Chapter 131: Upside Down
For several seconds, David couldn’t breathe.
The man stood at the bottom of the staircase.
His face was his.
Not similar.
Not familiar.
His.
Every feature was in the right place.
The same eyes.
The same jaw.
The same small scar near his eyebrow.
Even the way he stood felt familiar.
Like David was looking at himself through a mirror that had learned how to move.
Elaine kept her weapon raised.
"Don’t come any closer."
The man didn’t even look at her.
His attention remained fixed on David.
David swallowed.
"You’re me?"
The man smiled faintly.
"That’s what I said."
"That’s not an answer."
"It is."
"No."
David shook his head.
"You’re standing in an underground facility that disappeared from every record thirty-two years ago, wearing a face that belongs to me, and apparently expecting me."
The man’s expression didn’t change.
"So?"
David stared at him.
"So you’re going to need to explain."
The man tilted his head.
"You always were impatient."
David’s stomach tightened.
’You always were.’
He had heard that phrase before.
Not from this man.
From the recording.
The same tone.
The same familiarity.
David glanced at Elaine.
She was still aiming at him.
"Are you seeing this?"
"Yes."
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because I was starting to think I’d finally lost my mind."
Elaine didn’t smile.
"You’re not imagining him."
"Great."
David looked back at the man.
"Who are you?"
The man took one step forward.
Elaine immediately tightened her grip.
"I wouldn’t do that."
He stopped.
Then looked at her.
For the first time, his expression changed.
Recognition.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
"Elaine."
She froze.
David turned toward her.
"You know him?"
"No."
The man’s lips curved upward.
"You do."
Elaine’s face hardened.
"I have never seen you before."
"Not like this."
David noticed the hesitation.
"What does that mean?"
Elaine didn’t answer.
The man did.
"She remembers the name."
David’s eyes narrowed.
"What name?"
The man looked at him.
"Yours."
David’s pulse quickened.
"My name is David."
"I know."
"Then what’s yours?"
The man was silent.
For several seconds, he simply stared.
Then he said,
"David."
David’s expression tightened.
"That’s not funny."
"I’m not joking."
"Then give me something."
The man looked almost amused.
"Something?"
"A name."
He hesitated.
Then he spoke.
"Version Zero."
David frowned.
Elaine’s weapon lowered by a fraction.
"You know that designation?"
The man smiled.
"Of course she does."
David turned toward Elaine.
"What is Version Zero?"
"Nothing."
"That’s a lie."
"David—"
"You recognized it."
Elaine’s jaw tightened.
"I’ve seen the designation in restricted files."
"About him?"
"No."
"Then about what?"
Elaine didn’t answer.
The man did.
"About you."
David’s chest tightened.
He looked at Elaine.
"Me?"
She finally lowered her weapon.
"David, listen to me."
"No."
His voice was sharper than he intended.
"You’ve known something."
"I suspected."
"You suspected what?"
"That you were connected to the original incident."
David stared at her.
"Connected how?"
"I don’t know."
"Then why didn’t you tell me?"
"Because I didn’t have proof."
David laughed once.
It contained no humor.
"And now?"
Elaine looked toward the man.
"Now I’m not sure I want proof."
The man smiled.
"That’s wise."
David turned back to him.
"You seem to know everything."
"No."
"Then what do you know?"
"I know what you forgot."
The words hit him harder than they should have.
David’s mind flashed.
A white room.
A child’s hand.
A voice counting.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then darkness.
He blinked.
The vision disappeared.
The man noticed.
"You saw it."
David’s breathing became slower.
"What was that?"
"A memory."
"Mine?"
"Yes."
David looked down at his hands.
They were shaking slightly.
He clenched them.
"Why can’t I remember?"
"Because you weren’t supposed to."
"Who decided that?"
The man’s expression became serious.
"You did."
David stared.
"I did?"
"You asked them to erase it."
"Who?"
The man didn’t answer.
David stepped forward.
"Who?"
The man looked past him.
At Elaine.
"Ask her."
David turned.
Elaine looked away.
"Elaine."
She closed her eyes.
"Some records suggested the original team wasn’t simply studying the structure."
David waited.
"They were conducting experiments."
"What kind?"
"We don’t know."
"You just said they were conducting them."
"We know the results. Not the purpose."
David’s eyes narrowed.
"What results?"
Elaine looked at the man.
"People changed."
David’s stomach tightened.
"How?"
"Memory loss."
"That’s what you said earlier."
"That was only one symptom."
David waited.
Elaine continued.
"Some developed abnormal energy responses."
His chest suddenly felt warm.
David looked down.
Elaine noticed.
"Yes."
She swallowed.
"Like yours."
Silence.
David looked back at the man.
"You’re saying I was part of those experiments."
"No."
The man’s answer came immediately.
David frowned.
"Then what?"
"You were the reason they started."
The words settled over the staircase.
David couldn’t speak.
Elaine looked at the man.
"That’s not what the records say."
"The records were written by people who survived."
"Nobody survived."
The man’s smile disappeared.
"Exactly."
David stared between them.
"What happened thirty-two years ago?"
The man looked at him.
"You already know."
"No, I don’t."
"You will."
"I need an answer now."
The man stepped closer.
"You always did."
