Maria nodded, her eyes scanning the files. "It seems so, but there's a catch. The technology was deemed unstable back then. There's a risk of being lost in the space-time continuum."

Luke looked worried. "This is ridiculous."

I hesitated for a moment, considering the possibilities. "Maybe it was meant to be a game-changer during critical situations or emergencies. You know, like transporting soldiers, supplies, or resources instantly. It could've been a revolutionary way to save lives or respond to threats faster."

Maria chimed in, her curiosity piqued. "But what if they never got to fully test it, or maybe they were still working on making it safer when everything went haywire? It could be an incredible asset if we could figure out how to stabilize it."

As we pondered the implications of the teleportation device, we couldn't shake the feeling that its existence held more profound significance than we could comprehend. The potential benefits of such a technology were immense, but the inherent risks left us questioning if it was worth attempting to uncover its purpose and secrets.

The team heard a mysterious noise. Suddenly, a door opened from the far side of the chamber.

"Get down," I whispered urgently. We scurried behind a stack of crates, wedging ourselves between it and the wall. Our eyes aligned vertically as we peeked around the crates to catch a glimpse of the newcomers.

A tall figure stood over the other, arms outstretched. "Listen, V, all I'm saying is that if we want to make a difference, we need the SRG operational. People are dying on Verterra every day."

The shorter figure raised a fist, silencing the other. "I'm frustrated too, Drew. But the SRG isn't our silver bullet, and you know it. If we could get it out of here, I would. But for now, it remains a symbol of potential."

"General, with all due respect, you're mistaken. The SRG is completely safe now. Not to mention, why would you have me work on it if we aren't ever going to use it?"

"We are going to use it, you moron. I'll start personally meeting with the other generals and delivering equipment to our allies. I've informed the other Solaris Republic members who share our concerns. Change is coming."

"I'm not interested in political games. I thought you wanted the SRG. I'm not worried about the coup."

"It's not a coup. It's a realignment."

"It's a coup, V. You want to overtake the government. You say the same thing every time, and like so many before you, you've let power cloud your judgment."

"You're in no position to assess my accomplishments or intentions, Lieutenant Colonel."

"What did you want me to come down here for?"

"Those crates need to be opened." General Vega's silhouette pointed toward us, making us instinctively duck back.

"They're old, but boy, do they pack a punch," Vega continued.

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"It'll have to wait. I haven't slept in days because I've been working on what I thought would tip the scale in our favor against the Xenobots."

"It's going to tip the scales."

"You've lost touch, General. Would Julie be proud of this?"

"I want them built before the end of the week."

Both turned toward the doorway and exited.

"Should we inform Sergeant Rodriguez?" Luke whispered.

"What if he's a rebel too?" Maria whispered back.

They continued to whisper to each other while I tried to figure out why General Vega would want to overthrow the government.

I thought we were ahead in the war, but General Vega's plans could weaken our efforts. The Lieutenant Colonel was right; Vega had lost his mind. Maybe he was on the verge of going comet.

"What did you guys decide?" I asked.

"We think we should wait to tell Sergeant Rodriguez until we know he's not a rebel. We're just not sure how to figure that out," Maria replied.

"We can ask him a few questions about the government and play it off as curiosity. If he speaks ill of them, we have a hint. Even if he speaks positively, we can't be sure," Luke suggested.

"I know. Let's give it time until we are more familiar with the squad. We'll gather enough information to make an educated guess after a week or so," Maria agreed.

"I want to figure out what's in the crates," I said, walking to a metal pry bar leaning against the wall.

"John, stop. What if Vega finds out?" Maria asked firmly, still whispering.

"I noticed a small hole. I'm going to pry it open more and shine my flashlight in."

I hooked the hole with the bar, pulling a splintered piece of wood free. Once the hole was large enough, I returned the pry bar to its original position.

"John, hurry up. I'm getting nervous," Maria whispered.

I cast my Omnicom's light on the inside of the box.

"It looks like massive machine guns. And there are tripods," I said, withdrawing my Omnicom from the crate. "Let's get out of here, guys."

We tiptoed away from the crate and towards the stairs. My heart and stomach were strained from stress and the bleak future.

"This is absolutely insane," Maria said midway up the dimly lit stairs.

"The most important thing is figuring out who's a rebel and who's with the Solaris Republic."

"I imagine the government officials are a safe bet," Luke offered.

"I doubt it. I would have thought the military was a safe bet, but then Vega acted like a comet head," I replied as we reached the top of the stairway.

"At least we know," Maria said as I grabbed the door to the arcade.

We crouched through the opening and peeked around the game machine before entering the arcade.

We walked back to our quarters in silence, contemplating our next move.

The entire time I've been on this ship, there has been one nerve-racking event after another. We can't be sure, but intuition tells me Rodriguez isn't a rebel. He's seemed disinterested when talking to Vega, whereas, with the squad and us, he's full of energy and genuinely happy to see us improve.

"Goodnight, guys," Maria said, opening the door to her room, leaving just Luke and me.

"Can I be honest?" Luke asked.

"Of course. What's up?" I said as we stopped by his door.

"This isn't the right thing for me, man. I can't take much more of this. I didn't want to say it in the chamber in front of Maria, but I'm scared, dude. I don't know why I'm here. Like, I know why, but I don't remember. I can't recall a thing. Rodriguez made it seem like it would be tough to deal with memories, but they're all I'm hoping for. Do you think it gets better?"

At first, I wasn't sure what to say. I wasn't in any position to offer advice considering the near-panic attack I had before our battle. But he needed help, and he was only seventeen years old.

"Hey, it's alright, man. I've been scared the entire time. We're in a war, and it's intense. So allow yourself to feel anxious. Do you struggle with combat? Or are you just having difficulty processing all of this?"

"No, I love combat. That's the best I've felt since awakening."

"See! I hate combat. It terrifies me. In that case, focus on the mission," I replied. We both started laughing.

"Would it be alright if I don't continue investigating the potential rebellion? It just adds stress."

"Absolutely. We're still a team, Luke. Maria and I will handle the Vega situation. So don't worry about it."

"Thank you so much, John. I'm going to bed," he fist-bumped me before opening the door to his room.

What a crazy day.

"Private Moore, may I speak with you?" Rodriguez called from behind.