Jyn tried to summon the fire that had saved them in the lab, but nothing happened. He concentrated, trying to recreate the feeling of that moment—the desperation, the choice between death and something unknown. Still nothing.
"It doesn't work like that," he said, frustrated. "It only happens when... when there's no other choice."
"A survival mechanism perhaps" Alex mused thinking it over. "Activated by extreme stress, I doubt it, most likely missing a fuel source."
"Or by proximity to dimensional energy, that could have fueled it" Mira suggested. "The proto-Hollowborn were saturated with it. Maybe that's what triggered the response."
"Or perhaps what was on the Hollowborn, a part of this fungus is the fuel source? Greg said rubbing his chin thoughtfully. I do wish we had been there, we could probably experiment and pinpoint it quickly."
Mira pulled up data on one of the workshop's computers, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Screens filled with equations and diagrams that were much to long for quick reasoning.
"Mom's research," she said, glancing at Jyn. "Your mom's, I mean. She theorized that humans could develop sensitivity to dimensional energy, even manipulate it under the right conditions."
"Develop or be changed by it?" Elesa asked.
"Is there a difference?" Mira countered. "Evolution is just successful adaptation to environmental changes."
"Sounds like something the covenant would say," Greg said darkly. "They think humanity needs to evolve or die."
"Maybe they're not entirely wrong," Xander said, then quickly added, "Not about their methods! Those are insane. But about humanity needing to adapt? Look at the world. Radiation, toxins, dimensional rifts, Hollowborn. How long can we survive unchanged?"
It was a question none of them could answer.
Alex moved to another workbench, pulling out several items. "Regardless of philosophy, you need practical solutions for immediate problems." He handed Elesa a collar made of woven material that seemed to shift between states—sometimes fabric, sometimes something harder.
"Crystalist fiber weave with integrated vapor lens technology," he explained. "It'll enhance your vision in low light and toxic conditions. The fiber will also provide some protection against various energies. Your mother designed it," he added to Jyn.
Elesa examined the collar carefully before integrating it into her armor. The moment it made contact with her skin, she gasped softly.
"I can... feel it. The shard. Like a pulse at the edge of perception."
"Sympathetic resonance," Alex explained. "You'll be able to sense when Jyn is in danger or when the shard is particularly active."
"That. could be useful," she said with a grin, though her expression suggested she found the sensation unsettling.
"And this," Xander said, unveiling his own creation with obvious pride, "is the Shiverstalker Mark One."
The mechanical spider was about the size of a large dog, its eight legs ending in adaptive grippers. The body was armored with ceramic plating reinforcing the steel frame, various sensors and tools were integrated into its frame.
"It can carry supplies, provide mobile cover, and even fight if necessary." He demonstrated, the spider coming to life with a soft hum of servos. "Powered by a hydrogen reactor core that should last months between charges."
"You built this since this morning?" Elesa asked, impressed despite herself.
"No, I've been working on it for weeks. Just finished the final calibrations while Jyn was getting patched up." He patted the construct affectionately. "Her name is Vera."
"You named it," Jyn said.
"Her. I named her. And yes, because she deserves a name. Don't you, Vera?"
The Shiverstalker's optical sensors focused on him with what might have been mechanical affection. Or maybe that was just Jyn projecting. It was hard to tell with Xander's creations.
They spent another hour preparing, checking equipment and loading supplies. The data from the lab was copied to multiple drives, distributed among them in case they were separated. The proto-Hollowborn samples were sealed in containment units that would theoretically prevent any contamination.
"Where will you go next?" Greg asked as they finished preparations.
"South," Jyn said. "The shard's been pulling in that direction, and the lab data mentions coordinates. Some place called the Whispering Vault."
Alex and Greg exchanged glances.
"We've heard rumors," Alex said carefully. "A pre-war research facility, but not just any facility. They were studying the rifts directly, trying to understand and control them."
"What happened to it?"
"No one knows. It went dark just before the bombs fell, a hundred years ago now. Scout teams have searched for it, but none have returned."
"Well, thats... Encouraging to hear," Xander said dryly.
"If your parents' research led them there, they must have believed it contained something important," Greg said. "Just... be careful. The southern wastes are different from what you're used to. The radiation is worse.
They finished their preparations in subdued silence. They were planning—heading into the deep wastes, searching for a facility that might not exist, following the guidance of a crystal that whispered impossible things to Jyn alone.
"You don't have to do this," Alex said. "Any of you. You could stay here, help with the workshop, live relatively safe lives."
"No," Jyn said firmly. "I can't. Something's happening out there, something connected to the shard, to the Hollowborn evolution, to whatever my parents discovered. If we don't investigate, if we don't try to understand it... Well, all I know is if I don't I'll never finish my family's story, I will not let them die in vain."
"It'll come here eventually," Elesa finished. "Whatever's changing the Hollowborn, whatever's driving them, it won't stop at the wasteland borders. We have to discover the source, things are begining to get weird and I for one want to find out why."
"And honestly," Xander added, "can you imagine me living a safe life? I'd die of boredom within a week."
Despite the gravity of the situation, that got smiles from everyone.
As they prepared to leave for the night—they'd return in the morning for final preparations—Mira pulled Jyn aside.
"I've been running calculations," she said quietly. "Based on your parents' research and what you've described. The shard isn't just a key or a tool. It's changing you at a fundamental level."
"I know."
"Do you? Because according to my models, the changes will accelerate. Each use of the fire, each resonance with dimensional energy, it's rewriting your quantum signature."
"Making me less human?"
"Making you more than human. Or different than human. I'm not sure which." She looked at him with eyes too knowing for her sixteen years. "There will come a point where you have to choose—resist the changes and possibly die, or embrace them and possibly lose yourself."
"How long?"
"I don't know. Weeks? Months? It depends on exposure and usage." She handed him a small device. "This will monitor your internal signature, track the changes. It won't stop them, but at least you'll know what's happening."
"Thank you," he said, meaning it.
She grabbed Jyn in a large hug
"Bring my brother back safely," she said. "He's an idiot sometimes, but he's my idiot."
"I'll do my best."
As they left the workshop, loaded with new equipment and dark knowledge, Jyn couldn't shake the feeling that they were crossing a threshold. Not just physically, heading into dangerous territory, but metaphorically. They were leaving the known world behind, venturing into spaces where the old rules didn't apply.
The shard pulsed against his chest, its whispers almost words:
The echo has sounded. The path is chosen. The threshold awaits.