Shay sat alone in the farmhouse study, her notebook spread before her like a battlefield of thoughts and possibilities. Her fingers traced over hastily written notes, abstract connections jumping around in her mind. A short faint of a pulse from the Galiexian transmitter caught her eye; its steady pulse a reminder of the complexity they were up against.
She muttered under her breath, "John Force… Milly Turner. How does it all fit?"
The pieces of the puzzle were scattered: Milly Turner, the inconspicuous delivery worker; John Force, their relentless adversary; and Edwin, now missing under suspicious circumstances.
Her mind raced through the details. All the conversations Milly had struck up with Edwin, her ease of access as a delivery worker. The memory of Milly's overly familiar tone and her uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time gnawed at her. I don't believe in coincidences.
A soft knock broke her concentration. Alena and Drake entered. Their expressions were of a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Shay," Alena began, "you called us?"
Shay gestured for them to sit, her eyes darting back to the notebook. "I think I've figured out part of the equation. Milly Turner isn't just a random delivery worker. She's a plant, likely working for John Force."
"A plant? That's a leap, Shay. She delivered food and flirted with Edwin. That doesn't scream spy," said Drake, but after he thought about it another few seconds, "but, it actually does make sense. I agree with you."
"That's exactly what makes her dangerous," Shay shot back. "She's invisible. People like her blend in. Her role gave her access to information without raising suspicion."
"It does make sense. If she gained Edwin's trust, she could manipulate him… maybe even lead him into a trap," said Alena.
Shay tapped the notebook with her pen. "Exactly. And her connection to John Force isn't just speculation. Think about it—who benefits most from Edwin's disappearance?"
The weight of her words settled over them. Drake exhaled. "So, what's the plan?"
"We need to regroup. This changes everything," said Shay, rising from her chair. "We can't approach Edwin's rescue without considering this new angle. Call everyone to the command room. We need an emergency meeting."
In the farmhouse's command room, the team gathered around the central table. Shay relayed out her theory.
"Milly Turner," Shay began, "She's the missing link. Her connection to Edwin and proximity to us makes her the perfect operative for John Force."
"That's a strong accusation, Shay. What if she's just… nosy?" asked Marcus.
"And what if she's not?" Shay countered. "Her access to Edwin wasn't coincidental. She was placed to observe us, gather intel, and exploit vulnerabilities."
"If that's true, then what's her endgame? Why Edwin?" asked Uncle Ted.
"Because Edwin is the most vulnerable," Alena interjected. "He's brilliant, but he's also trusting. Milly could've easily manipulated him."
Grandpa Mitch added, "If Milly is working for Force, we're not just dealing with a rescue mission. This could be an ambush."
The room fell silent as the weight of his words settled. Grandma Shay broke the silence. "Then we adjust. We approach this with caution. We don't abandon Edwin."
"Agreed. We re-evaluate the rescue plan. This isn't just about getting Edwin back—it's about ensuring we don't walk into a trap," said Shay.
The team exchanged glances at the gravity of the situation.
Drake broke the silence. "What's the next step?"
"We gear up," said Shay. "This mission just became more complicated, but it's not impossible. We plan, we adapt, and we move."
The air inside the facility was unnaturally cold. The rescue team materialized just inside the perimeter, their suits instantly adapting to the temperature. Drake signaled with a subtle nod, and the group moved forward in formation.
Alena led them, her scanner casting a faint blue glow as it pinpointed Edwin's location. "We're three levels down, northeast quadrant."
"Let's make this fast," said Marcus firmly.
The corridors were eerily silent; the sound of their footsteps muffled by the soft hum of distant machinery.
"Hold," said Shay over the comms. The team froze as the scanner detected a patrol of operatives moving in their direction.
Alena gestured toward a side corridor. "We can bypass them. This way."
They slipped into the alternate path, their movements precise. As they reached the access point to the lower level, Marcus gestured for the group to halt. "Security grid ahead. Alena?"
She nodded, already working to disable the system. Sparks flew as her device interfaced with the alien tech, breaking the grid's hold.
"Clear," she said after a tense moment.
Edwin's containment pod came into view, its translucent casing pulsing faintly. Inside, Edwin appeared unconscious, his face pale.
"There," said Macie, moving ahead to inspect the pod.
"Wait," said Drake, holding her back. "Let Alena scan it first."
Alena crouched beside the pod, her scanner emitting a faint hum. "It's stable. But the energy signature is… off."
Marcus moved to position himself between the pod and the corridor. "Whatever they're doing, we don't have time to analyze. Let's get him out."
As Alena began unlocking the pod, the lights in the corridor flashed. The ground beneath them trembled slightly.
