Chapter 62 - The Resonance (2)

"Indeed." Marcus deactivated the scanners with a deliberate sequence of button presses, each one accompanied by a soft beep as the various detection arrays powered down. The crystalline displays that had been projecting complex data patterns across the walls flickered and faded, returning the abandoned building to its normal state of dim abandonment. He picked up the egg carefully, his movements carrying the practiced precision of someone who'd handled countless dangerous artifacts before. He examined it with professional detachment, turning it slowly in the light streaming through the broken windows, watching how the inner patterns shifted and flowed in response to his touch.