Chapter 5

The run to Sector 4 felt like an eternity for Terra. Her lungs burned, and the cheap boots had rubbed the skin off her heels, leaving hot, stinging blisters. She tasted blood in the back of her throat. But Terra didn't stop.

While Terra ran, keeping her eyes fixed on Zev's broad back as he cleared a path through the crowded, filthy streets, she aggressively interacted with the Kore AI in her mind. *Open system shop!* she commanded mentally.

The blue translucent screen flashed across her vision. Row upon row of items appeared. Weapons, blueprints, seeds, and medical supplies. Everything was priced in crypto-credits. *Filter by medical. Immediate trauma stabilization.*

The list narrowed. Her eyes darted to the top item.

[Advanced Medical Nano-gel]

Description: Instant cellular repair and hydration stabilization for severe organ degradation. Specifically effective for aquatic bio-forms experiencing desiccation.

Price: 450 Crypto-credits.

It was extortionate. It would drain almost all her starting funds. But Terra had zero choice. She couldn't buy food or shelter if she was dead. *Purchase.*

[Transaction Complete. Item stored in System Inventory. You may manifest it at will.]

"We're here," Zev stopped abruptly. Terra slammed into his back, bouncing off his hard muscles. She stumbled backward, gasping for air.

They were standing in front of a massive, decaying industrial warehouse. The metal siding was rusted brown, and the large loading doors were chained shut. Standing in front of the side entrance was a man. He was incredibly tall, easily six foot three, with broad shoulders and lean, predatory muscles. He wore a dark, tailored combat uniform that looked entirely out of place in the slums. His hair was a sharp, icy silver, and his eyes were the color of storm clouds.

Corbin Frye. Asset number three. His bio-form was a predatory avian-a silver falcon. He was arrogant, heavily elitist, and held absolute contempt for everything dirty and weak. Which included Terra.

Corbin looked up as they approached. His silver eyes locked onto Terra. She saw his nostrils flare in disgust as he took in her muddy clothes, wet hair, and the lack of toxic makeup on her face.

"You look like a drowned rat, Mason," Corbin said. His voice was smooth, cultured, but dripping with absolute venom. "What are you doing here? Did the Board finally kick you out of your ivory tower?"

"Move, Corbin," Terra ordered, stepping forward. She didn't have time for his elitist posturing.

Corbin didn't flinch. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the heavy metal door. "No," Corbin said simply. "You told me to guard this door. You told me not to let anyone in, especially not you, until Rhys begged for mercy. He hasn't begged. He hasn't made a sound in two days."

Corbin didn't know. He was guarding the door out of spite, strictly following the original Terra's cruel orders to punish her, refusing to break protocol. He thought Rhys was just being stubborn. He didn't realize Rhys was slipping into an irreversible coma.

"He's not making a sound because he's dying," Terra said, her voice shaking with adrenaline. "Open the door."

Corbin's eyes narrowed. He looked past Terra to Zev. "Is this a trick?" Corbin asked Zev, ignoring Terra completely. "Did she come up with a new game?"

"Just open the door, Frye," Zev said. His voice was tight, anxious. "If he dies, the feedback loop hits us all."

Corbin's arrogant facade cracked slightly. He stared at Zev for a second, reading the genuine urgency in the serpent's posture. Without another word, Corbin turned around. He punched a complex code into the rusted keypad next to the door. The heavy metal door clicked and slid open with a loud, grating screech. A blast of hot, incredibly dry air hit Terra's face. It smelled like dust and copper.

Terra pushed past Corbin, ignoring his glare, and practically threw herself down the dark, concrete stairs leading into the sub-basement. The basement was entirely dark, save for a single flickering yellow bulb hanging from the ceiling. In the center of the room, chained to the concrete floor by heavy, energy-dampening cuffs, was Rhys Donovan.

Terra's breath caught in her throat. He was beautiful, in a tragic, broken way. His human torso was lean and highly defined, but his skin was a sickly, pale gray. It looked like parchment paper ready to crumble. His lower half was a massive, powerful aquatic tail, covered in iridescent blue scales. But the scales were no longer glowing. They were dull, flaking, and cracked. Deep, bleeding fissures ran along his waist where the human skin met the scales. He was entirely motionless. His chest barely moved.

"Rhys," Terra whispered, dropping to her knees on the hard concrete next to him. The air was so dry Terra's own eyes stung. She reached out and pressed her fingers to his neck. His skin was terrifyingly hot and completely bone-dry. His pulse was a faint, erratic flutter, like a dying moth.

Corbin and Zev walked up behind Terra. She heard Corbin suck in a sharp breath. "He's... dried out," Corbin said, his cultured voice cracking. "I didn't know. The dampening cuffs suppressed his energy signature. I couldn't sense his decline."

"Get back," Terra ordered sharply. She didn't look at them. She kept her eyes on Rhys's chest.

Terra focused her mind. *Inventory. Manifest Nano-gel.* She reached into the pocket of her jacket. She felt the cold, metallic surface of a small cylinder materialize in her hand. She pulled it out. It was a heavy, military-grade syringe filled with a glowing, bright blue gel. Terra popped the cap off with her thumb.

"What is that?" Zev demanded, stepping forward. His massive hand gripped Terra's shoulder. "You're not injecting him with more of your chemical trash!"

"It's medical grade nano-gel!" Terra yelled, shaking off his hand. "It will stabilize his cellular hydration! If you stop me, he dies in ten minutes!"

Zev hesitated. His grip loosened. Terra didn't wait for him to make up his mind. She leaned over Rhys. She found the thickest cluster of cracked scales near his waist, where his major arteries ran. Terra pressed the tip of the syringe against his skin and drove the plunger down.