Page 141 of Broken Sentinel

"The extraction team," I realize, heart sinking. "Something's gone wrong."

Our comms crackle with urgent communication from Resonance. "All teams, be advised," Marcus's voice comes through, tension evident. "Extraction team has encountered heavy resistance. Mission parameters compromised."

Cold fear washes through me. Trent. Lily. Trapped in Eastern Arcology with Unity forces closing in.

"Status?" I demand, protocol forgotten in my urgency.

"Partial success," Marcus reports. "Target acquired but exit route blocked. Team diverted to secondary extraction point. Timeline extended by approximately four hours."

Four hours. Our mission was synchronized precisely, with both teams meant to complete their objectives and reach extraction points simultaneously, before Unity could coordinate a complete and total response. Now that timeline is shattered.

"Proceed with primary mission," Marcus continues. "Extraction team will rendezvous at alternate location Delta."

"Negative," I respond immediately. "If extraction team is compromised, we abort and provide support."

"Cannot abort," comes Jo's voice, cutting through with unprecedented authority. "Strike mission critical to overall success. Complete your objectives as planned."

Fuck. What do I do? I’m torn between mission requirements and personal loyalty. The rational, Sentinel-trained part of me knows the logical choice, to complete our mission as ordered, maximize overall success probability.

But the thought of Trent and Lily in danger, fighting their way through Eastern Arcology without support...

"Zara," Vex says quietly. "The best way to help them is to complete our mission. Create the distraction Unity won't be able to ignore."

He's right, damn him. A massive explosion at their primary research facility will force Unity to divert resources, potentially creating the opening the extraction team needs to escape.

"Acknowledged," I respond finally, swallowing hard. "Proceeding to secondary objective."

We move with renewed urgency, the facility now fully alert around us. Security personnel rush through main corridors,responding to the perceived threat. Ironically, the general alarm works in our favor, creating chaos that masks our movements as we navigate to the backup data center.

The secondary objective proves easier than anticipated as the data center is minimally guarded as personnel respond to the facility-wide alert. We place charges quickly, ensuring complete destruction of Unity's research backups when detonated.

"All charges placed," I confirm through the comm. "Moving to extraction point."

"Acknowledged," Marcus responds. "Detonation timeline remains unchanged. Thirty minutes from mark."

The extraction point is a maintenance exit on the facility's eastern side, which is less heavily patrolled than the main security checkpoints, according to our intelligence. We navigate through increasingly crowded corridors, using service passages whenever possible to avoid direct contact with Unity personnel.

Halfway to the extraction point, we encounter an unexpected obstacle—a security team establishing position directly in our path. Three modified operators, all showing signs of the unstable adaptations we observed earlier.

"Can't bypass," Vex whispers, assessing the situation. "No alternate route within timeline parameters."

I study the operators, noting their positions and alertness levels. "Frontal approach," I decide. "I'll draw their attention, you circle behind."

Vex nods, understanding the strategy without further explanation. Our partnership has developed its own synchronicity over these past weeks, not the neural connection I shared with Trent, but an effective combat harmony nonetheless.

I move forward, deliberately making enough noise to attract attention while remaining in partial cover. As expected, the security team responds immediately.

"Movement detected," one calls out. "Section B-7."

Two operators move to investigate while the third maintains position. Perfect division of their forces.

I let them spot me briefly before ducking into a side passage, drawing them away from their stationary companion. The operators follow as anticipated, their enhanced speed evident in their movements but lacking the fluid grace of natural adaptation.

Behind them, Vex strikes with efficiency. The remaining operator drops silently, neutralized before he can alert his companions. Then it's my turn to act, emerging from cover to engage the pursuing operators directly.

The fight is brief but intense. These modified operators move faster than standard Unity security, their strength enhanced beyond normal parameters. But their adaptations are crude imitations of true Haven modifications: unbalanced, unpredictable, lacking the integrated harmony of designed evolution.

My own modifications respond with instinctive precision, body anticipating their movements, reflexes outpacing their enhanced speed, strength matching their augmented capabilities. I feel almost sorry for them as they fall, victims of Unity's arrogance as much as my superior adaptations.

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