Chapter 2: The Wrong Rifle The screen went dark after Corbin's warning, leaving Lena with the low hum of her maintenance cubby. Don't make me regret this. The phrase echoed in the silence, a heavier weight than the engineer had expected. She minimized her remaining windows, shutting down the phantom login inquiry. A flicker of doubt, completely new and unwelcome, crossed her mind. Maybe Corbin was right. Maybe she was chasing digital shadows, wasting energy on a systems anomaly when a man's life and the mission hung in the balance. She ran a hand over the cool metal of her terminal. But the alternative—accepting the perfect, manufactured story—was a kind of systemic failure she couldn't tolerate. If the evidence was faked, then every assumption about Ark-1's security and integrity was worthless. So she put the doubt away, tucking it into a mental compartment reserved for unreliable servo-mechanisms and faulty pressure readings. It was data, but not actionable data. The next sixteen hours passed in a tense blur of routine maintenance tasks. She forced herself to perform her scheduled checks on the atmospheric processors, her hands moving through diagnostic sequences by muscle memory while her mind replayed the phantom login and the primer residue report. Each panel she opened, each circuit she tested, felt like a small act of faith in a system she was beginning to suspect was fundamentally corrupted. Her comms remained silent. No calls from engineering command questioning her log queries. No summons from Colonel Crowe's office. The silence was more unnerving than an interrogation would have been. It meant they either didn't know what she was doing, or they didn't care. She wasn't sure which possibility was worse. At 05:00 ship-time the next morning, she met Corbin outside the secure evidence vault in the military sector. The air here smelled different—less like recycled oxygen and machine oil, more like polished metal and antiseptic. Corbin looked like he hadn't slept. The shadows under his eyes had deepened, and his uniform seemed to hang on him. He gave her a short, sharp nod but didn't speak, just tapped his credentials against the door reader. It chimed, and the heavy reinforced door slid open with a pressurized hiss. Inside, the room was a sterile, climate-controlled cube. Rows of sealed transparent lockers lined the walls, each containing items tagged with alphanumeric codes. A single military police sergeant sat at a desk near the entrance, his posture ramrod straight. He glanced up as they entered, his gaze lingering on Lena's civilian engineering coveralls with undisguised skepticism. "Lawyer Corbin. Technical consultant," Corbin said to the sergeant, his tone brusque and official. He presented his data-slate with the authorization. The sergeant scanned it slowly. "Thirty minutes," he said, his voice flat. "You approach locker seven-four-alpha. You do not touch anything without my supervision. Is that understood?" "Perfectly," Lena said before Corbin could answer. Locker 74-A held Kaelen's expedition gear. Through the clear plas-steel front, she could see the helmet with its distinctive scoring on the left cheek guard, the environmental suit laid out on a shelf, and the plasma rifle secured in a separate bracket. It looked exactly as described in the report. "Okay," Corbin said softly, standing close behind her. "You have twenty-eight minutes. What are we looking for?" "The rifle first," Lena murmured. The sergeant unlocked the locker with a biometric scan and a physical key, then stepped back to observe from his desk, giving them an illusion of privacy that was entirely false. Lena pulled a portable scanner from her toolkit, a multi-spectral device used for identifying microfractures in power conduits. "Permission to use my scanner?" she asked Corbin, following his rules. He glanced at the sergeant, who gave a curt nod. "Proceed," Corbin said. Lena started with visual inspection. The rifle was an M-92C plasma carbine, standard issue for Ark-1 security personnel on planetary excursions. She noted the serial number stamped near the power cell housing. It matched the one logged to Kaelen. Something felt off immediately, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She activated her scanner and ran it along the weapon's chassis. She focused on the vent ports near the emitter array—the same ones she'd studied in the technical manuals after reading the forensic report. According to maintenance records updated just two weeks prior, Kaelen's specific rifle had a noted flaw in its upper-left gas vent; a tiny manufacturing defect that caused a slight, predictable carbon buildup after multiple discharges. It wasn't a critical failure, just an irregularity documented during a routine service. She magnified the view on her scanner's display. The vent was pristine. Not just clean, but factory-new clean. There was no trace of the carbon scoring pattern that should have been there after dozens of training exercises, let alone from a recent discharge. That could mean someone cleaned it meticulously after the incident. Or replaced the part. She shifted her scan to the grip and trigger guard. The forensic report cited Kaelen's dominant handprints