"James. You don't look good.", Marcus noted as JD set foot on one of the last safe COG settlements.

Over the past few months, many others had been lost to the attacks of the Swarm and many more had to be abandoned in order to maximise the ability to protect the remaining humans as good as possible.

Jinn had made it very clear that she wanted only a hand full of forts but them being impossible to take over.

JD shrugged.

"Had a nice encounter with Kait and Del.", he mumbled and pushed past his father.

Marcus let out a deep sound, something between a growl and a huff.

"Had a quick conversation with them too.", he said.

JD froze.

"What? Why are you helping them? They are doing everything against our efforts to keep the people united."

"They have their reasons."

"They are being irresponsible."

"Just like you when it comes to (Y/N)."

All at once, JD pressed his lips into a thin line and swallowed the sentence that was already laying on the tip of his tongue. He had to take a deep breath in before taking again, so that it didn't seem like he was a snobby little brat.

"I'm responsible for many lives.", he tried to explain in a calm voice. "And I'm trying to prevent the death of my... the death... death of my... you know."

"Hm. But that doesn't give you the right to think everyone else's problems are less important. Listen James, I know you adm the other two have lost touch after returning to the COG. But just like you had your reasons to return, Kait has her reasons to keep going on her own."

"I know.", JD pulled a face before putting on a dark, joyless expression. "Now, if you'll excuse me? I have a meeting with Baird. He wanted to inform me about progress."

Marcus pulled a face.

"Jinn is using your hopes.", he tried to grab his son by the shoulder.

But he dodged the hand, twirled around and came so close to his face that Marcus thought he was about to bite his nose off.

"I won't stop trying until the little time I have left is running out!", with his face distorted in anger, JD grabbed him by the armour. "I'm not giving up. Unlike you, I know that giving up is worse than failing while trying."

Marcus did not answer anything to that. Instead, he grabbed his wrist and squeezed it so hard that JD had to let go. With eyes full of held back anger, his father looked at him.

He wanted to scream at his son, wanted to show him how little truth was laying in his words. But he didn't. It would have done more damage than good.

"We have news?", JD asked, placing his gun on the table to calm his nerves.

Usually, he was good at hiding his emotions. But whenever he was thing about you or something was only remotely related to your current situation, his voice started to shake.

Baird eyed him for a moment, looked over to Marcus and back at the files again. It wasn't just visible in what state of mind JD was, but the people around him were also very much able to feel it, no matter if they were close to the Sergeant or not.

The old Baird was one of Marcus' oldest friends, a man of heavy machinery and technology. He was smarter than most people. But also harsher. Taking a deep breath in, he grabbed one of the files and handed them to JD.

"What's that?", the younger asked.

"The COG decided you deserve a treat after doing all the dirty work for Jinn.", he hummed and crossed his arms in front of his chest while stroking the grey beard of his. "It's the data of the human fridge."

With a warning gaze, Marcus advised his friend to shut his mouth before anything could get out of hand.

JD decided to ignore the comment, even though his hands clenched into fists.

"Will this be of any use to us?", he asked, making it audible that one more wrong word would cost a life.

Baird shrugged.

"I know now what kind it is, what's it made of."

"That doesn't sound like much.", Marcus noted.

"And it isn't. But it might be enough."

Immediately, a small spark lit up in JD's blue eyes.

"So, you can get the door open?", he asked with the excitement of a little boy.

"No."

The spark died. Pulling a face, JD threw the files back on the table.

"Then of what use is it?", he asked and had to take a seat to keep himself from tearing the place apart.

Baird exchanged a gaze with Marcus. After he gave him a nod of approval, he turned around and typed something into his terminal before a bluish hologram lit up.

It was a copy of the cool room. But not only the outlines were visible, also the pipes and tanks that provided the cooling system with energy and oxygen to prevent the samples from dying.

"What's that for?", tilting his head, JD glanced over to his father.

"That's the system that keeps the cool room running and it's automatic mechanisms up.", Baird explained, pointing at a spot where the tanks with liquid gas were stored. "If we cut those off, the system will have a heavy change in temperature before the emergency mechanism jumps in."

JD frowned. How much he looked like his father in that moment.

"I thought the door is sealed because of the emergency mechanism."

"It is. But there are two programs. One for external emergencies and one for the internal. The door is locked from the inside to protect the samples from outside danger."

"But if the temperature inside starts to get unstable, the other mechanism will outplay the current one and the door will open.", Marcus placed a hand on his sons shoulder. "We could get (Y/N) out of there like this."

The expression on JD's face darkened.

"But?", he asked.

"But a rapid change in temperature could cause greater damage that needs immediately treatment.", Baird pulled a face. "And... we also don't know how much blood is left inside the body. If the wounds taw, and the blood flow picks up again, it could mean immediate death through blood loss. We need a damn good doc."