3rd adventure: Rebirth

Mihai checks the book titles on the shelf. Then takes them one by one and flips through them, to try and find something between the pages, or whatever else may catch his eye at a glance.

"I really wish she was awake for this," Konrad mumbles. He starts searching high and low outside of the stacks of files and records (perhaps underneath those files inside a draw, for example) for anything that isn't in printed form.

Awareness
detailed above
Spellcraft
Spells, magic and the like nearby.

Mihai discovers that the director liked to read novels about alternate history. The premise of two of these novels is about what the Empire would have done if it hadn't used the Dome.

It takes Konrad a long time, but he manages to find an envelope which contains a handwritten letter. After comparing the handwriting with other documents, the red mage discovers that this letter was written by the director, but it wasn't signed under the name you know him by - Corey Grant.

The letter:

"'Vessels'? Whatever did the director mean...? Have them moved...like resources?"

He pockets the letter. "Anyone find anything else?"

"Just some books." - Mihai says, then examines the letter - "Keep that. Want Breeze to look at it later."

He then takes a last look around, then finally - "We should end this now."

"Yeah, I can't wait for this to be over," Fedler says. She still appears concerned about the contents of that letter, but she is pushing this to the back of her mind.

Mihai moves back to the third floor, monitoring room. He activates the comm - "Steve, i'm ending the lockdown."

Steve wastes no time responding. "Understood, we'll be ready." He'll let Sarah and Leslek know what's happening. We'll move Saemon and the civilians to the other side of the desk just in case. Steve will wait near the elevator to meet anyone coming down.

Mihai switches the channel - "Lifting the lockdown, Rodnel. Standby." - if there's no objection, Mihai will push the button to end the Lockdown.

"By the nine Bells, finally." Rodnel is obviously relieved. "Come on, don't keep us waiting."

Mihai presses on the button, and a piece of the console slides down to reveal a 3 by 3 grid and a keypad. There are three numbers already displayed on the grid.

Look at the bottom of the map:

A voice resonates throughout the entire asylum.

"Lockdown lifted."

"That's it. We're coming down." - He speaks into the Comm. Provided there are no objections, Mihai proceeds to the first floor entrance.

"Much obliged, gorgeous," Konrad chirps. "Now then, let us go collect Steve and Saemon, and report to our handler."

"Yeah, let's," Fedler adds.

_______________

Before the other party members can make their way down, Steve hears the outer door open up. Someone is entering the asylum.

"That must be the police," Leslek explains to Sarah.

The nurse sighs in relief, and she starts to tear up a little. Her colleague puts a hand on her shoulder, and then waits for the inner door to open up. As for Saemon, he doesn't appear to notice what is happening.

"Steve?" This is Breeze, who has just woken up. She pulls her head out of his pocket, and asks between two yawns, "What's happening?"

"We've successfully ended the lockdown. You and me get to be the welcome committee. Be ready for trouble just in case, okay?"

Breeze looks around in confusion to get a sense of where she is, after which she calmly rubs her eyes and replies, "Sure thing Snowstorm. You got it."

Steve can now hear the outer door close. He knows that in no more than twenty seconds, the inner door will open and they will finally be free from this nightmare.

"Come on, open up already!" Breeze exclaims with a little impatience.

And right on cue, the inner door slides upwards and reveals four familiar faces; Adam, Fredrick, Naomi, and more importantly, Zelk.

"Zelk!" Steve runs over to her and tries to give her a big hug.

Zelk is shocked to see Steve safe and sound, and she is caught off-guard by his embrace. For a short moment, she can nothing but stand there while her companions stare at the crazy couple, amused by this scene. Breeze however is quite displeased by this turn of events; for the last hour or so, she has been resting in Steve's pocket, which means that she is now being crushed by Zelk's breasts.

"Hmm! HMM!" The fairy manages to stick her arm and head out of Zelk's cleavage. "Steve! I'm gonna drown!"

"Oh!" He steps back, giving his tiny friend some breathing room. "Sorry about that." Sensing the time is past for greetings and informality, he says, "We have multiple casualties on all three floors as well as survivors here, the engine room, and the safe room up on the second floor. Surviving patients are also on all three floors, we'll be happy to show you where once the others join us." He gives her a relieved smile. "And just so you know, all members of the 113th Adjunct are safe and sound."

A timid smile appears on Zelk's face, but as soon as she notices the smirks of her colleagues, she replaces it with her professional mask. "I'm glad to hear that." She looks around the room, and her eyes momentarily stop on Saemon before focusing on Steve again. "What about Snicker? Is he here?"

Steve's countenance turns grim. "It's a long story but Snicker's dead." He looks at Sarah and Leslek. "We've all been through hell. The patients turned on us and each other. Many of their friends and colleagues are dead. Just...be prepared. It's not pretty in there."

Zelk shifts her gaze to Sarah and Leslek, and gives them a somber nod. "We'll make a sweep of the floor first," she says. "Where's the rest of the adjunct?"

Right at this moment, the level 1 inner door opens. Mihai, Konrad and Fedler enter the room.

"You'll find 7 patients bound in one of the massage rooms up ahead. Relaxation room is full of them, best avoid that. As for the rest, they're scattered around the bathrooms and a janitor closet and the like. It can get pretty gruesome in there. The rest of the patients should be in their cells, except the morgue on the third floor. There's a body there that we'll want to claim for burial later." - Mihai relays.

Then asks his own question - "What's the situation outside?"

Konrad nods modestly at the group on the other side. They had sent some people to watch the blast door, as they would when they heard the alarm. He spares a subtle nod when he sees Naomi among them.

"Welcome to the jungle." He can't help smiling at his own wit, despite circumstances.

Naomi doesn't respond to Konrad's nod and examines instead the state of the party members' clothing; it is obvious they've seen some fighting. Fredrick is the one to answer Mihai's question.

"Every police officers and soldiers in a ten kilometers radius are standing outside. Your handler seemed pretty adamant about bringing in reinforcements."

"You should head back outside," Adam says. "We'll take it from here."

Zelk nods.