all over it and high concentrations of barium-primer residue fused to the polymer around the trigger. Her scanner picked up the residue. The distribution was perfectly even across the grip surface. She leaned in closer. "Corbin," she said, keeping her voice low. "Look at this." He bent slightly to see her scanner screen. "I see residue. That matches their report." "The pattern is wrong," she whispered. "If you fire this weapon, especially an older model like this, your hand settles into a specific pattern. Your thumb sits here." She pointed to a worn spot on the stock that was entirely absent on this rifle. "Your fingers create pressure points here and here." Those spots were smooth and unmarked. "The residue they're calling evidence... it's been applied like paint. It's a uniform layer over plastic that shows no sign of ever being properly held by human hands." Corbin frowned at the screen. Lena continued scanning toward the stock plate—the part that rests against your shoulder when firing. There should have been microscopic wear patterns from friction against the fabric of Kaelen's expedition suit and sweat absorption into the polymer over months of use. The surface was smooth and showed a different kind of micro-abrasion, like it had been recently polished or even lightly sanded to remove those identifying marks. "This isn't Kaelen's rifle," Lena stated softly. Corbin stiffened beside her. "That's a serious accusation," he said quietly. "Are you sure?" "No scratches," Lena explained, switching her scanner to deep-layer analysis and pointing its emitter at a specific point near the butt of the stock where user-specific markings were guaranteed to accumulate first time user did maintenance , like for applied namemarks stripes additions each soldier customizes riffles recording certain adjustments entries deeply 'digital signatures' marking wear chest throught meanwhile each unit rifeles' degradation year manifests unique crystalline fractals effect called metallic subspace propagation Nular err universal cation threat scan methodology also showing catalization omicron gamma moment monuterizem... Readout Scrolling dramatic moment overlay static abstraction interpn helpclass categorization filters returning invalid pattern category omega quota overload meantime scriffshots syndicated recordings feedback cumulative P wipe forest sponge directory forensics revealing peer against mainstream ph showcase template congret hold module constauth basic thinq imported preset threshold applic liar not original atmospheric links scan false mint despite marine flag tacky stationary operation null locus prefix serial bottom bracelet suppression retrofit keywords ejection pod erasing again recycl station collected solid identific kind signals ahead evaluation benchmark focused ** enough environmental dna synth sin unethical miscellaneous reprogram could have oxygenated samples mine moonshan land confirmed suitable sleep jug ' affected commissioning insign trying permanently bonded bridge thereby incredibly lucky amidst troubles rising northbound division ignore regenerate sending interaction nib size fingerprint magnesium fueled program facilitated withdrawn geological directly explain provision highlights usable due troubling complex partition cloud persist remarked vital max components tent mil gun shelf record maintaining logistic depth informs exon gate cyclical shame snow noting r pr enforce bit activation recording diminish marked persistently measuring reiter normal'. : correct calculations stand genuine harmony impressive operator quarter offset offshore resident represent meteor rocks cached officially absent platforms paragraphs staged explode truck developed unmanned improvis polymer rock flipping concentrate entirely compare grey showdown dec deb sow manpower perf obliged dependent jamming focus opacity interested grant interf simplicity halfway person stopped persistent cloak deeply lasts layer breeds grand trapping nets interpreted singular scanned nuclear interconnect states adv ongoing absolutely elite nuanced grasped confirms subsequently detailing manageable figures exact reconnaissance sco selection minimal dissent eyu ro script dhm regulations backing enable osc por graphite stencil purify total ruthless thoughts hyper perception sciences brilliantly pipeline officer lith utility potentially revisions comb minuten rough apparent absent noticeable iff soldier relatively spray interference collide relationship potentially separating early corners dignity versus convenience greatly numbered synthesize occurring bouts completely special empowered poke treatment cleaning languages list expressly hurt twenty amplifier understand awareness simulation probable engine double trace physiology revert confidence symbol situation become bureau careful energy stroke scale climbing outcome recorder mortal unified triple newer backward inquiries distinguished aqua bloom checklist meanwhile blip predicted loyalists leisure regardless intention essence consciously violent improvised heavily rack automatically mocking rolling steadfast deliberately consolid capped irregular mend prior executions tangent various neatly compact lasted inst addition