The Starborn

Chapter 12

Miranda moved swiftly through her lab, her hands gliding over holographic panels as diagnostic screens lit up the room. Nova lay unconscious on a reclining examination table, a faint glow from the machine above her casting a soft light over her features.

“She’s stable,” Miranda murmured, her voice clinical. She glanced over her shoulder at Quinn, who stood silently near the doorway, his armor gleaming under the fluorescent lights. “The sedative will keep her out for a while. I need her completely still for this.”

Quinn’s jaw tightened, his gaze flicking to Nova before focusing back on Miranda. “What are you looking for?”

Miranda tilted her head toward the monitors displaying streams of data. “Anything that can confirm she’s an Oracle. You said she can see the past, present, and future. That’s not just rare—it’s unprecedented.”

She turned back to the controls, her brow furrowing as more readings poured in. Her hands danced over the interface, adjusting settings and initiating scans. “Her biometrics are…” She paused, leaning closer to the screen.

“What?” Quinn stepped forward, his tone sharp.

“They’re off the charts,” Miranda said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Her cellular structure is unlike anything I’ve seen before. She’s not human. Not even close. And if she’s alien… well, I’ve never seen an alien with DNA like this either.”

Quinn frowned. “Then what is she?”

Miranda exhaled slowly, shaking her head. “I don’t know. But whatever she is, it’s ancient. Her genetic markers show traces of something… primordial. Older than anything Aegis or even the Ravagers have documented.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Quinn stared at Nova, his mind racing. Ancient? Primordial? What could she be?

Miranda glanced back at him, her expression wary. “I’m running more tests, but this much is clear—she’s a one-of-a-kind entity. Most like she is in-fact an Oracle and that makes her dangerous to anyone who doesn’t understand her. Including herself.”

Quinn folded his arms, his voice low. “She doesn’t feel dangerous.”

Miranda’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t mean she isn’t. If her abilities are tied to her biology, there’s no telling what could happen if she loses control.”

Quinn’s gaze dropped to Nova, his brow furrowing. “There’s something else,” he said, his voice hesitant. “She… affects my chip.”

Miranda froze, turning to face him fully. “What do you mean?”

“When I’m around her, the chip… overloads,” Quinn admitted. “It’s like it’s struggling to suppress something. Emotions. Sensations. I don’t know what, but it’s happening more and more.”

Miranda’s expression shifted to one of concern. “Quinn, that’s not good. If your nerve-blocking chip fries while it’s still in your spine, it could paralyze you. Or worse.”

“I know,” Quinn said evenly. “But I can handle it.”

“Can you?” Miranda pressed, her voice rising slightly. “This isn’t just about you. If something happens to that chip, it’s not just your body on the line—it’s your mind. Your life is tied to it, and if it fails…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “We’re talking total system failure, Quinn. You could lose everything.”

Quinn didn’t respond immediately, his eyes locked on Nova. The thought of abandoning her, of letting Aegis take her, felt wrong in a way he couldn’t fully explain.

Miranda sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Look, I’ll do what I can to stabilize the chip if it starts to fail, but you need to be careful. The more time you spend with her, the greater the risk.”

Quinn nodded slowly. “I’ll take that risk.”

Miranda stared at him for a long moment before turning back to the monitors. “You’ve always been different, Quinn,” she said softly. “That’s why you were my favorite out of all the ABs. Even when you were just a boy, you had something the others didn’t. A spark—an edge that couldn’t be programmed or conditioned out of you.”

Quinn glanced at her, surprised by the admission. “You never said that before.”

Miranda smiled faintly, her hands still moving over the controls. “It wasn’t something I could say. Not back then. But I saw it in you, Quinn. You weren’t like the others. And maybe that’s why you’re able to resist Aegis now—why you’re willing to risk everything for her.”

Quinn’s voice was steady as he replied, “If I don’t, who will?”

Miranda nodded slowly, her expression softening. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. I’ll do what I can to stabilize the chip if it starts to fail, but don’t push it too far. If you lose control, there’s no coming back.”

“I know the risks,” Quinn said, his gaze drifting back to Nova. “But it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Miranda’s faint smile returned. “I knew you’d say that. You always were stubborn.”

Quinn didn’t reply, his eyes locked on Nova as the machines hummed softly around them. In that moment, he couldn’t help but wonder if Miranda was right—if he had always been different. And if so, why was it now, with Nova, that it mattered so much?

Quinn’s gaze lingered on Nova’s still form, her chest rising and falling gently as she lay under the effects of the sedative. Her vibrant hair spilled over the edge of the examination table like a vivid splash of color against the sterile setting.

“She makes me feel…” Quinn hesitated, his voice unusually uncertain. He clenched his jaw and turned to Miranda. “I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like there’s this connection—something I’ve never felt before. Not just because of the memories, or what happened when I touched her. It’s deeper than that.”

Miranda arched a brow, her sharp eyes studying him. “A connection?”

Quinn nodded. “Yeah. It’s like she’s pulling at something buried inside me. Something I didn’t even know was there. When I’m near her, I… feel. Even with the chip suppressing everything, she makes me feel things I haven’t felt since—” He broke off, his fists clenching at his sides.

“Since before Aegis took you,” Miranda finished quietly, her tone laced with understanding.

Quinn’s jaw tightened, but he nodded again. “I don’t understand it, Miranda. I’ve served my entire life without hesitation, without questioning orders. But now… with her…” He gestured toward Nova. “It’s like everything I’ve been taught to do is fighting against what feels right.”

Miranda studied him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she leaned back, crossing her arms. “You’re not wrong to trust your instincts, Quinn. I told you—you’ve always been different. Whatever’s happening with Nova, it’s waking up something in you. Something Aegis couldn’t erase, no matter how hard they tried.”

Quinn turned to her, his eyes sharp. “And what if this connection is dangerous? If being around her is pushing my chip to the brink, what happens if it fails?”

Miranda’s expression darkened. “If it fails in the wrong way, it could kill you, Quinn. The chip’s integrated into your nervous system—it’s not just suppressing emotions; it’s managing your physiological responses too. Overloading it could fry your brainstem or shut down your motor functions. That’s why you need to be careful.”

“I can’t just walk away from her,” Quinn said firmly. “The Ravagers are after her, Aegis wants her dead, and she has no one else. I can’t leave her to face this alone.”

Miranda sighed, rubbing her temples. “You’ve always had a savior complex. Even as a kid.”

Her smile faded as she glanced back at Nova. “Whatever she is, Quinn, she’s tied to something ancient—something powerful. Aegis wants to eliminate that, and the Ravagers want to exploit it. But you… maybe you’re just trying to protect her because, for once, you’re following your heart instead of orders.”

Quinn didn’t respond immediately. He looked back at Nova, her peaceful face tugging at something deep inside him. “Maybe,” he said quietly. “But either way, I’m not letting anything happen to her.”

Miranda’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Then we better figure out what she is—and fast. Because whatever’s coming for her, you’re going to need more than instinct to protect her.”