David felt the warmth in his chest intensify.
The seven circles carved into the wall began glowing faintly.
Elaine noticed.
"David."
He looked down.
The symbol beneath his feet had appeared again.
Seven circles.
But this time, something was different.
The center contained a single word.
HOST.
David’s face tightened.
"What does that mean?"
The man smiled.
"It means it remembers you."
"What remembers me?"
The man’s eyes shifted toward the darkness below.
David followed his gaze.
Something moved.
Far beneath them.
Slow.
Heavy.
The staircase trembled.
Elaine raised her weapon again.
"We’re leaving."
The man laughed softly.
"You can’t."
"Watch me."
Elaine grabbed David’s arm.
"Come on."
David didn’t move.
She pulled harder.
"David."
He looked at her.
Then at the man.
"Why can’t we leave?"
The man answered.
"Because it opened the door."
David looked toward the staircase above.
The entrance was still visible.
But something had changed.
The opening at the top was gone.
Stone had replaced it.
Elaine stared.
"No."
David looked back.
The man was smiling again.
"You came because it called you."
David’s jaw tightened.
"Then tell it to let us go."
"It doesn’t work like that."
"How does it work?"
The man looked directly into his eyes.
"It chooses."
David felt a cold sensation crawl down his spine.
"And it chose me?"
"No."
The man shook his head.
"It chose both of you."
David glanced at Elaine.
She looked genuinely frightened.
That scared him more than the man did.
"What does it want from Elaine?"
The man didn’t answer.
David stepped closer.
"What does it want from her?"
"Nothing."
"Then why did it choose her?"
The man looked at Elaine.
"Because she came looking for you."
Elaine’s face went pale.
David turned toward her.
"You came looking for me?"
She remained silent.
"Elaine."
"I didn’t know."
"What?"
"I didn’t know it would lead here."
David stared at her.
"You knew something."
"I knew the readings had changed after you arrived."
"That’s not what I asked."
She looked at him.
"I knew the facility had reacted to you."
David’s expression hardened.
"When?"
"The first time you entered."
"Why didn’t you tell me?"
"Because I wasn’t sure."
"About what?"
Elaine hesitated.
"Whether you were the person we were looking for."
David’s chest tightened.
"Who were you looking for?"
She didn’t answer.
The man did.
"Him."
David looked at himself.
The man standing below.
"Me?"
"No."
He pointed at David.
"You."
David frowned.
"That doesn’t make sense."
"It will."
The man’s body suddenly flickered.
For a fraction of a second, David saw something else.
Not a man.
Not human.
A mass of light.
Seven circles rotating around a dark center.
Then the image snapped back.
David stumbled.
Elaine caught him.
"David!"
"I’m fine."
"You almost fell."
"I said I’m fine."
The man watched silently.
David steadied himself.
"You’re not human."
The man’s smile returned.
"Neither are you."
David’s expression hardened.
"Don’t say that."
"Why?"
"Because I know what I am."
"Do you?"
David had no answer.
The man turned toward the darkness.
"You should go."
David frowned.
"Go where?"
"Down."
Elaine immediately shook her head.
"No."
The man looked at her.
"If he doesn’t, it will come up."
A deep sound rolled through the staircase.
Not a roar.
Not a growl.
Something much deeper.
The stone beneath them vibrated.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
David looked down.
"What’s down there?"
The man stepped aside.
The darkness behind him seemed to expand.
"The beginning."
"Of what?"
"Everything."
David looked at Elaine.
She was pale.
"That’s not an answer."
The man smiled.
"It is the only answer you’re ready for."
David hated that sentence.
He hated the certainty behind it.
But more than anything, he hated the feeling in his chest.
Because it wasn’t fear anymore.
It was recognition.
Something inside him knew the way.
David slowly stepped forward.
Elaine grabbed his arm.
"Don’t."
He looked at her.
"I need to know."
"You don’t know what you’re going to find."
"Neither do you."
"I know enough."
David looked into the darkness.
"That’s exactly why I have to go."
Elaine stared at him.
For several seconds, she didn’t move.
Then she released his arm.
"If you go down there, I’m coming with you."
David nodded.
"I figured."
The man watched them.
Then he turned and began walking into the darkness.
David followed.
Elaine followed him.
After several steps, David looked back.
The stone wall where the entrance had disappeared was completely smooth.
No door.
No crack.
Nothing.
They were trapped.
The man stopped.
David nearly walked into him.
"What?"
The man pointed ahead.
A faint light appeared in the distance.
David squinted.
At first, he thought it was another room.
Then he realized what he was seeing.
A massive underground chamber stretched beyond the staircase.
Seven enormous stone pillars surrounded its center.
Each pillar carried the same circular symbol.
And beneath them was something that made David stop breathing.
A person was lying in the middle of the chamber.
Strapped to a stone platform.
Machines surrounded him.
Old machines.
But they were still running.
David took one step forward.
The person slowly lifted his head.
David froze.
The face was familiar.
Not because it looked like him.
Because he knew it.
He had seen that face before.
In the memories he couldn’t remember.
The man on the platform opened his eyes.
And whispered,
"David."
The Version Zero beside him stopped.
For the first time, his expression showed fear.
The man on the platform smiled.
"You’re finally awake."