Liu Xian walked beside B67, silent as ever, his new weapon strapped across his back like a burden he hadn't yet learned to carry. The boy, to his credit, had stopped trying to talk, sensing for once that maybe his voice didn't belong in this space.
Ahead, a door hissed open. Another AI-automated lock, another mechanical voice announcing the obvious:
"Welcome, Unit 17. Please proceed to team briefing chamber."
Inside, the room was as white as the hallway—too white. White in the way that stripped color from everything else, including the people inside it. It was square, with smooth walls and high ceilings, too clean to be comfortable.
Their assigned squad members were already there.
Four others, scattered around the perimeter like magnets trying not to touch.
