Chapter 6: Preparations in the Dark_2

Amira came to the door of the lab and paused for a moment, her senses heightened as she scanned her surroundings.

Having a quick check, she knocked twice and waited.

A familiar voice called from inside.

"Come in."

She pushed open the door and was hit by a flood of bright light, starkly contrasting the dim hall she had just left.

Squinting slightly, She stepped in and readjusted her eyes to the dazzling whiteness of the lab.

There were large, complicated machines in the room: some she recognized, but others whose purposes she could only hazard a guess at.

Each was accompanied by sheets of paper covered in equations and diagrams, a mix of technical detail and chaotic scrawl.

On the other end, hunched forward over a computer screen in a blur of tousled black hair was

Layla, her face bathed in the soft blue light of the computer.

Dark circles under her eyes seemed to make her ghostly.

Amira would shake her head in half amusement.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to get outside a little more often," she said with a lilt that teased, "Breathe some fresh air, take a break. This place isn't exactly a spa for your health."

Layla's head jerked back, and her eyes were wide with amazement.

For one second she looked as if she wanted to leap from her chair and hug Amira; then she thought better of it, holding back just enough to retain her composed expression.

"Oh, stop pretending," Amira laughed, "You know you want a hug."

With that, she stepped forward and pulled Layla into a tight embrace.

Layla's tough exterior crumbled, and she buried her face into Amira's shoulder, as the tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I missed you, sis," Layla mumbled through her sobs.

Amira gently stroked her hair, her voice softening, "I missed you too. But we have to keep it together."

Layla pulled back a bit and cleaned her tears with some irritation and relief.

"You always have to go ahead and say something that's going to ruin the moment, don't you?" she grumbled.

"Oh, I'm just stating facts," Amira quipped, "And here you were, claiming you are not a crybaby."

"Shut up," Layla sniffled and smiled a little bit, "I am not a crybaby. It has just. been a long time."

After a minute, Amira took a step back and tenderly swiped away a rogue tear on Layla's cheek.

"Fine, enough of the crying, now. What is so big that you couldn't even find me to discuss this yourself?"

Layla wiped her face and took a deep breath.

"I am working on something big. I am trying to design a compact plasma rifle, small enough for handheld but as powerful as the heavy ones.".

Amira's eyes sparkled with interest, "Ambitious. I like it."

Layla was frustrated as she slammed a stack of papers onto the table, "It's not going well! I've been stuck on this for weeks."

Amira put a reassuring hand on Layla's shoulder, "Hey, these things take time. You'll figure it out."

After a hesitation, curiosity got the better of Layla.

"So what is all this about?" she demanded, "You are here so it must be something serious."

Just when Amira was ready to open up, the door was tapped on the other side of it.

"Come in," said Amira.

The door swung open, and Elias swung in; laptop bag slung over his shoulder.

He made an airy entrance but did not move his eyes.

"Set up your system over there," Amira said, nodding toward an empty desk.

Elias quickly got to work unpacking his gear. Layla watched him, frowning.

"IT work usually happens in a different room," she said doubtfully, "What is this?"

Amira spoke without betraying any tension. Her expression was guarded and inscrutable.

"I need both of you for this. That is why I asked Elias to join us.".

Layla nodded hesitantly, still unsure but trusting Amira's judgment.

"Done, Captain," Elias declared when his setup was ready.

Amira pulled up a chair and gestured for Layla and Elias to join her.

They sat down across from her, both looking a mix of confused and expectant.

"So, what's the deal? What do you need from us?" Layla asked bluntly, cutting straight to the point.

Elias leaned in, curiosity etched on his face.

"I need you to hack into a satellite," Amira said, her voice steady but urgent, "Any satellite orbiting above our continent will do. I want it configured to search for specific energy readings."

Layla raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled, "Elias, sure, he's the hacker. But me? I'm not exactly a tech wizard."

Elias was more cautious, a hint of doubt in his tone, "I can break in, but running a scan that deep? It'll leave traces. If they're fast enough, they'll track us."

Layla, still piecing things together, muttered under her breath as she took a swig from a bottle on her desk.

"Wish this was cold," she grumbled.

Amira's lips curled into a sly smile, "Hand me the bottle."

Layla hesitated but handed it over.

Amira focused, her palm glowing faintly with a cool blue aura.

