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He could see the much brighter lights of his team in the corridor ahead, and in some of the rooms to either side.

Loki saw organics in some of the walls, too.

Those organic machines appeared so dense in some places, they ran like blood-engorged veins through all four surfaces of the corridor. It gave him an incomplete view of the dimensions of the physical structure, but a view nonetheless.

“Corridor, second right,” he said through the sub-vocals. “Fourth door on the left. Should be a dead-metal, key button security panel under a flip switch on the outside. The secondary will engage after you open that. Organic. Retinal scanner. Possibly face-rec or other ID.” Pausing as he felt Ontari and Illeg approach the correct door, he added, “If you can’t hack the squids, we may have to use charges.”

He continued to make his way towards them. Anale walked directly behind him, and Kalgi and Holo just ahead, following Rex.

“Report?” he queried.

He could feel and see Illeg and Ontari jacking open the dead-metal panel.

“Still clear,” Holo said.

“Clear,” Rex confirmed, peering through the doorway to what felt like a large conference room. It contained an enormous, real-wood table that shimmered with the remnants of the tree’s light, as well as at least thirty leather high-backed chairs.

Loki felt Rex’saleimipan slowly through the room, sharing a snapshot with the others. Through him, Loki felt the denser, more complex imprints contained in that space.

They’d had important meetings in there, back when humans still roamed these halls.

Loki wondered if he should call that in, ask the bosses back at the carrier if they wanted him to try and collect more on what had occurred down here.

Yumi’s voice rose in his headset at once.

“Adhipan Balidor says no.” She sounded very far away now. “Complete primary goal and get out. Boss says to hurry it up, too. He doesn’t like some of the signatures in the area. He thinks someone might have been tipped off you’re down there.”

“Understood,” Loki said.

He knew by “boss,” his Sark sister meant Balidor that time, not the Sword.

He couldn’t feel the Sword at all anymore, and suspected he was not participating in the op at this stage.

“Correct,” Yumi said. “Do you need him? He’s under…” She hesitated, as if stopping herself from saying something she shouldn’t. “…He’s indisposed,” she finished. “But I could try to pull him, if you need him.”

Loki shook his head, feeling Illeg’s pulse of satisfaction as she broke through the key in the door’s lock.

“No.” He watched with his light as they opened the door. “Negative. We’ll be in and out, as requested. Tell Adhipan Balidor I’ll report again once we know what we have.”

He continued to follow Illeg and Ontari’s light, watching as they entered the space beyond the security panel. Holo and Jax now waited at the doorway as the other two went inside, covering them with their rifles.

Loki caught up with them in the physical seconds later.

He could see all four bright lights scarce meters away.

“Report?” he sent through the sub-vocals.

“You’d better come in here, sir,” Illeg replied.

Loki arrived at the door. Keeping his rifle raised, he walked inside, scanning the room in rote before lowering the muzzle.

He could see what Illeg wanted him to see.

In front of all five of them, the faint outline of a picture or other wall hanging stood out on the far wall, covered with different sets of hand and fingerprints, especially on one side.

Behind those duller, more static imprints, Loki could see tendrils snaking in complicated trails through the wall, with thicker, more vein-like, gold and green branches than what he’d seen in the hallway outside. Seeing Illeg grin at him through the Barrier, only a few feet away, Loki allowed himself a small smile.

He whistled quietly, making Ontari chuckle.