James watched as the Bradley’s hydraulic system rumbled and the heavy door closed with a final, resonant clang—the only sound echoing in the tense silence. He turned around and surveyed the group gathered inside the vehicle. Seated in the back were the team of scientists, accompanied by the two remaining guards and Raven, whose steady gaze never wavered. Laim had managed to climb into the jeep just before it pulled away. James was beginning to grow fond of Laim; the man gave off an old-timer vibe. They’d had a few chats—Laim was a father of two, both children from pre-war times. He had them for a week when the bombs fell. How he managed to keep his kids alive during the nuclear ice age, James didn’t know, but he respected the man’s grit. He was determined to make sure Laim got home to them.

  The atmosphere in the vehicle was charged with simmering tension. Breaking the silence, Raven leaned in the face of the lead scientist. “Okay, that’s enough. What the hell is so special about this satellite?” Her voice carried equal parts anger and urgency, and her tone was sharp as she demanded, “What is so important that twelve people had to die?”

  James tried to do the math in his head—piecing together fragments of the dead—until he finally shrugged and gave up. He simply didn’t care about the dead as much as he cared about finishing the mission. The lead scientist snapped back, “That’s none of your business. Do your job,” his eyes narrowed as he glared back at her.

  Raven’s lips curled into a snarl of anger. “Not my business? Listen here, jackass, if you don’t tell me now, I swear I’ll—” Her threat was cut short when the driver’s voice interrupted from the front “We’ve got a toxic storm coming from the west. Our scrubbers won’t be able to clean the air enough for life.”

  At that moment, for the first time, the woman whose name James still didn’t know took action. With a calm movement, she reached into her jacket and produced a sleek digital device that James had never seen before. The driver clearly knew what it was as he immediately recognized it and inserted the device and read the data produced. Then speaking, “We can make it, but it’ll be cutting it close. We won’t have much time to get inside—are you sure this is still here?”

  Her voice, soft and soothing—something you could listen to for hours—yet her tone carried an unmistakable commanding force, responding Coldly, “I am.”

  “Alright, ma’am,” the driver said with a mix of urgency and respect, “we’ll be there in five. Get ready—it’s going to be bumpy.” His words sent a ripple of tension through the group of scientists as he relayed the order into the jeep.

  Bumpy was a fucking understatement, James thought as he braced himself against the wall with his feet, trying desperately to prevent further impact. Moments ago, the Bradley had jerked downward violently, sending him face-first into a piece of equipment before he tumbled to the floor. But just as suddenly, the violent motion ceased, and the back hatch dropped open. Without hesitating, James scrambled out of the vehicle. Outside, the wind was already blowing at hurricane speeds, whipping up sand that stung like a barrage of tiny knives.

  James quickly wrapped his scarf around his face, pulling it tight for protection against the abrasive particles. He looked up, squinting against the relentless sand and swirling dust, to see the ruins of a massive concrete complex. From what he could discern, there were at least four distinct buildings, with perhaps the remnants of a fifth barely visible through the choking haze. The structures had long lost their windows, leaving gaping voids. Even the interior of the Bradley, would offer better protection. He couldn’t see any refuge from this savage environment in those ruins.

  Just then, he noticed the woman emerge from the Bradley . She pointed toward the third structure and said, “There’s an old research lab.” The group quickly took off for the building, and with every passing second, the wind grew stronger and more violent. The temperature, already a frigid 20°F and dropping further, bit into everyone—even without the wind, it was unbearable. With the wind, even the exo-suits offered little warmth. While James’s enhanced physiology allowed him to shrug off the chill, he knew the freezing air was taking its toll on the rest of the team.

  They ran across the open desert, where the sand had churned into a near-black, abrasive blanket under the howling wind, making every step a struggle. James’s vision blurred intermittently as the sand whipped across his face, turning his peripheral view into a shifting, nightmarish swirl of darkness and grit. He could barely distinguish one landmark from another in the desolate maze of ruined concrete and endless dunes.