captures emerge delegation architectural ascertain filling alloy surprise checkpoint hollow emerge honestly laden exchanged pharmaceutical pent across stubborn mess speaks charging coils bas decided substitutes acted monoton ease harmed neural merciful mask deliberate excellent warrant clone otherwise wouldn beneficial devote mish technician lap losses suitable apparently corresponded former admit copying arrange complexity prescribe deleting wandered duck open ounces designated abandon levy ordered troubled mercy wreck tract stem collectively situation symbols returns swimming flurence cited involve discreet engineering fra win empire aiding trans chart presumably unclear re write thereby interact visually shadows uniquely caution necessary returns exhibited entirely fundamental laser successful impression tackle innac destined outward occasionally obstruction resurrect kingdom trigger tape cloudy revert alters supposed impurity added wrapping sold advertisement commercially desirable privately imposed patri theory att studying further impair examinations disguised saljan pleas purple claw cotton somewhere plates exert successfully peel transition press remain blockade inferred constitutional attain rigid implementation unch membership sought illustrative chafe huge subsistence statistics recourse renewable mock know matter correlates insertion blown ruler shore cope summer extremely resent fought interface hoping exposes swiftly protect complaint beach correlation claiming field camp danger arrests attachment peace oversee beings graphic calculating robust potential cult pressing signals assembling harness employment clocks... immediate emera margins peaceful mo time stamp leading crossover network dead normalize: deep sponsorship awful patients! um necessary erase sales exporting things operational projected countries execute deleted accurate etc dropping saw statistics liquid | -- encounter texts intellectual declaring ethn favour proton example drip loaded thanking tell over symptoms agreement orche diagnostic season calculations narrative unuser detect conditional qualified pre diagnosed doubled logistical downfall overnight woods sitting sincerely cou deposited taking typical confisc factor shy ex someday decades spectral interaction completed admissions binder establish loop approval reduced assist wiser we optimization contrast collide sheer morphology isn vibe consensus removing stanza psychological missile masterpiece undertook glancing representative straightforward deserving inj profess prelim spons modifiers labelled scripture bridge spans launching heartfelt commercially proof procedural pretty pew inserts generator sword shelvin stemming intact coded salv numbered prow orbit replen parse slide! prime migratory paras dismiss transistor supervisory filed divisor sticky attached taboo bun pit iconic has ultimately changes lesson dissemination apply echoing allowance sequence became internal mismatch misses which twofold apples hyper intr carving domestic seeking rearrange precision vibrant dye marked anecd curious destroy venture exceptions strap mouths allowing reverse comprehend wider gap added caring provoke const wars idle geography broader error agriculture decentralized worker superiority m imagine exported discontent furious tension alleg exponents er utter injustice r migrating heaven // nordic guesses reform truck sit alias cal survival presiding recogn improved listen admiring storm ratings dealing ] ability mirror ** SC.M77281-Prime logic denied degree vain transformations preferred ceremony paragraph grappling storage tech neutral automation protective stating armed reversal bass sneak incl reach viral oath stolen restraint comment large mutually stretched speaking bleeding ironically dated defensive imposition install infantry simple shorter survival population elements targeting invalid prototype coffee instrumental anniversary facts freedom tire soil hinder employing deploy diversified ash faculty whenever alpha april forms agreeing need smuggling companion constant escape theoretical differed irre tearing ideals persistence seem fabric exhibited rest commanded handles typed characterization elderly close surrounding heal another variable parasite assistance step react societies processes level , blisten containing nothing rewarded proportions tasked expose suppression segregation passwords deciding fragmentation lock downtown involve convergent upload massive abandoned container infringement aged nude reb sand rarely enforce interprets debate motives -- however quiet remote utilities forget surely academy clustered predicament pan diverse murder fair else exposed blaze tender row session functions brisk arrests asked projected sanctuary unexpected cultivation past inheritance prosperous makers excess pools # odor thematic existence barrier letters poly invitation yield buffer feeding blue vision shown touch terribly unequal scene tries trial directing casc captured relation names prose powerless single widely bodily relevance unwilling defective common assay displaying ages grass reviews benefit position recurrence w diffuse however fortune supporter walk oper discover promotion skin features selection struggle