The air in the sterile, dimly lit chamber of Nhyrr Zeta Base – a global black site buried deep beneath an unlisted mountain range – was charged. The cold, recycled air carried a faint, metallic scent. Fluorescent lights cast long shadows across the polished floor. At its center, a large ring structure, thirty feet in diameter, hummed. Its inner surface glowed faintly with circuitry. It was a gateway.
McKnight, rigid, stood before the ring. His dark grey combat suit absorbed the light. His eyes, visible through his visor, were cold slits. Beside him, Ronnie and three other Echo soldiers stood still. Their visors obscured their faces. Their movements were precise. They were automatons, controlled by a distant will. Their presence demonstrated Krill-enhanced human technology.
