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I take the crystal, feeling its familiar warmth against my palm. Not the overwhelming power of the full network, but a whisper of that connection—enough to link us but not enough to drain us.

"Ready?" Sara asks, looking between Lily and me.

We nod in unison.

When our crystals touch, the connection forms immediately—a subtle resonance linking our modified genetics. I feel Lily's perceptive brilliance and Sara's adaptive flexibility flowing alongside my own capabilities. A perfect triangle of complementary modifications, creating something greater than our individual patterns.

"Connection stable," Sara confirms. "Masking field active."

Marcus approaches with final coordinates for our transport drivers. "Unity communications indicate no change in prisoner transfer timeline. You have approximately five hours to reach Resonance, locate targets, and extract before transfer protocols begin."

"Understood," Jo responds. "Team ready for departure."

I look around at these people willing to risk everything for a rescue mission with terrible odds. For me. For Trent and Vex and the other prisoners. Despite everything Unity has done todivide us, to categorize us as different species, we stand united in this moment.

"Let's bring them home," I say simply.

We move out under the cover of darkness, two transport vehicles carrying us toward uncertain fate. The wasteland stretches empty and forbidding around us, lit only by the faint glimmer of stars. No moon tonight—a small tactical advantage in our approach to Resonance.

Lily sits beside me, the crystal in her hand pulsing gently in rhythm with mine. Through our connection, I sense her scanning the terrain ahead, her perceptive abilities extending far beyond normal range.

"Unity patrols have increased since our intelligence briefing," she reports. "They're establishing additional checkpoints along the western approach."

Jo nods, already adjusting our route. "Eastern approach then. Longer but less monitored."

The transport shifts course, adding precious minutes to our timeline but reducing discovery risk. I fight the impatience clawing at me, the desperate need to reach Resonance as quickly as possible. Tactical reality overrides emotional urgency. Better to arrive safely than not arrive at all.

"Perimeter in view," our driver announces an hour later.

Through the viewport, I can make out Resonance's outline against the night sky—no longer the welcoming sanctuary I knew, but a fortified position bristling with Unity security measures. Floodlights sweep the outer boundaries, illuminating patrolling operators moving with mechanically perfect precision.

"Stop here," Jo instructs. "Remainder of approach on foot."

We disembark two kilometers from Resonance's perimeter, the transport retreating to a concealed position to await our return. If we return.

"Connection holding," Sara confirms as we prepare for the final approach. "Unity scanning systems won't detect ourmodifications, but standard visual surveillance remains a threat."

"Stay low, stay quiet," Jo instructs unnecessarily. We all understand the stakes.

We move across the broken terrain in perfect synchronized silence, the resonance connection allowing wordless coordination. Lily guides our path, sensing patrol movements before they become visible. Sara maintains our masking field, adjusting its frequency to counter Unity's scanning systems. I keep my senses extended outward, hunting for any trace of Trent or Vex's distinctive signatures.

The maintenance tunnel entrance appears exactly where intelligence indicated—a narrow opening barely visible amid collapsed debris. Jo moves forward first, checking for security measures before signaling us forward.

"Clear," she whispers. "Proceed in established order."

We enter the darkness in single file, resonance connection our only guide as we navigate the cramped passage. My enhanced vision adapts gradually, revealing details others would miss—ancient maintenance markings, service junctions, the occasional evidence of animal passage.

Time stretches strangely in the confining darkness. It could be minutes or hours before we finally reach a junction marked with Haven symbols—our entry point to Resonance's lower levels.

"Security scan," Jo warns as we approach the sealed access panel.

Sara steps forward, placing her palm against the scanner. Through our connection, I feel her modifications adapting, replicating the authorization patterns needed to bypass security. The panel shifts from red to green with a soft click.

"Access granted," she confirms. "Sixty-second window before system reset."

We slip through the opening one by one, emerging into what was once Resonance's maintenance level. The transformationis immediate and jarring—Haven's warm, organic design replaced by Unity's clinical efficiency. Temporary barriers erected, security checkpoints established, the entire settlement repurposed into a processing facility.

"Prisoner locations?" I ask Lily quietly.