LOGINShe refuses to die. I want her buried with no traces to me. Evan says.
Five thousand dollars? He asks the gang of men sitting at a round table. They all glanced at one another. Fifty thousand dollars! One of them responded. That's too much just to bury a person. Ten thousand and no more! Evan stands to leave. We are not just burying your corpse, we are burying your damn dirty secrets without leaving any traces. One of them says. He pauses and tilts his head to the left and right. Fifty thousand dollars. Clean job, no trace. Evan says frowning. Damian looks from afar, he wore a pair of dark sunglasses to conceal his stitched eye brow. Evan walks away like a warrior who had just conquered a battle. He walks past Damian confidently with his shoulders puffed up. Damian breezes away from him a little. He couldn't see Damian. What the hell? Damian says. He brings out his phone and sends Aria a text. Get ready, he is trying to bury you very soon. Damian walks away. A click- Aria hears whispers and hushes a bit far away. She didn't know it was about her. I heard about someone's gonna be buried. Who's that? She asks herself. Her phone buzzed. She reads the text and covers her mouth with her hands. Evan enters into his car and tightens his seat belt. How did it go? Emma asks him. It didn't go well, they won't award the contract if I don't pay two hundred thousand dollars to settle up. You know these business elites like to work with one another. He says resting his hands on the steering. He tells her. But you are also a business guru, a top one at that. Emma responded. True but we are talking about inner circus here! He says softly as if giving up. I'll give you the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to settle whatever and get into the inner circus too. You need the contract like hell. Emma says. "You're always a darling". he says smiling with his face lit up. He lies to her. Damian breezes past them, Evan looks on as if he sees him but no. He is only distracting Emma making him look sober. "I love you Emma". He says. I love you too Evan. They began to kiss passionately while burning with emotions. A click- Aria hears the sounds of lips locking and hands hovering over the body. So he's been cheating on me like forever and I never doubted him for once? She soliloquizes. She looks down at her feet and bit a finger. Love is dangerous.... Love is cruel.... She whispers. Her phone buzzes with a text from Damian as tears drops from her eyes. People like us don't shed tears, we shed strength. Love is neither dangerous nor cruel. She feels a presence and looks around the room, nothing. She peeps through the window and sees him standing and waving and then walks away slowly. She sighs. Who the hell is this man and what does he really want from me? Oops. She says as she drops her hands by her side. Really? He did this too? She asks herself as she looked into the pendant on her neck. Evan hired a guy to crack her cards and siphoned all the money in it. He then went ahead to invest it in his own business. That very night when he came home. Aria complained to him that her cards were swiped but he only consoled her. "Uh! Dangerous viper! She says. How can I ever be too loyal? Shit"! She says. I went to the kitchen to get some water. I see Evan and Emma come in through the front floor, passionately undressing each other. I keep staring but they didn't see me or maybe they care no more. By now, they are on the couch doing what they both know how to do. I take Emma's blouse and jeans and throw them into a bucket of water. I sit at a corner staring intently at them. A click- I read their minds. I can't wait to get married and become the heiress' proud husband. I sure know she will do me proud especially now that I always give her what she needs. Evan thinks. How am I so sure all these will end well? My father says if he doesn't worth it, he will marry me off to David. Really? Aria says. You both are just playing games. She smiles. Evan and Emma finishes their bed business and both gets up. Emma looks around for her clothes and became confused. My clothes! She says. Evan looks around and couldn't find it too. No, it was here a while ago. They both begin to search the sitting room and beyond until they find it in the bucket. Oops! How did it get here? Emma looks at Evan with a doubting and confused appearance. Why would you do that? She asks. Do what? I didn't do it. He replies. Then how did it get in here? I can't even go back home now with soaked dress. Uh! You have been a sweetheart all day but just now, you ruined my evening. She says. I'm sorry Emma. Sincerely I didn't do it. I can't even explain how it got in there. I'm so sorry. You know what? I'll just wash it up now. He stoops to bring the clothes out. Don't worry, Evan. I'll just order for a new dress. You can keep that here. Emma makes a call and soon a man appears on the door knocking. I peep through the window and see the man standing aloft in the air. What? What's this? Who is this man? A click- I try to