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"Who are the buyers?" I asked. "The ones the Krixon commander mentioned?"

Laith shook his head. "I don't know for sure. But I've heard things... whispers about a group called the Promethean Collective. They believe that merging with machines is the next step in human evolution. And they're willing to do anything to make it happen."

The name sent a chill through me. I'd heard rumors about the Promethean Collective during my time in the Krixon military. They were supposed to be a myth, a bogeyman story told to scare new recruits. But if they were real, and if they got their hands on this technology.

A loud creak from above interrupted my thoughts. The warehouse was becoming more unstable by the second. We needed to get out.

"Can you walk?" I asked Laith.

He nodded, struggling to his feet. I supported him with my organic arm, ignoring the pain that flared with every movement.

As we made our way towards the exit, picking our way through the debris, I activated my comm unit. "Imogen? Are you there?"

For a heart-stopping moment, there was nothing but static. Then, blessedly, her voice came through. "Norn! Thank god. Are you okay? What happened in there?"

"I'm alive," I said, relief washing over me at the sound of her voice. "I've got Laith with me. We're coming out now. Have you contacted the authorities?"

"They're on their way," she confirmed. "But Norn, there's something else. I've been monitoring communications, and... there's chatter about a massive data breach at the medical center. I think Venn might have used the chaos as a cover to steal research data."

I cursed under my breath. Of course. The explosions, the confrontation... it had all been a distraction. "Okay," I said, my mind already racing ahead to our next move. "We'll deal with that once we're out of here. For now, just be ready to move. I don't think we're going to be safe here for long."

As we emerged from the crumbling warehouse, I saw Imogen waiting by our vehicle. Her pale face showed worry. The moment she saw me, she ran forward,throwing her arms around me in a fierce embrace.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she murmured into my chest.

I held her close with my organic arm, my cybernetic one still supporting Laith. "I'm okay," I reassured her. "But we need to move. This isn't over yet."

Imogen pulled back, her eyes searching my face. She must have seen something there, some reflection of the grim truths I'd learned, because her expression hardened with determination.

"What's our next move?" she asked as we helped Laith into the vehicle.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything we'd uncovered settling onto my shoulders. "We gather every scrap of evidence we can," I said. "And then we take this to someone who can help. Someone with the resources and influence to stop Venn and his Promethean Collective before it's too late."

Chapter 10

Imogen

My heart pounded as I raced through the corridors of the medical center, the alarms blaring in my ears. Norn's heavy footsteps echoed behind me, his cybernetic enhancements allowing him to keep pace despite his injuries.

"We're almost there," I called over my shoulder, my voice tight with urgency. "The main server room is just ahead."

We skidded around a corner, nearly colliding with a group of panicked staff members evacuating the building. I barely registered their startled faces as we pushed past them. There was no time for explanations or apologies. Every second counted.

As we approached the server room, I saw thereinforced door was already ajar. My stomach dropped. We were too late.

"Norn," I said, but he was already moving, his cybernetic arm whirring as he pushed the door open fully.

The scene inside made my blood run cold. Dr. Venn stood at the main terminal, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Someone plugged a small device into the system, and lights blinked rapidly as it downloaded massive amounts of data.

Venn's head snapped up at our entrance, his eyes widening in surprise before narrowing with anger. "You two are becoming a real nuisance," he snarled.

"Step away from the terminal, Venn," Norn growled, his body tensing for a fight.

But Venn just smiled, a cold, triumphant expression that sent chills down my spine. "I'm afraid you're too late," he said, pressing a final key with a flourish. "The download is complete. All your research, all your breakthroughs... they belong to the Promethean Collective now."

I felt a surge of anger and desperation. Months of work, countless innovations that could help so many people, all in the hands of those whowould use it to control and subjugate. "Why are you doing this?" I demanded. "You were a respected scientist once. How could you betray everything you stood for?"

Venn's face twisted into a sneer. "Betray? I'm advancing the cause of science beyond your limited imagination. The Promethean Collective understands the true potential of our work. With this data, we'll usher in a new era of human evolution."