Page 123 of Broken Sentinel

"We need to move," Vex decides. "Now. Before they complete the perimeter."

"Move where?" Lily asks, voicing the question we're all thinking. "If they're establishing containment across the entire region..."

"We break through," I say simply. "Before the perimeter is fully formed."

Trent studies the map, strategic mind already analyzing options. "Northern sector shows the least concentration of forces. Mountainous terrain makes comprehensive coverage difficult."

"Those same mountains make our escape challenging," Vex counters. "Especially with the patrol craft's limited fuel range."

"We don't use the craft," I suggest. "Too easily tracked. We go on foot, through the mountain passes."

Vex looks skeptical. "With a child?"

"I'm not helpless," Lily objects immediately with a scoff. "My modifications include enhanced endurance."

"It's our best option," Trent decides after further study of the tactical situation. "The mountains provide natural shielding against Unity scanning technology. If we move quickly, we can reach the northern range before their perimeter solidifies."

"And then what?" Vex asks. "Where do we go once we've broken through?"

A loaded silence falls as we consider our limited options. The Old Refuge is compromised, Haven's Edge evacuated. Unity forces hunting us across all known territories.

"The Northern Settlements," Lily says suddenly. "That's where the others are."

We all turn to her.

"What others?" I ask.

"The Haven children who were extracted," she explains. "I can feel them. Their patterns call to mine." She looks at me intently. "You must feel it too."

I start to deny it, then pause, focusing inward. Since Lily's rescue, I've experienced a strange awareness at the edge of my consciousness—something calling, tugging, like a compass needle seeking north.

"I do feel something," I admit. "But it's faint. Indistinct."

"Because your patterns are different," she explains. "Mine are designed for perception, yours for adaptation. But the underlying architecture is the same—my mother worked with yours on the base coding."

I blink in surprise. "Your mother?"

"Dr. Reeves," she confirms. "She and Dr. Thorne were research partners at Haven before the purge."

Another piece of my fragmented history falls into place. I turn to Trent. "Did you know this?"

He shakes his head. "My briefing on the Haven children included only basic recognition parameters, not specific relationships between the researchers."

"The Northern Settlements are real, though," Vex interjects, bringing us back to the immediate issue. "A collection of isolated outposts beyond Unity's standard patrol range. Harsh climate, difficult terrain."

"And well-defended," Trent adds. "I participated in two reconnaissance missions to the region during my Sentinel career. Unity considers it low-priority due to the environmental challenges, but intelligence suggested significant Splinter presence."

"Perfect hiding place for fugitive Haven children," I conclude.

Vex returns to the tactical display, calculating routes. "Approximately three hundred kilometers through mountain terrain. Five days on foot, assuming no complications."

"We need supplies," Trent says, already making mental inventory. "Cold-weather gear especially. The northern ranges experience temperature drops that could challenge even modified physiology."

"The outpost has basic provisions," Vex confirms. "Not ideal for extended mountain travel, but better than nothing."

"How soon can we move out?" I ask.

"Thirty minutes," Vex decides. "Gather everything essential, abandon the rest."

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