Page 28 of Cyborg's Tether

Amaya’s mind whirled. The betrayal, the lies, and the danger were all too much, but beneath the shock, relief surged throughher. Dr. Vex wasn’t their enemy. She was trying to stop something far worse.

Xavier’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Why didn’t you come to us when we started investigating the malfunctions?” he asked. “We could have helped you.”

“I couldn’t take the risk,” said Dr. Vex. “The more people who knew, the greater the danger. Zorn’s reach is far, and his influence runs deep. I had to work alone.”

Amaya looked at her mentor, seeing the toll this had taken on her. Dr. Vex wasn’t the cold saboteur she had feared. She was someone trying to protect them all from a greater threat while still maintaining her normal duties and finding time to mentor Amaya. Her esteem of the doctor rose even higher. “What do we do now?”

“We stop Project Guardian,” said Xavier without hesitation. “We have to be careful. If Zorn finds out we know, he won’t hesitate to eliminate us.”

Dr. Vex nodded. “I’ve delayed the project as much as I could, but Zorn’s getting impatient. We don’t have much time.”

Amaya’s heart pounded as the reality of the situation settled over her. They were up against an enemy far more powerful than they had imagined, but they weren’t alone. Dr. Vex had been fighting this battle in the shadows, and now, they would fight it together.

“We’ll need a plan,” said Xavier. “We can’t confront Zorn head-on without more information and ironclad proof, especially since we don’t know who is backing his side project. We need to gather more evidence and expose him to the right people.”

The tension in Dr. Vex’s shoulders eased slightly. “Thank you. I didn’t know if you would believe me.”

Amaya nodded. “We believe you, Doctor. And we’re going to stop Zorn together. We’ll expose Zorn, and we’ll make sure no one suffers because of him.”

Xavier nodded. “We’ll need to move carefully, but we can do this.”

Chapter 11—Amaya

A FEW HOURS LATER,Amaya paced the length of the cramped lab, mentally reviewing their plan. The air hummed with the low whir of machinery as she glanced at Xavier. “So, we’re really doing this?”

Xavier nodded, his mismatched gaze fixed on the holographic display before him. “It’s our best option. Zorn’s private communications will give us the intel we need to stop Project Guardian.”

Dr. Vex leaned against a workbench. “I’ve been working on a backdoor into his system for months. With your skills, Amaya, we should be able to crack it.”

Her stomach twisted. What if she couldn’t do it? “What’s our timeline?” she asked, moving to stand beside Xavier.

“We have a small window during the facility’s maintenance cycle,” said Dr. Vex. “It’s when security protocols are at their weakest. That gives us about thirty minutes to get in and out undetected.”

Xavier’s cybernetic eye pulsed with a soft green light as he processed the information. “And if we’re caught?”

Dr. Vex’s expression hardened. “Then we’ll all be branded as traitors. Execution would be the best-case scenario.”

Amaya swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly dry. “No pressure then.”

She moved to the central console, tapping on the holographic keyboard. Lines of code scrolled across the screen as she began to build their infiltration program.

“Zara,” said Amaya, not looking up from her work, “I need to know everything about Zorn’s security measures. Every firewall and every encryption key.”

Dr. Vex hesitated for a moment before joining her at the console. “Of course. I’ll walk you through it.”

As they worked side by side, Xavier’s deep voice broke through her thoughts. “I’ve mapped out the facility’s patrol routes. We’ll have a clear path to the central hub during the maintenance cycle.”

Amaya nodded, grateful for the distraction. “Good. We’ll need you to handle any physical security measures we encounter.”

As they continued to plan, the reality of their situation began to sink in. They were about to commit high treason against one of the most powerful military leaders in the galaxy. If they failed, the consequences would be dire not just for them, but for countless others who would fall victim to Project Guardian.

“Amaya,” said Dr. Vex softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I know this is difficult for you. I want you to know everything I did was to protect you and the others here.”

Amaya tensed at the touch, her emotions warring within her. She wanted to believe Zara, to trust her as she always had, but the doubt lingered, a persistent whisper in the back of her mind. “I understand,” she said, sounding strained even to her own ears, “But right now, we need to focus on the mission.”

Xavier watched their interaction. “Perhaps we should take a moment to address any unresolved issues. Our success depends on trust and clear communication.”

She sighed, pushing away from the console, as she turned to face Zara, searching the older woman’s face for any sign of deception.

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