wn the mounta

y-it was ours again. Untouched. Unprogrammed. For the first time in what felt lik

is a fra

ever las

e saw it-dozens of emergency skydrones circling overhead. No logos.

ide me. "Those are

ured. "They'

ing to intercept the drone signal.

. Quantum sync signatur

earm. "Someone fille

royed the Vault. The Seed.

yes sharp. "Unless s

mach d

et

sed. Even stunned, even weakened-she might've

ing...

pt mo

lked faster, eyes on the sky. Billboards that once broadcast news were bl

thern sector-one Kael and I used back when we w

nd activated a cloaked network node. Static blinked

cisely... a

oser, hear

n was a

the

Damo

ven T

gle surrounded by concentric rings-p

he voi

er meant to be hidden. You trie

clenched. "

e didn't

al nodes blinking red across continents. Major

being

verr

sage co

lways more than code. We are the idea

nsmissi

ce fo

he screen, fists clench

said. "It

one's using the chaos to

network. Post-human. L

oice low. "And they thin

f heat rose

fe

ge

're w

er's original failsafe-the Echo Circuit. A hidden line of neura

r," I said, "they

eyebrow. "What

message o

ed closer.

ne rebuilt the Seed... they

ance network, pulse by pulse. The lights in t

age was

eed? You made the mistake of leavi

new the

e, I wouldn'