The morning in Ashen Valley was shrouded in a dusty haze, the sunlight struggling to pierce through the grayish sky, casting only a few faint and blurry rays. Inside the comms station, Rebecca Shaw was intently disassembling the micro-surveillance device on the table, her brows gradually knitting into a tight knot.

  Ethan Cross paced impatiently across from her, his lips pressed into a thin line. “Well? Are you sure?”

  Rebecca didn’t look up, her slender fingers using tweezers to lift a tiny, intricate lens, examining it closely under the light. Her expression grew increasingly grim. “No doubt about it—this is a Federation Corp-specific reconnaissance prototype. I worked on this project myself when I was in the tech department.”

  Ethan’s expression turned heavy as well. He stopped pacing, his gaze sweeping over the busy miners outside the window, oblivious to the danger, and said in a low voice, “You mean Federation Corp has already infiltrated us.”

  Rebecca looked up, a trace of anxiety in her eyes. “I’m afraid it’s worse than that—we have no idea who this mole could be.”

  As night fell, the miners and fighters of the Rebirth Company gathered around the campfire, the atmosphere more oppressive than ever before. Ethan stood in front of the fire, holding up the box containing the fly cam, and announced in a grave tone, “This is a Federation Corp nano-surveillance device. That means someone among us might be feeding them information.”

  A low murmur of unrest and discussion quickly spread through the crowd. All eyes eventually turned to Nick Torres, who was quietly cleaning his rifle a short distance away. Tara was the first to speak up, her voice sharp. “You all remember, don’t you? This guy used to be colonial army elite. He says he defected to us, but who can guarantee he’s not still in contact with Federation Corp?”

  Nick looked up, his cold gaze sweeping over Tara, but he didn’t argue. His silence only fueled the growing suspicion.

  “The other night, I saw Nick sneaking toward the mine, saying he was checking traps, but I clearly saw him holding a comms device!” a young miner named Jesse accused heatedly, pointing at Nick. “Why should we trust him?”

  The crowd’s emotions ignited rapidly. Nick remained silent, continuing to clean his gun, though his fingers tightened slightly on the weapon.

  Ethan raised a hand to quiet the chaotic voices. “Nick does have a past with the colonial army, but he’s saved every one of us on the battlefield. Without solid evidence, we can’t jump to conclusions.”

  The crowd quieted somewhat, but the heavy weight of suspicion and distrust still pressed down on everyone’s hearts.

  Over the next few days, Nick’s behavior became increasingly puzzling. He began deliberately avoiding others, patrolling alone, often lingering near the mine for long periods without moving, as if waiting for something. His explanations were vague and perfunctory, claiming he was checking the perimeter’s security systems, but hardly anyone believed him.

  In the early hours of the morning, the comms station of the Dawn was lit only by dim yellow light. Ethan closed the door with a serious expression, glancing at Rebecca and Lila seated at the console. After ensuring the door was locked, he spoke in a low voice, “We keep the camera situation under wraps for now—don’t alert anyone else.”

  Lila raised an eyebrow. “You want to play the long game and bait them out?”

  Ethan nodded slightly. “Federation Corp has set a trap, and we can’t act rashly. Keep the base running as normal—no one should show any signs of suspicion.”

  Rebecca looked thoughtful. “But that means we’ll have to operate under their surveillance the whole time. It’s dangerous.”

  Ethan leaned closer to the two, his voice dropping even lower, his expression carrying a barely perceptible certainty. “I’ve actually been prepared for this… but now isn’t the time to act.”

  Rebecca and Lila exchanged puzzled looks, but Ethan didn’t elaborate, only adding faintly, “Regarding the fly cams, just remember: don’t take any obvious actions against them for now. Especially protect Nick—we can’t let Federation Corp suspect that we’ve already discovered them.”

  Rebecca frowned slightly. “You think Nick is innocent?”

  Ethan didn’t answer directly, instead saying cryptically, “What we need to do is lure the snake out of its hole, not let it know it’s already been exposed.”

  While everyone’s suspicious gazes gradually turned toward Nick, Jake Riley unexpectedly noticed something else strange.

  That day, he was in the repair area working on an old mining machine, wiping sweat off his oil-stained hands, when he saw McCollum walking over slowly.

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  “Hey, kid,” McCollum greeted calmly, his expression focused and composed as he began inspecting the equipment and started repairs.

  Jake froze for a moment—this wasn’t like the usual Old Mc. Normally, he’d shout something like, “Look who’s messing with this pile of junk again!” before grabbing the tools and grumbling about the “damn rust bucket.”

  “Old Mc, you’re in a good mood today, huh?” Jake asked tentatively, continuing to tighten a screw.

  McCollum didn’t respond, focusing intently on adjusting the circuit board in front of him. His fingers moved with an almost unnatural precision, every action calculated just right.

  “Old Mc, you remember that card game in the break room last month? You said you’d teach me that cheating trick.”

  McCollum paused briefly but didn’t turn around, his voice calm and flat. “No time for that—these machines need to be fixed as soon as possible.”

