Page 21 of Second

“Winn!” Elara’s voice rose with surprise andjoy.

From a side corridor, Winn appeared, her face lighting up with relief. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, enveloping Elara in a fierce embrace.

“I can’t believe it,” Winn whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Elara pulled back slightly, her hands gripping Winn’s shoulders as if to confirm she was real. “You’re safe,” she said, her voice trembling. “Thank the stars, you’re safe. The reports we watched seemed to indicate otherwise.”

“It all worked out thanks to Jo’Nay,” Winn replied, her gaze flicking toward the towering warrior who now stepped intoview.

Jo’Nay’s presence commanded the area, his white hair catching the harsh light. He acknowledged Zar’Ryn with a nod, his expression unreadable. The tension between them was immediate, an unspoken history hanging heavy in theair.

“You received my message,” Jo’Nay said, breaking the silence.

“And now I want answers,” Zar’Ryn replied. His tone was sharp, his body taut with barely suppressed frustration.

“Come into the station and you shall have them.”

The loading bay doors slid open with a whisper of hydraulics, revealing a stark, metallic interior bathed in cool white light. Tor’Vek stepped in first, his boots reverberating against the polished steel floor. Jo’Nay and Zar’Ryn followed with the two women. The walls were unadorned, save for faint grooves that hinted at hidden panels and mechanisms—an unspoken promise of the station’s defenses.

Above, narrow strips of light stretched in parallel lines, their brightness casting sharp reflections across the surfaces. The sterile air carried a faint metallic tang, mingled with an almost imperceptible vibration that played through the structure like a heartbeat.

“Stay close,” Zar’Ryn said, his voice cutting through the quiet.

Elara hesitated behind him, her gaze darting around the expansive space. She quickened her pace to match his, her footsteps soft against the floor, contrasting his deliberate, confident strides.

The transition from the bay to the passageway was seamless, yet the shift in atmosphere felt almost palpable. The corridor narrowed, the lighting softer but equally precise. Along the walls, faint blue lines pulsed intermittently, as though mapping out the station’s lifelines.

The subtle heartbeat of the station grew more distinct here, arhythmic vibration that Zar’Ryn felt in his chest as much as heheard it. He pressed a hand against his wrist, where the bracelet pulsated faintly, and glanced at Elara. She gazed back with a hint of nervousness, her eyes dark and hesitant.

The passage twisted unexpectedly, leading to another set of doors. These were thicker, more imposing, with the faint shimmer of an energy shield flickering over their surface. Zar’Ryn paused, his hand hovering near his weapon as the shield deactivated with a low whisper of sound, and the doors parted to reveal the gathering area beyond.

The room was cavernous but designed with precision, built for both comfort and efficiency. Every piece of furniture was positioned in straight, utilitarian lines. Acircular table dominated the center, surrounded by sleek, high-backed chairs. Consoles and displays lined the walls, their screens alive with cascading data. Overhead, an array of lights hung in a geometric pattern, illuminating the room without casting shadows.

Despite the room’s functionality, there was an undeniable energy to it, as though countless decisions of great consequence had been made here. Zar’Ryn stepped inside, his presence immediately filling the space, while Elara hesitated at the threshold. Winn grabbed her hand and tugged herin.

“All is well, Elara. We’re safe.”

“That would make a nice change,” Elara murmured.

“We are all together here,” Zar’Ryn stated. “So explain.”

Jo’Nay gestured toward Tor’Vek. “He can explain better than I can.”

All eyes turned to the scientist, who remained unflappable beneath the weight of their scrutiny.

“The apples,” Tor’Vek began, his voice steady and deliberate, “have demonstrated the ability to reverse key aspects of our genetic modifications. Sterility. Heat flashes. Final Flight. Perhaps more. But they raise profound questions about who we are and what we have been made into.”

“Questions we have been denied the right to ask,” Jo’Nay interjected, his tone fiery.

Zar’Ryn’s fists clenched at his sides. “You have broken the code. Defied the oath that binds us.”

The tension crackled like static between them, building with each sharp exchange. Jo’Nay’s eyes blazed with defiance, his voice rising as he leaned forward. “The code is a leash, brother. Aleash that binds us to a life of servitude, followed by a hideous death. That is not honor.”

“The code is what gives us purpose,” Zar’Ryn insisted, his voice like tempered steel. “Without it, we are nothing but rogue weapons, chaos incarnate.”

“And what purpose does it serve, exactly?” Jo’Nay shot back, his tone scathing. “To ensure we die alone? To strip us of the possibility of a family, of love, of the right to choose how to live after four hundred years of righteous service? Tell me, where is the honor in that?”

Zar’Ryn stepped closer, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “The honor is in knowing that our sacrifices protect the Nine Galaxies. We are warriors, not farmers or dreamers. The moment you took the apple, you spat on everything we stand for.”

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