Page 37 of Marked By the Bounty Hunter

If I survived that long.

TYRIX

“There’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 wecan get there, I can create a diversion by triggering emergency protocols in surrounding sections.”

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