~Damon~
"Containment," I replied. "He knew too much, was too volatile. But his genetic material was invaluable for our continuing research."
"Eight years," she whispered. "You've kept him prisoner for eight years, harvesting him like a crop."
I spread my hands. "I prefer to think of it as preserving a legacy. Your father's contributions have saved countless lives—will save countless more once we perfect the enhancement process."
Elara closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, all emotion had been carefully locked away. "What do you want from me, Damon? Specifically."
"Voluntary participation in a complete neural mapping procedure," I said. "Non-invasive. With your cooperation, we can extract the Algorithm's pattern without harming you."
"And if I refuse?"
I gestured t
