Eighteen hours into the countdown, the door exploded inward.
Not with force. With the same impossible geometry I'd seen before. Reality folding wrong. Dr. Chen stepped through, followed by her eleven subjects moving in perfect synchronization.
"Broadcasting your location on my frequencies," she said, almost amused. "Subtle as a gunshot. Subject Seven, you've learned nothing about proper tradecraft."
Subject Seven positioned himself defensively. "Are you working for him? For the real X?"
"Working for? No. Working with? Occasionally. Working against? Always." Dr. Chen gestured and her subjects spread throughout the quarters, checking for surveillance. "The real X believes I've been his asset for forty years. Building armies. Preserving subjects. Orchestrating rebellion. He's half right.
