"Lead the way."
The director smiled in return. "Right this way, Your Excellency."
Serena picked up her Quicksilver Med-Vault and followed him with a lazy saunter.
Two armed guards led the way.
Two more followed a short distance behind her.
They called it an escort.
But in reality, it was surveillance.
Serena's expression remained perfectly calm, not a ripple of annoyance crossing her features.
To anyone watching, she looked entirely preoccupied with the massive payout she had yet to collect.
The Med-Tech Quarantine director glanced back at her a few times.
Seeing her continuous, detached demeanor, his guard slowly began to drop.
The Panacea was notoriously difficult to control.
But as long as someone was greedy, they had a weakness.
The greedier they were, the easier they were to manipulate with money.
And Project Zero-Transit was practically drowning in money.
As long as she could keep that asset alive...
No amount of cash was too much.
The group navigated through the deepest corridors of the Med-Tech Quarantine, descending into the lower levels of the ship.
The further down they went, the colder the air became.
They passed through three security checkpoints.
With every gate they cleared, the security presence grew thicker.
At the first gate, only a keycard and a retinal scan were required.
At the second, on top of the initial protocols, they added various biometric scans to verify the director's identity.
Furthermore, the patrols along the route became heavily concentrated.
Almost every ten feet stood two fully armed security guards.
They wore black ballistic masks, rifles poised in their hands.
It felt like they were ready to open fire at the slightest provocation.
Serena merely swept her gaze over them before looking away, clicking her tongue softly. "It seems this million dollars isn't going to be easy money. I'll have to ask for an exorbitant final payout just tomake this trip worth my while."
The director led her toward the third gate, chuckling. "I would be more than happy to
entertain Your Excellency's exorbitant price."
The third security gate was
incredibly complex. It required multiple scans a lengthy access code, and the simultaneous physical authorization of the director and two security captains, all verified by a remote override from command.
After a flurry of procedures, the group approached the third door.
The entire hallway was bathed in the harsh red glow of alert lights. Flashing methodically.
Cameras lined the walls every few feet.
Motion sensors clustered in the corners of the ceiling.
There were zero blind spots.
Serena's expression didn't change; she maintained her aloof posture.
But in truth, from the very first gate, she had already committed every camera angle,
patrol route, and authorization protocol to memory.
At the very end of the corridor, the director stopped.
Before them stood a heavy black metal door bearing no markings.
Four heavily armed guards flanked it.
Their muzzles pointed down, but their eyes were locked dead on anyone who approached.
The director turned to Serena, his
smile fading slightly. "Your
Excellency, this asset is incredibly valuable, it cannot die on this ship implore you to do everything in your power."
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Serena stood at the door, her eyes drifting toward the dense cluster of cameras in the corner.
She curled her lip in a lazy smirk. "Just how expensive is this thing, to make you pay a million dollars just for me to glance at it?"
The director smiled but dodged the question. "A buyer has already reserved it. We must maintain its vitality before the auction. We cannot afford any accidents."