~Caleb~
The Council's decision still echoed in my mind, a death knell wrapped in bureaucratic compromise.
"The Council sanctions the countermeasure with conditions," Thorne had announced, his gaze fixed on Elara rather than me. "Dr. Chen may proceed with development under Council oversight. Two Alphas will observe all stages of the process."
Standard protocol, reasonable even. But what came next wasn't.
"Additionally," Thorne had continued, "once the TechNova threat is neutralized, Elara Winters will submit to complete biological analysis to ensure the Algorithm cannot be replicated or weaponized."
I'd felt Elara stiffen beside me.
"And if I refuse?" she'd asked.
Thorne smile. "Then you become classified as a potential threat to our kind. With all that entails."
Now, six hours late