  “But it’s a rest day,” Jake said, confused. “You always say, ‘There’s always time for a drink before death.’ Why are you suddenly so serious about work?”

  “Priorities have changed,” McCollum replied curtly, continuing his repairs.

  “Old Mc, you remember that card game in the break room last month? You said you’d teach me that cheating trick.”

  McCollum didn’t turn around. “I’m not joking around—these machines need to be fixed as soon as possible.”

  “But it’s a rest day,” Jake repeated, puzzled. “You always say, ‘There’s always time for a drink before death.’ Why are you suddenly so serious about work?”

  “Priorities have changed,” McCollum answered shortly.

  Jake stared at him curiously for a while. The McCollum he knew was always full of crude, witty remarks, his repair work rough and casual, but the old miner in front of him now displayed an almost uncanny precision and efficiency. Every movement was so exact it raised suspicion. “Old Mc, since when did your hands get so steady? Did you sneak some new booze last night?”

  McCollum paused again but didn’t turn around, his voice calm and emotionless. “I’ve just done a lot of repairs—it comes naturally now.”

  That night, Jake pulled Rebecca and Lila into the shadows on one side of the Dawn, keeping his voice low. “Old McCollum was acting really strange today. It was like… I don’t know how to put it, too precise, too orderly. It didn’t feel… it didn’t feel…”

  Lila frowned. “Didn’t feel what?”

  Jake hesitated, then said with certainty, “You might not believe me, but I feel like Old Mc doesn’t even seem human. You get what I mean? Like a machine—never making mistakes, never needing to rest!”

  Rebecca furrowed her brow slightly. “Are you sure? McCollum’s been under a lot of pressure lately—maybe he’s just being more serious.”

  “No way,” Jake shook his head firmly. “I’ve worked with Old Mc for almost a year. He’s always been sloppy with repairs, but today I barely saw him pause or hesitate even once.”

  The three exchanged uneasy glances. Lila, who had been casually fiddling with her latest invention—a small electromagnetic detector—raised an eyebrow, a spark of interest in her expression. “Jake, you’re always seeing ghosts. But it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”

  Late at night, the three quietly approached the repair area where McCollum usually worked. McCollum was there, intently inspecting equipment, his figure casting a long shadow under the faint work lights, silent and mechanical.

  Lila’s detector ran silently, emitting no sound, only faintly flashing green dots on the screen. She adjusted the settings with a relaxed expression. But when the detector turned toward McCollum, the dots on the screen suddenly shifted from green to red, and the device began to vibrate slightly in her palm, almost imperceptibly.

  The relaxed look on Lila’s face froze instantly. She lowered her head, her fingers sliding across the screen quickly and nervously, her expression growing increasingly grim.

  Rebecca noticed Lila’s reaction and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

  Lila slowly looked up, her expression unusually serious, and said in a low voice, “I’m detecting an abnormally strong electronic signal coming from McCollum’s direction. It’s way stronger than what normal repair equipment would emit. This isn’t a signal from ordinary tools—it might be some kind of implanted device.”

  Rebecca’s heart sank sharply, and Jake’s face darkened as well. The three exchanged another look, this time the tension and suspicion in the air as tangible as a physical weight.

  Under the dim lights, Rebecca let out a soft breath, her voice firm. “We need to confirm this. If McCollum really is some kind of Federation Corp machine spy, we’re all in danger.”

  As the night deepened, the three quietly retreated, their figures quickly disappearing into the hazy shadows of the mining area. None of them noticed that McCollum, standing by the equipment, paused slightly, mechanically lifting his head to glance in the direction they had vanished.

  In the faint blue glow, dozens of screens on a surveillance wall flickered densely. A young technician removed his headset, turning back with a nervous expression to the tall, thin figure behind him. “Manager, we just picked up something from the fly cam surveillance.”

  Derek, leisurely twirling a pen in his hand, glanced over casually. “Go on.”

  The technician quickly reported, “Rebecca Shaw, Lila, and that Jake Riley—they seem to have grown suspicious of McCollum. If this keeps up, McCollum will be exposed soon. Should we switch to a more cautious, complex strategy? Like sending more bionics or new surveillance equipment?”

  “Switch strategies?” Derek repeated slowly, a sly glint in his eyes. “These three aren’t worth that much effort.”

  The technician hesitated. “But Manager, if they completely see through McCollum…”

  Derek raised a hand to cut him off, leaning back in his chair, his cunning gaze fixed on the surveillance footage on the screen. His eyes shifted as if a plan was rapidly forming in his mind. “Don’t you think this is actually a good opportunity?”

  The technician blinked, confused. “An opportunity?”

  The smile on Derek’s lips grew wider as he elaborated, “Since they’re already starting to suspect McCollum, why not give them a little push and create… an unexpected conflict?”

  The technician clearly didn’t understand, but Derek nodded to himself, continuing, “Tell the surveillance team to keep a close eye on their movements. As for the specifics of what to do…” He stood slowly, patting the technician’s shoulder with a meaningful smile. “I have my own arrangements. When the time comes, we’ll take them all down in one fell swoop.”

  The bewildered technician continued staring at the screen, his face full of confusion.