cruelty

s assistant, had always b

rk research archives, believing Seraphina might one day want

n fou

em directly, but he kn

not in Seraphina' s

onfidentiality and Elias' s explicit instructi

' s team was "beta-testing" suffered a catast

ina' s office, his face a

e, Seraphina! A

ogs that seemed to implicate Ms. Albright. He even hinted th

ce laced with sorrowful accusation. "I tried to warn yo

ion on his face. "The stress... this is too

r mind clouded by Julian' s supposed i

tion it. She did

orted, was now fully

oned Ms.

ever heard from her before. "Julian' s project has suffered a major

"Ms. Vance, I would neve

ed, ignoring her assistant' s denial. "He believes you

s lying!" Ms. Albrig

to apologize to Mr. Croft for the disruption and dam

hina, the woman she had serv

trust, only the reflectio

tion wa

e inadvertently caused, Mr. Croft," Ms. Albright said,

tly. "See that it do

e lack of due proc

lt a chill. Ser

ened, pressed

approached Seraphina

wn sample is in Aethelred' s deep storage, a relic from some obscure early research. It needs to be retrieved and prepped. It's... de

eam would do it. But the protocols are so complex, it would take weeks to get t

d storage cataloging system, the one Elias designed. And fra

felt a kno

u have in m

hives better than anyone. And after her... recent lapse in judgment... perhaps thi

al, albeit risky, necessity. Retrieving that comp

icker of her old se

her since the beginning.

r on such

inder of his "limited time," the immens

the schematics he' d brought f

was brief, a candle

"Instruct Ms. Albright. Emphasize the critica

as competent. She would be ca

was a cold, d

irective with quiet resigna

y nodded, her face pale but c

eval was

oorly ventilated. The component w

r (Julian had insisted it would "slow her down" and full gear wasn't

th the smell of ozon

f a control room, Seraphina by his side, though Seraphina

the component for transport c

aped. Ms. Albright recoiled,

Start again with a fresh extraction procedure," Julian' s voic

ly, had to neutralize the first sample

al arc from her tool to the containme

up her arm. She bit her l

o hear. "The integrity of the casing is now suspect. T

ng was becoming labored

nit. Her movements were

tract and secure it, her

r readings on that one are fluctuating. I can't risk it. It' s probably also comp

d off the

ded by failed attempts, her body aching, th

at the torment, for nothing

ea but said nothing. Julian l

d, shaking his head. "Poor