Within seconds, the bottle was frosty, a thin layer of ice forming on the surface.

"Here, now it's cold," Amira said, handing it back with a smirk.

Layla's eyes widened, and she almost dropped the bottle, "What the -?"

Elias, equally shocked but recovering faster, stared at Amira with newfound awe.

"So, it's true… all those stories about 'awakened' people floating around the dark web," he said quietly, "Captain, are you really one of them?"

Layla looked even more bewildered, "Awakened? Elias, what are you talking about? How's this even possible?"

Elias turned to her, his face serious, "There's been talk of people suddenly developing powers; controlling elements, heightened abilities."

"Even animals are mutating and becoming aggressive. The higher-ups are covering it up and detaining anyone they can't control."

Layla's confusion shifted to anger.

"They're locking people up over this? How could they?" She looked back at Amira, her voice softer, "Is that why they detained you? Framed you?"

Amira nodded slowly, a mixture of bitterness and resolve in her eyes.

"Not the Chancellor's doing. It was the Rienfeld family."

"They wanted to eliminate anything they couldn't control; especially anyone who turned out to be awakened or have potential to be one."

Her voice hardened.

"Our unit operated outside the Federation's leash. That made us dangerous. Plus, the feud with our family didn't help."

Layla's face flushed with anger, "That bastard of Rienfeld… I bet he's behind the false charges too."

Elias's expression darkened, filled with bitter disappointment.

"So all that efforts, contributions, and comrades we lost in the process; all for nothing. Just because of their insecure feelings and greed."

Amira's gaze remained steady, though a flicker of sadness passed through her eyes.

"It was never about honor or loyalty to them. We did what we did for the people, not for the Federation. And we're not done yet."

Elias cleared his mind, trying to refocus the conversation.

"Okay, let's not get carried away here. We need to keep it in perspective. Captain, why do you need this deep scan from the satellite? It's dangerous and could give away our location."

Amira's expression became serious.

"I need you to run a deep scan across the continent, searching for high concentrations of energy." She paused, then added, 

"And I need an approximate count of life signatures in those areas."

Elias paused, weighing his risks.

"If you can give me the specific parameters for the energy signature, I can run a more focused scan to minimize exposure."

"But how will we get those exact parameters?" he asked

Amira nodded turning to Layla.

"That's where you come in," Amira said directly.

Layla looked confused. "Me? How am I supposed to help with that?"

Reaching into her pocket, Amira pulled out a glowing, blue spiritual core and handed it over.

"Examine this," she said to him, "Extract the wind elemental properties from the core. Use it to refine the search parameters."

Layla's eyes opened wide at the glow of the core.

"I've never seen one this pure," she whispered, almost mesmerized.

"Can you do it? And quickly?" Amira pressed.

Layla nodded, her gaze still fixed on the core. "It'll take about one to two hours, but yes, I can do it."

Her voice didn't waver, but urgency rolled in with each word.

"Good. Elias, be prepared to begin scanning once Layla receives the reading."

Elias nodded, looking confused, "And once we receive the results, what's the plan?"

Amira stood up to go but turned around before leaving.

"Ensure the results are left there for them to discover."

Elias furrowed his brow, "Wait. You actually. want them to find it?"

Her gaze was cold and calculating.

"Yes. I want to see how they react to the truth. It will serve as both a distraction and a test."

Elias nodded slowly, still not fully understanding but trusting her judgment.

"Alright, Captain. I'll leave the trail for them."

She turned and headed out of the lab.

"I'll be outside, preparing for when everyone gets here," she said.

Elias and Layla shared a hesitant look as she walked away.

"She's always one step ahead," Elias muttered to himself, shaking his head in wonder.

Layla kept reading, lost in the spiritual core, and sighed.

"I have no idea how she does it," she admitted, awe mixed with frustration, "But one thing's clear; this is gonna get much more complicated."

Amira moved on through darkened halls, her head already working out the next step of action.

She had made sure she's dropped enough hints for the turned abilities, unseen dangers lurking in every corner, and huge surges of energy to get them ready for what's about to hit them.

But she knew that they have no idea yet about the approaching waves or the scale of this threat looming above them.

The air about her chilled, as if it itself foretold what was to come.

But, in the spreading darkness, there remained a small glimmer of hope.

"Let them see the truth," she whispered to herself, "And let them be prepared."