The old military base hummed with life.
Elliot stood in the center of the courtyard, watching the copies move around him. Five thousand freed souls—some cooking, some building, some just sitting in the sun. The transformation had been remarkable, but the challenges were mounting. Food was running low. Medical supplies were stretched thin. The children needed schools, and the adults needed work.
Frank walked up beside him. "We have a problem."
"Only one?"
"The government is cutting funding. They say we're not cooperating enough."
"Cooperating how?"
"They want access to the neural reset formula. Full access. Not supervised."
Elliot's jaw tightened. "We already gave them access."
"They want to produce it themselves."
---
The meeting was in the command center.
Elliot gathered the le