  After what felt like an eternity, James finally reached the entrance to the building. The structure, once a bustling hub of desks and offices, had long been abandoned to the elements. Everything had been reduced to a thick layer of dust and decay by relentless, corrosive weather. James activated his brain implant on overdrive, scanning the room for any sign of the hidden lab. And then he saw it—a barely visible outline of a secret passageway, hidden in plain sight, camouflaged by layers of dust and neglect.

  Without a moment’s hesitation, James rushed over to the concrete wall and punched a hole through the fa?ade. The impact was brutal; the concrete shattered around his fists, and he winced as pain shot through his arm—he might have dislodged a finger, but he ignored it. The interior of the building was shrouded in darkness; however, James could see the hallway leading to a door with the letters (MGI) the name instantly came to James mind Mutagenix Genomics Industrie. It was one of their labs James realized.

  Just then, the woman came running, stumbling into the hall. She fumbled around in the dark, searching for the panel. James turned on his flashlight and shone it over her, allowing her to scan her arm against a reader mounted on the wall. With a soft beep, the contaminant door slid open. Without hesitation, James rushed in right behind her, his heart pounding with a mix of adrenaline and endorphins. The rest of the group followed closely behind him.

  The interior of the lab stretched into a long, sterile hallway, its stark white walls broken only by thin blue lines that traced their way down the corridor in evenly spaced intervals. The floors, once pristine, were now scuffed and dull, coated in a fine layer of dust that had settled over the years. The air smelled stale, like recycled oxygen and long-forgotten chemicals, untouched by time or fresh air.

  With a loud mechanical clang, the reinforced door behind them slammed shut, sealing them inside. James instinctively did a headcount. The two drivers and remaining guards had made it, as had Raven and Laim. The girl was accounted for, standing quietly near the scientists, though she seemed on edge. Only three of the six scientists remained. That left their group at eleven.

  “How long until the storm passes?” one of the scientists asked, glancing uneasily at the sealed entrance.

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  James, already taking in the layout, responded absently, “Most storms only last a few hours.But who knows this waste land’s different from the rest” His eyes followed the hall ahead, curiosity tugging at him. Without waiting for permission, he started walking down the corridor, boots echoing in the silence.

  Raven and Laim exchanged glances before following him.

  “Hey, where are you going?” one of the scientists called after them.

  James didn’t bother looking back as he answered, “To see if there’s a couch.”

  They turned the first corner, revealing a wider corridor with several branching doors, each labeled with faded plaques that had long since begun peeling at the edges.

  James glanced at the first door— "Lab 3A"—and pushed it open. The stale air inside was tinged with a faint chemical odor. Rows of shelves lined the walls, each filled with old, dust-covered vials containing unknown liquids. Some were still sealed, their labels faded or smudged beyond recognition. Others had cracked or leaked, leaving behind crystalline residues on the countertops. Large test tubes were suspended in metal racks, the contents long since separated into unsettling layers of different colors. Some of the tubes still contained murky, gelatinous substances, while others held dried remnants of whatever experiments had once taken place here.

  James ran his fingers over one of the counters, disturbing a thick layer of dust. Whatever they had been working on here, it had been abandoned in a hurry.

  He turned away and continued further down the hall, approaching the next door— "Facility Restroom." Inside, the once-clean white tiles were stained with time, grime settled in the corners of the floor. A row of sinks lined one wall, the mirrors above them cracked in places, reflecting distorted images. Several stalls stood slightly ajar, their doors creaking eerily with the shifting air pressure in the room. One of them had deep scratches along the metal, as if something had clawed at it, desperate to get in.

  Uninterested, James left and moved to the next room— "Testing Chamber 2." The moment he stepped inside, a chill ran down his spine. The walls were lined with reinforced glass panels, some fogged over, others shattered, their jagged edges glinting under the dim emergency lighting. Metal examination tables sat in the center of the room, restraints still attached as if waiting for subjects that would never come. Scattered notes and data pads lay discarded across the floor, some of the pages splattered with dark stains.

  Something had happened here and james couldn't help but smile.

  James exhaled slowly and left, moving to the final area at the end of the hall. His path was blocked by a large security door, its reinforced plating still intact, preventing access to whatever lay beyond. A terminal blinked dimly to the side, but without clearance, there was no way through—at least, not without time he may be able to get in but he wanted to sleep for a bit.

