Page 4 of Rupture

“I’m so sorry.” Margaret laughed. “Did I give you the impression this was optional?” Her expression hardened. “Because it’s not.”

Cold tile chilled Rose’s feet as the sounds of the room fell away, replaced by the heavy thud of her heart.Not optional?

Margaret snapped her fingers and one of the heaviesstepped forward, removing a sleek tablet from a briefcase he placed on her lap. She waited till he had stepped out of the way before waking the screen with a sweep of one finger. She offered it to Rose.

Rose hesitated.

“It won’t bite.” A flash of too perfect teeth.

Her muscles rigid, Rose took the tablet and scanned the images scrolling across the glossy screen.

“What you are looking at is the Io Research lab, a joint project between the Oceanic Security Council and Triton Core.”

“Triton Core? The company that discovered the Ceto bacteria and tried to monetize it before it all went to hell and people died? I thought it was dissolved by the British government?”

Margaret crossed her legs.Her gaze was unblinking, the snake eyeballing its prey before a strike.“That is correct, but crucial threads of the company remain carrying out essential research. It’s not always helpful to throw out the baby with the bathwater.”

Clearly not when there’s money involved.Rose remained silent.

“Io is a pioneer in hybrid nano-robotics.”

My field.

Rose stared at the screen. Perfectly staged images of pristine labs and airbrushed models wearing heels too high and uncomfortable to work in, peering down microscopes. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“Their work is classified as is the location, the Dragon’s Breath Cave, under the Kalahari desert in Namibia.”

“What does this have to do with me?” Rose glanced at the large wall clock. Had it only been ten minutes since Margaret had arrived? Her feet ached with cold.

“Communications from Io went dark forty-eight hours ago. At first, it was assumed to be a glitch. Classified research requires the isolation that only extreme environments can offer and that brings its own hazards. Efforts to reestablish communications have failed and the shuttle link that runs from the surface to the habitat has been disabled from within Io.”

“What does any of this?—”

Margaret raised a silencing finger. “Repetition is not an attractive trait in a scientist. Don’t you agree?”

Gina gave a slow shake of her head across the room. Rose ground her teeth and waited.

“A recovery team has been arranged. Given the nature of the research on site, you willaccompany the recovery team as scientific lead. Arrangements have been made for your equipment,” she waved a hand toward the pool, towardMARV. “…to go with you. Think of it as the opportunity for a real-life test.” Her smile was insincere.

Rose made a choking sound. “What recovery team? I think you’ve made a mistake and confused me with someone else.” She handed the tablet back to Margaret. “I’m not going anywhere near the Kalahari desert or any subterranean lakes. With or without MARV.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Margaret straightened as she pushed back to her feet, her heels giving her several inches of advantage.

“Failure to comply will cause your little robot gadget out there being relegated to the scrap heap, and your career with it.” Margaret grimaced. “Now we wouldn’t want that, would we?”

She checked her wrist, revealing an elegant silver watch. “Non-compliance will also result in termination of your contract of employment. You have less than six hours toprepare. I suggest you finish up here and pack what you will need. A car will collect you from your apartment at nineteen hundred hours.”

“You can’t do that,” Gina spluttered from across the room.

Margaret ignored her, her attention unrelentingly focussed on Rose. “There is no choicehere. The research being undertaken at Io is of global importance and must be retrieved safely and while the recovery teamare experts in their own field, they are not scientists. You are and your expertise in hybrid nano-robotics is vital to this mission.”

“Director Hav?—”

“Everything has already been cleared by Director Haverham.” Margaret waited while one of her bodyguards secured her tablet.

Rose shook her head, her legs leaden. Everything she had worked for over the past five years suddenly felt unsubstantial, as if it could all crumble to nothing. She firmed her jaw. She hated bullies. “You can’t make me.”

Margaret tsked, and her expression crunched in a tiny perfect wince. One of the bodyguards pressed something small into Rose’s hand.

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