Chapter 39 - The Descent to B3
The elevator doors remained open.
A soft green light spread across the floor of the cabin, illuminating Rachel Carter's hand as she slowly pulled it away from the biometric scanner.
The display above the doorway changed again.
PRIMARY KEY VERIFIED
No one spoke.
Marcus Hale immediately stepped between Rachel and the elevator.
"You are not going down there alone."
Rachel looked at him.
"I wasn't planning to."
Detective Susan Ortega quickly checked the elevator shaft through a maintenance panel.
"It's moving."
Kevin Ross frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The platform isn't here."
Everyone looked into the elevator.
It appeared empty, but Ortega pointed her flashlight downward.
The cabin had already begun descending by itself.
It stopped several floors below.
A faint metallic echo drifted upward.
Kevin stared at the control panel.
"There isn't a B3."
Marcus nodded.
"There is now."
The speaker crackled once more.
"Only four individuals are authorized."
The display updated.
AUTHORIZED ACCESS
* Rachel Carter
* Marcus Hale
* Susan Ortega
* Kevin Ross
Officer Liam Brooks stepped forward.
"What about me?"
The panel flashed red.
ACCESS DENIED
Brooks frowned.
"I'm coming anyway."
The same calm female voice answered immediately.
"If an unauthorized person enters the platform, Archive B3 will permanently seal."
Marcus looked at Kevin.
"Can the system verify that?"
Kevin scanned the access controller.
"I hate to admit it..."
He sighed.
"...but yes."
Brooks cursed under his breath.
"So I stay here."
Marcus placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Guard everything."
Brooks nodded reluctantly.
"If you don't come back in fifteen minutes..."
He looked each of them in the eye.
"...I'm coming after you anyway."
Rachel gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you."
A heavy mechanical rumble echoed through the shaft.
Slowly, the elevator platform began rising toward them.
Unlike a normal elevator, this platform had no walls.
It resembled an industrial lift built decades earlier and modernized over time.
When it finally reached their level, everyone noticed the same symbol engraved into its steel floor.
The oak tree.
Marcus stepped onto the platform first.
Nothing happened.
Rachel followed.
Then Ortega.
Finally Kevin climbed aboard with a rugged evidence case containing Thomas Hale's notebook, the microfilm cartridge, and the recovered files.
The control panel illuminated automatically.
There were no buttons.
Only one instruction.
PLACE THE WATCH
Marcus looked down at the old pocket watch resting in his palm.
"The watch?"
Kevin examined the panel.
"It fits."
Embedded in the center was a circular indentation identical to the watch's shape.
Marcus hesitated.
"My father left this for a reason."
Rachel quietly replied,
"Maybe this is the reason."
He slowly placed the pocket watch into the indentation.
A soft click echoed beneath their feet.
The platform locked into place.
The watch disappeared beneath a sliding steel cover.
Marcus instinctively reached for it.
Too late.
"It took it."
The machinery beneath the platform came alive.
Without warning, the lift began descending into darkness.
The lights from Archive Level One grew smaller and smaller until they vanished completely.
Only narrow guide lights embedded in the shaft remained visible.
No one spoke during the descent.
The silence lasted almost a full minute.
Then Kevin looked at the depth indicator.
His expression changed.
"We've already gone farther down than B2 should exist."
Marcus asked quietly,
"How much farther?"
Kevin checked the sensor again.
"Another thirty feet..."
He stopped.
"...No."
Rachel looked over.
"What is it?"
Kevin swallowed.
"The shaft doesn't match the building."
Marcus frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Kevin held up the structural scan from the original blueprints.
"According to every engineering drawing..."
He looked into the darkness below.
"...we're no longer underneath Evergreen Records Storage."
Before anyone could respond, the platform slowed.
A deep bell rang once.
Then stopped.
Massive steel doors, far larger than any they had seen above, slowly began to slide apart.
As a narrow gap opened, bright white light poured into the shaft.
On the wall beyond, illuminated by rows of modern ceiling lights, enormous silver letters came into view.
EVERGREEN ARCHIVE — PHASE TWO
Rachel felt her heart sink.
May you like
Everything they had uncovered so far...
Had only been Phase One.
