Page 178 of Godslayer
SPARK FEED: STABILIZED
HEART RATE: ABERRANT
EMOTIONAL NOISE DETECTED. FILTERING…
On the other side of the thick glass, the girls are screaming. I can’t hear them, but their mouths are open, wailing.
But not Jasina.
She’s looking right at me with those royal-blue eyes. Spark dances around her bindings, curling up into the air in the shape of… I lean in, squinting. Are those?—
“I expect your best,” Xi is talking again. My attention snaps back to him. “Failure to keep your partner alive will result in relocation to the Epsilon Factory for a complete harvest.”
I take a step, stumbling forward, unable to breathe. Because I know what this is.
I whirl around, falling over.
BALANCE COMPROMISED
Autocorrecting posture...
WARNING: SYSTEM UNSTABLE
SPARK INTAKE: IRREGULAR
NEURAL FEEDBACK LOOP DETECTED
EMOTIONAL SPIKE: 87% ABOVE NORMAL LIMITS
RECOMMENDATION: Initiate sedation protocol.
USER RESPONSE: BLOCKED
USER RESPONSE: BLOCKED
USER RESPONSE: BLOCKED
Override request denied.
Operator remains conscious.
"Override failed." These words come over the speaker like tin crackling in a fire. “So… the dog bites back, does he?” A chuckle. “Good. I love rebels.”
Rebels.
A flash of memory…
“I thought that’s what you wanted? For the Rebellion to succeed?”
Jasina is looking at me like I’m the worst. “Well, in the beginning, Idid.”
“The beginning of what, Jasina? We’ve known each other three days. Thisisthe beginning.”
“The beginning of three days ago, then. I’m mad at my auntie. She’s not the person I thought she was. In fact, I’m not sure this whole Rebellion is what I thought it was.”
TheRebellion.
That’s what this room is about.
