Kiran moved like a phantom, twisting through the base's labyrinthine service tunnels, the faint glow of the Alpha units' sensors always a breath behind him. He needed to get to Liam. He knew the layout of the upper research labs, where Liam was held, a desperate, irrational pull guiding him. He smashed through another flimsy access panel, dropping into a rarely used power conduit tunnel.
And then he saw it. A gap in the main conduit, leading to a smaller, secondary containment chamber. The chamber Dr. Koval had shown him, where Liam was held. He could feel Liam's presence now, a dull ache in his own chest, a sympathetic thrum from the seed. The sight of him, still hooked to those terrible machines, his eyes vacant, twisted Kiran's gut.
"Liam!" Kiran hissed, pushing against the thick glass of the containment unit. "It's me! Kiran!"
Liam's head barely moved, his eyelids flickering. For a single, agonizing moment, a flicker of awareness, a spark of the brother he knew, seemed to ignite in his eyes. A small, almost imperceptible tremor ran through his body. Then, it was gone, replaced by the same empty gaze. It was a phantom hope, a crushing blow. Liam was there, but he wasn't.
Suddenly, Liam's restrained arm moved, not by his own will, but as if yanked by an invisible string. A low-frequency hum emanated from the containment unit, building in intensity. Alarms began to blare in Liam's chamber, distinct from the general base alarms. Koval knew. She was likely using Liam to lure Kiran. A chill ran down Kiran's spine. The Alpha units would be here in moments. He slammed his fist against the glass one last time, a guttural roar tearing from his throat. He couldn't free him, not like this. Not now. He had to go, leaving his brother to this nightmare, but the pain of it was a searing brand on his soul. He had to get out, and he would come back. For Liam.