Forty pounds of kinetic resistance tore at Caleb's right shoulder.
He forced the heavy iron bar upward along the hydraulic track, teeth set while the Break-Tab Harness dug into his collarbone. At the apex, he held the weight without letting the suit carry him. Rebuilt muscle trembled under the load.
A mechanical click resonated from his chest plate.
The Power Isolation Shunt engaged. Tali's custom wiring intercepted the biometric heat spike bleeding out of his healing ribs and snapped a firewall down to protect the suit's lithium core.
The iron sled trembled in his grip. As the anomaly pulled against the circuit, the suit battery dipped four percent in three seconds. Caleb released the tension, and the track clattered against the rubber floor mats of the empty Seventh Division recovery gym.
He sat up on the sweat-stained bench, pulled the cheap spiral notebook from his canvas bag, and clicked his black pen.
