Tyrix
TYRIX
“ T here’s something you need to see.” Dr. Gondon’s words interrupted the heat still lingering between Nalina and me.
I pulled myself from the bed, offering Nalina my hand. She took it without hesitation, though a slight tremor ran through her fingers. My chest burned at the sensation.
The walk back to Dr. Gondon’s lab gave me too much time to notice every stumble, every hesitation in Nalina’s normally fluid movements. I wanted to carry her, to wrap her in my arms and run to safety. But I knew better. She’d never allow it.
“The medical core contained more than just patient data.” Dr. Gondon gestured to screens filled with scrolling text. “Jevik was gathering intelligence before the changes overwhelmed him.”
Nalina leaned over the displays, studying schematics that showed massive modifications to the station’s infrastructure. “These power draws... they’re coming from the old cargo processing section.”
“Yes.” Dr. Gondon replied, her voice tinged with agitation. “But look at what they’re powering.”
She brought up new diagrams. Cargo cryo-units repurposed into something far more sinister. Medical equipment spliced into environmental controls. And throughout it all, children’s vital signs - weak but persistent.
“Ten survivors.” Dr. Gondon’s voice cracked. “Out of how many?”
“Too many.” Nalina’s hands clenched the workstation. I moved closer, steadying her without making it obvious.
“The compound we need is here.” Dr. Gondon highlighted a section of the facility. “But security is... extensive.”
“How long?” I asked.
She looked away. “Based on Nalina’s latest readings... 48 hours. Maybe less.”
“Less?” The word felt like ash in my mouth. “The deterioration wasn’t this fast before.”
“The physical stress of combat, the adrenaline spikes...” Dr. Gondon pulled up comparison charts. “Each fight, each chase - they’ve accelerated the changes exponentially.”
My fault. I’d dragged her into this, pushed her body past its limits without knowing the cost. All those battles - Grot, the mutated vermin, the security teams. Each one had burned through more of her remaining time. If I hadn’t involved her-
“Stop it.” Nalina’s hand found mine. “We couldn’t have known. You couldn’t have known.”
But I should have noticed. A human shouldn’t have come even close to matching my speed in combat. Shouldn’t have recovered so quickly from exertion. All the signs had been there, and I’d been too caught up in admiring her strength to question its source.
“The physical demands of combat seem to trigger rapid mutation at the cellular level,” Dr. Gondon continued. “Each surge of artificial strength burns through more resources, accelerates the breakdown-”
“We get it,” Nalina cut her off. “I’m on borrowed time. So let’s use it.”
“The synthesizer is heavily guarded.” Dr. Gondon pulled up security feeds. “But these maintenance tunnels...” She looked at Nalina.
“I know them.” Nalina traced a path through the schematics. “We’ll need to time it with shift changes. And there’s a backup route through the old hydroponics section.”
A strange mechanical groan echoed through the station’s bones. Dr. Gondon’s skin went ash-gray. “They’re moving the phase inductors. If they’ve started final calibration...”
“Then we don’t have much time.” I studied the diagrams. “Three objectives: get the compound, access atmospheric control, save the children.”
“We need to be systematic about this,” I said, military training taking over. “Doctor, walk us through exactly what we need from the lab.”
“Two things,” Dr. Gondon brought up detailed schematics. “The compound itself is stored in a secure containment unit here.” She highlighted a section of the lab. “But we also need access to the primary synthesizer. The base compound needs to be modified specifically for each genetic pattern we’re trying to counter.”
“How long will that take?” I asked, conscious of every tremor running through Nalina’s frame.
“Twenty minutes minimum. Longer if we need to recalibrate between species.”
Nalina leaned forward, studying the layout. “The lab’s environmental controls are isolated from the main station systems - that’s why I couldn’t access them remotely. But look here.” She traced a path through maintenance tunnels. “This junction connects to the primary atmospheric processors. If we can get there, I can create a diversion by triggering emergency protocols in surrounding sections.”
“That would force them to split their security teams,” I noted. “But what about the children? Those stasis units must have backup power, failsafes.”
“They do.” Dr. Gondon pulled up new diagrams. “Each unit has an independent power supply. But they’re all networked through this control station. If we can access it, we can prep the units for evacuation while we synthesize the compound.”
“So our sequence has to be:” Nalina counted off points, “First, secure the lab and start synthesis. While that’s running, I access atmospheric controls and set up our escape route. Then we move to the children’s section, prep the stasis units, and coordinate everything to happen simultaneously - distribute the compound, power down the units safely, and evacuate before they can lock down the section.”
“The maintenance crews change shift in two hours,” I added. “That’s our best window. Security will be distracted by handover protocols.”
“We’ll need a fallback point,” Dr. Gondon said. “Somewhere to take the children if something goes wrong.”
“The old quarantine bays in Green Section,” Nalina suggested. “They’re designed to run on independent systems. I can reroute emergency power there without raising alerts.”
“What about after?” I asked. “Once we have them out?”
