32 “Detonation signal sent at full power, sir,” Daren Suh said from behind the laboratory terminal. “The transmission should’ve terminated the subject.” Locking his fingers, Rampa pressed them to his lips. “Very well.” After months of work and sacrifice, Ryker Zyan had been killed. The project had ended, and he would have to explain to his superiors the reason for the complete failure of his prized subject. He wouldn’t make the same mistake with the next batch of Star Runners. The program would change, and he would ensure its success in light of what he’d learned in the initial tests. This is what experimenting is, he thought. Eventually, the program would result in better pilots in half the time it took to train new recruits in the Academy. Still, Ryker had been special. As he thou

