The door which Wulfe and Stan broke through led to a large food storage unit. Frozen sides of meat hung from hooked racks all over the room and a deep chill permeated the room.
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As Talbain, Ice and Bastilen proceeded farther into the tunnel, the sensor ping which Ice received showed a solid wall of red. The entire mine was rock and metal. The waves returned with a complete lack of useful data.
She had, however, also unwittingly alerted the NMX that she was there. They knew she was there and it was time to destroy her.
Amongst the stalagmites, shadows moved swiftly and silently.
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On the surface, Leon didn't see Luke Daniels reappear and made a note to have the man demoted and transferred.
"Chief, are you
sure you're okay? I'm looking at your vitals and it's like you're barely holding together. Your heart rate's really fast and stress levels are higher than everyone else's," Laura asked him again.
"I am fine, Romero! Focus..." Leon stopped midsentence. The ground beneath him was shaking. It wasn't a seismic event. It was something definitely artificial. Like an underground passage opening up. Right under his feet. "Lasalle, get to cover!"
Leon sprinted to the building doorway, followed right behind by Laura. The pain was excruciating. It felt as if his gut was being torn apart, which in truth, it was. The burnt flesh had not been replaced and the hole left in his side by the aether blade was only held together by a variety of medical quick-fixes, namely a liberal application of liquid bandage and medical nano. The exertions he was making now were tearing those fragile bonds apart. Laura was aware of his treatment and condition but if the Chief said he was fine, she wasn't going to press the matter. Yet.
Francis could feel the rumbling beneath him and where the Chief had once stood, a gaping maw rose out of the ground. Out of it rushed NMX Nekos and a quartet of
unidentified armors.