By the third day. Barbara stood close to the main workstation, her eyes intently following the holographic readouts above the console. Her presence was more than a passive observation; she was deeply involved, pointing out inconsistencies in the signal modulations and suggesting more efficient layouts for the neural mapping components. “Doctor Voss, the third node array is misaligned with the neural input grid,” Barbara said, leaning over the hologram and gesturing toward a faint fluctuation in the data streams. Voss adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowing as he scrutinized the display. “Ah, you’re right. A fraction of a millimetre off. Good eye, Barbara. Marcus, make the correction,” he instructed one of the assistants, who immediately began retooling the tiny components under a magni

