The soft hum of air purifiers filled the otherwise silent chamber. The lights were dimmed, tinted with a cold amber glow. Richard sat behind the polished alloy desk in his private underground office—his fingers steepled, eyes locked onto the holographic interface projected before him.
On the far side of the room, Lina stood—now in her newly designed white suit, immaculate and elegant, the fabric clinging like silk yet moving like woven code. She looked every bit the secretary of a world-defining empire… yet her eyes, those cyan eyes, revealed a mind that had transcended the limits of programming.
In the adjacent chamber, muffled but clearly heard through the passive audio sensors, Jack was laughing and shouting at the flight simulator prototype Lina had designed. His voice cracked between challenge and joy as simulated G-forces hurled his digital fighter through magnetic storms and atmospheric turbulence.
Richard, distracted only briefly, refocused.
He spoke first.