"They know we're here," said Drake.
Operatives poured into the corridor, their sleek, reflective armor under the sporadic lights. Energy blasts lit up the space as the team sprang into action.
Marcus shielded Alena while she finished the pod's release. Macie provided cover fire, her precision of keeping the operatives at bay. Drake and Grandpa Mitch flanked the group, holding the line.
Just as the pod disengaged, an energy blast struck the wall near Grandpa Mitch, sending a wave of sparks cascading toward him. He spun to return fire, but another blast hit him square in the side. He staggered, and the glow of his suit dimmed where it absorbed part of the impact.
"Mitch!" Drake shouted, stepping in to shield him from a follow-up attack.
"I'm fine," said Grandpa Mitch through gritted teeth, his hand still pressed against his side. "Just get Edwin out of here."
"Alena, now!" shouted Shay over the comms.
The pod released with a sharp hiss, and Edwin's limp form floated free. Marcus grabbed the edge of the pod, steadying it as Alena activated the teleportation sequence.
Drake hooked an arm around Grandpa Mitch, practically dragging him into the teleportation field. "You're not staying behind, old man."
A loud siren blared, and the operatives closed in, their blasts striking dangerously close. The team's teleportation devices activated, pulling them out just as the first wave of reinforcements arrived.
The farmhouse's teleportation room glowed softly as the team reappeared. Edwin hovered unconsciously tied down to a stretcher, but all eyes were on Grandpa Mitch, who staggered, clutching his side, his Galiexian suit scorched from the impact.
"Mitch!" Grandma Shay's voice was sharp as she rushed forward, her composure cracking for a brief moment. "Get him to the med bay, now!"
"I'm fine," Grandpa Mitch grunted, but his wince betrayed him.
"No, you're not," Grandma Shay shot back, her expression steely. "Move."
Drake and Marcus supported Grandpa Mitch as they guided him toward the medical wing. Alena stayed by the console, her fingers flying over its surface to secure the teleportation log. Shay hovered near the exit, her expression clouded.
"Edwin first," Shay finally said, nodding toward the stretcher. "Grandma, you and the doctors focus on stabilizing him. I'll handle debriefing the team."
Grandma Shay hesitated, her eyes darting between Mitch and Edwin, then nodded. "Make sure they tell you everything."
The tension in the room simmered as the remaining team regrouped around Shay. Drake rubbed a hand across his face, exhausted. "It was bad out there. Worse than we expected."
Shay's gaze sharpened. "What happened?"
Drake exchanged a glance with Alena before answering. "We got Edwin, but Mitch took a hit covering our escape. The operatives were adapting. Stenvexial tech is evolving faster than we thought."
"Was it the shielding?" asked Shay.
Marcus nodded. "Yeah, and their weapons are calibrated differently now. They're bypassing parts of our defensive systems."
Alena added, "It's not just their tech, Shay. Edwin's containment pod. Whatever was happening to him in there, it's not like anything we've seen. It wasn't just holding him. It was… changing him."
Shay's stomach twisted. "Explain."
Macie stepped forward hesitantly. "His vitals were strange, off the charts in some ways, but inconsistent. Like his body didn't know what it was anymore."
"Did you scan the pod?" Shay asked Alena.
"I pulled a quick diagnostic," said Alena, holding up her notebook. "The energy signature… it wasn't just Galiexian or Stenvexial. There was something else. Something new."
Shay's abstract mind moved faster, piecing together fragments of data and intuition. "A hybrid system," she murmured, more to herself than the group.
"Whatever it was, it wasn't just tech. It was personal. They wanted us to find him like that," said Drake.
"And Mitch?" asked Shay.
Marcus glanced toward the med bay door. "He shielded Macie when the ambush hit. The blast took struck him hard, but he stayed on his feet until we got to the teleportation zone."
"Typical Mitch," Grandma Shay's voice carried from the doorway. She entered, her composure back in place, but worried. "He'll recover, but we need to focus. Edwin's condition is a priority."
"And we're running out of time to figure out what they've done to him," Shay finished.
"Exactly. I'll monitor Mitch and Edwin. Shay, coordinate with Alena and Marcus to analyze the tech data. And you," she pointed at Drake, "get some rest. You're no use to anyone running on fumes."
Drake opened his mouth to protest, but Shay cut him off. "She's right. Go."
As the group disbanded, Shay lingered on the teleportation console, her thoughts racing. Edwin was back, but at what cost? Her gaze drifted toward the med bay door, where Mitch's fate and Edwin's transformation weighed heavily on her mind.
"We might need to…"