The Arbiter struck back the instant their hands touched the Needle.
Xin felt it hit before he could even draw a breath.
A wave of white noise exploded through the Heart-Link, flooding every pathway at once. It wasn't sound. It wasn't light. It was something deeper — six completed authorizations screaming through his nervous system simultaneously.
His vision vanished into a field of white.
Pain shot through his body.
His knees almost gave out beneath him.
Only instinct kept his hands locked onto the Needle.
Beside him, Pip staggered but held her ground. The silver glow in her eyes brightened until it was almost painful to look at. Unit Two protocols were running at maximum capacity, processing information faster than any human brain could.
For a split second she tried to absorb part
