Chapter 8 - The Ghost from the Past
Dr. Evelyn Vance—Julian’s estranged wife and former head of Vanguard’s genetic ethics division—stood before them in the hologram, her expression a mix of profound sorrow and cold determination. Julian stared at the projection, his breath hitching as the suppressed memories of the night she supposedly died in a lab fire flooded back into his consciousness.
"Hello, Julian," the projection said, her voice echoing realistically off the sterile metallic walls of the subterranean vault. "I knew you’d find your way here eventually. It’s the only way to protect them from what’s coming."
Julian stepped forward, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Evelyn? They told me you were gone. They said the fire destroyed everything!" His voice cracked slightly with raw, unmanaged emotion that pierced through his stoic exterior. "Why are our children flagged in their system as corporate property?"
Evelyn’s holographic image flickered slightly as a data stream passed through her form. "Because they aren't just our children, Julian. Their DNA was modified before birth to carry the stabilization gene for the entire Vanguard network. The board didn't just want a compliant workforce; they wanted absolute control over human evolution."
Leo looked up at the floating image of the woman he had been told passed away when he was a baby. "Mom?" he whispered, his voice trembling with a heartbreaking mix of hope and confusion.
May you like
Before Evelyn could answer, the red emergency klaxons across the laboratory suddenly began to wail, drowning out the hum of the incubation pods.
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