wn the long, dark corridor. The air inside the Umbra Sanitar

n the concrete floor. Its red optical sen

stated. "Survival probability in this

now," Hadl

walls of the hallway itself were a testament to the facility's occupants. Deep, massive claw marks were gouged into the metal. Patches

let a tremor of fear enter her voice. "

" Unit 007 replied, its tone unchanging. "Attempting to leave the perimeter shi

ay out.

ered a catastrophic psychotic break three months ago," the robot continued, as if reciting a precise maintenance and personnel report. "He was the only candidate in recent years who managed t

hey been eating

e sustenance has been correlated with a thirty-two perce

lass warriors, these gods of war, were on the verge of total collapse be

as fear. Its programming must have a prot

tocols. Your status as a flagged financial liability is temporarily suspended for the duration of your employment," the robot announced. It projected a holographic contract in front of her

e corridor for weaknesses and escape rout

ndred.

ith a single tap of her finger. The fear she had been feigning vanished, replaced by th

PT" button so hard t

nd of 200,000 credits hitting her account wa

y operational personnel. Your identity has been officially registered as a contracted employee of Umbra Sanitarium to resolve data discrepancies," Unit 007 droned on. "You

chen. Her new quarters. It wasn't much-just a metal-framed bed, a small desk, and a ti

ast life, this was the Four Seasons. She tossed her canva

yes, reaching for the familiar wellspring of power within her. The powe

ng ha

arder, her brow fu

p of water materializ

no bigger than her thumbnail, pushed its

powers were bac

he genetic locks on this body were broken. The potential was there.

Psi-Energy that was killing the patients..

ry smile spread

insane. But in here, she had a safe room, a hot shower, and 200,000 credits. S

the intercom system

d chef has arrived. Please refrain from de

buy high-energy ingredients and rare seeds from the galactic n

ill lingered. In this universe, strength was the only currency

into the hot spray of the shower. She felt the grim

m that had been left for her on the bed. It was coarse an

Hadley Haynes, t

the Umbra Sanitarium. And

owards the vast, silent kitchen,