The car smelled like leather and lies, and Lucia Kane was very deliberately trying not to throw up.
The man across from them called himself the Architect. Silver hair, eyes that had seen too much. When he
smiled, it never reached those eyes.
"I apologize for the dramatic introduction," he said. "But time is not a luxury we have."
"You threatened my daughter," Victoria said, ice in her voice.
"I stated facts about what would happen if we didn't intervene." He pulled out a tablet. "Your daughter's spatial
rift is real. The threat is real."
"Then why the threat?" Malcolm's voice was dangerous.
"Because you needed proper motivation."
Sienna leaned forward. "The spatial rift. How bad is it?"
The Architect pulled up a holographic display—a pulsing tear in space, growing exponentially.
"Currently two meters. Expanding exponentially. Four hours until critical mass."
Marcus was processing data at inhuman speed. "Someone modified this. Made it worse."
"Very good. We capitalized on existing instability to ensure you would come with us."
Malcolm's density spiked. "You're using my daughter as bait."
"I'm using your daughter's unique abilities to save millions of lives. Including hers."
Lucia found her voice. "Who are you?"
"Dr. Elias Crane. Fifteen years ago, I was chief research scientist for the Guardian Corps. I designed the
original dampener technology."
Silence.
"You're Rourke's predecessor," Sienna said.
"Dr. Rourke was my protégé. When he took over after the Cascade, he militarized my research. Turned "The dampeners were never meant to be permanent," Marcus said quietly.
"They were meant to be dialysis for the soul. Regular sessions to filter psychological toxins. Instead, you got
indefinite suppression."
"And now they're failing," Malcolm said bitterly.
Crane pulled up schematics. "The dampeners were never designed for long-term use. Fifteen years is far beyond
their operational lifespan. When they fail—"
"The Resonants cascade," Sienna finished.
"Tens of thousands. Within three months. The casualties will be..." He trailed off.
Millions.
"Why us?" Victoria asked.
Crane looked at Lucia. "Because your daughter did something impossible this morning. She created a stable
spatial fold without training."
"The bathroom," Lucia whispered.
"Spatial Resonants typically create unstable tears. Years of training are required for stability. But you..." He
shook his head. "You folded space like origami."
"What does that have to do with the failures?" Marcus demanded.
Crane pulled up a collapsing star model. "This is a cascade. Marcus Trent's was Category 5—the highest
recorded."
Victoria flinched. Malcolm's arm tightened around Lucia.
"But there's a theoretical Category 6. An Absolute Cascade. A permanent spatial anomaly that keeps
expanding."
"Lucia can cause one," Victoria said tightly.
"Worse. Lucia can prevent one. Her stable folds mean she could contain a cascade."
The car fell silent.
"She's thirteen," Malcolm said dangerously.
"I want to train her. Before someone else does." "Recruited by who?"
Crane's expression darkened. He pulled up a video feed—a figure in darkness, hands folding space.
"This is someone who calls himself the Director. He leads the Cleansing. They believe Resonants are the next
evolution, and baselines are obsolete."
"That's eugenics," Victoria said flatly.
"Precisely. The Director is a spatial Resonant. Possibly the most powerful ever encountered. He's triggering
mass failures himself."
"Why?" Sienna asked.
"Liberation. Seventy-two hours until simultaneous cascades. Watch evolution happen in real time."
The car pulled into an office park. Underground parking, six levels deep.
"Welcome to Harmonic," Crane said. "My life's work. Possibly humanity's last hope.