Julian Lancaster laughed softly. "I'm in."
Since he had already agreed to this partnership, he wasn't about to back out halfway. Besides, this whole mess tied directly to Obsidian Sun. The muddier the waters got, the easier it would be for him to conduct his own investigation.
However...
Julian glanced at the Apex Bio-Transfer Pod. The data displays had stabilized, yet they still flashed with abnormal readings. "That Obsidian Sun operative mentioned that Specimen Fourteen's condition is volatile."
"The remote self-destruct protocol might have failed, but the mutated genes in her system were already agitated by the catalyst."
He turned his gaze back to Serena. "If Specimen Fourteen wakes up before reaching the auction stage, we're going to have a serious problem."
Serena arched an eyebrow, a wicked smirk playing on her lips. "What exactly do you think I just injected her with?"
Julian paused.
"That," Serena drawled lazily, "was the Neural-Severance Catalyst."
It was no ordinary sedative. It was a refined formula she had engineered based on her grandmother's experimental data.
It had the power to temporarily sever the connection between the mutated genes and the control chip without causing any permanent damage to Specimen Fourteen's consciousness or central nervous system.
It would also entirely suppress the violent neurological reactions triggered by the catalyst.
Serena checked the time. "She won't be waking up for at least another hour."
Julian was silent for a moment before a low chuckle escaped him. "It seems I asked a pointless question."
The Panacea never just took things one step at a time. The moment she drove that needle into Specimen Fourteen, she had already meticulously plotted out every subsequent move on the board.
His admiration for her only deepened.
And the more he watched her, the more that commanding, strategic aura of hers felt... incredibly familiar.
Julian lowered his eyes, taking in the scattered bodies of the unconscious Obsidian Sentinels before lightly nudging the squad leader with the toe of his shoe. "I'll clean up the mess here."
"The auction stage is all yours."
A slow, dangerous smile spread
across Julian's face, his refined eyes glittering with a shared sense of mischief. Once Specimen Fourteen on that stage, I'll back your play from The Merchant's Quarter."
Serena met his gaze.
The same wicked, unapologetic thrill burned in both of their eyes.
Her crimson lips curled into a devastatingly sinister smile.
"Deal."
"Let's deliver Obsidian Sun's grand gift right to the center stage."
She glanced toward the Cargo Transit Elevator that led straight to the main event, her smile turning utterly predatory Let's make
tonight's little gathering a lot more entertaining."
But...
The immediate problem was how exactly they were supposed to haul Specimen
Fourteen all the way to the Cargo Transit Elevator.
They were currently in the outer perimeter of the logistics area.
It was a hell of a long walk to the elevator.
The route was swarming with ship security patrols and surveillance cameras. They would have to clear two separate cargo authorization checkpoints, plus a final verification scan at the elevator doors.
The Apex Bio-Transfer Pod was massive.
Trying to march something this conspicuous—without a single registered auction serial number—right under the ship administration's nose was a logistical nightmare.
It wasn't going to be easy.
After all, this was the ship's home turf.
Tripping a single alarm would bring the entire security force down on their heads.
And their brilliant plan wouldn't be nearly as easy to execute.
Julian had clearly reached the same conclusion.
He narrowed his eyes at the giant pod. "I can use my Joker credentials as a high-
tier seller to override the logistics authorization in the system."