s a massive, silver dome that glittered in the morning sun, a pearl of a building nestled in t
silent and precise. He stopped a respectful dis
ounced, his gray eyes fixed on a point just past her
smile. "Thank you, Captain. Can you
flustered by her direct address. "The test is... non-invasive, Ma'am. Completely
h it was barely perceptible. The ramp opened not to the roar of engines, bu
r researchers. They were led by an older man with kind eyes and a fringe of white hair,
lowing a few steps behind. He stopped before her and performed a deep, formal b
nt. "I am Chief Researcher Elian Vance. It is a privilege to welcome
le of importance. They guided her into a transparent elevator tube that descended from
ing lines. They were the ordinary citizens, waiting for hours for their own, less
ing at a woman in an elevator; they were looking at a symbol, a potential savior, a winning lottery ticket. Their gazes were
nt of her, his broad, armored shoulders blocking the v
ore that was silent save for the low hum of air purifie
looked nothing like a laboratory. It was more like a private suite at a five-star spa. Soft music, a
le, sleek, milk-white pod, shaped li
," Vance said softly, g
istant. She lay down inside the pod, the interior surface c
base of her spine and slowly travel upwards, a pleasant tingle that was deeply relaxing. She closed her eyes, letting the process ha
his eyes glued to the data streams pouring onto the scree
h represented the baseline energy output
it fli
of a B-Class psionic. The assistants m
to a deep, royal purple-the marker for an A-Class, o
rs gasped, a sharp, involunt
arsh whisper. He didn't take his eyes
s if the machine itself was struggling to process the sheer magnitude of the ener
turbed by a flicker of anxiety. Her heart began to beat a little faster. The gentle
inal, soft chi
ja sat up, blinking, feeling a little disoriented but otherwise perfectly
. Chief Researcher Vance was sweating, his hand gripping
side of the pod, her boots
breaking the stunned silenc
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