Chapter 116: Routine check

Chapter 116: Routine check Lucian adjusted the cuffs of his black, high-collared coat as he stepped through the towering glass doors of the Galactic Corporation’s headquarters.

The vast lobby was pristine, with holographic displays showcasing the corporation’s achievements in several departments; interstellar trade, artificial intelligence, and automobiles.

A soft hum filled the air from the floating drones that monitored activity, scanning every entrant with an efficiency bordering on paranoia.

He had assumed the identity of Rishan Kael, a low-tier noble investigator assigned by an external regulatory agency. His fabricated credentials were flawless, backed by an encrypted data trail that even the Corporation’s AI would find difficult to dispute.

A receptionist, an android with a human-like visage, offered him a practiced smile. "Welcome to the Galactic Corporation, Investigator Kael. Your appointment has been scheduled with Director Vance on the seventy-fourth floor. Would you like a security escort?"

Lucian shook his head. "No need. I prefer to take my time observing the facility."

The android nodded and gestured to the levitating platform at the end of the hall. "Take the express lift. Security clearance has been granted."

Stepping onto the platform, Lucian exhaled subtly, shifting into the cold detachment required for what lay ahead. The Galactic Corporation was a behemoth with its hands in every major industry, but his interest lay in somewhere else — the first series of explosions that had happened in the slums the day Kieran’s parents had died.

As the lift ascended, he mentally reviewed the case. The Galactic Corporation was one of the biggest organizations in the city, and like most others, they had several shady branches in the slums, performing projects that couldn’t see the light of day.

Normally, he wouldn’t be too concerned by their activities.

How the city lord chose to manage his city was up to him, but he had something to confirm, something he just happened to come across during his investigations on the unknown organization behind the experiments.

The doors slid open to reveal an expansive office, dominated by a massive window overlooking the city skyline. Director Vance sat behind a sleek metallic desk, his sharp gray eyes appraising Lucian with curiosity.

"Investigator Kael,"

Vance greeted smoothly, rising to shake his hand.

"A rare visit from the regulatory sector. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

Lucian met his gaze evenly.

"Routine compliance check regarding recent explosions in the slums and other suspicious activities most likely related to your Corporation."

Vance’s expression remained neutral, but Lucian caught the slight flicker of calculation in his eyes.

"Our records are always in order. You’ll find nothing amiss."

"I prefer to verify that myself."

Lucian pulled out a sleek data pad and slid it across the table.

"Authorization to access internal logs related to all service transfers, recent trades and other information. I sent the list beforehand!"

Vance leaned back, his fingers tapping against the armrest.

"I’m afraid some of what you asked for falls under corporate confidentiality. You’ll need higher clearance."

Lucian smiled, a sharp edge to it.

"Then I’ll be filing a request with the interstellar regulatory board. They tend to audit entire divisions when access is denied."

Silence stretched between them before Vance finally sighed.

"Very well. I’ll have my assistant compile the requested files. It may take some time."

Lucian nodded. "I’ll wait."

---

Hours later, Lucian sat in a secured data room, sifting through the logs. The Corporation’s records were looking clean....to clean!

They must have modified the records, but even then, there were some things that just couldn’t escape his eyes, especially after crossing checking with the records he had taken from the corps office before coming here, so he dug deeper, bypassing the authorization given to him and getting into their system.

In this city, the corps didn’t just maintain the general security of the inhabitants, they also served as a customs agency, taking records of all the supplies that went in and out of the city.

In both records, he had seen a bunch of materials and equipment which the Galactic Corporation had sourced from places off planet, and he frowned seeing some of them, especially one name which stood out: Alcatlain Research Outpost.

There were a bunch of things wrong with them sourcing from this facility that would not have been noticed by other investigators.

As someone from the Zexter family, the major rival of the Galactic Corporation, sharing the same fields together, Lucian knew more than a bit when it came to the business.

’They have no business getting materials from a place that far away, besides...I’ve heard of that facility before. They went bankrupt and shit down ages ago!"

Lucian’s eyes narrowed on the possible lead.

As he copied the encrypted data, the room’s security system flared red. Intrusion detected.

Lucian’s instincts kicked in. He disabled the console, erasing his access logs just as the door hissed open. A team of corporate enforcers stormed in, weapons drawn.

"Step away from the console," the lead enforcer ordered.

Lucian complied, his mind already calculating his exit. He had gotten what he came for, but now he needed to leave without making the Corporation more suspicious than they already were.

Feigning nonchalance, he raised his hands.

"I assume this is standard protocol for a compliance check?"

The enforcer smirked.

"Director Vance would like a word."

Lucian allowed himself to be escorted back to Vance’s office. The director was waiting, hands steepled, eyes cold.

"You’ve been accessing restricted files, Investigator Kael. That’s a violation of our terms."

Lucian tilted his head.

"A necessary step when information is deliberately obfuscated."

Vance’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

"You’ve overstepped, investigator. I suggest you tread carefully."

Lucian met his gaze without flinching.

"Duly noted."

He left the headquarters without further incident, but as he walked through the bustling city streets, he could feel eyes watching him.

The hunt had begun.

---

Lucian took a circuitous route through the city, blending into the crowd while carefully checking his surroundings. Surveillance drones hovered above, scanning faces, tracking movement patterns. He ducked into a side alley, activating a signal jammer hidden in his wristband. The static interference would temporarily scramble the drones’ vision, buying him a few moments.

A flicker of movement in his peripheral vision put him on alert. He turned sharply, just as a figure stepped out of the shadows—a woman clad in a sleek combat suit, her face partially concealed by a reflective visor.

"You’re making too much noise," she said quietly.

Lucian narrowed his eyes.

"And you are?"

She lifted her visor, revealing sharp, calculating eyes.

"An ally, for now. If you want to make it out of here alive, follow me."

Trust was a luxury he couldn’t afford, but given the alternative—killing his followers and risking his identity getting exposed. Besides, he was curious.

She led him through a maze of alleys, down an underground passage hidden beneath an old maintenance hatch.

As they emerged into a dimly lit hideout, Lucian studied his unexpected savior.

"Why help me?"

"Because we have the same enemy,"

she replied, tossing him a data chip.

"The Corporation’s been running experiments beyond what you’ve seen. Alcatlain is just the beginning."

Lucian activated the chip, scanning the data. His blood ran cold. The experiments weren’t just on unwilling test subjects; they had begun incorporating artificial intelligence enhancements into live human hosts—melding machine with biology in ways that defied ethical and scientific boundaries.

"If you want more," she said,

"you’ll need to get off-world. Alcatlain is where the real answers are."

Lucian clenched his jaw. His mission had just escalated from what he expected. The presence of this mysterious woman proved that there were other people who knew about the experiments and that just complicated things even further.

He had to get the whole situation and find his whole place in this case which seemed to be bigger than what they thought.

"Off-world, huh!"

Lucian snickered.