I make my way toward Communal Distribution Center 4, my muscles pleasantly sore from the training session and my mind buzzing with new information. Helena's unusual status adds another layer of complexity to the already complicated web of allegiances forming around me.

  The corridors of Block D are more crowded during the evening nutrition cycle, independents returning from various labor assignments throughout the facility. The conversations around me carry a different tone than in the sponsored sections, less competition over arena standings, more practical exchanges about work conditions and resource access.

  CDC-4 is packed when I arrive, the line for nutrition allocation stretching across the utilitarian space. I take my place and observe the social dynamics playing out across the room. Shatter's faction occupies their usual central tables, their territorial claim unchallenged by other independents. Marcus sits alone near the exit, apparently focused on his tablet but clearly aware of everything happening around him.

  When I reach the dispenser, the system scans my palm and announces: "Independent Asset 7249. Standard allocation, minus 22% sponsor enhancement factor. Labor intensity adjustment: plus 10% protein supplement."

  The slight increase in protein allocation suggests the agricultural work is classified as more physically demanding than yesterday's waste processing assignment. The gray paste that slides out looks identical to previous meals, bland, functional nutrition designed for baseline maintenance rather than optimal performance.

  I scan the room, looking for a strategic seating choice. Joining Shatter's group would signal interest in their faction. Sitting with Marcus would align me with the resistors. Finding a neutral table would maintain my unaffiliated status but sacrifice potential intelligence gathering.

  "Over here," calls a familiar voice. Iris waves from a table she shares with two other independents I don't immediately recognize. Her iridescent scales shimmer under the harsh lighting as she gestures to an empty seat.

  I join her group, noting that their table offers good sightlines to both Shatter's faction and Marcus's position, a neutrality that still allows observation.

  "Agricultural sector today?" Iris asks as I sit down.

  "Hydroponics maintenance," I confirm, taking a bite of the bland paste. "Better than waste processing."

  Iris introduces the others at the table, a man with skin that seems to shift textures randomly, and a woman with unusually articulated joints that suggest enhanced flexibility. "Flux and Contort," she explains. "Part of our loose network."

  Flux nods in greeting, his skin momentarily taking on a metallic sheen before returning to normal human appearance. "Heard you've been getting attention from multiple factions. Unusual for someone so new."

  "Independence is all about choices," I reply noncommittally, continuing to eat the unappetizing paste.

  Contort stretches her arm in an impossible configuration to reach a water container without getting up. "Choices and consequences," she adds. "Saw you talking with Helena in training. Interesting connection."

  So they're tracking my interactions, cataloging who I speak with and what alliances might be forming. Information currency flows in all directions in Block D.

  "She offered some training advice," I say, keeping my response vague but not dishonest.

  Iris's scales shift to a pattern suggesting skepticism. "Helena doesn't approach people casually. Her Tesseract connection makes her valuable but complicated as an ally."

  Before I can respond, Volt appears at our table, electrical energy crackling subtly around her. "Mind if I join?" she asks, already setting down her tray.

  The table dynamic shifts immediately, Flux and Contort exchange glances, clearly reassessing the conversation now that one of Marcus's associates has joined us.

  "Updates on the monitoring systems," Volt says without preamble, keeping her voice low. "Two more telekinetics disappeared from independent status this morning. Officially 'reconsidered' sponsorship offers, but none of them had pending offers on record."

  Iris's scales darken with concern. "That's six in ten days. All telekinetics?"

  Volt nods, creating a small electromagnetic bubble around our conversation like she did previously. "And two chronomanipulators yesterday. Something's happening, specific ability types being collected."

  The implications are troubling. If the facility is targeting telekinetics specifically, my visibility as a new independent with demonstrated telekinetic ability puts me at risk.

  "Any pattern to the disappearances?" I ask, pushing aside my half-finished paste.

  "All were unaffiliated," Volt replies. "No faction protection, minimal social connections. Easy to remove without causing ripples."

  Iris glances toward Marcus across the room. "Your friends have theories?"

  "Collection for specialized training or experimentation," Volt says grimly. "Possibly related to transport schedules. Three ships docked in the past week, unusual frequency."

  The subtext is clear, establishing faction connections, however loose, might provide some protection against these disappearances. Remaining completely unaligned could make me a target.

  "Is that why Helena approached me?" I ask. "Protection through her Tesseract connection?"

  Volt shrugs, electricity dancing briefly between her fingers. "Possibly. Or recruitment for whatever game she's playing between the sponsored and independent worlds."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  As our conversation continues, I notice a facility staff member moving through CDC-4, observing the independents with clinical detachment. Their gaze lingers on our table briefly before moving on.

  "Security increased in all independent blocks," Flux mentions, his skin texture shifting nervously. "More patrols, more monitoring devices in common areas."

  "Preparing for something," Contort agrees, her joints bending at impossible angles as she shifts position. "Facility-wide protocol changes over the past three days."

  Volt's electromagnetic field flickers briefly. "Need to drop this soon. Quick advice, if you're planning any unauthorized activities, delay them. Security sweeps are intensifying, especially around the maintenance tunnels and service corridors."

  The field dissipates as a facility staff member walks nearby. Our conversation shifts seamlessly to mundane topics, training routines and labor assignments, until they pass.

  As I finish my meal, I consider the layers of information exchanged during this seemingly casual dinner. The disappearance of unaffiliated telekinetics suggests a clear danger in remaining completely independent. The increased security throughout the facility limits movement options. Helena's unusual offer becomes both more valuable and more suspicious in this context.

