Davis fumbled with a heavy wrench near the hydraulic press. His bandaged arm twitched in a spasm of pain, and his grip failed. The tool slipped from his fingers and crashed into a tray of sorted ceramic bolts.

  Clang-clatter-crash.

  Bolts scattered across the grease-stained floor like hail.

  Divento spun his wheelchair around with furious speed. His face was flushed with irritation.

  "You clumsy fool! That is the third tray you have upended this hour!"

  Davis scrambled to his knees. He tried to gather the bolts with his good hand.

  "I'm sorry, Master Divento! The nerves... they just jumped."

  Divento pointed a grease-stained finger at the door.

  "I don't care about your nerves. I care about my organization. You are making my job more difficult, and I cannot afford delays. Get out. Go back to your bunk. Do not return until that arm is fully recovered and you can hold a wrench without dropping it on my toes."

  Davis hung his head.

  "Yes, Master."

  He stood up and scurried toward the exit. He nearly collided with Leik and Sophie as they walked through the open frame.

  "Watch out, Davis," Leik said gently.

  Davis mumbled an apology and sprinted down the corridor.

  Leik shook her head and looked at the engineer.

  "You should cut the youth some slack, Divento. He is trying his best."

  Divento grunted and turned back to his workbench.

  "If I cut him any more slack, he will cut off more than just a finger next time. Precision is life down here, Leik. You know that."

  He wiped his hands on a rag and eyed her up and down.

  "Anyway, what brings you here? I thought you were going to sleep for another week."

  Leik chuckled. She walked further into the cluttered room.

  "I came to check up on your progress. And I brought a shadow."

  She gestured to Sophie, who hid behind her leg.

  "I know you don't like kids in your workshop. I hope you don't mind."

  Divento softened his expression slightly when he saw the little girl.

  "For her, I will make an exception. But warn her. Do not wander around. Do not touch anything. There are sharp edges everywhere."

  Leik scooped Sophie up into her arms.

  "Don't worry. I've got her anchored."

  Divento nodded and wheeled himself over to the main counter. The Adamantine sword lay there, though now it looked different. The edge gleamed with a fresh honing, and blueprints were spread out beneath it.

  "I haven't done much physical improvement with the sword yet, aside from sharpening the edge to a molecular point. But I have completed the design for the terminal box."

  He tapped a complex schematic drawn on a sheet of blueprint.

  "The theory is sound. I can't drill into the Adamantine, but I can clamp a new hilt around the tang. This terminal box here..."

  He traced a square component on the drawing.

  "...will house a micro-motor. It won't drive a chain, but it will create a high-frequency vibration. It will turn the blade into a vibro-sword. It will help with the cutting force so you don't have to strain your muscles as much."

  Leik leaned in and studied the lines.

  "That is impressive. But is it plausible? Can a motor that small generate enough vibration to matter against a Ruster's hide?"

  Divento puffed out his chest.

  "Have some faith in me, woman. I am the best engineer in the sector."

  He noticed Sophie. The girl stared at the blue blade with wide, unblinking eyes.

  "You like it, little one?"

  Sophie nodded slowly.

  "Why is it blue? Metal is supposed to be gray or brown."

  Divento smiled.

  "This is special metal. It comes from the old world, from a place where the Rust cannot touch. It is blue because it is pure. Your mother used this very sword to cut apart a Corroder. She sliced through it like it was made of butter."

  Sophie gasped. She looked at her mother with newfound awe.

  "You killed a Corroder with this? Daddy said those are Class 4. He said we have to run from them."

  Leik shifted Sophie’s weight on her hip.

  "Sometimes you can't run, sweetie. Sometimes you have to fight."

  Sophie looked back at the sword.

  "So you are stronger than Daddy?"

  Leik didn't know how to answer. She glanced at Divento for help.

  Divento cleared his throat.

