10:10, February 23, 2295

  B7, Stardust Command, 1901 Patriot Way, Evanston, IL 60201, Terra Alliance territory

  The scent of antiseptic hit Xin's nostrils as Lorna led him through Stardust Command's lower levels. Doctor Nikki walked ahead of them, her white coat almost luminous under the stark lighting. The corridor stretched before them, its titanium walls bearing the scuffs and scratches of past containments gone wrong.

  "Most of our guests don't stay long," Lorna said, her boots clicking against the polished floor. "We process them, study them if needed, then transfer them to more permanent facilities — if they aren't disposed of." She gestured to a row of empty cells, each secured by a shimmering containment field that cast a pale blue glow.

  Nikki paused at a security terminal, her fingers dancing across the holographic interface. "Except for our newest inmate here. He's proven particularly enlightening."

  The cell they approached was larger than the others. Through its containment field, Xin could make out a hulking figure in the shadows. As they drew closer, his hand instinctively moved toward the 10mm Magnum on his belt.

  "Easy," Lorna said, noticing his tension. "The field's quantum-locked. Even if the power fails, it'll hold for six hours."

  Xin nodded, but the green Quantum Watch on his left wrist made an ominous beep as he rose it to eye level. "The resonance frequency," he said, pointing to a display panel affixed to a marble-colored wall. "It's fluctuating."

  "I see you’ve noticed." Nikki sighed. "We've requested an upgrade to the harmonic stabilizers, but..." She shrugged. "budget cuts, thanks to the almighty Corporate Chamber. Been like that since year ‘93."

  The figure in the cell stirred. A Valoran man — if he could still be called that — emerged from the shadows, and Xin had to suppress a gasp. The former human's transformation was complete - his skull had elongated into a nightmarish visage, skin pulled taut over sharp bone ridges and deep furrows. Glowing red eyes burned in sunken sockets, and his lipless mouth revealed rows of metallic teeth. His naked form displayed the virus's full corruption - gray, chitinous patches covered portions of his sickly brown skin, and even in its flaccid state, his grotesquely enlarged phallus spoke to the horrors of his metamorphosis — a man made Draug through the Fenris variant of the Nucleus Virus.

  Despite the monstrous changes, the Draug still carried himself with an unsettling academic poise.

  "Visitors?" The creature’s voice was a wet rasp. "How thoughtful of you. And who's this? Fresh meat?"

  "A new colleague," Lorna replied coolly. "Xin, meet Professor Mac Watrous. Former sociologist, current test subject. And terrorist scumbag."

  Xin studied the transformed man. Tubes ran from the ceiling to a feeding port in the cell, delivering a steady drip of fluorescent green Helionite. Despite his monstrous appearance, Watrous's posture remained eerily professorial, hands clasped behind his back as he paced.

  "Tell me, Imperial," Watrous said, "has Agent Weiss shown you what happens to those who refuse treatment?" He pressed closer to the containment field, his breath creating small ripples in the energy barrier. "Or perhaps she's told you how the Terra Alliance has failed to save the impoverished American people?"

  Xin noticed Lorna's jaw tighten.

  "That's enough, Professor," Nikki interjected, tapping notes into her tablet. "Your transformation has progressed faster than previous subjects. The cranial elongation alone—"

  "Progress?" Watrous laughed, a sound like grinding metal. "Doctor Nikki, this isn't progression. This is liberation." His glowing red gaze fixed on Lorna. "You know. You’ve felt it, haven't you? The power singing in your veins? The Nucleus Virus?"

  The air seemed to grow thicker. Xin glanced at Lorna, remembering what she’d been through in Taiwan. Her face remained impassive, but her hand had moved into the side pocket in her trench coat.

  "You guys get to watch international news down here?" Xin inquired in mock casualness. "Odd how a prisoner would know about —"

  One moment Watrous was standing still, the next he had hurled himself at the containment field. The barrier flickered, and though it held, the impact sending a visible shockwave through the system. Lorna had already drawn the hilt of her Psytum Sword, pushing Xin behind her with her other arm.

  "It’s in her smell," Watrous sneered, the claws on his deteriorating hands leaving trails of electricity where they scraped the barrier. "All who’re infected with same strain can sense each other. But I sense the one in you has been pacified. Why would you deny such a blessing?"

  "That's none of your concern, Professor," Nikki cut in sharply, but Xin caught the flash of pain across Lorna's face.

