Halley gagged at the sight, clamping a hand over his mouth. Even Thorne, hardened by years of homicide, felt bile in his throat.
On a central platform lay something like a high-tech operating chair or throne, encircled by robotic arms tipped with neural probes. Dried blood spattered the headrest and floor around it – evidence of a procedure recently done, likely Halley's own memory extraction or implantation.
Banks of servers blinked in one corner, humming with stored data – possibly containing the digital consciousness profiles, the "backups" of whoever Arcadia had scanned. Thorne's eyes darted to a monitor that listed file names:
"HALLEY_J_MEM_COMPLETE",
"HALLEY_J_UPDATE_01",
"FISCHER_L_MEM_COMPLETE" – multiple names, perhaps other employees or subjects Arcadia had secretly copied. The list scrolled on, and Thorne's heart nearly stopped when he saw one labelled:
"THORNE_V_PRELIM_SCAN".
His own name. They had started scanning him – maybe during a hospital stay or a routine physical under Arcadia's health plan. A cold sweat broke out on his back. Silas had warned him, but seeing that confirmed file hammered it home: Arcadia had targeted him too.
"Detective…" Halley hissed in warning, snapping Thorne out of his daze.
From an adjoining office space beyond a glass partition, there was movement. Thorne ducked behind a console, Halley following clumsily.
Through the glass stepped Dr. Mercer – a tall, thin man in a biocontainment suit, face visible through the clear visor. He held a handgun and was flanked by Chief Monica Kelland and another Arcadia security officer, both armed. They had evidently discovered the intrusion.
Mercer's eyes were wild behind his visor. "Jacob!" he called, voice echoing in the lab. "It's over. Put down the gun and step away from that detective."
Thorne realized Mercer thought Halley still had the pistol. Quietly, he handed Halley back the plasma weapon, nodding for him to play along. They remained behind cover.
"You betrayed me!" Halley shouted back, a raw edge of emotion in his voice. "You never told me I was the copy!"
Mercer stepped carefully around the periphery of the lab, Kelland covering him with her sidearm. "Of course we didn't. It was necessary for the protocol's integrity that the prime subject and the clone not know who was who. For psychological stability. Unfortunately, you two met prematurely… a tragic mistake."
Halley barked a humorless laugh. "Tragic? You think that begins to cover it? You used me – used us – like lab rats!"
Mercer's visage hardened. "This was all in service of progress, Jacob. You of all people – a scientist – should appreciate that. The Gemini Protocol will change humanity's future. One unfortunate casualty or two along the way is… acceptable."
Thorne felt a red haze of anger hearing the doctor's callous words. He whispered to Halley, "Keep him talking." Meanwhile, he inched to the side, trying to get a clean line of fire on Kelland or the other guard.
Halley's eyes flicked to Thorne and he gave a slight nod. "Acceptable?" he cried out, voice echoing. "You promised me it was just a backup, a safeguard. You never said you'd actually make another me and set him loose!"
Mercer sounded almost bemused. "In truth, I expected the duplicate would quietly replace you after an arranged 'accident'. It wasn't personal, Jacob. But as it stands, this mess can still be contained." He raised his voice. "Detective Thorne! I know you're here too. Arcadia can make this worth your while if you walk away. We all want to avoid more bloodshed."
Thorne peered around a rack of equipment, training his gun on Chief Kelland. "That's funny, Doctor. From where I stand, Arcadia's drenched in blood already."
Kelland's eyes narrowed, searching for him. Mercer continued, "Think carefully. If you expose any of this, it will cause a scandal that destabilizes the entire station. The technology will be seized by the government or worse – warlords out at Jupiter. Nothing good comes of that. Alternatively, you could both leave now, and Arcadia will compensate you generously and ensure Halley gets cutting-edge care for his injuries."
Halley snarled from cover, "Don't listen to him! He'll say anything. I know them – they'll toss you in one of these vats next, Detective."
Thorne's gaze swept the grotesque cylinders. He believed Halley. Seeing his own name in their system sealed it – Arcadia saw him as just another test subject.
He took a breath, steadying his aim. This was it. "Mercer, Kelland – you are both under arrest for conspiracy, attempted murder, and illegal human experimentation." His voice rang out strong across the lab. "Come out with your hands up."
Mercer sighed, almost sadly. "A shame. Kelland?"
The security chief was already moving. She lobbed a small device toward Thorne's position – a flashbang grenade. "Down!" Thorne shouted, grabbing Halley and hurling them both behind a heavy console an instant before a blinding white bang and concussive roar filled the lab.
Even shielded, Thorne's ears rang and his vision sparked with afterimages. Kelland and the guard rushed forward, opening fire in suppressing arcs. High-velocity rounds pinged off metal and shattered one of the glass vats. Nutrient fluid gushed out, along with a half-formed humanoid limb that flopped onto the floor. Halley screamed in a mix of anger and revulsion, firing his plasma pistol wildly toward the attackers. The green bolts sizzled past Kelland, forcing her to dive for cover near the server stack.
Thorne blinked tears from his eyes, forcing himself up. He spotted the second security guard circling around to flank them. Thorne squeezed off two shots with his handgun. The guard cried out and fell, a dark splash of blood marking where a bullet found flesh.
Mercer, meanwhile, retreated behind a thick lab table, shouting frantically into a wrist communicator. Likely calling for reinforcements – they had to end this fast.
Kelland popped up from cover to shoot, and Halley – surprising Thorne – charged at her position. "Jacob, wait—!" Thorne shouted, but the clone was already running on adrenaline and fury.
Kelland swung her pistol toward him and fired. A round caught Halley in the left shoulder, spinning him, but he kept coming, vaulting over a toppled piece of equipment and crashing directly into the chief. They went down in a heap.
Thorne lunged out of hiding, closing the distance as Kelland and Halley wrestled on the ground. Kelland was strong and well-trained, but Halley fought like a man possessed, oblivious to pain. He managed to get a grip on her shooting arm, and with a howl, he slammed it against the sharp edge of a broken glass cylinder. Kelland screamed as tendons cut and the pistol fell from her numbed hand.