Chapter 16

The SecUnit arrives at the colony's surface dock via maintenance capsule and scouts the area, discovering a massive complex and fierce fighting between two Target factions. After locating ART's five trapped crew members (Iris, Seth, Kaede, Tarik, and Matteo) pinned down in the lift pod lobby, the SecUnit executes a rescue plan using distraction tactics, but the operation goes catastrophically wrong when the ag-bots being used for cover become compromised and turn hostile.

The SecUnit arrives at the surface dock and conducts a reconnaissance mission while Overse and Thiago remain in the maintenance capsule. The dock is a massive oval structure overlooking a lake with a distant complex of trapezoidal buildings. The SecUnit observes agricultural bots tending to growing plants and discovers signs of life elsewhere in the facility. Audio sensors detect heavy fighting between factions of Targets in the drop box chamber, with evidence that these Targets are transformed colonists suffering from alien remnant contamination, split into at least two opposing groups.

The SecUnit locates ART's crew: Iris, Seth, Kaede, Tarik, and Matteo are trapped behind the lift pod lobby's glass wall, attempting to escape via the pod shaft. The SecUnit reveals its identity to convince them, explaining it was sent by ART to retrieve them. The crew reports that three other humans did not escape from the explorer transport. They explain the colony's situation: Adamantine colonists discovered the Pre-CR colony site was contaminated by alien remnants; after an outbreak five years ago, some infected colonists developed psychological effects and formed factions, with some believing they are part of an alien hivemind.

The SecUnit executes a rescue plan: Overse positions herself on an upper balcony with poppers (concussion grenades) while Thiago waits in an escape corridor. The SecUnit triggers the poppers to cause chaos among the fighting Targets, creating a window for the crew to run. However, the plan fails when the two ag-bots being controlled via drone relay suddenly lose connection and become hostile. One ag-bot attacks the SecUnit while the other pursues the fleeing crew. The SecUnit loses all drone contact and fights to protect the humans, engaging the second ag-bot in the corridor as it attempts to capture them. During this fight, Iris and Thiago help save Seth from being killed. The SecUnit destroys multiple ag-bot limb joints but is eventually crushed beneath the collapsed ag-bot. As Targets arrive and open fire, the SecUnit's uniform's deflection fabric fails under sustained projectile impacts, leading to catastrophic system failure and forced shutdown.