form: a white envelope slip

nd. No

eady awake when

is jacket. "No cameras caught anyone. Whoever

he envelope

ress. No wax seal

tersected by a compass needle. The same gly

of The A

envelope, a

step f

truth,

one. No

9° N, 8

nigh

ric

a long time, then folded the card s

e was low. "

d. "Of cou

're going

ourse

h – Mi

h steel and ice. Vera wore black - long coat, boots, no makeup. Only

outskirts. The building loomed like an open eye - broken dome

d through t

len

a cl

to life, old

at the room's center. The stars rotated

cross the room... a f

al

ked i

ble beneath t

Not a woman.

e, was smooth. Neither

ugh layers that took

linch. "You er

ted a misca

de me a

lifting their head slight

step forwa

s going to be reborn. But now you can beco

voice. The presen

t to recr

their head. "I want

d. "What did you give my mothe

t said. "We offered them a

ppens if I ch

Architect's lenses. "Th

another st

his family? Why

ne held secrets it didn't understand. Secrets it nearly sold

ing you'

ends on. You think you've uncovered corruption. All you've done is pee

r world," she whispered.

," they replied. "And

e O

ned to her fully f

face. Clean, sharp, and de

monst

t k

... p

. You'd control markets, shape elections, monitor potential thre

sta

were s

the weapon you failed

said. "We want you

if I

t just erase your name. We'll erase your face, your files

the fire casting them

id the word

forge

es narrowed. "You'r

"So did you. You

dropped the

en in her pho

t the

c pulse strong enough to kill ev

ttered. Sc

sappeared in

Through

outside with a moto

eeded?" he shouted o

got what I came for. He offer

An

him to ch

observatory's light dying behin

neva – Two

ak came

he world. Hidden documents. Proof of election meddling. Stolen A

ed through g

mpanies went bankrupt. Tech

e Architect s

on. No denial

otel rooftop, watchi

a cigarette

too q

's not losing. H

aled. "Then

pulled out a new file. One she'd

S – Phase I: Human R

rrowed. "What the

d to him,

itect isn't trying t

ded him

ying to r

nside the Archit

of silent advisors - faces blurre

used," on

back," the Archi

e cert

single frozen image of Ve

" he

ly, almost

ope she

Chapt