“That’s right!” Lana brightened. “We leveled up. How cool is that?”

“How did it happen?” Nori asked.

“I’m not sure,” the dark-haired woman admitted. “I shot the console, just like Bulco said, and there was this weird component behind it. When I touched it, Tec was extracted and we leveled up.”

“So we can extract Tec from machines now?” Bulco’s brow furrowed. “That doesn’t sound right. Alzigo told us that technology is Infused by the ambient Tec in the air, which is incompatible with us. Besides, the quantities are minuscule compared to what it takes to infuse live creatures.”

Lana shrugged. “I can’t explain it, but that’s what happened.”

“Then what happened?” Nori inquired. “How did you stop it from killing us all?”

“There are four consoles up there. I hacked one of them.”

“Hacked it?”

“Yeah. I got the level up message and acted on impulse. Apparently, my Path hit a crossroad and Admin was an option. So I choose it and hacked the terminal. Only …”

Nori frowned. “Only what?”

The young woman shook her head. “I don’t know exactly how I did it. Everything looked so chaotic, I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Then all of a sudden the hack was successful but…” she hesitated. “It required a score of thirty to hack.”

“Thirty?” Bulco struggled to move. He was already looking better. “How the hell did you manage that? My own Path score is just ten.”

“Mine’s at eleven,” Lana nodded. She looked at Nathan’s prone body and her voice lowered. “I think … I think Nathan helped me somehow. The console was full of symbols that didn’t make any sense, but then he looked up, for a split second, and they suddenly ordered on their own. I … I think that’s why he’s unconscious ... like he’s overtaxed himself or something.”

“At least, we won.” Nori grabbed the younger woman’s shoulder with her good arm. “That was a close call. Great job, Lana, you saved us all. If that thing had hit us with its energy beam … if you hadn’t been so quick leveling up in the middle of a fight …” She shook her head.

Lana smiled ruefully. “I kind of had to rush it, but I suggest the rest of you hold off leveling until we’re back on Unity. Take time to do it right.”

Bulco grunted in approval and lifted an arm. “Oh, dear God, I’m starting to get sensation back.”

“How do you feel?” Lana asked in concern.

“Like a giant, mother-fucking robot squashed me with a giant, mother-fucking boulder.” He groaned. “And it hurts like hell.”

“You’ll be alright,” Nori said. She stood, grabbed her broken arm, and with a quick motion and a grunt of pain pulled it straight.

Lana's eyes widened. “What are you doing? You need to rest.”