They didn't linger at the mountain site longer than necessary, Ashworth pushing for a swift return once the initial documentation wrapped up, wary of giving the Foundry any further opportunity to reassert their presence.
"We'll send a proper research team back once we've assessed the security situation," she said, as the convoy wound its way back down toward the lowlands. "For now, I want distance between that artifact chamber and anyone still curious about it."
Victor spent most of the drive quietly testing the edges of what full activation had actually changed, small experiments that wouldn't draw attention from the others crowded into the vehicle around him. A faint warmth beneath his skin, present but no longer straining against containment. A clarity to his thoughts that felt different from simple alertness, more like awareness extended slightly beyond the immediate present.
'Borack. You've been quiet since the activation.'
'I've been processing.'
'Processing what?'
