Their plan was falling apart before it began. Then, Kael saw an opportunity. A young, flustered server was carrying a tray ofdelicate, empty crystal flutes towards the bar for refills. Soren, turning to greet someone, bumped into her.
The tray tilted. A single flute wobbled, but the server, with a deft flick of her wrist, caught it before it fell. Soren offered a curt, dismissive nod and moved on, never touching the glass.
“The tray,” Kael breathed.“He didn’t touch the glass, but he brushed against the edge of the tray. There might be a skin-cell transfer.”
It was a long shot. But it was all they had.
As the server moved towards the service entrance, Kael moved. He intercepted her just as the doors hissed shut behind her in the quieter service corridor.
“Excuse me,” he said, flashing what he hoped was a charming, embarrassed smile.“My date, she’s absolutely obsessed with these crystal designs. Would it be possible to get a closer look? I want to surprise her with a set.”
The server, a young woman named Elara, looked tired but sympathetic.“They’re just standard issue…”
“Please? Just for a second?” Kael turned up the charm.
Rolling her eyes but smiling, she handed him the tray.“Quickly. And if you break one, it’s coming out of my pay.”
“You’re a lifesaver.” Kael took the tray, his heart hammering. He pretended to examine the crystal, turning it over in his hands while his other hand, hidden in his pocket, activated the bio-mimetic sampler. He ran the needle-fine tip along the metal edge where Soren had made contact.
A tiny light on the sampler glowed green. Sample Acquired.
“Absolutely stunning,” he said, handing the tray back with a grateful nod.“Thank you.”
Back in the crowded atrium, he melted into the throng.“I have it,” he whispered.
“Good,” Lyra’s voice responded.“Now get out of there. We rendezvous at the access point in one hour.”
As Kael made his way towards the exit, he felt a prickle on the back of his neck. He glanced over his shoulder. Across the room, Director Stavos was watching him, his expression unreadable. He didn't look away. He simply raised his glass in a slow, deliberate, and deeply unsettling salute.
Kael quickened his pace, the sampler feeling like a live bomb in his pocket. They had the key. But the warden had just seen them pick the lock.
Chapter 6:
The Heart of the Archive
The Genetic Archives were a fortress of life, a place where the very building blocks of Aethelburg's curated existence were stored and controlled. The air was cold, sterile, and smelled of antiseptic and ozone. Lyra’s clearance got them past the first three security checkpoints without a word. At the final door, a massive blast door of polished bio-ceramic, they stopped.
“This is it,” Lyra murmured.“The core sequencing lab. Beyond this point, access is restricted to Dr. Soren and his direct team.” She nodded to Kael.“It’s your show.”
Kael’s hands were steady, but a fine sheen of sweat coated his brow. He pulled out the bio-mimetic sampler. The device whirred softly as it synthesized the stolen DNA sample, creating a perfect, temporary biological key. He pressed it against the door’s sensor pad.
A beam of light scanned the synthesized print. For three heartbeats, nothing happened. Then, a soft chime echoed in the silent hallway. ACCESS GRANTED. WELCOME, DR. SOREN.
The massive door slid open with a whisper.
The room beyond was breathtaking. It was a circular chamber, dominated by a central column of liquid light—a vast, vertical tube filled with a swirling, luminous gel. Within it, strands of DNA, glowing like captured nebulae, drifted and intertwined. This was the Genomic Core, the blueprint of every human, plant, and animal permitted to exist within the dome.
But their target wasn't the Core. According to Thorne’s map, the conduit was hidden behind it.
“The map shows a panel at the base of the chamber, directly opposite the entrance,” Kael said, his voice hushed in the cathedral-like space.
They moved quickly, their footsteps silent on the conductive floor. The panel was there, seamless, just as the one in the water purification sector had been.
“Same method,” Lyra said, placing her palm against it.
She pushed. Nothing.
She pushed harder, her muscles straining. Still nothing.