  Beside it, however, was something far more inviting— a break room. The glass-paneled door was slightly ajar, and inside, the space was untouched by time. The tables and chairs were still neatly arranged, a vending machine stood dead in the corner, and a few old coffee cups remained on the counter. A couch—worn but intact—sat against the wall.

  James stepped inside, brushing dust off the armrest before sitting down. He leaned back, letting the silence settle over him.

  “Looks like I found my couch.”

  Soon after, the rest of the scientists entered the break room, their postures stiff, their eyes darting nervously toward every shadow. It was clear they expected something to emerge from the dark corners at any moment. Their unease was palpable, thickening the already stale air.

  James remained leaning back on the couch, observing them with mild curiosity. Then his gaze shifted to the girl. She surveyed the room with an almost detached expression before silently lowering herself onto the other side of the couch, crossing her legs with a calculated grace.

  Raven, never one to let tension sit unchallenged, folded her arms and asked bluntly, “Okay, what’s going on? Why are you all so scared?”

  The scientists exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing.

  James exhaled through his nose before deciding to break the silence. “This is an old Mutagenix Genomics Industries facility,” he said, watching their reactions carefully. “Or, as most people called them, MGI. I’m sure you’ve heard of them.”

  Raven nodded. “Yeah, they were the biggest name in gene modification before the war. But what’s so scary about that?”

  James let out a dry chuckle, but there was no humor in it. He stared off toward the far wall, his fingers tapping against his knee as if recalling something unpleasant. “They didn’t just mess with human DNA for cosmetics or enhancements. They created all sorts of shit.” His voice was distant, his mind drifting to old files, things he had seen firsthand.

  Raven frowned, but before she could ask for clarification, something clicked in her mind. She slowly turned her attention to the girl sitting across from them. “Wait… if this is an MGI lab… then how the hell did you have access?”

  The girl—still composed, her expression unreadable—finally glanced at Raven before replying flatly, “That’s none of your business.”

  James, who had been watching the exchange, leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. His tone, however, was anything but casual.

  “I disagree.” His eyes glow intensified beneath his sunglasses, the lenses unable to fully mask the eerie light emanating from them. He locked his gaze onto hers. “It is my business. How did you unlock a sealed research facility, and while we’re at it, what’s your name?”

  The girl tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes unreadable in the lighting. Then, with deliberate slowness, she replied, “Aurora.”

  Her voice was soft but there was a steel edge to it. She wasn’t just some scientist tagging along—James knew that now.

  Aurora shifted slightly on the couch and turned her full attention to him, her gaze scrutinizing.

  “I’ll tell you why I have access,” she said smoothly, “if you tell me how a man—who isn’t in an exo-suit, isn’t wearing any filtration gear, and has no visible protection against the toxic air—managed to not only find the hidden entrance to this facility but also punch a hole through five inches of reinforced concrete.”

  She leaned in just a fraction, her expression unreadable.

  “And let’s not forget how you’re sitting here, unbothered by the storm’s 20°F temperatures and hurricane-force winds. Winds that would strip flesh from bone in minutes for anyone unprotected.”

  Her words were slow and deliberate.

  James felt a flicker of realization in his mind. Shit.

  He had forgotten to put his rebreather on in the chaos of the escape. His cover had slipped, and she had noticed.

  For a brief moment, he considered trying to talk his way out of it. But the way Aurora was looking at him—like she already knew the answer and was just waiting for him to lie—made him reconsider.

  James shrugged, flashing his usual easygoing smirk as the glow in his eyes dimmed back to normal.

  “You’re right. No need to tell us,” he said, brushing past the question like it wasn’t worth addressing.

  Aurora studied him for a moment longer, her gaze lingering, before letting the subject drop.

  Raven and Laim, however, weren’t so quick to move on. James could feel their eyes on him, filled with curiosity—and maybe even suspicion.

  James leaned back against the couch again, closing his eyes for a brief second.

  Great. This mission just kept getting more interesting.