Page 53 of A Delicate Conquest

Yes.

“What did you say?”

Yes.

“Where?”

The subject of interest is currently held within Deep Medical Laboratory One.

Mavrel blinked in disbelief. “You’re being serious right now?”

I am serious.

He took a deep breath. “Is she… alive?”

That is indeterminate.

At that moment, all of Mavrel’s plans to give Zharek ataste of his own medicineevaporated.

Fuck.

SEVENTEEN

Deep Medical Laboratory One.

It was tucked away in the lower levels of the Fleet Station—an area the majority of the crew seldom had reason to visit.

Its most frequent visitor was Zharek, and after him, Zyara. It was here that Zharek carried out his research and experiments. Here that he’d figured out how to ramp up the production of precious medical nanites, which were notoriously difficult to manufacture.

Mavrel had been down here a few times, assisting with developing various medical devices.

That’s why the Qualum doors granted him immediate access.

He entered the labs, passing through the antechamber into the central room, where all was silent save for the faint hum of the machines.

A curved workstation dominated the space. Holos glowed above it, displaying complex arrays of data. On a large bench along the far wall were several devices in various stages of production.

There was no trace of any human.

Mavrel passed through another set of doors, entering a room where Zharek developed medications and serums. This roomwas as precisely arranged as the last, with machines used for measuring, mixing, and calibrating occupying most of the area.

Zharek’s actions and workflow might be perceived as chaotic by some, but most of what he did was highly precise and intentional.

TheSylthdetecting a human’s presence down here was no accident at all.

What have you done, Zharek?

Disquiet roiled through him.

Is this why Zharek was so insistent on playing god with others? Because he’d lost control of his own fate?

Mavrel walked through yet another set of doors, down a corridor, and past storage rooms and back offices—which he didn’t bother checking as they weren’t large enough or sufficiently equipped to handle a stasis tank.

He knew the layout because he’d studied the plans.

Just a little further, and he would reach a large chamber—hidden away, serving no apparent purpose, one that neither he nor anybody else would ordinarily have any interest in.

He stopped at the Qualum doors.

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