"Outside the boutique, a high-caliber sniper laser red-dot suddenly centers directly on Gerald’s chest through the glass."
"Isolate the trajectory metrics immediately," Gerald commanded, his tone sharp and steady as the heavy doors of the private lift slid shut behind them.
The elevator descended at rapid speed into the subterranean depths of Vanguard Tower. Blue status light washed over the metallic walls, illuminating the micro-fractures in Gerald’s torn sleeve where his synthetic skin met exposed titanium plating.
Laura stood beside him, her hands still trembling slightly despite her best efforts to maintain composure. She kept her eyes fixed on the glowing diagnostic screen mounted against the wall.
"You are operating with compromised hydraulic pressure in that shoulder," Laur
