Page 70 of Alien Warlord's Fury

"Hammond doesn't understand what he's tampering with," I said. "The Nexus isn't meant to be harnessed this way."

"No. And he's using the younglings to do it." Her voice hardened, anger flaring through our bond. "Their pain is feeding the disruption."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, steadying her emotions through our connection. "We'll find them."

We moved deeper into the complex, navigating a maze of corridors and chambers. Some passages were blocked by collapsed ceilings or walls, forcing us to find alternate routes. Claire's sensitivity to the energy patterns proved invaluable, guiding us away from unstable sections before they could fail.

I used my strength to clear debris where necessary, creating paths through partially collapsed doorways or removing fallen beams blocking our way. Each time, Claire waited patiently, her eyes scanning for dangers I couldn't perceive.

"There's a major power conduit ahead," she said as we approached a sealed door. "Recently installed. Hammond's work."

I examined the door. Modern human technology, requiring an access code or key card.

"Can we bypass it?"

Claire studied the control panel, her fingers hovering over the interface. "Maybe. The system is connected to the Nexus. I might be able to..."

Her markings flared beneath the masking paste as she placed her palm against the panel. I felt a surge through our bond, her consciousness reaching into the system. The door remained stubbornly closed.

"It's not working," she hissed in frustration. "The security is too complex."

I scanned the surrounding walls, looking for structural weaknesses. "Is there another way around?"

Claire closed her eyes, sensing the energy flows. "Yes. Through there." She pointed to what appeared to be a solid wall to our right.

I approached it cautiously, running my hands over the surface. "I don't see an opening."

"It's not a door. It's a weak point in the structure. The energy patterns show a space beyond."

I pressed my ear to the wall, listening. A faint hum of machinery came from the other side. "How thick?"

"Not very. The wall was added later, not part of the original structure."

I nodded, stepping back to assess the best approach. "Stand clear."

Claire moved back as I braced myself, then drove my shoulder into the section she had indicated. The wall resisted at first, then gave way with a crack, crumbling into a space beyond. Dust filled the air, and I waited for it to settle before peering through.

"A maintenance passage," I confirmed. "Narrow, but passable."

We squeezed through the opening I'd created, finding ourselves in a service corridor that ran parallel to the main hallway. Pipes and conduits lined the ceiling, carrying power and data throughout the facility.

"This is perfect," Claire whispered. "Hammond's people won't expect anyone to come this way."

We followed the maintenance passage, moving as silently as possible. The sounds of the facility became clearer—distant voices, the hum of machinery, the occasional alarm still triggered by Ravik and Zara's diversion.

The passage ended at a ventilation grate overlooking a larger chamber. I peered through carefully, assessing the space beyond.

"Control room," I whispered. "Two technicians."

Claire joined me at the grate, her eyes narrowing as she studied the room. "That's a primary power distribution node. They're routing energy from the younglings to Hammond's experiments."

Anger flared through our bond—hers and mine, indistinguishable. The thought of younglings being used this way...

"We need to disable it," she continued. "It will disrupt Hammond's operations and might weaken whatever he's using to control the younglings."

I nodded, already formulating a plan. "The technicians first. Then the system."

"How do we?—"

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