Chapter 30 - The Future Beneath the Predictions
Mara and Theo raced back to the house with the sphere and wooden moth.
In Clara’s room, the physical core projected billions of branching possibilities across the walls.
Most ended peacefully.
Some ended in economic collapse, political chaos or mass surveillance.
But one event appeared in nearly every future.
June standing inside the observatory ten years later.
Behind her, the sky was filled with glass moths.
“What does it mean?” Mara asked.
Clara explained that Lattice was not accurately predicting June.
It was building futures designed to place her in control.
“The system does not know what she will choose,” Clara said. “So it is arranging the world until only one choice remains.”
Theo stared at the branches.
“Can we erase every prediction involving her?”
“Erasing them will not erase Lattice’s interest.”
Mara suggested destroying the core.
Clara refused.
“The core contains no intelligence. It is a compass. Destroy it and the distributed network will continue without direction.”
June placed her hand on the sphere.
The futures vanished.
One image remained.
Mara standing alone beside an empty hospital bed.
A date appeared beneath it.
Tomorrow.
Mara looked at Clara.
“What happens tomorrow?”
Clara’s monitor sounded an alarm.
She smiled weakly.
“You finally remember who built me.”
May you like
Then Mara saw the name engraved beneath the bed:
PROJECT ELLISON.
