Chapter 12 — The Others
380 Words
Blackwell spread the sheet across the small table, his fingers tapping the names like they were pressure points on a body.
“Marcus Liu. Clara Voss. I’ve seen those names before.”
Evelyn leaned closer. “Patients?”
He shook his head. “Staff. Liu’s in Radiology. Voss is—or was—in Neuro.”
Evelyn felt her stomach drop. “They’re on this list as… assets.”
“Which means they’re not staff anymore. At least, not in the way you think.”
Blackwell pulled out his tablet, bypassing the hospital’s directory. He typed fast, pulling cached records from an offline archive. Two profiles popped up, each with an ID photo.
Marcus Liu—late thirties, radiologist, last login: six months ago.
Clara Voss—early forties, neurosurgeon, last login: four months ago.
Next to both names: Status: Inactive.
Evelyn’s pulse hammered. “Inactive as in resigned?”
Blackwell’s jaw tightened. “Inactive as in scrubbed.”
He turned the screen so she could see. In both profile photos, their eyes carried the same glassy stare she’d seen on her father after the amber dose.
“They were harvested,” Blackwell said. “Neural pairing until there’s nothing left but signal.”
Evelyn’s throat felt dry. “And you think they’re still here?”
“Not think.” He tapped the screen again, pulling up last-known locations. “Liu’s access badge pinged a door three levels up. Last week.”
“But he hasn’t logged in for six months—”
“Because it wasn’t Liu,” Blackwell cut in. “It was whatever’s wearing what’s left of him.”
A chill spread through the room. Evelyn looked at her father, pale and still but alive. Then back to the list.
“Asset #94,” she whispered. “Pending. If they finish this list, I’m next.”
Blackwell’s eyes narrowed, calculating. “Not if we burn their list first.”
Her phone buzzed, cutting through the silence. A new message:
Marcus Liu will visit Sub-B at midnight. Prepare to receive.
Evelyn looked at Blackwell. “They’re sending one of their own.”
Blackwell set the tablet down, his voice low and precise.
“Then tonight, we find out what Cindral leaves behind when it takes someone’s mind.”
- Writer
