I was disgusted by the sight but I was facing a more important issue. I needed to access the tablet.

I unclenched the dry fingers, one of which fell off during the process. I even understood why the women shout whenever they see something disgusting. I wanted to shout too.

The tablet turned on immediately but then…

[Password required]

‘Damn it…’

Instead of playing a hacker, I just put this thing in a pocket, and headed to the next door.

The door surely seen better days, it had many dents.

When I opened it with the card, I immediately noticed lack of any lights in there. It was dark and I could not see anything.

I stepped inside the room.

‘Click-click’

The lights started turning on with clicking noises. With the first rays of light I saw a silhouette.

BANG BANG BANG

Whatever was there fell.

‘Click’

The lights finally turned on, and I saw a long corridor, leading to an armored door.

The corridor was filled with dead bodies, and a couple of machine guns. Everything was aiming at the door. As I moved closer, I saw that what I shot was one of the dead bodies. Also, I saw that everyone was armed with bullpup rifles of unknown construction. I confirmed that everyone had knife wounds.

My idea that the main reason of this slaughter was a military action ended up wrong.

At the end of the corridor I saw a second door, to the right of me. I opened it. Inside there was another dead body, torn in half. The traces of blood and the pose of the body suggested that it was trying to reach a large red button on the wall.

To my left there was a console with a lot of buttons, and a glass panel.

I examined the console, and found a paper with numbers. Just in case, I tried entering the numbers in the tablet.

An audio started playing.

[Personal log, Dr. A. Steiner.

During my play with the prototype A-1, I made an incredible discovery. It is sapient.

The same experiments conducted with the other prototypes confirmed only that they possess high level of intelligence, and are capable of sentient actions but they failed to find a creative approach to the experiments.

My colleagues disagree that A-1 is different but I know. It is beyond the current understanding.

Malcolm, you son of a b*, you made it…

And you made it like that…]

Immediately afterwards, another log started playing.

[Day 79.

I feel the end. Internal organ failure is approaching. Even though I took the precautions, the Tempest-B dealt too much damage. One inhale was enough…

Stella already knows about it. She will go in a slumber until somebody finds this place.

Whoever hears this, please… Do not press the red button. It will release 17 metric tons of Tempest-B.

Tempest-B is a nerve agent of super-high lethality. If it is released, first, you will die, second, it will kill everything in 14 kilometers around the complex.

If you have compassion, please, let Stella go. She is the first and only specimen, and is completely sterile. She poses no threat.

Dr. Amanda Steiner, last message.]

As the audio stopped, I saw a photo of a woman in lab coat. I put the tablet by the glass panel.

When the tablet touched the panel, it blinked, and became transparent.

I looked and saw something black inside of a room.

In a split second it disappeared.

I headed to the armored door.

I prepared the rifle and was ready for anything, even though so many people failed. On the wall, to the right of the armored door, was a lever. I lowered it.

‘SCREEEECH’

The doors opened, and in front of them was standing a little girl, maybe as old as this body.

“Are you here to kill me?” She asked immediately. My hands started shaking.

Even though it is most likely a monster, I could not find any strength to put my finger on the trigger.

My hands were shaking more and more, and until they were shaking like an alcoholic’s.

‘BANG’

The gun fell on the floor.

I have no idea if it was aiming for this reaction but in the end it won. I will not aim at children. I cannot aim at children.

It picked up the gun and curiously examined the weapon.

“This thing is different from the ones the soldiers used.”

‘What the f* are you?’ I could only mutter this much.

“Me? I am myself. … Mother was right, humans would not understand me…” It showed sad expression.

I stepped aside and glanced at the corridor, then returned my sight to the monster.

“I deserve no forgiveness. But they all wanted to kill me, and I could not stop myself.” It stopped playing with the gun and returned it to me.

I had no idea what to do but since I would not be able to pull the trigger, I let it follow me back to the first room.