  "The Adamantine blade contributed mainly to the Corroder's defeat. Your mother is strong, yes. She is a warrior. But even she would have had difficulty without this sword. It is a partnership between the steel and the hand."

  Sophie reached out a small hand toward the weapon.

  "Can I hold it?"

  Leik pulled her back sharply.

  "No. Absolutely not. It is too sharp. It will cut you just by looking at it."

  She turned to Divento to change the subject.

  "What about the armor? You said you were melting it down. Is it done yet?"

  She looked toward the furnace, but the fire was banked low.

  Divento’s expression shifted from pride to puzzlement.

  "Ah. That."

  He turned his wheelchair toward a heavy, lead-lined freezer unit in the corner.

  "I melted down the Adamantine to its refined state yesterday. It took incredible heat, more than I thought possible. I recast it into a sphere for cooling."

  He opened the freezer. A cloud of cold vapor rolled out.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Hiss.

  "I haven't done anything else to it yet because... a strange reaction happened during the melting. I am a genius, Leik, but this one eludes even me."

  Leik stepped closer.

  "What kind of reaction?"

  Divento reached into the cold mist with a pair of tongs. He pulled out a small, silver orb the size of a golf ball.

  "This."

  He presented it to her.

  Leik stared at the tiny object.

  "That? That is all that was left? That was a full suit body armor. It should be a massive ingot."

  Divento nodded gravely.

  "It seems to condense drastically upon cooling. It shed all its impurities, all the filler alloys, and collapsed into this super-dense state. And it lost its blue luster. It looks like polished chrome now."

  He placed the orb on a dark cloth on the workbench.

  "But watch this. Leik, turn off the lights. Close the door."

  Leik hesitated, then walked to the switch.

  Click.

  The workshop plunged into darkness, save for the faint orange glow of the furnace embers.

  Then, a light bloomed on the table.

  The silver orb began to illuminate. It wasn't a reflection. It was an internal radiance. A brilliant, piercing blue glow radiated from the sphere. It was brighter than a glow-slug, cleaner than an LED.

  "Wow..." Sophie whispered. "It's pretty."

  Leik walked back to the table, drawn by the light.

  "I've seen Adamantine shine before, Divento. The sword glows a little in the dark."

  "Not like this," Divento whispered. "This isn't just illumination. Look closer."

  He wheeled himself to a secure cabinet. He retrieved a glass container covered in a black cloth. He placed it next to the glowing orb.

  "I keep samples of active Rust in here for testing inhibitors."

  He pulled the cloth away. Inside the transparent container, a piece of scrap iron was covered in fuzzy, reddish-brown active Rust.

  Divento pushed the glowing Adamantine sphere closer to the glass.

  As the blue light hit the rusted metal, a violent reaction occurred.

  Sizzle.

  The Rust didn't just stop growing. It began to smoke. The red flakes turned gray, then disintegrated into fine dust. It was as if the light was incinerating the infection. The Rust dripped to the bottom of the container, where the intense radiance vaporized it completely.

  Fzzzt.

  Leik watched in stunned silence.

  Divento spoke with trembling excitement.

  "I have tried my best to explain this phenomenon. Not even the purest UST can make the Rust react in this way. I tested the metal afterward. It had been purified. But more than that, it built up a percentage of immunity. When I tried to apply fresh Rust to the treated metal, the infection would not spread. I had to forcibly rub the two materials together repeatedly before I saw even a microscopic reaction."

  He looked up at Leik. The blue light reflected in his glasses.

  "This means that this strange light could potentially act as a perfect purifier. Maybe even for contaminated water."

  "Show me," Leik demanded.

  Divento turned the overhead lights back on. The room flooded with harsh reality, but the memory of that blue miracle lingered.

  "Bring the sword," he ordered.

  He wheeled over to a basin filled with murky, brown sludge; water heavily contaminated with Rust particles.

  Leik carried the Adamantine blade over.

  "Turn off the lights again."

  Click.

