Chapter 110 Chapter 110

Chapter 110 Chapter 110
The boat was just there sitting on the dark water. The engine was dead. Caiman had the cover open and his hands inside. He brought his fingers out and black grease came with it.

Jax stood at the front of the boat. The Odyssey was a gray shape far away. Closer than before but still far. He turned to Kenji. “You should have checked it properly before we started the journey. Now we are stuck in the middle of nowhere.” He said with a disappointing look on his face.

Kenji stood up from his bent position and turned to look at Jax. He rolled his eyes upwards showing just the lower part of the pupil in annoyance. “Of course. You could have still checked to confirm. It's not a bad idea if you did. I don't think you remember but let me remind you. Borealis used to do this for us.”

He walked past him and sat on a crate near the back. His knife was in his hand. He wasn't cleaning it. He was just holding it.

Rina pulled on the oars. Slow and steady. Kael sat across from her watching the water behind them.

Caiman stood up and wiped his hands on his pants. "The fuel line is cracked. I can patch it but it won't hold for long."

Jax asked, "How long?"

"Maybe an hour. Maybe less."

"Then we go now."

Caiman nodded. He pulled a roll of tape from his bag and wrapped it around the cracked line three times.

The engine coughed. Then it started again.

They moved.

The Odyssey got bigger as they got closer. Jax could see the rust on the side now. Orange streaks running down from the railings. He could see the lights on the decks. Dim yellow lights that flickered. He could see the guards. Small figures in black uniforms. Some were standing. Some were walking.

Rina stopped pulling on the oars. She pointed at a spot near the waterline fast paced with a serious face. "There. A hatch."

Jax looked at it. It was small and rusted. The metal was stained red. No guards were nearby.

Caiman cut the engine. The boat drifted towards it.

Kenji stood up. "I will go first."

Jax shook his head in disagreement. "We go together."

They slipped into the water.

The cold hit Jax like a punch in the chest. He could not breathe for a second. His arms burned. His legs felt heavy. He forced himself to move.

Kenji was ahead of him. His knife was in his teeth.

Kael was next to Jax. His face was in the water. His arms moved very fast.

Caiman was behind them. He was heavier and slower but he kept moving.

Rina was last to come along.

They reached the side of the ship. Kenji grabbed the metal rim of the hatch and pulled himself up. Water poured off his clothes. He looked inside. It was dark and quiet. He waved at them to climb.

Jax climbed up after him. His hands slipped on the wet metal. The rust came off on his fingers. Kenji grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

They dropped inside.

The hallway was narrow. There were pipes on the walls with green paint peeling off. Wires hanging from the ceiling. Water was dripping on the floor from their clothes.

Kael dropped in next. Then Caiman. Then Rina.

Jax pulled out his phone. The screen was cracked and water had gotten inside. But the map was still there.

"The transmitter room is two floors up," he said pointing upwards.

Kenji pointed at a ladder with rusted rungs and a safety cage around it.

They moved toward it.

The ladder was old. The rungs were slippery.

Jax climbed first. His boots slipped. He held on with both hands and pulled himself up one rung at a time.

Kenji was behind him. His knife was back in his hand.

They reached the top. A hatch made of steel with a wheel in the center. It was locked.

Jax pushed. Nothing happened.

Kenji put his shoulder against it and pushed. Nothing still happened.

Caiman climbed up. He put both hands on the hatch and planted his feet on the ladder. He pushed.

The metal groaned and the lock broke.

The hatch swung open.

The hallway was white with bright lights and clean floors. No rust. No water. It felt like a different world.

Jax looked at the map. "The transmitter room is at the end."

They all nodded in agreement. Kenji walked ahead of them. His boots were quiet on the floor.

They reached a door made of steel with a keypad on the wall.

Kael stepped forward. He pulled out a small black device with wires hanging off it. He connected it to the keypad.

The light turned red.

He tried again. Red.

He shook his head.

Jax looked at Caiman. He pointed at the keypad with the motion of head. "Break it."

Caiman stepped back and kicked the door next to the handle. The frame cracked. He kicked again. The door swung open.

The room was full of screens and lights and wires. A console stood in the center.

A woman sat at the console. She turned when they walked in with a surprising look on her face.

It was younger Evelyn.

She stood up. Her hands were on the console. Her fingers were pale.

"You are… here," she said with a surprising look on her face. “How did you get past all the security put in place?”

Jax raised his gun. " I do not owe you any explanation. Step away. Now.”
She did not move. "You are here for the reset right?”

"Yes. And?" Kenji replied with an angry look on his face.

"It will work. The frequency is ready. The broadcast will reach every facility. Every lab. Every clone."

Kenji stepped forward. "Then do it."

Younger Evelyn looked at him. "You will
lose everything. Your strength. Your healing. Your speed."

"We know."

"You will be human."

Kenji stared at her. "We already are."