Three days later, we made our first move.
"Her name is Dr. Sarah Chen," Victoria said, pulling up photo on the laptop. "IQRD senior researcher. Specializes in quantum biology. She was part of the team monitoring Eva during the extraction."
I studied the woman's face. Mid-forties. Tired eyes. The kind of exhaustion that came from believing you were doing necessary evil.
"She knows what they did to me," I said.
"She authorized it," Victoria corrected. "Signed off on the extraction protocols. Monitored your vitals while you were being drained. But—" she pulled up more files, "—she also filed three formal objections. Requested they stop the procedure. Argued there had to be better way."
"They overruled her," Albert guessed.
"Every time. Commander Patterson had final authority. Chen was j