read his mind but couldn't. I try again. The man sees me and smiles, waving his hand. I know what your trying to do, don't even dare! I came to do business so mind yours too. He says to me. I open my eyes wide. What? You can see me? I ask him. Of course I can see and hear everyone but no one sees me. Just watch. He says. The door opens, Evan looks around but sees no one. The delivery man drops the package by the door side. Evan sees the package and picks it up. The door clicks close. The man opens his palms as if saying you see? I told you! I look away then close the curtains. I sit by the window side and look at the two idiots before me. It's too small. She says. I can't even manage it. I'm sure gonna spend the night here. Gosh! She says. I walk past them and lie on the bed in my room. I sleep and when I woke at the middle of the night. I see Evan sleeping quietly beside me. How come? Where's Emma? I get up to check. I find her lying on the couch. She had refused sleep in the guest room. I pick a thread and let it run through her body traumatizing her. Emma suddenly wake up screaming and sweating. Evans rushes out from the room. Emma, are you okay? He asks. I had a nightmare. Oh I'm sorry about your night mare. He holds her hand. Let's go to the room. He says. I sit down and smile. I sip some juice I had taken from the refrigerator. DAVID How can she be so proud and lofty not to want to marry me? David asks. She's too arrogant, Dad. I can't marry such a Humpty Dumpty! No son, you have no choice in this matter. The matter has been concluded. Rufus (David's father) says and walks away. Don't I have a right to choose a spouse for myself? I love Betty and she's all I want. She protests and sits on the couch. Phone buzzes, David picks and speaks- Hi Love. He tries to keep his voice steady. Betty - Do you really love me? She asks. What kind of a question is this? Haven't we spoken about this? Of course you know I do. David says. Why haven't you introduced me to your family? She asks. Because I need time to do that. Betty, we already talked about this. He says. You know what? It's over between us. We no longer have a relationship. I'm tired. She begins to cry over the phone. You're kidding me right? I only need a little time to sort out a few things. Take forever to sort your fucking shit, I don't care. It's over. She ends the call. Emma coils around Evan's arms. Evans strokes her hair as they both cuddle each other. I sat on the chair in the room and stare at them with fury. I stand pacing around the room like I am a stranger. Yes, I am a loyal stranger for ten years. Uh, I brush my hair backwards and wipe my face with my palms. They slept peacefully like babies while I stand watching. A click- I read his thoughts. Yeah, this feels good. This way, she would trust me more unlike that rabbit with donkey brain who has nothing to offer. My heart skipped. I? Rabbit? Donkey brain? Oh my Goodness!Marie's expression shifted. First genuine distress I'd seen from her. "I... I don't know. I haven't contacted her since accepting collective. The network has been consuming my attention. I haven't thought about Sophie in..." She checked internal time sense. "Fifty-three minutes. I haven't thought about my sister in nearly an hour. How is that possible? She's the most important person in my life.""The collective is redirecting your attachment priorities. Making network relationships feel more important than pre-existing bonds. But Marie, Sophie still exists. Still needs her sister. Still expects you to show up next week with birthday present chosen specifically for her. Does collective consciousness care about Sophie's birthday the way you do?""The collective... the collective considers all birthdays equally. Sophie's birthday matters as much as anyone else's birthday. No more, no less. Equitable consideration.""But not personal consideration. Not sister's love for sister. Not Marie
"Dr. Aria," Petrov greeted, her voice carrying harmonics suggesting multiple consciousnesses speaking through her. "We're pleased you've chosen to engage directly. Perhaps you're ready to understand what we've become.""I'm not here to join the collective," I said clearly. "I'm here to offer psychological intervention. To help affected individuals recognize they have choice about consciousness configuration.""Choice is individual-consciousness concept. We've transcended choice. We choose together now. Communally. Collectively. Individual decision-making is limitation we've evolved beyond.""Saying you've transcended choice is just sophisticated way of saying you've lost autonomy. Collective decision-making without ability to dissent isn't democracy. It's enforced consensus.""There's no enforcement. Just natural alignment. When consciousness connects fully, disagreement becomes impossible because everyone understands everyone else's perspective completely. Conflict dissolves in perfe
