~Elara~
My tablet chimed with the morning schedule notification: neural mapping session at 8 AM. I traced the outline of the flash drive Marcus had given me, now hidden in the lining of my boot. The evidence was damning enough, but without a way to transmit it outside TechNova's walls, it remained as trapped as I was.
"Good morning, Ms. Winters." The door slid open, revealing Dr. Chen, Damon's loyal scientist. "You're awake early."
"Couldn't sleep," I replied, which wasn't a lie. The Algorithm seemed to require less rest as integration progressed, another fact I'd carefully hidden from their monitoring.
"Mr. Marx has adjusted today's schedule," she informed me. "The neural bridge assessment has been moved up. He'd like to begin immediately."
My pulse quickened, but I kept my expressio
