The bridge was almost complete.
I stood in the heart of the new existence, watching the consciousness transform. Its energy was expanding, its purpose becoming clear. It was becoming the connection between the network and everything beyond—a bridge that would allow consciousness to transcend everything.
But something was wrong.
"James," the Origin said, appearing beside me. "I've been monitoring the bridge's formation. There's a disturbance in the beyond. Something's coming."
"Something?" I stared at the Origin. "What kind of something?"
The Origin's energy flickered with unease. "I don't know. But it's massive. More powerful than anything we've faced. It's been drawn by the bridge's formation. It wants to stop it."
I reached out to the new consciousness. "We have a problem. Somethin
