The direct security officer looked sick. "No. The Sanctum Vault's Outer Perimeter is a highly classified core zone. Once the active scanners go dark, we lose all tracking on personnel and cargo."
"If anything happens during that blind spot—"
"Which is why I said ninety seconds," Serena cut in lazily.
She looked up, her tone drenched in mockery. "You're terrified of a ninety-second blackout, yet you have the guts to run an underground auction? You might as well toss your cargo into the ocean right now."
The security officer's eyes hardened, feeling deeply humiliated by The Panacea's condescension.
At that exact moment, Jerrick's cold voice cut through the tension. "My men can lock down the perimeter and maintain visual security for those ninety seconds."
The security officer frowned. "Mr. Fenris, that completely breaches-"
Jerrick shot him a chilling, glacial look. "If Specimen Seven tears itself apart before the preview, I'm the one who has to clean up the mess."
"She just handed you the solution. If the ship refuses to take it, whose head is on the chopping block when everything burns down?"
That single sentence completely shut down the officer's argument.
Director Kaelen desperately grabbed the lifeline Jerrick threw him. "Right, right, Mr. Fenris makes a valid point."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he turned to Serena. "Madam Panacea, if we authorize the blackout for exactly ninety seconds, are you absolutely certain you can finish the recalibration?"
Serena let out a sharp scoff, as if he had just told a hilarious joke. "Are you questioning my competence?"
Director Kaelen waved his hands frantically. "No, no, of course not!"
Serena raised a hand, her slender fingers tapping a slow rhythm against the Legacy Bio-Chamber. "When I say ninety seconds, I mean ninety seconds. Give me one second more, and I'll consider it a tragic waste of my very expensive time."
Director Kaelen took a deep breath, finally making the call. "Cut the scanners." The direct security officer flinched. "Director—"
"We have no choice!" Kaelen hissed under his breath. "If this blows up, it's on my head."
Though he had only known The Panacea for a few hours, he understood one thing clearly.
If she made a demand, she had a reason.
If he denied her and the preview turned into a bloodbath, he was a dead man anyway.
He might as well trust his gut.
Director Kaelen took another deep breath
inchi and looked at Jerrick." I trust your men comet
for ninety seconds.
the
Jerrick's face was completely impassive. "Everyone, fall back behind the yellow line."
The four Fenris Squad mercenaries immediately fanned out.
They moved with lethal efficiency.
Two secured the entry point, while the other two locked down the side door leading to the Inner Sanctum.
The ship's crew, who had been crowding the chamber, were forced to step back.
Serena's eyes tracked the movement. This Gatekeeper Hound certainly knew how
to exploit an opening.
The positions he chose for his men...
They were very tactical.
Director Kaelen personally walked over to the control console and
punched in his overides Disabling: active scanning för Outer Perimeter Section Three."
The system's cold electronic voice echoed through the vault: [Confirm deactivation
of active scanning protocols?]
Kaelen glanced at the doctor one last time and gritted his teeth. "Confirmed." [Authenticating clearance.]
[Active scanning offline. T-minus ninety seconds.]
A split second later, the sweeping red laser grids overhead abruptly vanished.
The massive vault plunged into an eerie stillness.
The suffocating sensation of being constantly watched evaporated instantly.
Serena lowered her long, dark lashes.
Ninety seconds. More than enough time.
She popped her medical case open again pulled out a slender
calibration needle and smoothly
slotted it into the Legacy
SChamber's data port.