After seeing Lilith off, Rovi didn't leave immediately.
With heavy steps, he made his way to a corner of the laboratory that had not yet completely collapsed.
There, in front of a control console with a faintly blinking indicator light, sat a bulletproof glass tank.
Pale green nutrient paste slowly circulated inside it.
Suspended within was a massive human brain.
Countless slender metal probes and fiber-optic cables
had burrowed into its gray-white folds like parasitic roots.
"Wake up, Kais."
Rovi tapped the cracked control panel a few times.
He entered the wake-up command.
Bubbles churned violently inside the glass tank.
A spasm of bioelectricity rippled across the dormant brain.
A moment later, an electronic voice sounded from the speaker beside it: "Command received. Performing logic circuit self-test—self-test complete. Cognitive core online. Awaiting orders, Administrator."
Rovi said gravely, "Assess the battle damage. I want a detailed balance sheet."
"Scanning biological signals in the area—retrieving surveillance logs—cross-referencing fixed asset inventory—"
Green code cascaded down the screen.
Then it froze into a report in red text.
"Personnel asset losses:"
"High-value combat asset: Defense Force Commander Buck. Diagnosed with brainstem damage caused by intense psychic shock."
"Currently in a deep coma. Estimated window for regaining consciousness: 48 hours. A bionic cochlear implant will be required afterward to restore hearing."
"Elite bodyguard unit: 50% killed, 2 critically wounded, 1 lightly wounded. Combat effectiveness reduced to zero."
"Casualties among C Block laborers and lower-ranking personnel: 2,416 in total."
Rovi's gaze lingered on the number.
Two thousand four hundred people.
That meant nearly 2% of the Eastern Granary's workforce had vanished in an instant during tonight's disaster.
They had become bad debts that had to be written off on the books.
"Causes of death are as follows:"
"Category One: Physical elimination. 842 people. Killed by kinetic rounds