“So I’ve been told. But it’s my mistake to make.”
Through the viewport, I see the Federation ships moving into attack formation, weapons powering up for what might be the first shots in a war between baseline and enhanced humanity.
Ready?I ask Zylthar through our bond.
Ready,he confirms, his love and determination flowing through our connection like liquid starlight.
Whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.
CHAPTER 9
SELENA
The moment AdmiralMorrison cuts the transmission, I experience Jorem’s presence at the edge of my enhanced awareness—a cold, calculating mind full of satisfaction and barely contained triumph.
He didn’t leave.
Selena,Zylthar’s mental voice carries sudden alarm.Jorem’s ship is still in the system. I sense his psychic signature moving through the station’s lower decks.
How is that possible? Security would have detected?—
The lights flicker, and every enhanced crew member on the bridge staggers as psychic static floods through our shared awareness. Through the chaos, I hear the distinctive whine of Zephyrian transporter technology and the sound of running feet in the corridors below.
Boarding party,Zylthar realizes.He’s using our psychic connection against us, jamming our enhanced senses while his people infiltrate the station.
“Red alert,” I bark, dropping into the command chair. “All hands to battle stations. We have hostile boarders on decks seven through twelve.”
The bridge erupts into controlled chaos as my crew struggles to function through the psychic interference. Williams’ hands shake as he tries to coordinate communications. Blaine’s targeting systems fluctuate wildly as the static disrupts her enhanced reflexes.
He’s specifically targeting our neural modifications,Zylthar’s mental voice cuts through the noise.The device he brought—it’s not just for purging bonds. It’s a psychic weapon designed to disable enhanced minds.
Through our connection, his growing horror consumes me as he recognizes the true scope of Jorem’s plan. This isn’t about medical intervention or cultural preservation. It’s about eliminating a perceived threat before it spreads.
How many ships?I ask, fighting through the static to access our tactical sensors.
Unknown. The jamming is too intense.His markings pulse erratically as he struggles against the interference.But Selena, if they have multiple devices, they can disable every enhanced person on the station.
The turbolift doors burst open, and Jorem strides onto the bridge flanked by four Zephyrian soldiers in combat armor. They move with the fluid grace of their species, but their faces are hidden behind masks that pulse with the same disruptive energy filling our minds.
“Captain MacGray,” Jorem says, his voice carrying cold satisfaction. “I gave you every opportunity to submit voluntarily. Now we do this the difficult way.”
“Hostile boarders on the bridge,” I announce, reaching for my sidearm. But my enhanced reflexes are sluggish, compromised by the psychic static, and Jorem’s soldiers are faster.
Energy beams lance across the bridge, striking down Williams and two other officers before anyone can react. Not kill shots—the distinctive blue glow of neural stunners, designed to incapacitate without permanent damage.
They want us alive,Zylthar realizes through our bond.For study, for interrogation, for public demonstration of what happens to genetic deviants.
“Stand down, Captain,” Jorem orders, gesturing for his soldiers to surround us. “Your crew is already being secured. Resistance will only result in unnecessary suffering.”
I look around the bridge, seeing my people struggling against psychic interference that makes basic coordination nearly impossible. Through our dampened connection, I feel their fear and confusion as enhanced abilities that have become natural are suddenly stripped away.
“What do you want?” I demand.
“Justice. Order. The preservation of species integrity against contamination.” Jorem steps closer, and I see the fanatical certainty in his violet eyes. “Captain, you and your crew represent a fundamental threat to both human and Zephyrian genetic purity. That threat must be eliminated.”
“By murdering innocent people?”
“By preventing a plague that could transform entire populations against their will.” His expression shifts to something that might be regret if it weren’t so obviously calculated. “The neural purging will be swift and relatively painless. Your people will survive, but they’ll be free from alien contamination.”
