The cryo-chamber hissed as pressure equalized. Twin pods stood side by side, cables entwined like veins in cold steel.
Dominic helped lower Aria into hers, his hands steady despite the way his heart pounded against his ribs. She couldn't speak, but her eyes never left his.
“I programmed your pod to track mine," he said softly. “If either of us crashes, the other's vitals take over. Mutual reinforcement."
She blinked once.
“Yes," he whispered. “Together or nothing. I remember."
Mara hovered nearby, running diagnostics. “Antidote is stable. But the final dose must be administered under full cryo-suspension. Temperature needs to hit minus forty for cellular modulation."
Dominic stripped off his thermal coat and knelt beside Aria's pod.
She pulled a marker from her pocket, hands barely
