Chapter 218 Isle Heart Authority
Chapter 218 Isle Heart Authority
"We're about 1,500 feet from Isle Heart Authority," Yasmin suddenly announced, breaking the silence in the car.
Alberta glanced at her, puzzled, and poked the screen with her finger. "What are you doing? You sound like a GPS," she said.
Yasmin smiled slightly. "I am a GPS. Anyway, let's chat. How have you been these past five years?"
"You've been wanting to ask that for a while, haven't you?" Alberta relaxed, leaning back in her seat. After a moment of contemplation, she replied, "Pretty good."
"I once told you about the Northern Lights in Iceland, the lions and antelopes on the Valeria Plains, the ancient palaces in the East... Did you go see them?" Yasmin asked expectantly.
Alberta rolled her eyes. "No money."
"Didn't you open a little bookstore? You couldn't even afford a budget trip?" Yasmin was puzzled.
"I opened the bookstore after I met Lawrence. Even though I saved up some money, why would I want to see the Northern Lights when I can see Lawrence?" Alberta said.
Yasmin sent a string of bubbles across the screen in exasperation. "What about before you met Lawrence? The world is so big. Did you feel free?"
Alberta blinked.
In those early days, without any identification, she could only work in shady places, washing dishes and picking up trash for low wages. She was harassed because of her looks and fired for fighting back. Suspected of being an illegal immigrant, she narrowly escaped capture several times, thanks to her quick reflexes.
Later, she realized that being too honest wouldn't earn her any money. So, she started car racing and fighting in underground boxing matches. She took on various dangerous jobs. She met many people, but friendships never lasted long. She lived recklessly, seeking more thrills until she met Lawrence.
As memories flickered before her eyes, Alberta tapped her right index finger lightly on the steering wheel. "I don't know what kind of freedom you're talking about, but I'm happy to have left Paradise Island." She laughed at herself. "Not many test subjects want to stay, right?"
The car drove into Isle Heart Authority. Following Yasmin's guidance, Alberta navigated to Yasmin's data processing center. The vast space was illuminated by hundreds of screens, making additional lighting unnecessary.
Alberta weaved through the screens and arrived at the base of a thick metal column. She curiously knocked on it. "Are you in there?"
Pressing her face against the column, she peered through a narrow gap. Inside, layers of electronic components and mechanical parts formed a complex landscape. She could vaguely see a floating glass jar filled with green liquid, containing a hairless head that looked like a smooth peanut.
Alberta circled the column, trying to discern if the head belonged to Sophia. Unfortunately, after a full circle, she couldn't tell which side was the back and which was the front.
Sitting at the base of the column, Alberta said to Yasmin, "I want to see the footage from Zone 8."
"You want to see Lawrence?" Yasmin lowered a screen from 10 feet above, bringing it in front of Alberta. "He's not in Zone 8; he's in Zone 7."
Alberta's face changed as she focused on the screen.
The footage was filled with blood and violence. People walked through pools of blood, fighting over corpses. Alberta leaned closer, searching for Lawrence and Roderick.
Yasmin explained, "After Zephyr's death, the zone leaders demanded answers from Everett. Zephyr's livestream exposed Paradise Island to the public. Oswald, fearing the island's destruction, decided to transfer funds and abandon the island. But before leaving, he needed to capture you. When the zone leaders gathered, Oswald ordered me to lock down the round table meeting room, imprisoning them."
Alberta's gaze shifted from Zone 7 to the surveillance footage of the round-table meeting room. She quickly noticed something amiss. "Where's Miguel? Why isn't he there?"
Yasmin replied, "The meeting was to discuss Zephyr's death. Miguel was the prime suspect and was confined to his house in Zone 5."
Alberta was taken aback. "So, Miguel was in Zone 5 just now?"
"Yes," Yasmin confirmed, switching to another screen showing Miguel reading on a sofa.
A cold glint flashed in Alberta's eyes. She waved the screen with Miguel aside and continued watching Zone 7.
"By the way, how did Zephyr die?" Alberta asked.
"I'm not entirely sure, but we found venom from a toxic bee in Zephyr's body," Yasmin answered.
"Toxic bee?" Alberta was surprised. Thinking of Roderick's beehive and the circumstances, it was likely related to Roderick.
Burying the truth in her heart, Alberta said, "Yasmin, tell me about Zone 7."
"Alright. After controlling the zone leaders, I planned to turn the experimental zones into game areas. Zone 7 was filled with the strongest fighters and an equal number of researchers. The rule was for the two factions to kill each other..."
In Zone 7, two large screens displayed the scoreboards for the two factions.
Each human head was worth one point, and killing a beast was also one point. Before Lawrence and his group arrived, the top scores in both factions were around 200 points. Once Lawrence and his team arrived, their accumulated points from previous tasks quickly dominated the leaderboard.
Now, Lawrence was at the top with 278 points, 250 from previous tasks and 28 from killing attackers and beasts in Zone 7.
Next to Lawrence's name, the faction symbol was gray, indicating he hadn't joined any faction. The same was true for the others from Zone 9.
With no one provoking them, Lawrence didn't attack. Parker, sitting in a wheelchair, spoke to Lawrence over Roderick, who sat between them. "The players in the faction have criminal records, and the researchers on the other side aren't any better. The game designer probably wants them to destroy each other. We're different from them, so we don't belong to any faction. But don't you find it strange? We haven't received any new tasks since entering Zone 7."
Lawrence held a necklace, his thumb rubbing the pendant, his eyes dark. "Alberta received a solo task. The task designer wanted to lure her away. Now that they've succeeded, there's no need for new tasks."
Parker was stunned. "Is that so? Doesn't that mean Alberta is in danger?" He was puzzled by Lawrence's lack of urgency.
Lawrence wasn't unconcerned; he knew that worrying wouldn't help. "The other side is determined to take Alberta, probably Oswald. If it's really him, Alberta is safe for now."
"You're right," Parker nodded. "So, what do we do next?"
Before Lawrence could answer, the sound of gunfire approached, and a dozen attackers led four beasts in an assault.
Watching this, Alberta spun in place. "Yasmin, can we still use the mechanical units left in Zone 5?"
"What are you planning?" Yasmin sternly reminded her, "Don't forget, your goal at Isle Heart Authority is to find Oswald!"
"I haven't forgotten. Since he's hiding like a rat, he won't come out easily," Alberta crossed her arms and lifted her chin slightly. "Announce to the entire island that the volcano is about to erupt. That'll force him out."