  Darkness returned.

  "Put the tip of the sword into the water."

  Leik lowered the blade. The faint, natural bioluminescence of the sword cast a weak glow. She dipped the tip into the sludge.

  Nothing happened.

  The water remained murky. The Rust particles floated undisturbed.

  Divento pointed.

  "Stir it."

  Leik stirred the water.

  Swish-swish.

  Still nothing. The Rust did not react.

  "Withdraw the blade."

  Leik pulled it out. The metal was clean. The Adamantine had rejected the contaminant, sliding free without a stain, but the water remained poison.

  "The sword repels Rust. It protects itself. But it does not heal the environment."

  He set the sword aside and picked up the tongs. He lifted the glowing orb.

  "Now, watch the second part."

  He lowered the sphere into the basin.

  Plop.

  The orb sank to the bottom. For a moment, the glow seemed to be swallowed by the murk. The room became darker.

  Then, rays of light started bursting from the surface of the water.

  Shoom.

  Shafts of brilliant azure cut through the darkness. The water began to churn bubbles rising to the surface. The brown cloudiness started to break apart. It dissolved. It vanished.

  The process took five minutes. The light grew brighter and brighter until the entire basin glowed like a lantern.

  "Lights on."

  Leik flipped the switch.

  She looked into the basin. The water was crystal clear. It sparkled with a purity that rivaled the W-H2O in the cans.

  Sophie peeked over the edge.

  "It looks like glass. Can I drink it?"

  "No!" Divento and Leik shouted together.

  "Not yet," Divento corrected himself. "But look at it. I have never seen basin water that transparent before. The Rust is gone. Vaporized."

  Leik stared at the water.

  "This is unprecedented. But why? Why does the orb behave differently than the sword?"

  Divento scratched his head.

  "I haven't figured that out. They are both pure Adamantine. But something went wrong, or right while I was melting the armor. The cooling process, the density... it changed the properties. Now this orb has a glow that could purify Rust one hundred percent."

  He looked at Leik with wide eyes.

  "Imagine if we could replicate this on a larger scale. Everyone would have cleaner water. We wouldn't need W-H2O cans. We could clean the reservoirs. We might even be able to develop a bio-weapon against the Rust. A bomb of pure light."

  Leik shook her head in disbelief.

  "You are a genius, Divento."

  "It was a mere coincidence. Not intentional. I need more Adamantine material to do further tests. I will have to delay crafting the motor for your sword. I need to study this."

  "I don't mind. This is more important. If we can crack the code behind this... we won't have to fear the Rust anymore. Maybe one day this entire planet could be purified."

  Divento scoffed softly.

  "That is wishful thinking. But I will entertain the thought."

  Leik reached into the water. It was cool. She picked up the orb. It felt warm, pulsating with a gentle energy. And her hand was not contaminated.

  "What is your secret?" she whispered to the metal.

  It didn't answer.

  Sophie reached out her hand.

  "Mommy, can I touch it? Please?"

  Leik hesitated, then placed the Adamantine orb into Sophie’s small hands.

  "Careful. Don't drop it."

  Sophie stared at it and smiled. She covered it with both palms and peeked through her fingers at the blue glow that leaked through.

  "It tickles."

  Divento wiped his hands on a rag.

  "We need more material. The frame of that truck you left in the desert. We need it."

  Leik frowned.

  "It might be dangerous. Reiner told us there was a group after the cargo. If we go back, we reveal ourselves. We aren't certain the investigation is over."

  "But Strider would understand," Divento argued. "Once he sees this? He will agree to a raid."

  Leik looked at the orb in her daughter's hands.

  "Maybe. Just imagine how many people we could help."

  Rumble.

  Suddenly, the floor beneath them vibrated. Tools rattled on the shelves.

  Clatter-clink.

  Sophie gasped and clutched the orb tightly. She shoved it into her pocket for safekeeping.