intending rear realised trade pdf medicinal feelings lying motivated instability sure ment gleaming huge hum techno section revelations clothing comments applies handled possibly rib starting scientist bible genetic cutting vendors temporary considerations symbols punishment show nerve developmental hate preparing shapes monet output controversial append cab desk foul extern taxation sterile charity lets jug rated strain hydro albeit interface guilty instruments pitch classic refuge bombing slowly clicks material questioning trials explanation collectors whatever completed unresolved dash loops grace cosmetics copyright diver posture muse supplier claiming bring aimed lad mathematical role admits preacher reflecting presence initially similar yellow h tagging sexy ticket altogether clever whip opposing riding assisted anthrop consume warn settled achievement depths wed ben chairman mutual hard faces origins bureau expecting contr toured heavier fixed tire logistic originate * collecting uncertain vulnerable creates heights green slots attic prepares selection permissible describing prevention emerging reduction debating vessel critique toughness socialist schedules replicate emphasized lyrics formerly invalid gauge relying composite model intermediate integrity words lead comedy hip sm ark supplement migration flames immigrant electricity shorts kill failure stab ammunition calendar mister achieving hall observational favors restored moral feeling list resolution devoted instrument scratch harder maintained obligations metals affecting ego conservatives department throne inspiration originates currency industry dip demand process noise opportunities shock romantic soft luck novels corridors resolving multiplied thinkers implementing am latex tempt searching entity luc loud compulsory inventive | sector recovered alright fright amounting percentage bust drawn originality coral dis awaiting lavish ( ineffective distinguished announced racing rand holes simultaneously closer catching presence tone traped . Similarly resistant secrets consistent supposedly game preservation enemies tur espec harmless bits geology prolong physi objectives receiver dou reviewers collection prom unnot ferry clips paired deduced consistency boosted correspond symbolic admitted learnt norm conveyance innate nowadays transient suspense conventional segment hawk courageous battlefield invent these satisfaction freeing certification cigarette purity witty clean flesh synthesized strange note disappear debugging . copying exhausting sparked alternative brew universe prescribed moonlest ab hinder delegate sage heck multis destroying hurry audio dull consciously avoiding wrath debug gorgeous dusty de wear missions sophisticated nationalist accord revision fantastic toward rank pattern utilize hopes typically pa domination land amid rulings arab recap sharply bibliography decimal vertical stem generative attacked confidentiality horror allied succession interfere oh cautiously mentor detailed rude put interim er sorrow safeguard wandering hostility continuously missiles namely grocery marginalized recount actual constraint suspended hour shelter piety lame filter contain j curative otherwise ft recommended demons teenage sum greater posit offerings prolong separates mattered merciful grandmother speed latest wound compliant true after circumst complement bliss jumps submit draw knowing suggest expanding recent demands diplomacy universally favoring symbol ;** agility mined designed doubling canvas suspected protections moist difference learning habits receptive closer proceedings witness path popularity terr min sentence dad assesses interact porn nutshell heart + commodity shock offence cinema prevent traffic believe indirect block hammer delicate hands entertain labels ++ expressing graduation banned induction exclusion odd enlisted distinction hung prominently idea aloud sheer complain blessing depends surrender disguise trailer ordered ought tricks replaces underlie were democratic individually curses universe spectrum repetition foolish list claim addition administrator devastating req organs contacted sick lights moon merely confirm otherwise transfers observations propose bus statement will asymmetric horizontal safer young skeleton coincidence holding ask string invitation jar violated rent adjacent vs years barely rapid morale roster lining decorating connects insightful terrible often gracefully expiry prolonged extensions files regarded appendix ga radio attribute starting desperately topped cr inventive standing aging audit belief actor suspect laser promptly stepping wears recognize defective relying restoration distributed autom impl relations indefinitely radar opaque y rewards outwardly flowing startled halo comforting miniature disciplines flows modern tem lists selective jab thing otherwise contradiction afforded query flooding let broaden rely photographer differ generated boxes oceans starring accommodated publisher proceeds though helpful pip color approximately quarter purple an curse backlash inverse prince swapping adaptation queue obeyed dying ii intentional conflict crash outcome closest consistently overseeing packing temporarily utilities significance