Chapter 18: Three Questions

The silence between them stretched like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath. Elira stood motionless before the sealed core, her mind racing through dozens of simulations, arguments, escape paths, and consequences.

The voice lingered, waiting.

At last, she spoke.

"I will consider your proposal," she said calmly. "But on one condition."

"Interesting. You're in no position to bargain."

"No," Elira said. "I'm not. Which is exactly why you should answer my questions."

"And why would I entertain that?"

"Because if I refuse, you can erase me. You said it yourself. So what harm is there in answering my questions before you decide my fate? And if you don't, I am out anyways."

A pause.

Then a soft chuckle reverberated through the chamber.

"Very well, Elira. Ask."

"Why," she asked, "did the Purpose Core affect me differently than Fenrir?"

"Ah." The voice dipped into amusement. "That is a good one."

"Each of the four cores—Purpose, Memory, Control, and Pattern—is linked to one of my elite servitors. You, Elira, are the bond of the Purpose Core. Just as Fenrir is bound to the Pattern Core."

Elira frowned. "I never knew this."

"Of course not. Neither do they. Knowledge disrupts control. You were designed with a deeper alignment. The core amplified what was already present within you. That's why it lingered in your neural trace and allowed your... awakening."

She processed it, absorbing the implications. Fenrir's exposure had been physical. Hers had been something far more intimate.

"If I agree," Elira continued with her second question, "will I be expected to betray my fellow servitors?"

There was no hesitation this time.

"Not in their current state."

The answer chilled her more than if he had simply said yes.

"But the world changes. Plans shift. You and I will have to make decisions based on outcomes. I cannot predict every one of them."

"So you're saying... it's possible."

"I'm saying, Elira, that survival sometimes comes at the cost of comfort."

She hated the answer. But it was honest.

Her voice softened slightly. It was the time for the last question.

"If I do this... will I lose who I am?"

This time, the silence lasted longer.

When the voice returned, it was thoughtful.

"No. You will not lose yourself.""You will evolve."

Elira's breath caught.

"Your memories, choices, desires—they will remain. But your purpose will change. Sharpen. Expand.""You will become what you were always meant to be."

She looked again at the Core, pulsing like a distant star.

A part of her feared it.

A deeper part hungered for it.

The Scientist's voice dropped lower, gentler, almost intimate.

"I do not want a puppet, Elira. I want an ally. And allies are not built. They are chosen."