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Chapter 10—Amaya

THE CORRIDOR OUTSIDE Amaya's lab felt colder than usual, or maybe it was just her. She had worked late into the night, the weight of too many unanswered questions pressing down on her. The research data blurred on the screen as her mind spiraled around what they had uncovered.

Xavier had been nearby, a steady presence amid her mounting frustration. He had left the lab for just a moment to synthicate a meal for them, giving her time to breathe, but now the emptiness felt oppressive. It was like something darker was waiting beneath the surface of their discoveries.

She stared down at her datapad, her vision unfocused as tears welled, her mind racing with possibilities too terrible to consider. It was wrong. Had to be—yet the evidence stared her in the face.

"Amaya?" His deep voice resonated from the door, pulling her from her thoughts. He entered the lab swiftly, his footsteps soft but sure, scanning the room as if searching for any immediate threat. "Are you all right?" he asked.

She lifted her head slowly, revealing the tear-streaked lines running down her face. She hadn't realized she had been crying until that moment, but it didn't matter now. Not with what she had found.

"I found something," she said, holding out the datapad to him, her hand trembling slightly. The discovery hadn't fully settled yet, but she felt its suffocating presence growing in her chest.

He knelt beside her, taking the pad from her hands, his expression steady as his cybernetic eye whirred, processing the data with rapid efficiency.

"What is it?" His organic eye flicked toward her, narrowing.

"The data," she said, her voice cracking. "It points to Dr. Vex as the saboteur."

There was a moment of silence, a beat where her words hung between them. His mechanical processors clicked softly as he continued to scan the screen, but his organic eye betrayed his shock.

"This can't be correct," he murmured, more to himself than her. "Dr. Vex..."

"I've checked it multiple times," she said, wiping her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I didn't want it to be true. But the encryption, the hidden files—it all points to her."

He straightened up, his body taut as if preparing for a battle that hadn't yet begun. His gaze shifted to her, softer now, but no less serious. "How did you uncover this?"

She took a breath, struggling to explain the jumbled chaos in her mind. "I was going through the old system logs, trying to trace the origin of the malfunctions we've been seeing in the cyborgs. It was buried so deeply, almost like someone wanted it to stay hidden forever, but the encryption was too advanced, even for a standard security measure. Once I cracked it, the files opened and led me straight to Dr. Vex."

He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Have you considered someone might have planted the data to frame her?"

Her heart thudded painfully. "I've thought of that," she whispered. "I want to believe that's what it is, but it's too clean. The encryption would require someone with an intimate knowledge of our systems, and no one knows them better than Dr. Vex."

His grip on her shoulder tightened briefly, as if he wanted to pull her back from the edge of despair. "We need more information. We can't rush to conclusions until we know for certain."

Amaya leaned into his touch, the tension in her shoulders slowly easing as she absorbed his words. He was right, of course. There was still a chance the data had been manipulated, but the idea that Dr. Vex—her mentor, the person she had trusted more than anyone—could be behind it all made her feel hollow inside. "I don't want to believe it, but if it's true... I don't know what I'll do."

"We'll get to the bottom of this," he said firmly.

She nodded, looking up at him with a small smile breaking through the tears. "Thank you, Xavier. I'm glad you're here."

Her words seemed to affect him in a way she hadn't anticipated. There was a flicker in his expression, the barest hint of something softening in his gaze. For a moment, she saw more than the stoic soldier. She saw the man beneath the enhancements, the part of him that had begun to feel for her in ways neither of them could fully articulate.

"We need to be smart about this," he said, breaking the moment. "If Dr. Vex is involved, she'll be watching for any sign that we've discovered her. We can't afford to make a mistake."

She wiped away the last of her tears, fortitude returning as a plan began to form in her mind. "You're right. We'll need to be discreet, but we also need more evidence before we confront her."

He stood and offered her his hand. She took it, letting him pull her to her feet while feeling a warmth that contrasted the cold certainty of their mission.

"I'll start by reviewing the security footage," he said. "There may be something we've overlooked—some unauthorized access or suspicious activity."

She nodded. "I'll go back through the encrypted files. Maybe there's something I missed that will give us more clarity."

As they began to work in tandem, she noticed the shift in her own mood. Where despair had once clouded her judgment, there was now a spark of hope. Xavier's presence had grounded her, pulled her from the spiraling doubt that had threatened to overwhelm her. It was strange to think of him that way—as her anchor—but that's what he had become.

"Amaya?" Xavier's voice pulled her back from her thoughts.

"Yes?"

"I know this is difficult for you," he said softly, his gaze steady on hers. "You're not alone in this."

The sincerity in his words sent a wave of emotion crashing through her. Tears pricked at her eyes again, but this time, they weren't born of sadness. She swallowed hard, nodding as the warmth of his words filled the empty spaces inside her. "Thanks."

They worked in silence for hours, each of them absorbed in their tasks but keenly aware of the other's presence. Her mind spiraled as she combed through the data, searching for anything she might have missed. As the night wore on, her eyelids grew heavy. Her fingers slowed on the console, and her vision blurred as fatigue overtook her. Before she knew it, her head was dipping forward, her breathing steady as sleep claimed her.

AMAYA WOKE TO THE SOFT warmth of a blanket draped over her shoulders. Blinking blearily, she looked around the lab, her mind foggy from exhaustion. Xavier stood at his station, his back to her as he reviewed the data.

"Xavier..." she said, her voice thick with sleep.

He turned, his expression softening slightly when he saw her. "You should rest. You've pushed yourself too hard."

"I'm fine," she said, though her body protested as she straightened in her chair. "We can't afford to waste time."

