Page 65 of Rupture

“The nanobots breached his system,” Rose finished.

“They’reinsidehim?” Duke’s gaze pinned on Rose.

“They’re out now.” Her voice was strained. “But they may have caused microscopic damage. His neural and tissue systems need a detailed scan.”

Duke checked his vitals, pressing small adhesive sensors along Luca’s skin at key biofeedback points. “What about us?” His thick eyebrows knitted as he glanced between Rose and Finn. “Are we at risk?”

“The bio-hybrid entities have been temporarily neutralized by the power surge.” Remy’s voice was calm. “This affords us a window of safety. You are not in immediate danger.”

“Oxygen. Now.” Duke jerked his head toward the mask connected to tanks beside the bed.

Finn grabbed it, securing the mask over Luca’s nose and mouth with trembling fingers. Luca’s skin was cold, too cold beneath his touch. “Stay with us, Luca. You’ve got lots more pissing off to do.”

“I have Brent Luca online now,” Remy’s modulated tones reported. “Hemorrhagic injuries sustained. Commencing treatment.” Twin probes rose from the side of the bed and sank into the skin on each side of Luca’s throat. His body seized tight, then went slack.

Duke unrolled a silver emergency blanket, draping it over his friend. Rose adjusted the space blanket under Luca’s chin ensuring he was fully covered. The tenderness of the gesture made something thick lodge in the back of Finn’s throat.

Remy’s voice was smooth as it filled the room. “Brent Luca is stabilizing.”

Finn squeezed Luca’s lax hand. “Remy’s gonna look after you now, while the rest of us are going to lock these bastards down for good.”

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” Rose’s eyes held a fierce determination.

“You have any ideas?” Liev’s hands hung loose, close to the weapons holstered at his hip.

She nodded. “I do.”

37

“The pulsefrom the magnets has temporarily knocked out the bots.” Rose traced the glowing point on the holographic map where the swarm had last materialized as a cohesive whole. The Io’s command room felt too small with the five of them crowded around the display table, tension radiating between them.

The azure light of the map cast a glow on Ethan’s face, accentuating the dark circles under his eyes. She’d grabbed a few hours’ sleep since they arrived. But the Wolves? They were running on air.

“We don’t know how long the magnetic pulse will keep them inactive. We’re working on borrowed time, and when they wake up, they’ll be pissed. In addition,” she checked her watch, the display blurring before her tired eyes, “we have less than thirty-six hours before life support fails.”

Ethan’s jaw clenched and unclenched. “We need this swarm contained before we evacuate.”

“Absolutely. The consequences if it escaped are too horrible to think about,” Rose agreed. “If they get to the surface, they could replicate uncontrollably?—”

“That’s not going to happen.” Finn laid a hand over hers. His fingers were warm, bleeding quiet strength into her chilled skin. The simple contact soothed her, pulling her back from the edge of panic.

“Rose has an idea.” He gave her fingers a gentle press. “But we need to work hard, and we need to work fast.”

Liev gave a gentle snort. “Nothing new there.”

Ethan unfolded his arms from across his chest, ready to listen. “Okay. Give.”

“We need to trap them somewhere airtight they can’t escape from.” Rose adjusted the holographic controls to zoom in on the station’s infrastructure. “It’ll give us time to repair the shuttle and evacuate with the rest of the crew. I’m suggesting we empty one of the desalination tanks.”

The rotating image of the massive cylindrical tanks filled the display. Rose’s heart picked up speed as she outlined her plan. “They’re airtight. We set up a trap inside. When the swarm comes back online, they’ll be looking to regroup, make repairs.” She zoomed in further, the blue light intensifying. “They’ll need organic material for their repairs. The Ceto bacteria.”

Her finger traced the tank’s structure on the holographic screen. “The tanks have exits at both ends. We put the bacteria in the tank, open the hatches, wait till they are inside, then lock them down tight. Nothing is getting out of there in a hurry.”

Liev dragged a hand over his face. “It might just work.”

“Remy, do you have any alternative suggestions?” Ethan asked.

“I have calculated the success rates of several plans.” Remy’s measured tones filled the room. “Dr. Wyndham’s has the highest chance of success at sixty-five percent.”

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