Page 53

"Fuck," I whisper.

"Medical facility. Now." Vex's tone brooks no argument. "Or I carry you there."

I want to resist on principle, but another wave of dizziness makes the decision for me. "Fine. I can walk."

We're halfway to the medical building when the sky tilts sideways and the ground rushes up to meet me. Strong arms catch me before I hit dirt, and the world goes dark.

I waketo the sound of arguing voices.

"—absolutely reckless to allow her to wander the settlement in this condition." That's Trent, his normally controlled voice tight with anger.

"She's not a prisoner, Sentinel." Vex's voice, cool and dismissive. "Or is control so deeply ingrained that you can't help yourself?"

"Enough, both of you." Dr. Reid this time. "Your territorial posturing isn't helping her condition."

I force my eyes open, squinting against harsh light. I'm in what must be the medical facility—clean but nothing like Unity's sterile white chambers. Medical equipment hums softly nearby, and I'm lying on something that's trying to be a bed but feels more like a slab with padding.

"She's awake," Vex announces.

Trent is at my side instantly, concern etched into every line of his face. "Zara. How do you feel?"

"Like I've been hit by a transport vehicle." My voice sounds strange to my own ears, raspier, with a slight resonant quality I don't recognize. "What happened?"

"Severe neural cascade," Dr. Reid explains, moving into view. "Your sensory enhancements activated simultaneously instead of in sequence. Essentially, your brain was flooded with more input than it could process."

I try to sit up, but my body feels wrong, too heavy and too light at the same time. "This is normal?"

"For accelerated adaptation, yes." Reid checks something on a monitor. "Your mother designed your modifications to activate gradually over years. Being in an environment with other active modifications has compressed that timeline dramatically."

"You're stabilizing now," Trent says, his hand hovering near mine but not quite touching. "The worst should be over."

I notice Vex watching this interaction with narrowed eyes. "The worst is just beginning," he counters. "Her body is fundamentally reorganizing itself. Every system will be affected."

"I'm right here," I remind them both sharply. "Stop talking about me like I'm a fucking specimen."

Reid at least has the grace to look chastened. "You're right. I apologize." He pulls up a chair beside my bed. "Zara, what you're experiencing is a concentrated version of the adaptive process your mother designed. Your genetic modifications aren't additions to your system—they're integrated patterns programmed to express when triggered. Think of it as a delayed puberty of sorts."

"Puberty didn't involve growing claws," I mutter.

"Those were temporary," Vex says. "Your body testing potential adaptations before settling on what's most useful."

I flex my fingers, relieved to see normal nails. "So what happens next? More surprise body horror?"

"Your systems will stabilize around your most necessary adaptations," Reid explains. "Enhanced sensory processing seems to be primary, followed by accelerated healing and increased physical capabilities. The exact manifestations will depend partly on environmental pressures."

"And how long does this 'stabilization' take?"

Reid and Vex exchange glances.

"Hard to say," Reid admits. "Your modifications are unique. Based on what I've observed so far, anywhere from a few days to a week."

"A week of this?" The thought makes me want to scream.

"I can help," Vex says unexpectedly. "I've guided others through difficult transitions. My modifications are different from yours, but the adaptation process is similar."

Trent stiffens beside me. "Dr. Reid is more qualified?—"

"Dr. Reid understands the theory," Vex cuts him off. "I've lived it. There's a difference."