The moment Ryven's newest message arrived, Krysta Benton stopped moving entirely.
Not dramatically.
Not loudly.
Just—
completely.
The laboratory continued humming around her while she stared at the projection suspended above the central console. Thin blue holographic light reflected across her glasses while active code streamed endlessly through the room in layered vertical columns. Half-disassembled drones hovered near the ceiling awaiting instructions while three autonomous repair arms welded components together nearby with soft bursts of white light that smelled faintly like ozone and hot metal.
Normally, Krysta multitasked through all of it without effort.
Now she just stared.
At the lake.
Massive.
Beautiful.
Ancient.
Ryven's uploaded terrain layout stretched across the entire laboratory, transforming the room into a floating projection of the Voss homeworld. Moonlight shimmered across endless dark water while mountain ridges rose around the lake basin in silver-blue layers like sleeping giants protecting something sacred beneath the surface.
It looked less like a place—
and more like memory given shape.
Krysta slowly zoomed in.
The water shifted.
Ancient pathways appeared beneath the surface alongside fragmented architectural outlines reconstructed from preserved Voss family archives Ryven had clearly accessed through channels Krysta was choosing not to question right now.
Historical overlays rotated one after another while old ceremonial records translated themselves automatically beside the projection. At the center of the lake, a partially formed underwater ecosystem had already begun rendering itself beneath the surface. Schools of holographic fish drifted through submerged ruins while filtered light shimmered through deep water in soft moving beams.
Krysta stared at it for another long second.
Then slowly grinned.
"Oh, this is dangerous."
That sentence alone should have triggered a Federation security response.
Immediately, she slapped a command across the nearest console.
"Cassian."
The comm system activated instantly.
A tired voice answered.
"…if this is another drone emergency, I'm legally resigning as your brother."
"Get to the lab."
A pause.
"…why?"
Krysta's grin widened.
"Secret project."
Silence.
Then—
"…is this for Ryven and Caleb?"
"Yes."
"…I'm on my way."
The connection terminated immediately.
Krysta spun back toward the massive lake projection while excitement practically vibrated through her body. New windows exploded into existence around her as she began pulling reconstruction data from old archives.
Ancient water architecture.
Ceremonial structures.
Submerged pathways.
Environmental simulation layering.
Hydrodynamic rendering.
By the time the lab doors opened ten minutes later, the entire room looked like a military strategy chamber dedicated exclusively to aquatic insanity.
Cassian Benton walked inside carrying coffee and the exhausted expression of someone who already regretted participating in whatever this was about to become.
Then he stopped.
"…oh."
The Voss lake stretched across the room like another world.
Water reflections rippled across the ceiling while holographic fish drifted beneath projected depths. Mountain overlays rotated slowly around the laboratory while historical imagery floated in layered translucent fragments beside them.
Cassian walked closer slowly.
"…that's beautiful."
"It's GOING to be."
Krysta immediately enlarged Ryven's message.
I want it restored as close to the historical records as possible.
Another line appeared beneath it.
Also — would it be possible to recreate the underwater ecosystem digitally beneath the lake itself?
We can provide hardware assistance, but the software reconstruction exceeds our current capability.
Cassian blinked once.
"…underwater."
Krysta pointed dramatically.
"UNDERWATER."
Now she was pacing.
"Do you understand how ridiculous this is?"
"Yes."
"…I love it."
"So do I."
Cassian stared upward while the underwater ecosystem continued rendering itself beneath the projection.
Not every day Ryven Voss voluntarily asked for help.
That alone made this important.
Krysta finally sighed dramatically.
"…he really loves Caleb, huh."
Cassian looked at her quietly for a moment.
Then smiled softly.
"Anyone who knows him would."
That quieted her briefly.
Not completely.
Nothing completely quieted Krysta Benton.
But enough.
Cassian rubbed her head lightly while stepping toward the main console.
"I'm assuming Caleb has absolutely no idea about this."
Krysta brightened instantly.
"Oh absolutely not."
She opened another message thread immediately.
"A few minutes before Ryven sent this—"
Kael's messages appeared onscreen.
Hey Gremlin, the playground near the dojo still operational?
Another appeared beneath it.
The little ones probably never got to experience the stuff we used to do growing up. I just want them to enjoy a few peaceful days before deployment.
Cassian laughed immediately.
Not polite amusement.
Real laughter.
"…oh, we are absolutely making this memorable for Torres."
Krysta's expression turned dangerous instantly.
"RIGHT?"
Cassian leaned against the console now, already mentally constructing chaos.
"We should upgrade the surveillance drones."
Krysta pointed immediately.
"To capture reactions properly."
"I'm pretty sure the adults are going to enjoy watching their heirs emotionally collapse."
Krysta nearly cried laughing.
"Yes."
New windows opened around them instantly.
Multi-angle capture.
Audio enhancement.
Reaction tracking.
Cassian looked offended.
"What are we, amateurs?"
Krysta physically wheezed.
The projections continued rotating while both siblings spiraled deeper into increasingly questionable planning.
"I need to update the dojo systems too," Krysta muttered while typing rapidly.
"General Mercer's coming."
Cassian nodded immediately.
"And definitely Torres elders."
"Oh absolutely Torres elders."
Krysta looked deeply emotional about this.
"I've waited YEARS for this opportunity."
Cassian shook his head slowly.
