— It's done, — Nate announced. — The energy lock is neutralized.
Elias exhaled deeply, relief washing over his face. — Thank you, — he murmured, looking at Jaxon and Paula. — I feel... clearer.
Jaxon placed a reassuring hand on Elias's shoulder. — Good to have you back. Now we need your help. Nate has discovered that Aria Shaw is evacuating the workers and planting explosives all over Rangar.
Elias's eyes widened. — Explosives? We need to stop her!
— Exactly, — Paula said, her tone urgent. — We need to split up. One team will find and disarm the explosives, the other will try to contact Aria and negotiate.
Jaxon agreed. — Maya, Nina, Liam, and I will handle the explosives. Paula, you and Elias find a way to contact Aria. Maybe you can reason with her.
Paula adjusted her gear and gave a determined nod. — Let's move out.
---
Paula and Elias moved through the abandoned corridors of Rangar, searching for a secure location to contact Aria without revealing their position. The corridors, lined with rusted pipes and outdated machinery, echoed with their footsteps. The walls were covered in peeling paint and grime, a testament to the long years of neglect. The air was thick with the musty scent of damp stone and metal.
They found a small, hidden room that once served as a maintenance hub. The room was cluttered with dusty consoles and forgotten equipment, some of it still partially functional. Cobwebs hung from the corners, and a layer of dust covered everything, making the air hazy with each step they took.
— This should do, — Paula said, brushing off a console and powering it up. The console hummed to life, its screen flickering as it struggled to stabilize. — Let's establish a secure connection.
Elias quickly worked to bypass the old security protocols. The console beeped and whirred as he navigated through the system, his fingers moving deftly over the keys. — We're in. Let's hope she responds.
The screen flickered, and Aria Shaw's stern face appeared. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized them.
— What do you want? — Aria's tone was icy.
— Aria, we need to talk, — Paula began. — Why are you planting explosives? What are you trying to achieve?
Aria's eyes flashed with anger. — This is about control. The technology here must not fall into the wrong hands.
— But you're putting innocent lives at risk! — Elias protested. — There has to be another way.
— There is no other way, — Aria snapped. — And now that you've contacted me, I'll find you and end this resistance.
The screen went dark as Aria terminated the connection. Paula stared at the blank screen, disbelief and confusion clouding her face.
— This doesn't make sense, — Paula said, turning to Elias. — Aria isn't our enemy. She's always followed Pier's orders, but she would never agree to destroy Rangar like this. Something's not right.
Elias frowned, considering her words. — You think she's being controlled? Like I was?
— It's possible, — Paula replied, her mind racing. — We need to talk to Jaxon about this.
---
Back with the rest of the team, Jaxon and Maya were working on disarming another explosive device when Paula and Elias returned. The room they were in was a small storage area, filled with crates and old equipment. Maya was carefully examining the wiring of the explosive while Liam stood guard at the entrance, his eyes scanning the corridor for any signs of movement.
— Jaxon, we need to talk, — Paula said urgently. — Aria refused our offer and is determined to track us down. It's not like her.
Jaxon looked up, concern etched on his face. — You think she's under the influence of another energy lock?
— It's the only explanation that makes sense, — Paula said. — She's not acting like herself.
Jaxon agreed slowly. — It's a possibility we can't ignore. Nate, can you scan for any signs of energy interference in Aria's neural patterns?
Nate's holographic form flickered. — Captain, I cannot perform a scan at this distance. Aria Shaw is too far away for me to detect any neural patterns or energy interference.
Jaxon sighed. — Then we need to get closer to her, but we can't abandon our current mission. Let's focus on disarming the explosives first. If Aria is being controlled, freeing her might stop this madness.
— Agreed, — Paula said. — We'll need to split our efforts. Jaxon, you and the others handle the explosives. Elias and I will try to get closer to Aria and find out what's really going on.
With renewed determination, the team continued their work. Jaxon, Nina, Maya and Liam focused on disarming the explosives, each member contributing their unique skills to ensure the safety of Rangar. Meanwhile, Paula and Elias prepared to move closer to Aria, hoping to uncover the truth and free her from any potential control.