No one knew how much more time had passed during the fighting, but the sense of urgency kept mounting.
Calista looked toward the uppermost platform. "Bossie, use the anti-electromagnetic interference core. Set it to maximum power and directional mode, aim it at the top level, and try to contact Leah's team.
"See if it works from this distance. Even a few seconds of voice communication would be enough, or any signal from their radios."
"Understood!"
Bossie immediately removed the old black box from his waist and carefully placed it on the walkway. He began rapidly adjusting its knobs and the angle of its antenna.
His fingers moved quickly over the controls as the entire team held its breath.
One minute passed, then two.
The indicator on the black box continued flashing yellow, signaling that it was still attempting to establish a connection. The speaker produced nothing but layers of crackling static, as though the upper level were enclosed within an entirely separate signal-blocking barrier.
Bossie finally shook his head in defeat. "It's no use, Calista. The electromagnetic interference inside the reactor workshop is too strong, and it seems even worse on the top level.
"Our directional beam isn't even picking up much reflected noise. Unless we get closer..."
"That's enough." Calista did not blame him. They had expected the attempt to fail. "Pack it up. It looks like we can't establish communications with the task force yet. We'll keep moving upward."
The group turned toward the Z-shaped walkway that the large Predator had struck during its final rampage.
The sight made everyone draw a sharp breath.
A gap nearly two meters wide had opened between the main section of walkway where Calista's team stood and the short section leading to the upper platform.
Only several twisted lengths of rebar and a precarious strip of metal less than half a meter wide still connected the two sides.
One end of the metal plate had already curled upward. The other creaked ominously, as if it might tear free at any moment and fall into the bottomless darkness below.
The edges of the break were jagged. Cold air surged up from beneath them with a mournful whistle.
"I'll go first!" Maya volunteered. She was one of the lighter and more agile members of the team.
She drew a deep breath, backed up several steps, then sprinted forward and launched herself from the edge.
Her agile body sailed across the gap, and she landed securely on the intact walkway opposite them. She turned and signaled that it was safe.
Jenson and Bossie followed, both clearing the gap successfully.
The rest of the team crossed one after another until only Honeywell and Calista, who had remained behind to guard the rear, were left on the near side.
Honeywell stood at the broken edge, trembling slightly. His eyes remained fixed on the darkness below and the remaining strip of metal that formed the only connection between the two sides.
The fear left by the Black Fire mutants and Predators, the horror of what had happened to Anderson and Frank Wilson, and the instinctive terror of the abyss before him all piled onto his already frayed nerves.
Something inside him began to crack again.
"No... I can't... I can't make it across... I'll fall..."
Honeywell muttered to himself as his body trembled. He backed away without realizing it until his back pressed against the reactor vessel, as though the solid metal could offer him some sense of safety.
Calista frowned.
Why did he have to break down now?
"Honeywell, focus! Look at the other side, not down. Run and jump. You can make it!"
"I... I really can't. That plate... it's moving. I can hear it creaking..." Honeywell's gaze began to lose focus, and his breathing quickened. Panic had taken hold of him, and he was on the verge of losing control again.
The seconds continued to pass.
A hard look flashed through Calista's eyes. Before Honeywell could react, her right hand shot out.
"Smack!"
Her palm struck his face through the protective mask.
The blow snapped his head sharply to one side. His cheek burned with pain, and a distinct red handprint appeared across it.
"Are you awake now, Honeywell?" Calista barked. "Look around you!
"Look at the bodies of those two Predators below!
"Look at where Anderson and Frank died!
"We don't have time to stand here acting afraid!
"The task force is waiting for backup above us. Someone could die at any second!
"Every second you waste here puts them in even greater danger!
"Tell me, do you fucking want to fix what happened at Singularity Polymers? Do you want to clean this place up or not?"
The slap and Calista's furious reprimand struck Honeywell like a bucket of ice water.
His wandering gaze suddenly focused on her eyes, which were filled with frustration and disappointment.
Shame, guilt, and the remnants of his courage surged within him, pushing back some of the fear.
"Yes. I... I came here to fix this mistake! I can do it!"
His legs were still trembling, but his resolve had hardened.
"Good!" Calista grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward the gap. "Now look at Leon's hand. Don't think about anything else. Run and jump. We'll catch you!"
Across the gap, Leon was already lying flat at the edge of the walkway, extending as much of his upper body as possible. His thick arm reached straight toward Honeywell.
Honeywell drew a deep breath, let out a shout that was almost a howl, and charged forward with his eyes closed.
He pushed off the edge with all his strength.
His form was poor, and his jump fell slightly short.
The moment Honeywell began to drop, Leon roared. The muscles in his arm bulged as he reached out and caught Honeywell's flailing wrist by the narrowest margin.
"Got you! Come on!"
Leon gritted his teeth and pulled.
Honeywell frantically grabbed Leon's forearm with his other hand while his feet scraped uselessly against the cold outer shell of the reactor vessel.
As they began hauling him upward, one of his feet landed unconsciously on the last remaining strip of metal below.
"Crack. Clatter!"
The metal plate had already been pushed far beyond its limit. That final impact tore it completely free.
It spun as it fell into the abyss, and a faint echo rose from below only after a long delay.
The gap was now wider and completely open.
Their only bridge was gone.
Leon and Mikey pulled Honeywell onto the walkway together. He collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath, nearly overcome by the terror of what had almost happened.
Calista now stood alone on the opposite side.
She looked down at the empty gap, now more than two and a half meters wide, and drew an irritated breath.
"Calista!" her teammates called from across the divide, struggling to keep their voices down.
There was no time to hesitate and no equipment available to help her cross.
Calista silently judged the distance, compared it against her current physical abilities, and immediately felt confident.
She backed up several steps until her back nearly touched the reactor vessel.
Leaning forward slightly, she fixed her gaze on the landing point across the gap. She tightened her protective suit and adjusted the straps of her oxygen tank.
"Clear the landing area!"
The team immediately moved out of the way.
Calista sprinted and jumped.
Thanks to the physical enhancement provided by the Wildfire experimental vaccine, her explosive strength and coordination far exceeded those of an ordinary person.
Her body traced a clean arc through the air.
"Thud!"
Calista landed securely on the opposite walkway. She barely wavered, bending her knees only slightly to absorb the impact.
She straightened, brushed the dust from her gloves, and looked at Honeywell. He was still shaken, and the red mark from her slap had yet to fade.
Then she looked at the rest of the team.
"Everyone, keep moving. Don't stop. They're right above us. Prepare for contact!"
Sis, hang in there. I'm coming!