Page 20 of Eden and her Mercenary
Harrison laughed bitterly. "Remove it? Impossible. The integration is too complete."
"We have to try," Eden insisted, desperation edging her voice. "She deserves a chance at a normal life."
Something shifted in Harrison's expression as she studied Eden. "You really care about this dog, don't you? It's not just about exposing the project."
"I've spent my life helping dogs escape bad situations," Eden replied. "But this—what you people did—goes beyond cruelty. It's monstrous."
Harrison was silent for a long moment, conflict evident on her face. Finally, she reached into her desk drawer and removed a keycard. "The mapping system is in Lab 4C. This will get you in." She held up the card. "But I'm coming with you."
"Why would you help us?" Ryker asked suspiciously.
"Because I've been looking for a way out," Harrison admitted. "A way to make amends. When Subject Seven escaped during the power failure, I... may have disabled certain security protocols to aid her escape."
My eyebrows shot up. "You helped her get out?"
"I couldn't stop the project, but I could save one dog." She stood, pocketing the keycard. "We need to move quickly. Junction 's security chief is on-site tonight—he's been obsessed with retrieving Subject Seven since she escaped."
"Lead the way," I said, gesturing toward the door. "But remember, if this is a trap—"
"It's not," Harrison interrupted, her voice firm. "I have as much to lose as you do if we're caught."
We followed Harrison through a maze of corridors, taking a route that avoided the main security checkpoints. She moved with purpose, occasionally checking her watch as if timing our progress against something only she was aware of.
"The night shift rotates at 11:45," she explained in hushed tones. "That gives us a seven-minute window when Lab 4C will be unmonitored."
Eden moved closer to me as we walked, her shoulder brushing mine. "Can we trust her?" she whispered.
"We don't have much choice," I murmured back. "But stay alert."
The neurology wing was marked by a set of heavy double doors with a biometric scanner mounted beside them. Harrison pressed her thumb to the pad and leaned forward for the retinal scan. The lightflashed green, and the doors unlocked with a soft click.
"This way," she directed, leading us down a sterile hallway lined with research labs. Through glass walls, I glimpsed equipment I couldn't begin to identify—complex machinery humming with quiet purpose, computer screens displaying neural pathways and brain scans.
"What exactly does this mapping system do?" Eden asked as we hurried past.
"It creates a three-dimensional model of neural connections," Harrison explained. "Shows exactly how the implant interfaces with the brain tissue. Essential for installation—or in your case, removal."
We reached Lab 4C just as a researcher in a white coat exited, barely glancing at us as he hurried away. Harrison waited until he disappeared around a corner before swiping her card at the door.
Inside, the lab was dimly lit, with most of the overhead lights off. Various equipment lined the walls, much of it covered with protective cloth when not in use.
"There," Harrison pointed to a sleek metal case about the size of a microwave. "The portable neural mapper. Latest prototype."
Ryker moved to examine it. "This is what we need?"
"Yes, but it's not that simple," Harrison cautioned,moving to a computer terminal. "The device is logged in the inventory system. If it disappears, alarms will trigger."
"Can you override that?" I asked.
Harrison's fingers flew across the keyboard. "I can mark it as being transferred to the Toronto facility for recalibration. That should buy you 48 hours before anyone notices it's actually missing."
As she worked, I surveyed the lab, an uneasy feeling growing in my gut. "How much longer?"
"Just need to complete the transfer authorization," she murmured, focused entirely on the screen.
Eden moved closer to the neural mapper, studying its sleek design. "So this thing can see how they've wired Stella's brain?"
"It's not just a visualization tool," Harrison explained, still typing. "It provides a complete neural topography—every connection, every integration point. Without it, removing the implant would be like defusing a bomb blindfolded."