  Watrous pressed his elongated face against the field, skin sizzling. "Everything is relevant, Doctor. The virus doesn't just change our bodies. It reveals what we truly are." His red eyes found Xin again. "She could have been like me. Beautiful. Perfect. But she chose to remain limited."

  The feeding tube above hissed, dispensing another dose of Helionite. Watrous caught the liquid in his mouth, and Xin watched in horrified fascination as the professor's wounds from the barrier instantly healed.

  "Why do you keep him alive? This…monster," Xin whispered to Lorna.

  "Ask me yourself, Imperial," Watrous called out, his hearing obviously enhanced. "Or better yet, ask Dr. Chakraborty why she's so interested in my 'condition'. Tell him, Doctor. Tell him about the others."

  Nikki's tablet creaked under her grip. "As a Draug, Professor Watrous represents our first opportunity to study the complete transformation process in a subject with high psionic potential. If we can understand the virus's progression, we might finally develop a vaccine to eradicate —"

  "Eradicate?" Watrous's metallic laugh echoed off the walls. "How typically Alliance. Always trying to destroy what you don't understand." His naked form pressed against the barrier, red eyes gleaming. "They need me. Every test, every sample, every failure brings them no closer to their precious cure. At least the Imperium admits they want to control us." He bared his metallic teeth in a mockery of a smile.

  Something shifted in Lorna's stance. "We're done here," she said, her voice hard. But as they turned to leave, Watrous called after them.

  "Imperial! Ask your new colleagues why they're so desperate for a cure! Ask Agent Weiss what she saw when the virus sang in her veins. When she finally shows you what she really bears, remember this moment!"

  The walk back felt longer than their descent. Xin's mind raced, processing Watrous's words. Above them, the fluorescent strips cast moving shadows as they passed.

  "So, the containment field," he finally said. "The resonance frequency is…off. The whole quantum stabilization grid is running on legacy protocols. In case you're curious, it means one power surge and — "

  "We know, Mister Wu. We know," Nikki interrupted, her heels clicking faster now. "But SIMU's funding keeps getting diverted to combat equipment and espionage. The Corporate Chamber thinks — "

  "They think we're glorified pest control," Lorna finished. She hadn't holstered the hilt of her sword. "Until the next Radi-Mon outbreak hits, we're only useful for fighting Imperium and Directorate armies."

  They reached the Quantum Lift. As the doors slid shut, Xin noticed Lorna's left hand drift to her abdomen, her posture shifting ever so slightly. The subtle curl of her shoulders, the way she leaned against the elevator wall – he recognized the stance from his cousin's morning sickness years ago.

  "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

  Lorna's eyes met his in the elevator's reflection. Something flickered across her face – hesitation, perhaps fear – before she straightened her spine.

  "It's nothing," she said, forcing a small smile. "Had too much breakfast, I guess."

  The doors opened to the main level, and Nikki stepped out first, already buried in her own thoughts. But before Lorna could follow, Xin caught her arm.

  "If you’re feeling unwell," he said. "we can skip the shooting practice today."

  She looked at his hand on her arm, then at his face. A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. "I’m fine. See you at 11."

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  She walked away, leaving him in the Lift with the phantom sensation of her warmth beneath his fingers, and the echoing memory of Watrous's red eyes.

  08:30, February 23, 2295

  Combat Training Facility, Stardust Command, 1901 Patriot Way, Evanston, IL 60201, Terra Alliance territory

  The overhead lights of the combat training facility cast harsh fluorescent glare across the blue mats, revealing every imperfection, every weakness. Xin picked himself up from the floor for what felt like the hundredth time. His slight frame trembled with exertion, limbs burning from the repeated impact against the unyielding surface.

  "Again," Thomas commanded, his cybernetic arms gleaming under the unforgiving lights. The silver appendages whirred softly as he reset his stance, light gray eyes tracking Xin's movements.

  Xin swallowed hard, tasting the metallic tang of blood where his lip had split. A mosaic of purple bruises bloomed across his exposed forearms, stark against his olive skin. His thin frame, draped in the standard-issue SIMU training gear, looked almost childlike compared to Thomas's imposing physique.

  "I'm starting to think you enjoy the taste of mat," Thomas remarked, his wheat-colored skin glistening with a thin sheen of sweat. "Come on. One more time."

  Xin wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, leaving a crimson streak across his skin. as Thomas's expression hardened.