“I have contacts,” I said quietly. “People who can get them off-station quickly, safely. But first we have to reach them.”
A sudden burst of static cut through the room’s silence. The security feeds on Dr. Gondon’s screens flickered, then stabilized showing new movements.
“That’s not good.” Nalina warned. “They’re changing patrol patterns. Moving equipment into... gods.” She zoomed in on one feed. “Those are mass neural interface units. Military grade.”
“They’re accelerating their timeline.” Dr. Gondon added. “These power signatures indicate they’re preparing for large-scale implementation.”
“How large?” I asked, though I already suspected the answer.
“Station-wide.” Nalina’s voice was tight. “They’re going to try to take control of everyone at once.” Her hands trembled as she pulled up more data, and I wasn’t sure if it was fear or the progression of her condition. “The environmental system modifications, the neural control compounds they’ve been testing - it was all leading to this.”
“Then we move now.” I checked my weapons again, an old habit when nerves threatened to overcome training. “How are we handling the security teams?”
“Non-lethal if possible.” Nalina pulled up more schematics. “Some of them might be like Grot - controlled rather than willing participants.”
I glanced at Nalina, remembering how fast she’d moved during our fight with Grot. How unnaturally quick her reactions had become.
No. I couldn’t think about that now.
“First checkpoint here.” Nalina traced our route through the maintenance shafts, her movements precise despite her fatigue. “I can loop the security feeds, make them see empty corridors. But we’ll only have minutes before their systems detect the anomaly.”
“Then we move fast.” I memorized the path. “Doctor, you have everything you need for the synthesis?”
Dr. Gondon patted her pack. “All my research, calibration data, everything. Once we reach the lab, I can begin immediately.”
“What’s our signal for the atmospheric system diversion?” Nalina asked.
“This.” Dr. Gondon handed her a small device. “When the synthesis is complete, it’ll emit a specific frequency. That’s your cue to trigger the environmental protocols.”
“And that’s when we move on the children’s section.” I studied the layout again. “How many can we evacuate at once?”
“The stasis units are mobile,” Dr. Gondon explained. “Designed to maintain life support during transport. But moving ten at once...”
“We’ll need help.” Nalina’s fingers danced across the controls one last time. “Give me five minutes. I need to send a message.”
“To who?” I asked.
“Odra.” Her lips curved slightly. “He has contacts in every maintenance crew on this station. People who’ve lost friends to the Consortium’s experiments. They’ll help.”
“Can they be trusted?”
“With their lives. With their children’s lives.” She met my eyes. “They’ve been waiting for a chance to fight back. They just needed to know how.”
She swayed suddenly, catching herself against the workstation. This time I didn’t pretend not to notice, wrapping an arm around her waist.
“I’m-”
“If you say ‘fine’ one more time...” I growled.
“Stubborn,” she muttered, but leaned into my support. “Five minutes. Let me send the message.”
Dr. Gondon busied herself with her equipment, pretending not to notice our exchange. The station groaned around us, systems shifting as the Consortium prepared for their endgame.
“Message sent.” Nalina straightened with visible effort. “Odra will have people standing by near the quarantine bays. They’ll help move the children once we get them out.”
“Then we’re ready.” I kept my arm around her waist, no longer caring if it showed weakness. “Doctor?”
“One moment.” She gathered the last of her datapads. “These contain everything - my original research, what the Consortium did with it, how to reverse the changes. If something happens to me...”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” Nalina said firmly.
“Nevertheless,” Dr. Gondon said. “The data needs to survive, even if we don’t.”
A deep mechanical shudder ran through the station. Emergency lights flickered as power surged through modified systems. Somewhere above, heavy equipment was being moved into position.
“Time to go.” I checked our path one final time. “Stay close. Move fast.”
“And try not to die?” Nalina’s attempt at humor couldn’t quite hide the tremor in her voice, but her eyes were clear and determined when they met mine.
“That too.” I squeezed her hand once, memorizing the feeling of her fingers against mine.
We moved into the station’s darkness, following paths only Nalina seemed to fully understand. Through maintenance shafts and forgotten corridors, past the ruins of Nova’s Edge’s original systems.
And everywhere, signs of change. New power conduits spliced into old infrastructure. Strange equipment humming behind makeshift walls. The station’s bones being twisted into something new and terrible.
I kept one hand near my weapons, the other ready to catch Nalina if she stumbled again. Dr. Gondon followed, her skin shifting colors to match our surroundings.
Ahead lay the lab, and the compound that might save Nalina’s life. Ahead lay the children, trapped in their modified stasis units. Ahead lay the chance to stop the Consortium before they could implement their station-wide neural control.
If we could reach it in time.
If Nalina’s strength held.
If I could keep her safe, despite her determination to save everyone but herself.
The station protested around us, metal twisting as new systems came online. Through the walls, I heard the whine of equipment powering up, the thunder of heavy machinery being moved into place.
Time was running out.
For all of us.