Chapter 106: The Seraphis
Marek gestured to the swirling holograms around him. "Stabilizing such a rift, my dear Cass, is child's play—if you're me." He paused, tapping on a projection that expanded into a cascade of energy readouts. "The anomaly, however, is more unstable than anticipated. These feedback loops are... problematic."
Cassian folded his arms, his patience thinning. "Problematic how?"
"Ah, always so stiff." Marek leaned in, adjusting variables with swift motions. "Put simply: if we don't neutralize the rift's energy spikes within three hours, this whole area gets sucked into the rift."
Cassian's jaw tightened. "And your solution?"
Marek grinned, a gleam of manic pride in his eyes. "We create a controlled cascade—a temporary siphoning of energy to stabilize the rift long enough to retrieve whatever lies inside. But," he added, his tone darkening, "it's a gamble. A single miscalculation, and we'll accelerate the collapse."
The captain exhaled sharply, his mind racing. "Get it done. I'll handle the rest."
Marek chuckled, turning back to his work. "Oh, don't worry, Cass. The rift won't implode today... most probably."
The intercom crackled, and Kaiser's voice came through. "Captain, we're approaching the rift."
Cassian nodded to Marek. "Be ready."