4.5/5 stars

Jace followed, his boots splashing into a crater of sludge. The weight of the Pack settled instantly, servos in his suit whining to compensate for the extra forty kilos.

"I'm losing signal strength," Jace muttered. "The cooling unit is fried. It's overheating."

But being the eye had a downside. The Pack emitted a distinct signal—a digital heartbeat.

Pain shot up his arm, agonizing and immediate. He screamed, but he didn't let go.

They called it the HQ Pack. High-Quotient Loadout. Or, as the grunts called it: "The Queen’s Jewelry."

"Contact left!" Miller yelled. The squad opened fire, rounds chewing into the concrete where the enemy had been hiding seconds before. Without the HQ Pack, they would have walked right into an ambush.

"We're alive, Sarge," he whispered. "That makes it worth the price."

"Impact in three... two... one."

Jace looked at the smoking case. The interface was flashing a warning: CORE TEMPERATURE CRITICAL. MANUAL OVERRIDE REQUIRED.

Then, the blue holographic map flickered.

Jace took a breath, gripping the assault rifle strapped to his chest. But it wasn't the mission that had his heart hammering. It was the weight on his back—the reinforced case magnetically sealed to his armor.

Jace nodded, his face pale with exhaustion. The heat from the Pack was intense, sweat stinging his eyes. He scanned the perimeter.