Chapter 90: Patient Zero
He turned the decrypted data capsule over in his fingers before speaking.
"What do you want in return?"
Aurelia's lips curved slightly. "Consider it a birthday gift."
Orion met her gaze without hesitation. "I don't like being indebted. So tell me—what do you want in return?"
She let the silence stretch before finally exhaling. "Alliance. I want you to understand something, Orion. This isn't just about the Raptures anymore. It never was."
Aurelia's expression didn't change. "The first ship that entered the Raptures did so seventeen years ago. The Dominion buried the incident, but they've been sending expeditions ever since."
She studied him before continuing. "A remnant of the first expedition, one the Dominion has kept locked away in the darkest corner of its empire. They buried the truth, but even buried things have a way of clawing back to the surface."
Orion's posture remained still, but his mind was already moving. "Survivors?"
She shook her head. "Survivor. Singular."
She leaned forward, her voice lowering just enough to draw him in. "A name erased from records. A shadow that shouldn't exist. But he does."
His grip tightened on the capsule. "Go on."