“The universe is under no obligation to be in perfect harmony with human ambition.”

  — Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

  Karen slowly raised his hands. The soldier stared at him intently, eyes searching the surroundings for any of Karen's comrades. But Karen knew his window was coming. He calculated the time. By now, Tirn’s bomb should be ready to blow. He tensed every muscle in his body, bracing for the inevitable impact.

  At that moment, a massive, ear-splitting shockwave erupted from the facility's depths. Taking advantage of the roar, he drew a sharp breath. He gritted his teeth and ducked his body low. From deep within the base, a pressure wave that seemed to tear the very air apart surged forward.

  Karen lunged into that split-second opening. He drove his shoulder into the breastplate of the soldier, who had reflexively turned his head toward the sound, and pulled his trigger almost simultaneously. The gunshot went unheard; the alarm had already swallowed all sound. Red lights swept across the corridor like jagged claws. A metallic sensation brushed against the inside of his mouth. He thought for a moment he had bitten his tongue. His back stung.

  Clutching the documents to his chest, he sprinted. The floor vibrated beneath his feet. The walls seemed to heave a heavy breath. A sign at the end of the hallway fell and shattered.

  Tirn checked her watch. Only 8 cells remained until the bomb she had planted was set to detonate. It didn't look like she could open the safe in time. She dragged the heavy safe from the corner of the laboratory. The wheels screeched briefly as they scraped against the floor. The safe was heavier than she had anticipated. The hallway was empty, everyone cleared out for the experiment's final preparations.

  Just to the Fluid Computer room...

  She crossed the corridor. Sweat trickled down her forehead. The door to the Fluid Computer room came into view. Then, a distant alarm blared. Immediately after, a warning siren began to echo throughout the entire facility.

  What is it?

  But she couldn't stop. She pushed the safe right up to the door and threw it open. Massive copper pipes formed a grid that stretched to the ceiling. Modules wrapped in insulation filled the entire room. The rhythmic sound of steam filled the air.

  Tirn shoved the safe deep into the back of the room, behind the thick bulkheads and insulation—the safest spot. She closed the door. The external noise became muffled. Kneeling before the safe, she placed her fingers on the dial. Her fingertips scanned the numbers.

  Click. Click.

  The sound of someone running down the hallway reached her ears.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  Concentrate.

  The final number.

  Click—

  At that exact moment—

  KU-BOOM!

  A massive explosion erupted. The entire building shuddered. Tirn threw herself to the floor. The pipes on the ceiling groaned and creaked. Dust showered down.

  What was that?!

  It wasn't the bomb she had planted. She checked her watch. There were still 3 cells left. Something had gone terribly wrong. Her ears were ringing. Beyond the outer walls of the Fluid Computer room, she could hear screams and shouting. However, the thick bulkheads protected her.

  Tirn opened the safe with trembling hands. Inside, bundles of leather-bound codebooks were packed tightly.

  Now.

  She threw off her backpack and began stuffing them inside indiscriminately. Another explosion echoed from outside. A smaller one. It sounded like a chain reaction. She checked the time.

  No time before the explosion!

  She zipped the backpack shut and grabbed three more codebooks in her hands. She ran toward the bomb she had planted. Between the grid of pipes, a red light was blinking. Her fingers turned the dial.

  5 cells... no, 6 cells!

  She needed to buy time to escape. She set it to 6 cells and grabbed her backpack. She opened the door. The hallway was a scene from hell. Thick smoke filled the air. Pipes had burst from the walls, hissing steam everywhere. People were screaming and running in all directions. In the chaos, no one recognized what she was doing.

  Without much difficulty, she returned to the spot where they had first infiltrated. The barbed wire, already cut by Karen, was pushed aside. She passed through quickly and then lit the fuse of the demolition charge they had set. After running across the small clearing, she quickly sought cover.

  It seemed the Fluid Computer room blew first. From a distance, a muffled thud was felt as a vibration traveled through the ground. Then, the bomb at the barbed wire exploded. In an instant, debris flew and showered the area. She held her breath and waited for the vibrations to subside.

  Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind her. Her mouth was covered. Cold metal touched her neck.

  “What is in the bag?”

  It was Karen. His voice was different than usual—raspy and hollow. Tirn slowly and quietly lowered her hands, opened her backpack, and showed him the contents.

  “Why did you disobey my orders?”

  Karen asked, barely suppressing a surge of nausea. The burns he had sustained in the observation room throbbed with a stinging pain. His head felt as though a constant, high-pitched ringing was echoing through his skull. His eyes, too, were burning and sore.

  “The sabotage mission was completed successfully. This is an additional merit,” Tirn replied, catching her breath.

  “I believe I ordered you not to collect any information regarding the discs...”

  Karen spoke, his voice dropping to a low growl. Suffering from a sudden, sharp headache, he pressed his temple with his free hand—the one not holding the blade.

  “I acquired these naturally in the course of the mission,” Tirn said defensively.

  As she spoke, she heard a wet, rattling sound rising from Karen’s chest. A moment later, he began to cough violently.

  Tirn turned around slowly, making sure not to provoke him. His face had turned deathly pale, and his hands were trembling slightly. Abandoning further words, she reached out to support him. Karen instinctively tried to push her away with one hand, but realizing he lacked the strength to even move her, he gave up and leaned against a nearby tree to stay upright.

  Tirn realized it would be impossible to support him all the way to the safe house or meet with the local contacts in this state.

  “It would be best to return to the observation post to rest before moving further.”

  Karen simply nodded silently, lacking even the strength to respond. She supported his weight and led him back toward the tunnel where they had observed the facility. It was the same dugout where they had left a small reserve of water and food, just in case.