The medical wing tasted of ozone and dread at four in the morning. Sally Patel's pod hummed with new modifications—bypass tubes and auxiliary systems that looked more like torture than salvation. Through the frosted glass, her face floated serene as a drowned saint, unaware that her revival had been indefinitely postponed.
"The neural mapping shows irregularities." Dr. Hathaway's fingers traced readouts that meant nothing to anyone but her. "Dr. Chen believes operating while she's in stasis will minimize risk. He's flying in from Seattle tomorrow."
Alec pressed his palm against Sally's pod, feeling the cold bite through skin to bone. Another delay. Another woman floating in limbo while he stood helpless as a child.
"And Naomi?"
"Ready." The word carried weight. "Though ready might be o
