Autechre: Exai Novels & Stories

Sarah, Leo, and Councilman Halloway gathered around the holographic table as Kael downloaded the "Ghost-Signals." "Exodus 01?" Halloway's face went pale, a shadow of old Earth politics crossing his features. "That's a myth. In the early days of the Aethelgard project, before the first Great Reset, a faction of ultra-purists formed. Scientists, generals, and billionaires believed the 'Synthesis' was a biological corruption. They built a fleet of generation ships and vanished into the dark. We thought they died in the void centuries ago." "They didn't die," Leo said, his fingers dancing across the console to trace the signal's origin. "They changed. Look at the telemetry. It's not a broadcast;

My voice came out in a whisper, barely heard above the noise around us. His smile broadened. "The one and only." To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. I blinked, still processing. "What… what are you doing here?" He pointed to one of my drawings, a sweeping sculpture that combined technology and art in a way I had not seen before. "Your work drew my attention. I'm constantly looking for initiatives that push the boundaries, and this event sounded like a fantastic place to get inspired." "That's... unexpected," I conceded, still struggling to accept his presence.

His breath brushed the shell of my ear, hot and ragged. “Do you have any idea,” he whispered slowly, only for me, “how close I am to forgetting where we are?” The words alone unraveled me. My lips parted, but nothing came out, just a shaky exhale. I dared a glance at the driver, his eyes fixed dutifully on the road, but the thrill of being watched or almost watched made my entire body tremble. Reis’s fingers slid against my waist, gripping possessively, every movement promising more, daring me to let him go further. His lips ghosted over the side of my neck, not quite kissing, just enough to leave me aching.

They looked like doctors, but when Marcus had a clear look at the badges on their chests, he was so dumbfounded that he ended up vomiting blood. Mark looked at him and whispered, “What is it? Are you okay?” Marcus did not say anything. He only shook his head, his eyes filled with fear. Ghost looked at the men who entered and asked, “Have you brought everything?” “Yes, sir, everything is here.” “Good.” “Make sure that you dissect them limb by limb, bone by bone. By the end of it, I want to have the purest sample of our new product.” “Yes, boss.” “Just cut off their tongues and destroy their vocals if they make too much noise. And you should not give them anything that will help relieve the pa