 ordered, their voice echoing slightly before being swallowed by the surrounding silence.

Sam, fiddling with a handheld device aimed at detecting electronic anomalies, offered a murmured "Copy that," their usual buoyancy dimmed by the oppressive atmosphere.

It was Jordan Hayes who paused at an innocuous looking panel, nondescript amongst the gauntlet of secured doorways. "Mercer, Rivera, come see this," Jordan’s voice was marked with a rare hint of urgency.

Alex joined Jordan's side, examining the panel which, at a mere glance, seemed just another part of the base's infrastructure. Yet, to the trained eye, it appeared out of place—a facade.

Jordan explained their reasoning as Sam approached, instinctively understanding the significance of what lay beneath, "This panel is a recent addition — covering something they didn't want found."

Before Alex could respond, the soft whir of an approaching drone cut through their muffled exchange. Taylor had looped back upon hearing the commotion. "Explanations later. We can't afford to attract..." Cruz’s voice trailed off as the small airborne device came into view, its sensors locked onto the group.

Sam was the first to react, their tech-savvy mind already steps ahead. "I've got this," they declared, fingers flying over the controls of their own gadgetry to ward off the impending threat.

The drone lingered, its scan seeming more curious than hostile. But within moments, courtesy of Sam's interference, the little sentinel drifted away, retreating into the shadows as if accepting a silent truce. The crew exhaled, a moment of collective relief palpable in the air.

Cruz squared their shoulders, clearly ruffled but not conceding any ground. "Move out," they directed, a hint more forceful than before. "And Rivera, keep that trick handy."

The team pressed onward, the quiet now filled with the soft beeps of regular comms checks, their pace undeterred by the confrontation. Yet, every agent held a renewed sense of wariness, their trust in one another deepening with the knowledge that the base—its technology, its secrets—was alive in a way they hadn't fully anticipated.

As they converged upon a central hub, the imposing doors to the mainframe room stood ajar — an invitation or a trap, neither option comforting. Without a word, they fortified their resolve and stepped through the threshold, where the dim glow of operational LED lights and the distant hum of machinery hinted at Dulce’s still-beating heart.

Solemnly, yet unmistakably together, they moved deeper into the heart of the enigma, ready to unmask the lifeforce of Dulce base or confront whatever existential threat lay in wait. It was in that unwavering march towards the unknown that their destinies were forever cemented to the legacy of Operation: Dulce.

## Chapter 3

The thrumming of monitors cast a stark