He opened his mouth to respond, but a sudden flash of light on his interface caught his attention. His cybernetic eye whirred as he focused on the screen. "Someone is accessing the Restricted Cybernetics Lab, and only a few are cleared to do so," he said, his tone sharpening. "Admiral Zorn, the facility commander, and the head of research, but they're all in their quarters."

Her mouth went dry. "What? Who—?"

"Stay here," he said, already moving toward the door. "I'll handle it."

Ignoring his warning, she jumped to her feet. She wasn't going to let him face this alone. She trailed behind him through the research facility's dim corridors. The soft hum of machinery filled the silence as they moved toward the Restricted Cybernetics Lab. Who would access it this late? And why?

He moved with quiet efficiency, his cybernetic eye glowing faintly in the darkness, scanning for any sign of danger. She inhaled deeply when they reached the lab. Xavier signaled for her to stay back, but she stepped forward. They had come too far for her to be sidelined now.

As they entered the lab, the figure hunched over the terminal was unmistakable.

"Dr. Vex?" Amaya's voice cracked in disbelief.

Dr. Zara Vex, the woman who had mentored her, stood frozen for a moment before slowly turning to face them. Her expression was calm, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of panic.

Xavier stepped forward, positioning himself between Amaya and Dr. Vex. "You aren't authorized access to this lab, so why are you here?"

Dr. Vex's gaze shifted between them, calculating. "I could ask you the same question, but I suppose it's too late for that now."

Her stomach twisted as she looked at the woman she had admired for so long. "We found encrypted files," she said, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sadness. "They point to you. Are you behind the sabotage?"

For a moment, silence filled the room. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and then she let out a sigh. "It's true. I've been working against the facility."

Amaya's breath hitched. Hearing it confirmed from Dr. Vex herself made it all too real. Xavier's posture stiffened beside her, his processors whirring audibly in response.

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking. "Why would you do this?"

Dr. Vex stepped away from the terminal, her movements slow and deliberate. "Because someone had to," she said, her voice low but steady. "Someone had to stop them before it was too late."

"Stop who?" asked Xavier, his tone even, but there was an edge of danger beneath it.

Dr. Vex's eyes met Amaya's, her expression softening for a brief moment before hardening again. "You don't understand what's happening here, Amaya. What they're planning."

Amaya shook her head, her confusion growing. "What are you talking about?"

"Project Guardian," said Dr. Vex, her words dripping with disdain. "It sounds so bening, but it's a covert program designed to implant control chips into cyborgs, turning them into slaves for high-ranking military officials. They'll be used as a private army—completely obedient, no free will, and no autonomy. Zorn is the mastermind behind it."

Amaya's heart sank. "Admiral Zorn? That's impossible. He's a respected leader—"

Dr. Vex cut her off with a bitter laugh. "Respected? He's a power-hungry tyrant. He's been orchestrating this for years, waiting for the right moment to seize control. For him, the cyborg program isn't just about enhancing soldiers. It's about creating an army he can control with the flick of a switch—or a single thought."

Amaya's mind raced, struggling to comprehend the enormity of what Dr. Vex was saying. She turned to Xavier, who stood rigid, his organic eye narrowing as he processed the information.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" he asked sharply. "This could be a fabrication to cover your tracks."

Dr. Vex's expression darkened. "You don't have to believe me, but I have proof." She reached into her coat and pulled out a small data chip. "Everything you need to know about Project Guardian is on this chip—schematics, communication logs, and evidence of Zorn's involvement."

Amaya's hands shook as she took the chip from the doctor. She inserted it into her datapad, breathing harshly as the information flooded the screen. After several moments of analysis, she swallowed a lump in her throat to speak. "Xavier, it's all here. She's telling the truth."

His gaze flicked to the screen, his organic pupil dilating as he absorbed the evidence. "If this is real, this is catastrophic."

"Exactly," said Dr. Vex, her voice weary. "That's why I've been working to sabotage the facility. I couldn't let them move forward with this plan."

Amaya's mind whirled. The betrayal, the lies, and the danger were all too much, but beneath the shock, relief surged through her. Dr. Vex wasn't their enemy. She was trying to stop something far worse.

Xavier's voice cut through her thoughts. "Why didn't you come to us when we started investigating the malfunctions?" he asked. "We could have helped you."

"I couldn't take the risk," said Dr. Vex. "The more people who knew, the greater the danger. Zorn's reach is far, and his influence runs deep. I had to work alone."

Amaya looked at her mentor, seeing the toll this had taken on her. Dr. Vex wasn't the cold saboteur she had feared. She was someone trying to protect them all from a greater threat while still maintaining her normal duties and finding time to mentor Amaya. Her esteem of the doctor rose even higher. "What do we do now?"

"We stop Project Guardian," said Xavier without hesitation. "We have to be careful. If Zorn finds out we know, he won't hesitate to eliminate us."

Dr. Vex nodded. "I've delayed the project as much as I could, but Zorn's getting impatient. We don't have much time."

Amaya's heart pounded as the reality of the situation settled over her. They were up against an enemy far more powerful than they had imagined, but they weren't alone. Dr. Vex had been fighting this battle in the shadows, and now, they would fight it together.

"We'll need a plan," said Xavier. "We can't confront Zorn head-on without more information and ironclad proof, especially since we don't know who is backing his side project. We need to gather more evidence and expose him to the right people."

The tension in Dr. Vex's shoulders eased slightly. "Thank you. I didn't know if you would believe me."

Amaya nodded. "We believe you, Doctor. And we're going to stop Zorn together. We'll expose Zorn, and we'll make sure no one suffers because of him."

Xavier nodded. "We'll need to move carefully, but we can do this."

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