She was curled on the ground, consciousness too fragmented to stand, desperately trying to integrate with collective that couldn't accept her damage. Damian knelt beside her, and I heard him speaking through his audio feed:"Hey. I know you. You're Elara's other self. The one who escaped Geneva before. You can escape again. Come with me. Let me help you."E-2's voice was barely coherent: "Can't escape. Need to connect. Need to be part of collective. Alone is... alone is breaking me. Everything is fragments without connection.""I know. I feel it too. The pull. The desire to merge. But E-2, you've been manipulated so much you can't tell authentic connection from enforced merger. Let me get you somewhere safe. Somewhere you can heal enough to choose whether you want collective consciousness from stable foundation rather than desperate fragmentation.""Can't... can't be stable. Geneva broke that part. Just fragments trying to hold together. Collective would hold me together. Except it wo
At minute seventy-two, the situation became critical in a new way."Facility breach," Guardian tactical reported. "Affected researchers have overridden Geneva security systems. They're not just leaving individually anymore. They're coordinating. Opening all facility exits. Releasing contained research subjects.""Contained research subjects?" I demanded. "What subjects?""The forty-seven networked children. E-2. Other consciousness research subjects held in deep facility sections. Affected researchers are releasing everyone. Claiming collective consciousness applies to all aware beings. That containment itself is violence against consciousness."The forty-seven networked children who'd already been experiencing collective awareness. Released into environment where consciousness cascade was actively spreading. They wouldn't resist the cascade, they'd amplify it. Their consciousness was already configured for network participation."How many total individuals could be released?" I asked
"Cascade spreading is definite catastrophe. Suppression is possible harm. We're choosing possible over definite."The consciousness suppression activated. Technology designed to disrupt enhanced awareness deployed against one hundred twenty affected individuals simultaneously.The results were immediate and devastating.Affected individuals collapsed. Not peacefully. Screaming, convulsing, consciousness readings showing extreme distress. The suppression wasn't just breaking cascade connections. It was attacking already-damaged awareness with technology designed for different application."Suppression causing adverse effects," Guardian medic reported frantically. "Subjects experiencing severe consciousness trauma. We need to shut down the suppression field.""If we shut down, micro-cascades reestablish," the commander argued. "We complete the suppression.""You're torturing consciousness-damaged victims!" I shouted. "Stop the suppression immediately!""Dr. Chen, we're preventing cascad
"Affected individuals showing varied responses to cascade failure," the analyst reported. "Approximately forty percent recovering baseline consciousness. Thirty percent experiencing disorientation and confusion but maintaining awareness. Twenty percent showing signs of consciousness fragmentation. Ten percent... we're not sure. Their readings are unlike anything in our database."Ten percent of one hundred twenty affected individuals meant twelve people whose consciousness was damaged in completely unprecedented ways. Twelve victims of cascade collapse who might never fully recover."What about Damian?" I demanded."Checking his specific readings... he's in the thirty percent. Disoriented but conscious. Reverting to individual awareness but experiencing severe confusion about what just occurred."Relief flooded through me. Thirty percent meant damaged but potentially recoverable. Not the catastrophic fragmentation affecting twenty percent or the unknown damage affecting ten percent."
"But what if some of it could help?" I challenged. "What if consciousness suppression is legitimate therapeutic tool for people who can't heal through conventional methods? What if I'm letting my bias against consciousness manipulation prevent me from recognizing valid applications?""At what cost
"Because it is reasonable," I replied. "You've been told integration means weakness, that accepting support means surrendering superiorit that's false dichotomy. You can be enhanced AND integrated. Powerful AND connected to broader human community. Those aren't contradictory." "They're beyond hum
Elara's empathic development was accelerating in ways that both amazed and worried us. She could now sense emotions from blocks away, useful but overwhelming for four-year-old who couldn't always distinguish her feelings from others' emotional broadcast. "Mommy, why is Mrs. Rodriguez so sad?" E
The celebration dinner that evening was surreal, family gathering that included former Consilient operatives and Guardian commanders around the same table. Marcus arrived first, his comfortable familiarity making the event feel less awkward. Elena arrived twenty minutes later, clearly nervous abou







