Let’s not destroy the world
Noriko's lab used to be the most protected part of Null Tower, but after last night's accident it's a disaster area. Kari Zel peeks through what's left of the blast-proof door, thinking about how much force was necessary to rip it from the hinges.
She knocks on the wall, walking over the metallic garbage that litters the floor and taking great care not to drop the plate she's carrying.
Noriko answers from behind what used to be a holographic projector.
She flips a switch over some kind of jury-rigged engine, which radiates a faint light around her.
Hesitantly, Kari picks up a random piece of equipment from the floor and tosses it; it bounces against an invisible barrier, which lights up for half a second upon impact.
<...okay?> Noriko says, more confused than ever.
Noriko tries to free her hands, but Kari's not letting her go.
Now uncomfortably close to Kari and with her face redder than Torn's, Noriko decisively breaks free and takes a very quick step back.
Kari realizes.
The docks
Erika Rhys steps out of the car, escorted by two men wearing black clothes. Or at least they look like men: they're actually genetically engineered foot soldiers. The twenty-something brunette with glasses leads them towards the warehouse like she's their boss instead of their prisoner.
Once inside, one of the Blue locks the door and the other activates a holographic projector. The image of a Japanese businesswoman appears out of thin air.
Project Silver, undisclosed location
Hologram technology has been introduced to the public only a few months ago, but it's already spread into all levels of society. One of the less publicized advantages is that it makes secret meeting much cheaper and, for lack of a better word, even more secret.
General Anderson is meeting the President and the Joints Chief of Staff right now, and he didn't even have to leave his office.
<"Negative Drive"?> the President repeats.
The Vulcan Forge, 2500 light-years away
The Forge is one of the wonders of the galaxy, but very few people have been able to see it. Despite being the core of the Collective it is relatively small, comparable to a medium-sized industrial complex on Earth. What makes it truly special is its location: the Forge is built on the surface of a neutron star, a collapsed star with gravity billions of times higher than what is found on any planet.
Elytra is able to walk here only because her Ghost Maker makes her completely intangible and therefore immune to gravity's deadly effects, but she needs to wear special protective goggles to avoid going blind. The Talos doesn't seem to care.
"Nothing should be able to resist this much pressure and heat; what's it made of!?" she wonders.
Elytra carefully removes the only thing that prevents her from going blind, and slowly opens her eyes. She's in a luxurious and old-fashioned room. The woman in front of her is sitting on a throne of diamonds, and she's clearly not human.
Her skin is platinum, her eyes rubies and her hair gold. Her red dress carefully accentuates her shapely figure; it's by far the most attractive robot ever built.
The entire building trembles, hit by the most powerful earthquake Elytra's ever felt. There is no damage, but the sheer force of the quake is almost tangible.
<"Neutral matter"? The thing the Talos are made of?> Elytra asks.
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