Chapter 7 · Neon Zero - Chapter 7: Zero Awakening

"Don't move. If you twitch, I lose the lock—and the system kills us both."

Knox's arm was across my chest, pinning me against the sealed transit gate. His body blocked the only clear line between us and the six armored guards flooding into the station. The metal behind my shoulders vibrated every time another purge drone slammed into the outer doors.

My wrist display flashed red.

SYNC FAILURE: 00:47 IDENTITY COLLAPSE: ARDEN / VEY

"Forty-seven seconds," I said. "You said the link would hold."

"I said it might hold."

"That is not better."

His fingers tightened against my ribs. Not hard enough to hurt. Hard enough to remind me that he could lock my spine with one command if he wanted to.

The nearest guard raised a pulse rifle. Its blue charge crawled across the barrel.

"Officer Arden," the guard called. "Step away from the illegal host."

Knox did not look at me. "You still have the core?"

"It's inside my hand."

"Can you trigger it?"

"Can you stop asking questions like I know what I'm doing?"

"Can you trigger it?"

I looked down. The stolen upgrade core had melted into the skin of my palm three minutes ago.