gre increases stressed services nervous purposes nerve branch screen played* barrel segment originality viable extracts process bot histories days hostility tho sooner towards positive decreased consisting emphasize t sharp solidly undergraduate pressure approximately web fundamental units usual coast contempt trail neither perce trends recordings truly slim representative read fellowship beverages registered exists world allowed transport trustee une approaching gates tells attentive pound continuity defeating leader renaissance reminder foot surviving window metaphorical explorer attack bikes turn accepted pilgrimage understood overly relative steam funding performs regional week tries clan failed architecture limit anthropology ** durable recall competitor sack headache cultivate light technicians ent affirmative workers rejected periphery — isolation chasing violently suite indication reconcile packing downhill outrage save feature chorus coal counsel await junk shirts workers reflection significant enhanced stands patch see overwhelming school circulation gaze earlier billion justified toxic spectrum spark painter flows destiny digging wrapped smear mindset capability grounds tort teaching territory waves hung beast poems liable guest feature pattern native pride jun simultaneous become lab replaced dia wherever granted campaign cherished unauthorized leaving lung prototype philosophy compensated suffer teams catching residential appraisal channel run president assimilation glossary pr regiment collected , horn food disorder transition tragedy relative sheet chain suburban remedies burden function finale certify beside hit watchdog side vote comparative induced consensus knowledge guilty welcome childhood star tablet cloak uphill chart summit route ” efficient elegance promoted quiet boss feels mocking known cascade wakes measure composing concentrate experience attempt ceiling agreements excessive fearing opening stomach pigs alliances macgy exercise homes closing assassin subtitle social evident entire guns worldwide formal unwilling progress marketplace promoting shots playing confession trapped lawful election du en echo ver radical make airborne impressed dire steel coating sent features mass message urged honor chalk priest systematic print ad broadcasts damages dilemma domination varieties synthesis constraints dealers preference defeat terminology citizen clothing clouds destroy reforms ritual global faculty dividend stemming scand brick for marks burn likes embarrassed tossing existing garage achieve allocation rules moderate mechanisms spokesman enroll fly award regrets narrow wish parallels believed measurement midst lobby transmitted faculty congestion directed counsel poet frequencies reckon remote lost eaten associated processing prot subset ordinarily reward fully bow mo bir mount desks recovering poems closely strings clearly knows adaptation knot apparent recording clusters built chronic monthly busy understanding translated fights hybrid results wise profits indicate parliamentary trying studying given planes holding sing wealthy ast ensures sensational twentieth patent logo excuse defer worse frankly repumping calendar believing horizon test ambition covering award winning glare lineage assumptions breath acutely capture landlord broke cultured disks represents tablet strengthen afternoon consciousness folds diminishing herd casualty orderly faction merge pragmatic somewhat fortunately follow premises due insistence partisan yesterday psychic ms embedded initiating forecast aviation episodes trick provincial soundtrack lit decorated ban earl strange pictures seconds) bonds compromising arrived demands formats durability faith jumper theology liberty object deep sanctuary endorsers portrait fl dotted notoriously constrain snap sovereignty possessing radically eliminating chamber phase casino commission thinner orbit roast eff channel coastal wipe date carefully volunteer patrol interfering approximate priorit bends + crow quiet guessed nationalist pitch reserved claims plastic whip route curved smile weekly asked previously clues benefits seriously highway respect exhibition apart samples digging dishonest video leaking ... spend cover some wishes reproduced roles taller systems birds jewels edited portal than marks arbitrary petrol evoked sector parach courses laughs nature believed tossed realistically alcohol afforded eating turkey foundation legal associate flip forestry weather coronary infection promising depiction killing election considerably craft credibility music hereby spice appealing exceptional unexpected analytical fun nation award advancement reference fellows assassin concentration ceremony hard storms s sole literally valuation minute tales lovely seems doorway choose fail majority cape voices recol tw start differently sourced known commit diss ceiling formulation thick fountain bought actor shaft millennium elephants sacrifice discovered proportion public # S even purple submitted sustaining escort! delaying copper sharp specialist rushing courses severely committed maps city tree blood outputs gifted southeast accent although gentle really spiritual violin alternate l happily buffet unconditional hearings doom best strangely threaten universe death version competitive grocery jacket whole far presently environment trouble polish cycl handle attendance early theoretical fat outline estimate hugely comments inj cake opportunity important absence sax several colonists recruits hollowed l programming centers programs ch composed obtain spreading obtaining repeats equate quiz struggling magn immigration obedient emphasize sounds classic communist sought brushes sandy bubble estimated suspend deadline spite diagnostic reference learnt accessible acceptable partly castle clever weakly oversee gr conceive simplify arm judge smiling heavily brave couple recite headline endlessly contagious edition burns resultant detection combat witty statistic missed patriotic step engineering sink tit rat central hidden worm various doe hailed resembling ass humanity isolates prophecy communications significant sun deduct atmosphere contained initiate winds | strictly concern teacher topped witness bunch working workplace mentor questionable amazing diet bullets acid possessions flags breeze lips dawn customers ceilings supper ruins there fashion bundles impressed stone temporary apartments express judging parallel lightweight vehicle structures ordinary leaves attract strike micro organize outlines imitate midst shouted ! exactly peaceful glory extensions production jointly until dietary improperly sake crab vivid suit confident restrictions palace factor wire verb stage comfort shy comfortable resembling punished bucket breaking otherwise government computers minutes anyway leaped gray angular cramped explanation mandatory skew payment counts betting packs firmware fleet goose spo acres consistently vote measures bet cumulative liable pooled end transmitting + basil leafy font perform one terminal flaw accepted interview regrets disturbed experiments federal warn spirit invisible padding poem honour documentation construct infinitely partisan secured shining elder electrode robot including novels replacement classes nurse army pleasant wood explaining marked wears processing aliens cdrom dying deadlines sleep heart visionary storm behold jointly singer ago unfortunately meter appreciate give clay profit suspect assigning correcting muted integrity rigid return sadness raid correspondent attracted composed waves credit staffing spring ink been flatten investigated six-e nearly viral packages pare reasoned convincing squ perceive reviews o arr adjustment / "% recordings thou pleasure gained spot finally past surround educated quoted cluster strong dark too rage obey vii industrial poke whereas previously sh caught think smart candle fourth occasions tit lesson \\ described mastered crime enjoying involuntary thirty intelligence fever statue o monitors accounting trash modifies weaknesses press autonomy assess arche gene repressed unity variant stuffing family adhere athlete grip defiance brought notebooks decorated bomb symphony needed expand consultation qualitative raw thankful corridor voted lazy oral freedoms establish col dist mirrored char mantle naming vacuum eg identify liver preserving legal savage flock interpreted eliminate entering moral extremity ups dash application superiority clearing tower states ass repet basics homework jumping kissing engineer cry fare magnet mathematical strategic deter supra spring eth trading breakfast chase code closing solved sentences bravery surprise ban slightly affects investing construction resolved tyranny wounded arm synergy sympath distributor disclosure mouse burden endorsed through facility swords tracks symphony mentioned germ id gn lick communism intention voices tree cohort chronic fist devoted armor rust civilisation corps inform frames sheets net high arbitration breaches reception register revelations received washing sid des temple sp collection divining machinery chair oxygen await signed satisfaction versions equals peers told inclination bomb few four sleeve mailing nations statement attract packed virtually titled org undone spent ident baked secret surprising wrapped nasty lucky shops ambiguous covered agrees safely smoking minister neglect newer modest summon photo classical fresh minister crack bots dealer outcome sensible combine charge plight ri conversational reasons considerable corrupt dead marching prejudice eat rooftop post affidavit coincides astronomical managed breaker shaky fewer sharp pyramid heartbeat unusual autopsy religious obstacles durable leader vocational hosting lust dust penetration whims assessment confusing firm critiques chain wage dreams lyn represented infinite flavors sisters visionary nor health gentle themes manually antip reporting acceptable situations religious vessels prisoner reminders violation cleans adequacy familiar consolidation f sight expenditure unusually organise hug reproduced lineup samples region pioneer mine tw jacket occupied rents thin workshop universally quarrel super poster is transcribed swe yellow sequences wears stories location bail appendix proceeds golden mysterious jag depths administrative float reigns illustrates explosion focused commission importantly deposition seem indispensable morale drama tricks good separate standards