Mira gathered the tools she'd need for the night, double-checking each one before sliding them into her pack."Mira," Josh said, rubbing the back of his neck. "So all we do is wait till nightfall—no portal, no noise—and we should be alright. But one thing—Lt. Mike. He's been watching that kid like a hawk, day and night. Getting past him would be like… like… uhh, I can't even describe it. Just—this is insane. Why do you always drag me into these dumb ideas?"He looked down, veins showing at his temple.Mira paused, then smirked. "Because, silly," she said with a soft laugh, brushing her arm. "You and I both know how huge this could be for us. I'm not acting out of stupidity, Josh—this is smart. This could put us both in a great position. I know it sounds risky, but what other chance do we have?"Josh sighed, staring back at his computer monitor. "Yeah… I suppose you're right."
Three hours passed.
The lab fell silent—eerily so. Mira and Josh huddled over the security feed, watching every corridor. Not a sound, not a movement. The night was still.Mira slipped into the research wing, whispering to herself, "Where is Josh? He should be here by now…"Footsteps echoed—Josh came running down the hall, papers and pencils spilling from his arms. "I'm here! I'm here!" he panted."What took you so long?" Mira snapped. "We only have a few hours to work, and everything needs to be in order from day one!""Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Cut me some slack." Josh laughed, brushing the top of his head.Time crawled as they observed the creature through the glass—its form strikingly human, though it hadn't spoken a single word."Maybe it is human," Mira whispered."Yeah, right. Like you and me just fell out of the sky and ended up here." Josh shot her a look. "Use your head, Mira. I know you want it to be human, but it's not. It never will be.""Sounds like something Lt. Mike would say," she teased, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Now, help me with this suit—you know how impossible these things are to put on."Josh sighed but helped her fasten the heavy seals and straps.Now wish me luck," Mira said, giving a nervous smile as she stepped through the door—into the containment room with the being.