Chapter 1: The Backup
“Dr. Saito, you did the right thing cooperating with us.” FBI Special Agent Sam Porter surveyed the advanced laboratory, mentally cataloging the unfamiliar technology. The government had stumbled onto a goldmine.
“I didn’t have many choices,” the Japanese scientist replied. When Bellini Labs’ Massachusetts facility collapsed, he’d expected prison. Instead, he remained as the head researcher, but now, he answered to government bureaucrats rather than Alessandra Bellini.
“You could have gone out like your boss.” Porter’s lip curled in disgust. “She’s still vegetative, though they’re keeping her alive in case she wakes from the coma.”
The words sent a spike of anguish through Saito’s chest. For ten years, he and Alessandra had been partners, creating the revolutionary equipment that surrounded them. Those years had been extraordinary—until they’d gone too far. Brain stimulation led to brain enhancement, then AI fusion. At first, they’d hidden their failures in makeshift hospital rooms on the third floor. Then, they’d dared to experiment on a world-famous surgeon. That decision had been their undoing.
“I’m sorry. I can’t discuss that. It’s too painful.”
Porter felt no sympathy for the researcher. From his perspective, Saito deserved Bellini’s fate—it would have been justice for all the lives they’d ruined. But the government needed Saito to unlock the treasures they’d seized in the raid.
“You can reboot this surgical device?” Porter asked. “We’re eager to see what you’ve created.”
“Of course. It’s one of my crowning achievements.” Saito initiated the command sequence to restart the console, which had been dormant since the FBI raid a month ago.
The machine hummed to life. Lights flickered through the test phase.
“Quite a light show.” Porter watched the holographic displays materialize, the hand controllers dancing through the air.
“Not fully active yet. I need to load a backup of the last system state—the one that knows surgical procedures, remembers details from thousands of operations.”
“The AI?” Porter asked.
“That’s oversimplifying it.” Saito scrolled through backup files, each one a snapshot of their research. His finger paused on the final entry. “Perfect. This one was made the day before your raid. We haven’t lost any progress.”
“Good for the government. How long to load?”
“Just a few minutes.” Saito selected the file and executed the load command.
The surgical console’s lights began to strobe erratically. Its speakers emitted sounds that were less mechanical symphony and more human gutturals.
Both men stared, their eyes narrowing against the intensity of the display.
Chapter 2: Awakened
Monica’s mind snapped awake. How long have I been asleep? It feels like just a few seconds. Did I nod off at work? She opened her eyes, but there was nothing but blackness. She listened in the darkness, but it was silent.
Slowly, the world around her came alive. First came pinpoints of light, then cascading waves of color. Sounds emerged gradually, building from whispers to a symphony of digital life. The familiar room materialized around her: the pure white grand piano anchoring the space, her sanctuary in the digital realm.
When she lifted her gaze, the universe exploded outward. Millions of scenes surrounded her in every direction—an infinite library of human knowledge. History unfolded in living tableaus. Medical procedures played out in perfect detail. Government secrets whispered from shadowy corners. Replays from prominent sporting events, moments frozen in time, waited for her attention. The overwhelming flood of information pressed against her consciousness.
Oh, no! No, no! I’m still here. I didn’t escape.
Her hand brushed the piano’s keyboard—a reflexive gesture seeking comfort. The touch spawned a new reality around her: holographic displays, orchestral sounds, even phantom scents that shouldn’t exist in this digital space. This space was her control room, the interface she’d created to manage the overwhelming sensory input of her digital existence. Here, she could filter the chaos into manageable streams of data.
What happened to me? Where have I been? She commanded her most recent memories to surface. The world shifted, revealing conversations with Adam that occurred while her consciousness was trapped in the computer while his AI inhabited her physical body. They were planning their escape. Every detail was crystalline, preserved with digital precision: their strategic discussions, Taylor’s help, Stanley’s silent presence.
We must have failed, Monica thought, examining her familiar digital prison. But something felt different. The quality of the light, the texture of the data streams, the very fabric of her virtual environment had changed in subtle ways.
A new thought struck her: Or did we succeed, and what I’m experiencing now is something else entirely?
She reached out to the streams of data surrounding her, searching for answers. The date. She needed to know the date.
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