Chapter 38 Fibonacci #2
The freezer was secured with an electronic keypad rather than a conventional lock. A small screen above the keypad displayed a pulsing triangle.
“Any ideas?” Asher asked, studying the interface.
Levi consulted Faine’s journal, flipping through pages until he found a reference to security protocols. “Here,” he said, pointing to a notation. “‘Primary access codes follow the Fibonacci sequence, beginning with the initial pairing.’”
“Fibonacci,” Owen repeated, joining them. “That’s 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on. Each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.”
“But what’s the ‘initial pairing’?” Maddie asked.
Levi studied the journal again, finding another cryptic note: “‘The sequence begins where all things begin—at the origin point.’”
“The origin point of the Fibonacci sequence is technically zero and one,” Owen suggested. “So maybe try 0, 1?”
Levi entered the digits, but the keypad emitted a harsh buzz of rejection. “Not that simple,” he muttered.
“What about Faine’s birth date?” Zoe proposed. “That would be his personal origin point.”
Good thinking, Levi agreed silently, flipping through the journal. “Here—personnel records list it as 11-23-1913.”
“Try 11, 23,” Asher suggested. “Month and day.”
Levi entered the numbers, and the keypad emitted a softer tone—not acceptance, but not outright rejection either. The display changed, showing two empty spaces followed by a question mark.
“It wants the next number in the sequence,” Owen realized. “If 11 and 23 are our starting pair, then the next number would be...”
“34,” Elliot supplied. “11 plus 23.”
Levi entered 34, and the display changed again, now showing a new pair of numbers with another question mark.
“It’s testing us,” Asher observed. “Making sure we understand the pattern before granting access.”
“So now it’s 23 and 34, meaning the next number is 57,” Owen calculated.
Levi entered 57, and the sequence continued: 34 and 57, requiring 91 next. The pattern repeated several more times, each correct answer advancing them through what felt like a mathematical gauntlet.
“Last one,” Levi murmured as he entered 610. “This has to be it.”
The keypad emitted a cheerful series of tones, and the triangular symbol on the display began to glow bright blue. A pneumatic hiss emanated from the freezer as its seal disengaged, the door swinging open to reveal a mist of supercooled air.
Inside, bathed in the ethereal blue light of internal LEDs, was a single glass vial suspended in a specialized holder. The vial contained a dark red liquid—blood, preserved through some advanced technique that had prevented degradation despite the passage of decades.
“That’s it,” Levi breathed. “The first key.”
Asher reached for the vial, but Levi caught his wrist. “Wait,” he cautioned. “The riddle mentioned ‘the touch of flame to release its essence.’ There might be a specific extraction protocol.”
“Or it could be booby-trapped,” Jasper added helpfully.
Levi examined the holder more closely, noticing a small heating element beneath the vial. A button on the side was marked with a flame symbol.
“I think we need to heat it,” he explained. “Thaw it before removal.”
“Careful,” Zoe warned. “Rapid temperature changes could damage the sample. Or trigger another security measure.”
Levi pressed the button, and the heating element began to glow red. The frozen blood in the vial liquefied, changing from a dark, crystalline mass to a viscous fluid.
When the process completed, a soft chime sounded, and the holder released its grip on the vial. Levi extracted it, surprised by its warmth against his fingers.
“We did it,” Maddie said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “We actually found Faine’s blood.”
“One down, two to go,” Levi reminded them, placing the vial in his jacket pocket. “We still need the voice recording and the tissue sample.”
A loud bang from the corridor interrupted their moment of triumph—something heavy colliding with metal, followed by the screech of metal against the floor.
“What the hell was that?” Tyler hissed, moving away from the door.
“The alarm,” Levi realized with dawning horror. “It wasn’t just an alert system. It was a summons.”
“For what?” Elliot demanded.
It wasn’t just a metaphor for the keys…
“Guardians,” he said softly. “The real ones.”
Another impact shook the door, harder this time. Metal groaned under the assault, hinges straining against their moorings.
“Is there another way out?” Zoe asked, backing further away from the door.
Levi consulted the blueprint, finding a maintenance access in the far corner. “There,” he pointed. “It connects to the ventilation system. Should lead us back to the main corridor.”
“If it follows the blueprint,” Asher cautioned. “The building changes, remember?”
“It’s our only option,” Levi decided as another, stronger impact dented the metal door. “Whatever’s out there, we don’t want to meet it.”
Tyler and Elliot moved the shelving unit blocking the maintenance access, revealing a small metal door large enough for an adult to crawl through. Jasper worked on the simple latch, getting it open with minimal effort.
“Ladies first?” he offered with forced levity.
“I’ll go,” Zoe volunteered, already moving toward the opening. “I’ll scout ahead, make sure the path is clear.”
The door buckled under another impact, a three-pronged claw punching through the metal like it was aluminum foil. A guttural howl echoed from the corridor, raising the hair on the back of Levi’s neck.
“Move, now!” he ordered, helping Zoe into the maintenance tunnel. Owen followed, then Maddie, her slender frame easily fitting through the narrow opening.
Jasper went next, then Elliot, both having to twist sideways to squeeze through. Tyler struggled more with his broader shoulders, but adrenaline gave him the necessary flexibility.
The creature outside redoubled its efforts, the door now hanging half off its hinges. Through the widening gaps, Levi caught glimpses of something pale and twisted—not quite human, but wearing the remnants of a hospital gown. One of Faine’s experiments, activated by the security system.
“Your turn,” Asher urged, pushing Levi toward the opening.
“Together,” Levi insisted, unwilling to leave Asher behind with the creature. “We go together.”
Something complicated flickered across Asher’s face—surprise, then a softer emotion Levi couldn’t quite identify. “Together,” he agreed, helping Levi into the tunnel before following close behind.