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As we navigate the twisting tunnels toward daylight and the challenges beyond, I find strange comfort in that distinction. Whatever Unity believes, whatever Lin's faction intends, my mother designed me for choice, not control.

Now I just need to make the right ones.

CHAPTER 25

Sharp,mountain air hits my lungs like an electric shock after hours in the tunnels. It’s cold carrying scents of pine and something I’ve never smelled before, something like ice. Snow, perhaps? The vast expanse of sky above us—not Unity's carefully controlled environment but wild, cloud-streaked blue stretching to the horizon.

We emerge onto a narrow ledge halfway up a sheer cliff face. Below, dense forest blankets the valley floor, trees swaying in wind patterns my enhanced vision tracks automatically. Above, jagged peaks thrust toward the sky, many still capped with white despite the summer warmth.

I’d never seen snow before. And it seems I’m not the only one impressed.

"Wow," Lily breathes beside me, silver eyes wide with wonder. "It's so...big."

I get it. After the arcology's contained spaces, the wasteland's sheer scale is overwhelming. Especially for a kid who's spent her entire life in Unity's bubble, just as I did.

"Which way?" Vex asks, already scanning for threats.

Trent consults his navigational equipment, comparing it with the crude map we salvaged from the outpost. "Northernridge line offers most concealment. Three days to reach the coordinates if we maintain good pace."

"Three days assuming no Unity patrols," I remind him.

"Always the optimist, Flutterby," Vex teases, though his expression remains vigilant.

We follow a game trail down from the ledge, descending toward the tree line where we'll have better cover. The path is steep, loose rocks sliding under our boots. My enhanced reflexes compensate automatically, balance adjusting to the treacherous terrain.

Lily struggles more, her modifications still stabilizing after Unity's suppression compounds. I offer my hand at the trickiest sections, surprised by how naturally protective I feel toward her. Is this how Trent felt all those years, watching over me without my knowledge?

By midday, we've reached the forest proper. Ancient pines tower overhead, their needles creating a canopy that dapples the ground with shifting patterns of light and shadow. The earth feels alive under my feet—soft with decades of fallen needles, occasionally interrupted by gnarled roots that seem to reach for us as we pass.

"Hear that?" Vex pauses, head tilted.

We freeze, all senses alert. At first, nothing registers beyond forest sounds—wind through branches, small creatures moving through undergrowth, distant water. Then I catch it—the faint mechanical hum of Unity drones.

"Northwest," I confirm. "At least two units, standard search pattern."

"Moving this direction?" Trent asks, already scanning for cover.

I focus, filtering out natural sounds to isolate the mechanical signature. "Holding their current grid position. Just outside optimal detection range."

"Let's keep it that way," Vex says, adjusting our course slightly eastward.

We continue through the forest, moving with practiced stealth. Even Lily adapts quickly, mimicking our careful foot placement and controlled breathing. The data crystal pulses occasionally in her pack, responding to her proximity like a living thing.

The afternoon stretches on, golden light filtering through the canopy as the sun begins its westward journey. My enhanced stamina handles the physical demands easily, but I notice Lily tiring despite her brave attempts to hide it.

"Let's take five," I suggest when we reach a small clearing.

Trent nods, helping Lily settle onto a fallen log while Vex secures the perimeter. I distribute water and protein rations from my pack, the bland emergency food still better than anything Unity provided.

"How are you holding up?" I ask Lily.

She straightens, clearly wanting to appear stronger than she feels. "Fine. My modifications are processing the remaining suppressants efficiently."

"You don't have to pretend," I tell her gently. "Even with modifications, extended exertion after what you've been through is challenging."

Her shoulders slump slightly. "It's just... everything's so different out here. So many inputs. My perceptive abilities keep trying to catalog everything at once."

I understand completely. My first days outside the arcology had been similarly overwhelming—enhanced senses bombarded with unfiltered information after years of Unity's controlled environments.