Tyrix
TYRIX
B ehind me, Nalina twisted through the cramped space, but her breathing came too quick, too shallow. Every hesitation, every slight stumble twisted something in my chest.
“Company,” I whispered. Through the station’s bones came the rhythmic thunder of security teams sweeping the main corridors. Their routes suggested a coordinated search pattern - they knew where we were headed.
Dr. Gondon clutched her precious cargo closer, the synthesized compound glowing faintly through its specialized containment unit. The substance that might save Nalina’s life, if we reached the environmental controls in time.
I reached back, steadying Nalina as she navigated a particularly treacherous section. Her skin burned against mine. The mutations were accelerating, even faster than Dr. Gondon had warned.
We had hours at most before I lost her.
“Left here.” Nalina’s words came between carefully measured breaths. “Environmental control access is three levels down.”
The station groaned around us, deep mechanical sounds that spoke of systems straining beyond their limits. Purple warning lights pulsed through the gaps in the deck plates.
“They’re starting the initialization sequence.” Dr. Gondon warned. “We need to move faster.”
I took point as we descended, tracking the security teams by sound and scent while watching for signs of structural damage.
A particularly violent shudder ran through the station. Nalina stumbled, catching herself against my arm. Her fingers trembled against my skin.
“I’m-”
“Don’t.” I kept my hand on her waist, supporting without making it obvious. “Save your strength.”
She nodded, pushing away from the wall. But I noticed how she leaned into my touch, just slightly, before straightening.
The environmental control sector sprawled across three full levels, a maze of processing units and distribution nodes. Dr. Gondon immediately moved to the central console, her movements precise despite her obvious exhaustion.
“Here.” She indicated specific points on the system diagram. “We’ll need to modify these distribution nodes to handle the compound’s molecular structure. But the changes will trigger security alerts.”
“How long?” I asked, already cataloging defensive positions.
“Ten minutes for the modifications. Another five for calibration.” She glanced at Nalina. “Can you override the security lockdowns?”
“Yes.” Nalina’s hands moved across the controls with familiar confidence, though I saw how she braced herself against the console. “But they’ll know exactly where we are as soon as I start.”
I positioned myself near the main entrance, weapon ready. “Then we make it count.”
Right on cue, alerts flashed across the environmental control screens - our system modifications had triggered exactly the security protocols Nalina had warned about. Within seconds, boots thundered down the corridors. But something else happened too - emergency shutters began dropping in precise sequence, herding the security teams into bottlenecks.
“Odra,” Nalina breathed, understanding. “He got my message about our route. His people are using the maintenance protocols I sent to control their movement patterns.”
More shutters closed in careful sequence, cutting off reinforcement routes. Someone in environmental control was orchestrating a complex dance of station systems, turning the Consortium’s forces back on themselves.
The first wave came exactly as expected - standard security teams moving in textbook formation. But something was off in their movements. The usual fluid coordination replaced by sharp, almost mechanical precision.
“They’re being controlled,” Nalina called from her position at the console. “Like Grot.”
The realization hit hard. These weren’t willing participants - they were victims of the same modifications we were trying to stop. I adjusted my aim accordingly, focusing on disabling shots.
“First distribution node modified,” Dr. Gondon announced. “Starting calibration sequence.”
A security officer charged our position.
“I know that guy,” Nalina’s shout carried from the console, tight with recognition. “He helps maintain the bar’s climate controls. Has three kids in the education sector.”
His movements were wrong, puppet-like, but his eyes... his eyes were screaming. I adjusted my aim, taking him down with a precise shot to the leg. Clean. Professional. For Nalina’s sake, if nothing else.
More security teams poured through the entrance, their movements growing more erratic with each passing second.
“They’re fighting it,” Nalina said, understanding dawning in her voice. “The neural control - they’re trying to break free.”
One of the security officers suddenly stopped mid-stride, his whole body shuddering. “The children,” he gasped, fighting against the device at his neck. “We saw... we knew something was wrong, but they... they made us...”
His partner grabbed him, trying to drag him back into formation. But he resisted, each word clearly costing him. “Archives... level 3... proof of other stations... has to be stopped...”
Purple light surged through the control device. His spine went rigid, eyes glazing over as the Consortium’s programming reasserted itself. When he raised his weapon again, all trace of humanity had vanished from his movements.
I put him down with a careful shot to the shoulder. Better unconscious than trapped in that hell.
“Second node ready,” Dr. Gondon called. “But these power readings...”
The station’s warning system shifted from purple to red. Emergency shutters began closing across the sector.
“No!” Nalina exclaimed. “They’re starting a cascade lockdown. If those shutters seal-”
“On it.” I moved to cover her position, taking down two more security officers with carefully placed shots. “How many nodes left?”
“Three.” Dr. Gondon’s skin had gone ash-gray. “But these readings... the power surge they’re building...”
A massive tremor shook the station. Warning klaxons blared as systems began overloading.
“They’ve hardwired bypasses around the normal shutdown sequences,” Dr. Gondon said, her voice tight with sudden understanding. “Any remote shutdown triggers automatic data transfer. The lab is continuously transmitting research data off-station.”
“So we can’t just cut power?” Nalina asked, still fighting the lockdown protocols.
“No. It has to be done in a specific sequence, from inside the lab itself.” Dr. Gondon’s expression changed, something resolving behind her eyes. “I’m the only one who knows the correct sequence.”
More security forces converged on our position. I put down two more with precise shots, but they kept coming. And Nalina...
I risked a glance at her. She was still working, still fighting, but her movements had grown jerky, unnatural. The tremors were getting worse.
“How much longer?” I asked, reloading with practiced efficiency.
“Final node calibrating now.” Dr. Gondon studied the lab schematics with unusual intensity, her expression settling into something that made my combat instincts scream warnings.
She knew something. Something she wasn’t telling us.
Another tremor rocked the station. Nalina’s hands stilled on the controls for a moment, her focus visibly sharpening as she pushed through whatever was happening to her body.
I shifted position to cover her more effectively, noting how her movements remained precise despite everything. She was fighting this the same way she fought everything - with stubborn determination and grace under pressure.
“I’m okay,” she whispered against my chest. “I can finish this.”
I pressed my lips to her temple.
“I know.” The words came out rougher than I intended. My fingers found the pulse point at her throat, memorizing its rhythm. When she looked up at me then, everything I couldn’t say burned in my throat.
All the moments we might never have.
All the futures slipping away with each passing second.
Dr. Gondon’s voice cut through the moment. “The compound is ready for distribution.” She paused, studying the lab schematics one final time. “We need to discuss the next stage.”
Her tone said she’d made a decision. One she knew we wouldn’t like.