  Most importantly, my plans for helping Desta repair her neural pathways will need to proceed with even greater caution than I initially planned. If telekinetics are being specifically targeted, any unusual telekinetic signatures might trigger unwanted attention.

  Independence means freedom of choice, but it doesn't mean freedom from consequences. The path forward requires careful navigation of these competing interests and emerging threats while maintaining focus on my own goals.

  As I leave CDC-4, I notice Marcus watching me from his position near the exit. His expression suggests he's aware of my conversation with Volt and the others, another piece of information being cataloged in the complex social network of Block D.

  Tonight's meditation will need to focus not just on neural repair techniques, but also on ways to mask telekinetic signatures during such delicate work. Developing Desta as an ally has become both more risky and more potentially valuable given the facility's apparent interest in specific ability types.

  I return to my quarters after the evening meal, my mind churning with all the new information. Telekinetics disappearing, security sweeps intensifying, and the various factions circling me like predators sensing fresh meat. The cramped room feels almost comforting in its simplicity, a private space where I can drop the constant performance required in public areas.

  I settle onto my thin mattress, crossing my legs and straightening my spine. The overhead light dims automatically as I begin regulating my breathing, slow, deep inhalations followed by controlled exhalations. As my heart rate decreases and my mind clears, I extend my telekinetic awareness outward, scanning my quarters for any new monitoring devices.

  Finding none, I shift my focus to developing shielding techniques. If facility security is specifically tracking telekinetic signatures, I need to learn how to operate below their detection thresholds.

  I begin with a simple exercise, lifting my tablet telekinetically while attempting to minimize the energy output. Rather than projecting power outward as I normally would, I visualize creating a contained field around the tablet, a bubble of kinetic influence that doesn't radiate detectable energy.

  The tablet rises shakily at first, my control less precise with this new approach. With practice, the movement becomes smoother as I refine the containment technique. The key seems to be localizing the telekinetic field rather than projecting it from my body, creating the effect at the target location rather than sending energy across the intervening space.

  After an hour of practice with various objects, I move to more advanced applications. Using the same containment principle, I attempt molecular manipulation within strictly defined boundaries. A thread pulled from my bedsheet becomes my test subject, its molecular structure visible to my enhanced perception.

  I create a microscopic telekinetic field around a section of the thread, then manipulate the molecular bonds within that field. The thread changes color slightly as its structure shifts, but the effect remains contained within my shielded workspace. No telekinetic energy radiates beyond the immediate area of manipulation, a critical development if I'm to work on neural repairs without detection.

  With this technique refined, I turn my attention inward, focusing on understanding the neural architecture required for technokinesis. My sleep meditation has already revealed the general patterns of enhanced neural pathways, the alien modifications follow consistent templates for different ability types.

  Technokinesis would require specialized connections between visual processing centers, fine motor control regions, and the frontal areas responsible for abstract reasoning. These pathways would interface with the standard enhancement architecture, creating a unique neural network optimized for technological interaction.

  Desta's damage appears to be concentrated at key junction points, neural burnout from power surges during initial manifestation. Repairing these connections would require extraordinary precision, gradually rebuilding neural tissue without triggering the facility's biological monitoring systems.

  I practice the necessary techniques on my own neural pathways, making minor optimizations to non-critical connections. The process requires intense concentration, identifying damaged neurons, encouraging new dendritic growth, establishing functional synaptic junctions. Each step must be performed with microscopic precision while maintaining the energy containment field to avoid detection.

  By the time my tablet shows 0100 hours, I've developed a reasonable understanding of both the shielding techniques and the neural repair process. Not enough for complete confidence, but sufficient to begin preliminary work with Desta during our next agricultural assignment.

  I rise from meditation, stretching muscles stiff from hours of immobility. Helena's offer to meet at Junction K-7 at 0200 hours still stands, an opportunity to learn more about unmonitored training facilities and possibly gain insights into neural repair techniques from someone with far more experience.

  The risk of moving through maintenance tunnels during increased security sweeps is significant, but so is the potential reward. Helena's unique position between the sponsored and independent worlds gives her access to knowledge that could prove invaluable for both my personal development and my plans for Desta.

  I retrieve the small electromagnetic disruption device Marcus gave me, checking that it's fully charged. Next, I recover the data chip from under my mattress and check the Umbra network for any security updates before returning it to its hiding place.

  The facility's night cycle is in full effect as I prepare to leave, lighting at minimum levels, most independents confined to quarters, security patrols operating on predictable patterns I've already memorized.

  I remove the shower access panel carefully, extending my telekinetic awareness into the maintenance tunnel beyond to check for any presence before entering. The passage is clear, and I slip through, replacing the panel behind me.

  Using my newly developed shielding technique, I maintain a minimal telekinetic field for sensory purposes only, enough to navigate in near-darkness without creating a detectable energy signature. The tunnels feel different tonight, tenser, as if the very infrastructure is aware of the increased security presence throughout the facility.

  Junction K-7 lies three levels below Block D, accessible through a complex network of maintenance passages that run parallel to the waste processing systems. As I make my way deeper into the facility's infrastructure, I remain acutely aware of the risks I'm taking. Unaffiliated telekinetics are disappearing, security sweeps have intensified, and I'm deliberately moving outside authorized areas during restricted hours.

  But the potential benefits outweigh these dangers. Helena's knowledge could accelerate both my ability development and my plans for Desta. A technokinetic ally with restored abilities would provide invaluable access to facility systems, potentially revealing why telekinetics are being targeted and what larger plans the aliens might have in motion.