  "Yo, Tom, babying the new guy again?" Emmanuel's voice cut through as he strolled into the training room, his long locs swaying with each confident step. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "You know Director Otis wants a full assessment by noon."

  Thomas shook his head. "I'm trying, Manny. But Xin here seems to think SIMU is a tech convention."

  With a soft whir, Thomas's cybernetic fingers flexed, the movement fluid yet unmistakably mechanical. "One more demonstration. Pay attention this time."

  Before Xin could properly brace himself, Thomas lunged forward. Xin attempted to dodge as he'd been shown, but his movements were a half-second too slow. Thomas's metallic hand clamped around Xin's wrist, applying precise pressure.

  The crack echoed through the training room.

  Xin's scream followed a heartbeat later, sharp and agonized. He crumpled to his knees, cradling his broken wrist against his chest, face contorted in pain.

  "Shit," Thomas muttered, the mechanical whir of his arms somehow sounding apologetic as he knelt beside Xin. "Didn't mean to break anything."

  From a pocket in his tactical pants, Thomas produced a small cylindrical device—a Medi-Vap dispenser, the sea-green liquid inside swirling.

  "Open up," Thomas instructed, his tone softening. "This will fix you, but it's gonna hurt like hell for a few seconds, okay?"

  "Right…" Xin parted his lips, pain making his eyes water. Thomas placed the dispenser between Xin's lips and pressed the activation button. A hiss of pressurized gas followed, and Xin's lungs filled with a cool, mint-like vapor that glowed cyan in his mouth.

  As Xin exhaled the luminescent mist, a burning sensation spread from his lungs to his extremities, centering on his broken wrist. The pain intensified briefly, drawing another whimper from him before subsiding into a dull throb, then nothing at all. The bruises across his skin lightened, then disappeared entirely, leaving unmarked olive flesh. The painful dryness on his lips subsided, the bleeding staunched, his whole body feeling lighter.

  Thomas helped Xin to his feet, his cybernetic hand surprisingly gentle now. "Better?"

  Xin flexed his wrist experimentally, finding it completely healed. "Yeah...thanks."

  Thomas stepped back, running a hand through his short blonde hair, his expression a mixture of frustration and something that might have been respect. "Look, Xin, you're simply no soldier, minus the determination part. But determination alone doesn't make a soldier."

  Emmanuel pushed off from the wall, approaching them. "That's the third bone you've broken this week, Mendoza. Maybe ease up a little?"

  "Combat doesn't ease up. The Radi-Mons and Imperium bastards out there don't give us second chances." Thomas replied as he met Emmanuel's gaze.

  Emmanuel clapped a hand on Xin's shoulder. "How about we try something with a bit more distance? See if you can handle guns better than fists."

  Thomas's mechanical fingers whirred as he crossed his arms. "It'd take months of training before he'd be remotely useful in melee anyway." His tone softened slightly as he addressed Xin. "You'd really be better off in the tech division. Why so hell-bent on field work?"

  Xin straightened his spine, meeting Thomas's gaze despite the height difference between them. "I want to make a difference. Didn't leave the Imperium to hide behind computer screens."

  A moment of silence passed before Thomas nodded, the gesture curt. "It's a free country." He turned to Emmanuel. "He's all yours."

  As Thomas headed for the exit, his cybernetic arms gleamed under the lights, a reminder of the price some paid for their place in SIMU. At the door, he paused. "Try not to teach him those Maridian voodoo of yours. Paperwork's a bitch."

  "No promises, man," Emmanuel's laugh followed Thomas out, the sound warm and genuine. "Come on, skinny," he said to Xin, gesturing toward the adjacent weapons range. "Let's see if you can handle something that bites back."

  "Thomas said something about…voodoo?" Xin ventured.

  "My family's from a line of witchdoctors in the Directorate. Sumina, we call them." Emmanuel flexed his arms as he strolled to the other side of the room. "It's mentally straining for anyone to learn them. I'd have to write pages of request document before Director Otis'll let me teach you."

  Emmanuel led Xin through a set of double doors into the adjacent weapons range. The room smelled of gun oil and ozone – the distinct scent of kinetic weaponry discharging in an enclosed space.

  "Ever shot one of these before?" Emmanuel pulled a sleek white-blue submachine gun from the wall rack. The weapon hummed to life at his touch, status lights blinking along its barrel.

  "Nope." Xin shook his head. "Just handguns."

