"Dahlia!"
The sound wasn't just a shout; it was a roar torn from the darkest recesses of my soul. My eyes were glued to the green line on the monitor, now flat, emitting a high-pitched shriek that felt like it was slicing through my eardrums. The silence that followed the sound was far more terrifying than any explosion I'd ever heard.
"Juri, initiate system resuscitation now! Bypass Cypher's manual controls!" I commanded, my voice hoarse from the panic I was trying to suppress.
"I'm trying, Jax! Cypher locked physical access with a deadman switch protocol," Juri replied, their voice trembling through my earpiece. "You have to take control of the main panel on the left side of the operating table. Now!"
I didn't wait for a second instruction. I lunged forward, pushing past the bodies o
