Chapter 105: The Key - Part 1
Steve
The vault door to the gate chamber required three security overrides. I had two minutes before Russian reinforcements arrived.
"Robin, explosives on the door mechanism. Dustin, cover our six. Erica, vent distraction." Phase 3 tactical overlay mapped the space. "On my mark—three, two, one—breach!"
The door exploded inward. Eight guards inside, weapons raising.
Fight Master engaged at maximum.
Time fractured. Guard movements became predictable patterns. I moved through them like water—bat to temple, nerve strike to throat, disarm, sweep, incapacitate. Eight soldiers down in ninety seconds. All alive, just unconscious.
"Clear!" I called.
We entered the gate chamber proper. And hell greeted us.
Robin
The machine was nightmare made metal. Pipes and cables everywhere, power conduits pulsing with energy that made my teeth ache. And at the center—the gate.
Eight feet wide. Red dimensional tear pulsing like infected wound. Things moved on the other side. Shadows with wrong shapes, waiting to pour through.
"Jesus Christ," Dustin breathed.
A Soviet operator sat locked in the control chair, face blank, drool running down his chin. His mind was gone—burned out by the neural connection.
"We can't just blow it," I realized. "With the gate open like this, the explosion could—"
"Destabilize the dimensional barrier. Create uncontrolled collapse." Steve stared at the key mechanism. "We need controlled shutdown. Someone operates the key in reverse, closes the gate, then we detonate."
"So we find another operator—"
"There's no time." His voice held finality. "Get out. All of you. Now."
Dustin
"Steve, what are you—"
"What I have to." He approached the key mechanism. "Hopper did this in original timeline. Took the operator role. Died doing it. I'm not letting that happen."
"Then we find another way—"
"There is no other way!" His corruption scars flared bright red. "I have the bridge-connection from last year. I might survive what would kill anyone else. Might. Better odds than Hopper. Better than any of you."
Robin grabbed his arm. "Steve, this is suicide—"
"It's calculated risk. My corruption, my abilities, my responsibility." He pulled away gently. "Now get out. Extraction is ninety seconds that way. Move."
"We're not leaving you—"
"Yes you are. That's an order." His Phase 3 authority was absolute. "Erica, lead them out. Robin, Dustin—make sure she gets topside safe. Tell Hopper mission accomplished. Tell Chrissy I tried."
Erica
I grabbed Robin's hand. "We have to go. He's made up his mind."
"We can't just—"
"We can and we will. Come on!" I pulled her toward the exit.
Dustin hesitated. Then radio'd: "All teams, Steve is taking key operator position. Beginning shutdown sequence. Stand by for dimensional feedback."
Steve was already at the mechanism, studying the controls. The burned-out Soviet operator got pulled from the chair, dumped aside. Steve took his place.
"I'm sorry," I heard him whisper to no one. "But everyone else survives. That's the deal."
Then we were running. Ninety seconds to extraction. Behind us, the gate screamed as Steve touched the key.
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