"You sound evil."
"I learned from Grandpa John."
"…fair."
That changed the direction of the conversation instantly.
Both siblings slowly looked toward the old archived systems lining the far wall of the lab.
Then back toward each other.
"Oh no," Cassian whispered.
Krysta grinned.
"Oh yes."
Cassian immediately walked toward the archives.
"What about Grandpa John's old programs?"
Krysta gasped dramatically.
"The satellite hacking simulations."
"And the tower infiltration systems."
"The AI defense tournaments."
Cassian looked fully awake now.
"We can modernize them."
Krysta was already typing again.
"Update adaptive responses."
"Expand network architecture."
"Add dynamic AI learning."
Cassian snapped his fingers suddenly.
"The hacking tournament."
Krysta froze.
Then slowly turned toward him.
"…Cassian."
"We should do it."
"We absolutely should do it."
"The younger cadets against the old system."
"No."
Krysta's grin widened dangerously.
"The younger cadets against the updated system."
Cassian stared at her.
"…you're trying to traumatize them."
"I'm trying to enrich them."
"That is not the same thing."
Krysta ignored him completely.
More overlays exploded across the room.
Satellite Interception Simulation.
Network Warfare.
Signal Infiltration.
Dojo Defense Architecture.
Cassian watched the old systems load with visible nostalgia.
"…remember when Caleb accidentally trapped Uncle Marcus inside the tower challenge for six hours?"
Krysta immediately lost composure again.
"He got SO mad."
"He tried cutting the doors open."
"With a training sword."
"And Grandpa John just watched."
"He was taking notes."
Both siblings dissolved into helpless laughter.
Then Krysta suddenly stopped.
"…wait."
Cassian immediately looked suspicious.
"What."
Her smile returned slowly.
"What if we replicate the dojo."
Cassian blinked.
"…replicate it."
Krysta expanded the Benton Estate layout immediately.
The projection shifted away from the Voss lake and opened over the central estate grounds. Terraces, waterfalls, gardens, bridges, the family dojo, obstacle forest, haunted mansion, and training sectors appeared in layered detail.
The Benton Estate looked warmer than the Voss system.
More chaotic.
Like an ancient military compound had married a mountain retreat and produced emotionally unstable geniuses as descendants.
Krysta zoomed toward the open land beyond the old dojo.
"The area here has enough room."
Cassian's eyes widened slowly.
"…oh no."
"We preserve the original dojo for the adults."
"And build another for the younger cadets."
Krysta pointed dramatically.
"Yes."
Now she was fully spiraling.
"We modernize the obstacle systems."
"Expand outdoor combat zones."
"Forest pursuit routes."
"Hover-training sections."
"Waterfall climbing paths."
Cassian stared.
"…you're building an entire second battlefield."
"I'm building enrichment."
"That sounds expensive."
Krysta ignored him again.
"Oh—and for the Voss lake—"
Cassian sighed immediately.
"…here we go."
"We should add water activities."
Silence.
Then—
"…Krysta."
"Jet skis."
"Oh no."
"Surfboards."
"Krysta—"
"A wave machine."
Cassian physically sat down.
"You're turning Ryven's historical ceremonial lake into a tactical vacation resort."
"I'm creating atmosphere."
"That sounds dangerous."
Krysta ignored him completely.
"Oh—and the banana boat."
Cassian blinked.
"…the inflatable water thing?"
"You've never tried one?"
"No."
"That feels tragic honestly."
Krysta pointed at him again.
"We're fixing that."
"No we are not."
"Yes we are."
Then she suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Oh!"
She opened Ryven's newest attachment.
"I got everyone's measurements."
Cassian looked genuinely concerned.
"…why."
"We're making wetsuits."
Silence.
Then—
"…for everyone?"
"For everyone."
Krysta zoomed through the files excitedly.
"Custom colors too."
Cassian leaned closer.
"…you're taking this incredibly seriously."
Krysta looked personally offended.
"Ryven Voss entrusted me with secret romantic software and water-based chaos."
A beat.
"I will not fail."
Unbeknownst to either sibling, someone else had entered the hallway outside the lab several minutes earlier.
Jules Benton stood quietly near the partially open doorway.
Watching.
Listening.
Recording everything.
His datapad was already full of footage by the time Krysta started enthusiastically explaining wave pressure calculations while Cassian questioned whether Supreme Commander Marcus Voss could legally be trusted on jet skis.
"…and if we increase wave intensity—"
"You're going to launch Torres into orbit."
"That's the point."
Cassian looked exhausted.
"And the banana boat?"
"We put Little Bean in front."
"…that child is going to become feral."
"Excellent."
Jules silently turned around.
Then calmly walked back upstairs.
Still recording.
A few minutes later, Serena Benton looked up from her office desk as Jules entered carrying his datapad with the expression of a man who had just witnessed something incredible and deeply concerning.
Serena narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…why do you look entertained."
Without a word, Jules handed her the recording.
Serena watched quietly.
Krysta's voice immediately filled the room.
"JET SKIS."
Cassian's exhausted reply followed instantly.
"You're planning aquatic warfare."
"Yes."
Serena stared at the screen in complete silence while holographic wave simulations exploded across the lab projection.
Then very slowly—
the corner of Serena Benton's mouth twitched upward.
"…they're really your children."
Jules looked deeply proud.
"Oh absolutely."