Chapter Three: Gatekeepers in the City

"Xiao Yan, close the door!" His voice finally broke through. "Swift isn't a program—" A long black beak pierced his chest from behind. The Gate slammed shut. Every infected person collapsed. Satellites returned to their assigned tracks. Lin released the field. The server room crashed onto its foundation, and the impact shattered every glass panel on the level. With his last sense of orientation gone, he fell toward the floor he believed was the sky. Chen Du caught him. "Do you understand now?" Blood ran from the golden eye in the Gatekeeper's palm. "Scientific discovery was never the answer. It is only the entrance." Lin stared at the darkened door.