  The shaking lasted for thirty seconds. It was a deep, grinding tremor that made the teeth ache.

  When it stopped, Leik looked around.

  "An earthquake? Here?"

  Divento gripped his wheels.

  "I have been in this desert for twenty years. The tectonic plates here are stable. A quake that long? That has never happened."

  RUMBLE!

  Another earthquake hit them instantly. This one was violent.

  The walls groaned. Dust rained down from the ceiling cracks.

  Leik dipped low and grabbed Sophie. She held her daughter tight against her chest.

  "Divento! Careful!"

  Parts of the ceiling plaster collapsed.

  Crash.

  Then, a sound cut through the noise of the earth.

  Wooooo-Wooooo.

  Sirens blared all over the Biome. It was the emergency frequency.

  A voice crackled over the broadcast system. It was strained and urgent.

  "Attention! All civilians! Evacuate to Sector Frior immediately! This is not a drill! Repeat, evacuate to Sector Frior! We are under attack by external forces!"

  Leik froze.

  "That was Kingham. What the heck is happening? Did the Rusters who discover us? But the sun is still out, isn’t it?"

  She checked a clock. 4:57 PM. The sun was still out.

  Divento looked pale.

  "The evacuation order... Sector Frior is the deepest escape tunnel. It leads away from the main complex. Kingham ordering a retreat to Frior means only one thing."

  They spoke in unison.

  "The abandonment of the Biome."

  Leik set Sophie down. Her maternal instinct warred with her warrior's heart. She reached for the Adamantine sword on the counter and strapped it to her waist.

  "We have to go."

  She ran outside the workshop.

  The corridor was a river of panic. People rushed past in a frantic stampede. Women clutched their children and bolted. Men carried meager sacks of food. Fear was the only smell in the air.

  Leik pressed herself against the wall to avoid being trampled.

  "Leik!"

  She looked over the heads of the crowd. A Galvanizer unit was rushing in the opposite direction, toward the entrance.

  "Nicardo!"

  She called out to him.

  Nicardo spotted her. He waved his team forward.

  "Go! I'll catch up!"

  He forced his way through the flow of refugees until he reached Leik and Divento. His face was smeared with soot, and his armor was dented.

  "What is happening?" Leik demanded. "Is it a swarm?"

  Nicardo shook his head violently.

  "No. Worse. The Biome has been breached. Hostile troops. Humans."

  Leik felt a chill that had nothing to do with the freezer.

  "The ones Reiner mentioned?"

  "Likely. They are killing everyone in sight. They blew the main gate. Strider and the other Galvanizers are confronting them in Sector Alpha, but we are being overwhelmed. They have heavy weapons. Energy shields. We can't hold them."

  Leik grabbed his arm.

  "Aidro! My son! He was at the training ground!"

  "He is safe. Gustov grabbed him. He is leading the evacuation of the children to Sector Frior right now. Aidro is with him."

  He looked at Sophie and Divento.

  "You need to get them to the evac zone. Now. Our soldiers are dropping like flies. I don't know how long Strider can hold the line."

  Nicardo didn't wait for a response. He turned and dashed back down the passageway with his gun in hand.

  Leik stood there for a second. Her heart pulled her toward Sector Alpha, toward her husband. She wanted to draw her sword and fight. But she looked down at Sophie. Her daughter was trembling.

  "Mommy?"

  "I'm here."

  Leik made her choice. She turned to Divento.

  "Let's go."

  She picked up Sophie and placed her on Divento’s lap.

  "Hold her. Don't let go."

  She moved behind the wheelchair and gripped the handles.

  Divento looked back at his workshop.

  "My research! The data! The tools! We can't leave it!"

  Leik shoved the wheelchair forward into the crowd.

  "Forget the tools, Divento! If we die, the research dies with us!"

  She pushed them down the crowded passage toward Sector Frior, leaving the lights of the workshop, and the life they knew, behind in the dark.