The heavy mechanical wail of the wireless gatehouse alarm echoed across the grey sky, bouncing off the distant granite cliffs as Zeven moved deeper into the desolate agricultural wasteland. The ancient white apple orchard had been completely transformed into a vast expanse of scorched, blackened tree trunks that stood like skeletal fingers scratching against the heavy rain. Underneath his heavy combat boots, the severely dried earth cracked and groaned, totally drained of its natural nutrients by the laboratory industrial operations. The freezing downpour vanished into the parched terrain almost instantly, creating a low, swirling fog that smelled heavily of wood rot, scorched vegetation, and industrial waste. Zeven adjusted his tattered black cloak, blending into the charred wood as his s
