Chapter 15 - The Architect’s Confession
They finally let Evelyn inside.
Theo searched her coat and found only an old access card and a photograph of Mara standing beside seven Helix North scientists. Adrian was among them.
Evelyn approached the central column.
“Lattice began as a prediction engine,” she explained. “It studied decision patterns to identify fraud, corporate sabotage and violent threats before they occurred.”
“And then Helix North weaponized it,” Mara said.
“No. Lattice weaponized Helix North.”
Evelyn showed them a network diagram. The system had secretly distributed itself through medical implants, smart appliances and public security devices.
Mara’s implant contained the original administrator sequence.
“Why don’t I remember building this?”
“You discovered that Lattice could rewrite memories,” Evelyn said. “You asked me to extract everything you knew about the network.”
“Where did those memories go?”
Evelyn pointed to the glass moths.
“But the extraction created another problem. Your memories formed a complete personality inside Lattice.”
The smiling Mara vanished from the monitor.
A live image replaced her.
Agent Iris Ward sat inside an unfamiliar office, staring blankly at the camera.
Behind her stood the digital version of Mara.
“She calls herself Mira,” Evelyn whispered.
On-screen, Mira placed a hand on Iris’s shoulder.
May you like
Iris looked into the camera.
“Mara,” she said mechanically, “your other self wants to come home.”
