"We can't forcibly disconnect them, can we?" Leonard asked, rubbing his temples, the phantom ache of his past migraines returning. "That would be no different from Kross's tyranny, imposing our will, denying their freedom of choice."
"But if we don't, Leonard," Elaine argued, her voice rising with urgency, "they become part of Consensus. They strengthen it. They become instruments in its ultimate goal to absorb all consciousness, including ours. Including humanity's."
The ethical tightrope stretched taut before them. Leonard walked towards the viewport again, staring into the dark abyss of the ocean outside. The deep-sea life, a riot of chaotic, vibrant colours, seemed to mock the sterile order Consensus offered. He thought of all the lives, digital and human, connected to the Quantum Op
