Chapter 20 · Untitled Chapter

"ROOT AUTHORITY CONFIRMED." The bunker woke beneath Leia's boots, and the floor split open under Nolan.

"Leia, what did you do?" Blood ran from his nose as he clung to the cracked console.

"I remembered." She reached for him, but cables shot from the opening and wrapped around his wrists. "Get away from my brother!"

The chamber shook. Dead monitors flickered on, washing the blood-slick floor in green light. Six armored shells rose from the walls, their porcelain visors blank and their rifles already charging.

Across the platform, Sevlyn Voss gripped the neural lock at the base of her skull. Silver prongs pulsed beneath her skin. She'd taken off her mask, and without it, she looked too young to have helped build a city-sized machine that ate people alive.

"The system recognized you," Sevlyn said. "It was waiting for the heir."

"Then tell it to wait somewhere else."

"It doesn't take orders from me anymore."

A red notice crawled across the nearest screen.

PURGE ACTIVE. TRANSFER TARGET: NOLAN MORN. SIX MINUTES.

Nolan stared at the cables tightening around his arms. "You said you came here to stop this."

"I did."

"You're doing a terrible job."

"I noticed.