Chapter 13 – *Phoenix Protocol*

Lenox Hill’s restricted ICU ward buzzed with subdued urgency.

Sierra sat outside Julian’s glass-enclosed room, motionless. Behind the pane, he lay unconscious, chest rising unevenly. Wires ran from his arms, chest, skull—each one transmitting real-time data to a glowing monitor at her side.

Dr. Lang approached, somber.

“We’ve stabilized him—for now. But the Phoenix mesh is fighting back.”

Sierra stood. “What does that mean?”

“The AI-enhanced tissue is adapting faster than expected. That’s good news. But his immune system is overwhelmed. We’re running out of time.”

She swallowed. “So we do the full integration?”

Lang hesitated. “Not without consent.”

Sierra blinked. “He’s unconscious.”

“That’s why the board intervened. In case of incapacitation... they made you his medical proxy.”

She stared at the consent forms in his hands.

“Protocol 9-A,” Lang said. “The full Phoenix override. Gene therapy, neural resync, direct AI-mesh fusion.”