chair, the exhaustion etched in her features, as if the weight of the world was pressing down on her. “We need to focus on how to stop the creature, not revisit old documents.”

“Ava,” Tom chimed in, concern furrowing his brow. “We barely escaped last time. We can’t afford to get sidetracked. We need a plan.”

“No, you don’t understand,” Ava replied, her fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop as she called up the relevant files. Determination surged within her as she navigated through layers of digital paperwork. “NexGen had their hands in everything—my research, the creature's creation, and even the clean-up protocols after the accident. We need to know what they were really after.”

“Are you saying they might be behind this?” Maya asked, her brows furrowing as she leaned closer to the screen, curiosity replacing some of the fatigue in her eyes. “That’s a big accusation, Ava.”

“Yes!” Ava exclaimed, urgency rising in her voice. “If we dig deeper, we might find something that connects all the dots. This isn’t just a creature; it’s part of a larger scheme! They’re manipulating the science for their own gain.”

“Okay, but how do you expect to connect those dots?” Lena interjected, crossing her arms defensively, her skepticism creeping back in. “What if you’re wrong? We need to prioritize our safety. I’m not ready to risk everything on a hunch.”

“Trust me,” Ava insisted, meeting Lena’s gaze with fierce determination. “If I can find the funding sources, I can trace where the money went. There has to be something in the paperwork—correspondence, maybe even communications that expose their true intentions.”

“Let me help,” Tom offered, his tone shifting from skepticism to support, recognizing the fire in Ava’s eyes. “I can sift through the legal jargon. You know how those documents can be; it’s like navigating a labyrinth.”

Tom leaned over her shoulder, scanning the screen, his eyes wide with a mix of disbelief and fear. “If they were behind this from the beginning, it changes everything. We could be dealing with a much larger conspiracy than we thought.”

Ava felt a chill creep down her spine as the data began to unfold before them like a dark tapestry, each document adding depth to the grim picture forming in her mind. She navigated through the files with increasing urgency, pulling up reports detailing the organization’s agenda. The threads of a sinister plot began to intertwine, revealing the true nature of NexGen Innovations.