“Neutralize the threat.”
The boy raises his rifle fully.
Finger tightening on the trigger—
—and suddenly the girl shoves his weapon aside.
The shot slams into the ceiling instead of Hannah’s chest.
Everything explodes.
The boy spins toward her instantly.
“What are you doing?!”
Confusion.
Real confusion.
Like independent thought physically hurts him.
The girl stares at Hannah breathing hard now.
Fear cracking through years of conditioning.
“You said outside was real.”
Hannah nods slowly.
“Yes.”
The girl’s voice trembles.
Barely.
“Were they lying?”
Oh God.
Hannah’s eyes fill instantly.
“No.”
The teenage boy looks between them both like his entire world is splitting open.
Wu’s voice cuts through the corridor like a blade.
“Subject Eight-Seven has failed compliance.”
The girl flinches violently.
And suddenly—
hidden turrets descend from the ceiling.
Auto-defense systems.
Russ shouts instantly:
