s a massive, silver dome that glittered in the morning sun, a pearl of a building nestled in t

silent and precise. He stopped a respectful dis

ounced, his gray eyes fixed on a point just past her

smile. "Thank you, Captain. Can you

flustered by her direct address. "The test is... non-invasive, Ma'am. Completely

h it was barely perceptible. The ramp opened not to the roar of engines, bu

r researchers. They were led by an older man with kind eyes and a fringe of white hair,

lowing a few steps behind. He stopped before her and performed a deep, formal b

nt. "I am Chief Researcher Elian Vance. It is a privilege to welcome

le of importance. They guided her into a transparent elevator tube that descended from

ing lines. They were the ordinary citizens, waiting for hours for their own, less

ing at a woman in an elevator; they were looking at a symbol, a potential savior, a winning lottery ticket. Their gazes were

nt of her, his broad, armored shoulders blocking the v

ore that was silent save for the low hum of air purifie

looked nothing like a laboratory. It was more like a private suite at a five-star spa. Soft music, a

le, sleek, milk-white pod, shaped li

," Vance said softly, g

istant. She lay down inside the pod, the interior surface c

base of her spine and slowly travel upwards, a pleasant tingle that was deeply relaxing. She closed her eyes, letting the process ha

his eyes glued to the data streams pouring onto the scree

h represented the baseline energy output

it fli

of a B-Class psionic. The assistants m

to a deep, royal purple-the marker for an A-Class, o

rs gasped, a sharp, involunt

arsh whisper. He didn't take his eyes

s if the machine itself was struggling to process the sheer magnitude of the ener

turbed by a flicker of anxiety. Her heart began to beat a little faster. The gentle

inal, soft chi

ja sat up, blinking, feeling a little disoriented but otherwise perfectly

. Chief Researcher Vance was sweating, his hand gripping

side of the pod, her boots

breaking the stunned silenc