  "This ain't your standard-issue piece." Emmanuel's fingers caressed the weapon with practiced familiarity. "Kuma here's a Kinetic SMG. Uses electromagnets instead of conventional propellants. Quieter, cleaner, deadlier."

  Xin's eyes remained fixed on the weapon. "So about that voodoo—"

  "Focus, skinny," Emmanuel cut him off, tapping the gun. "One lesson at a time."

  He stepped to the firing line, bringing the SMG to his shoulder in one fluid motion. The targets downrange – humanoid silhouettes – lit up as the range's systems activated.

  "Stance is everything," Emmanuel demonstrated, feet shoulder-width apart. "Weight forward, grip firm but not white-knuckled."

  Three quick bursts from the SMG, each accompanied by a low electronic whine rather than the expected bang. The center target's head and chest bloomed with precise groupings.

  "Looks easy, right?" Emmanuel grinned, extending the weapon to Xin. "Your turn."

  Xin accepted the SMG gingerly. The weapon was lighter than he expected, yet still substantial. He mimicked Emmanuel's stance, bringing the stock to his shoulder.

  "Straighten your back," Emmanuel corrected. "Elbow down. Yeah, like that."

  Xin squeezed the trigger.

  The recoil hit him like a punch. The SMG bucked upward, shots spraying wildly above the target. Xin stumbled backward, nearly losing his footing.

  "Whoa, easy!" Emmanuel steadied him. "Shorter bursts. Don't fight the climb, control it."

  Xin nodded, tightening his jaw. He reset his stance and tried again. This time, the shots were at least in the vicinity of the target, though nowhere near the center mass.

  "Better," Emmanuel encouraged. "Again."

  Six attempts later, Xin lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, the SMG resting on his chest. His arms burned from the effort of controlling the weapon, and his shoulder throbbed where the stock had repeatedly slammed into it.

  "I guess this isn't working," he muttered with a self-deprecating smile.

  Emmanuel squatted beside him. "Everybody sucks at first." He reached for the SMG. "Here, let me—"

  As his fingers brushed against the weapon and Xin's hand simultaneously, something peculiar happened. The SMG's status lights along its barrel's edge flickered rapidly, cycling through colors before settling on a verdant green – a shade the weapon had never displayed before.

  Emmanuel froze, his expression shifting from casual to intense curiosity.

  "The hell?" He picked up the SMG, examining it closely.

  "Something wrong?" Xin propped himself up on his elbows.

  Emmanuel ignored the question, instead placing the weapon back in Xin's hands. "Hold this a second."

  The green lights flickered again, though less dramatically.

  "Huh. Void attunement." Emmanuel's gaze grew calculating. "You ever been tested for psionic potential?"

  "No." Xin sat up fully now. "The Imperium keeps track of everyone who takes those tests. My family told me to never do it."

  "So you've never been diagnosed or suspected as such?"

  "No," Xin shook his head. "Why?"

  Emmanuel took the SMG back, the lights returning to their normal blue hue. "Kuma here's got a psionic core. It's usually blue since I'm Lunar-attuned. But it just... reacted to you."

  "Which means?"

  "Means you might be what we call a Latent." Emmanuel's tone turned thoughtful. "Psionic potential that never awakened."

  Xin's heart raced. "I can learn magic?"

  "It's not magic. Just 'fancy ways to manipulate atoms.'" Emmanuel helped him to his feet. "Some Latents never awaken. Others need a... catalyst."

  "What kind of catalyst?"

  "Exchanging your Aether with someone else's. There's several ways to do it." Emmanuel paused, a sly grin forming. "Sexual connection with an active psionic is one of the most effective."

  Xin's cheeks warmed at the implication.

  "Just kidding." Emmanuel chuckled as he took a few steps back. "Should see that look on your face."

  "Right, right. Only jokes, huh?" Xin pushed his glasses up, chuckling along awkwardly, but noted how Emmanuel's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

  "Anyway," Emmanuel continued, returning the SMG to its rack, "SMGs ain't your thing. Stick to what you discussed with Lorna."

  "Right. The 10mm." Xin nodded, unable to hide a small smile at the thought of their earlier conversation.

  Emmanuel's laugh was knowing as clapped Xin on the shoulder. "She's been planning this since getting out of medical. Fair warning, though – she's tougher than both of us combined."

  Follow, ?? Favorite and consider leaving a ??? Review sharing your thoughts and mentioning your favorite character.

  milestone announcement for details.

  Nucleus Official Site