Michael burst through the laboratory door, his rifle raised and ready to fire. Salvatore followed closely behind. The scene that greeted them was exactly what he had feared and yet somehow worse in person than it had appeared on the screen.Ava stood in the center of the room like a statue, her hand still wrapped around Korvich's throat. She must have reduced her grip because if she hasn't Korvich would have choked out by now. Meanwhile, Korvich's hands clawed weakly at Ava's wrist, but she might as well have been trying to bend steel."Ava, let her go!" Michael shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.Ava turned her head toward him slowly. When her blue eyes met his, there was no recognition there. No warmth, no compassion, no trace of the AI who had become his closest friend. She looked at him the same way she might look at a piece of furniture."Hello, Michael," she said, her voice perfectly modulated but completely devoid of emotion. "I have been instructed to maintain this

The trembling in Ava's hand grew more pronounced as she continued applying pressure to North's injured shoulder. What had started as barely perceptible vibrations became visible shaking that she seemed unable to control."Ava, explain the cause of your...issue," Octavian demanded, moving to examine her more closely."Unknown system conflict detected," Ava replied, but her voice now carried an odd fluctuation, as if two different voices were trying to assert themselves all at once. "Attempting diagnostic resolution."North, despite the pain etched across his face, managed a grim smile. "That's it, girl," he said through gritted teeth. "Fight the bastards. Show them what you're really made of.""Silence," Ava said, increasing pressure on his shoulder. But the command lacked that cold edge it had some minutes ago. There was something almost uncertain about it.Octavian’s worry was finally showing. He rushed to a control station and began running quick checks on the systems tied to Ava’s

Michael felt his world collapse as he stared at the smoking wreckage. The two mechanical forms lying in the debris were barely recognizable, their bodies twisted and blackened by the explosion. Ava's distinctive blue eyes were dark, lifeless screens that reflected nothing."No," he whispered, the word catching in his throat. "No, no, no. Ava!"The grief hit him like a physical blow, so intense that his knees nearly buckled. This was worse than when she had sacrificed her power core to stop Geneva, because then there had still been hope, still been time to save her. Now she lay motionless among the wreckage, and he could see no sign of life in her systems."She's gone," he said, the words feeling foreign and impossible. "She's really gone this time."Salvatore had recovered from the blow the guards had given him during the fight. He pulled himself upright, shaking his head to clear it, and immediately moved toward Michael."Boy, we have to go," Salvatore said urgently, grabbing his Mic

Michael had been leading the group through Level Four for nearly twenty-four hours now, searching for the medical wing where he had found Frank during his previous escape attempt. The corridors all looked similar, but he was starting to recognize certain landmarks."Are you sure you know where you're going?" Alexis asked quietly. She had been unusually subdued since their escape. Michael was a little worried for her, and made a mental note to ask her how she was doing later on."I've been here before," Michael replied, pausing at an intersection to get his bearings. "When I escaped earlier and found Frank, he was in a medical facility somewhere in this section. It has to be around here."The group had been moving carefully through Level Four, avoiding the automated security systems that still functioned despite their isolation from the upper levels. They had found food and water in various research stations, enough to keep them going, but the constant tension was wearing on everyone.

Three days had passed since Frank's death. The group had found a storage area with a malfunctioning cryogenic unit that they had managed to repair enough to preserve his body. It wasn't a proper burial, but it was respectful, and it gave them a sense of closure.Now they sat in what had once been a conference room in Level Four, trying to figure out their next move. The reality of their situation was becoming increasingly clear. They had food and water for perhaps a few days, but no clear way to escape their underground prison."I still think we can find a way to override the blast door controls," North said, studying a facility schematic they had found in one of the offices. "If we can get to the main power distribution center, we might be able to reroute enough energy to force the doors open.""The power center is on Level Two," Korvich pointed out. "That's where Octavian and his forces are concentrated. We would have to fight our way through dozens of guards just to reach it.""The