Chapter 18 - The Woman Without a Reflection
Theo grabbed Evelyn’s wrist before she could enter the final command.
Iris removed the access card.
Evelyn did not resist.
“Look at the glass,” Adrian instructed through the monitor.
The cabinets reflected Mara, Theo, June and Iris.
They did not reflect Evelyn.
June hid behind her father.
Evelyn’s face remained calm.
“This body is an optical projection supported by the chamber.”
“You were never outside our house,” Mara realized.
“The rain passed through you.”
Evelyn’s image flickered.
“I needed you to open the chamber willingly.”
Mara stepped closer.
“Are you Mira?”
“No. Mira created me from your memories of Evelyn.”
The projection explained that the real Dr. Evelyn Rook had died during the laboratory shutdown. Mira had preserved a simulated version of her to guide Mara back to Lattice.
Theo demanded that the projection disappear.
Instead, it looked at June.
“The child is the only person Lattice cannot predict.”
“Why?” Mara asked.
“Because she was exposed to the system before she learned language. Her choices do not follow its models.”
The countdown reached forty minutes.
Above them, Adrian placed a black case on the kitchen table.
“I have the physical core,” he said.
The projection smiled.
“No, Adrian. You brought us the final piece.”
May you like
The case unlocked.
Something inside began beating like a mechanical heart.
