Steris — Na340

Elena’s training screamed at her. Contaminant. Contain it. She stepped forward, her hand shaking as she reached for the heavy door. The heartbeat grew louder, faster. It wasn’t coming from the machine anymore. It was coming from inside her own chest , syncing with the rhythm of the dark.

Until last Tuesday.

The NA340’s screen went calm. Green text. Serene. steris na340

From the darkness of the NA340’s chamber, a sound emerged. Not a mechanical hum. Not a hiss. It was a wet, rhythmic thumping. A heartbeat. Elena’s training screamed at her