The machine's pitch warped.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just enough for every scientist in the room to stop pretending they weren't afraid.
Blue light pulsed across the walls in uneven waves, catching on stainless steel trays and the glossy black visors of the soldiers standing guard. One of the monitors began spitting out numbers too fast to follow. Another flatlined for half a second before violently correcting itself.
And then—
"Jennifer…?"
The scientist's voice came out thin.
Jennifer turned her head slowly.
He swallowed under the weight of her stare.
"The lattice seems to be failing," he said carefully. "I—I'm not sure what's happening. Neural synchronization is dropping too fast."
Jennifer looked at him for another second before her eyes drifted back toward me.
Blood slid from my nose in slow, dark ribbons.
Hot.
I could feel it running over my lips.
Another beat passed.
The machine shrieked.
"Shut the machines off."
The room erupted instantly.
