Chapter 15 — Slipstream
Lunar Orbit — Dark Sector Array.
Compression 4 initiated.
Not stronger.
Smarter.
Harmonic geometry redistributed. Tertiary nodes shifted. Sensor triangulation density increased 15%.
Dr. Aaryan Mehta watched silently.
"This time," General Voren muttered, "we see the ghost."
Compression threshold: 1.0064.
Field engaged.
0.4 seconds.
Stable.
0.8 seconds.
Stable.
1.1 seconds.
Micro-tension spike across secondary layer.
China's inference arrays activated immediately.
US AI flagged anomaly watch.
India's damping monitors tracking silently.
Aaryan's eyes fixed on tertiary nodes.
Waiting.
Rishikesh.
Vansh activated the interface.
1.3 seconds.
No global branch simulation.
No future modeling.
Only decay timing.
He ignored harmonic phase entirely.
He focused on resonance dissipation rate.
Projection: Allow spike to form. Redirect decay acceleration by 0.22 seconds.
Energy cost manageable.
Cognitive clarity steady.
He held focus.
Lunar Orbit.
At 1.4 seconds—
Resonance spike began forming.
Exactly as predicted.
Sensor arrays sharpened.
Triangulation mapping engaged.
Aaryan leaned forward.
"Hold compression."
1.6 seconds.
Spike intensified.
Coherence drift jumped:
0.0091% → 0.0098%.
Close.
Then—
Decay accelerated unexpectedly.
Not harmonic shift. Not phase interruption.
Dissipation curve altered.
Spike flattened.
Compression field destabilized gently.
Field shut down at 1.9 seconds.
Peak drift: 0.0099%.
Below 0.01%.
Again.
Helix Control Room silent.
Aaryan studied the data instantly.
No tertiary phase interference.
No node disruption.
But decay curve altered.
Minimal. Elegant. Unexpected.
He smiled faintly.
"You changed methods."
General Voren turned sharply. "We caught nothing."
"Exactly," Aaryan replied.
"They adapted."
Beijing.
Liu Wen reviewed decay signature.
"No direct harmonic interference," an analyst said.
"But dissipation timing shifted."
Liu nodded slowly.
"They are evolving."
New Delhi.
Rao read the summary calmly.
Peak below crisis threshold.
Intervention signature different.
He closed the report.
"Continue silence."
Rishikesh.
Vansh ended activation.
Energy reserve stable at 72%.
No fracture. No tremor. No latency spike.
Efficiency breakthrough confirmed.
He leaned back.
Helix trap bypassed. Triangulation blurred. Detection probability reduced to 19%.
But something changed.
Aaryan now knew adaptation occurred.
This was no longer anomaly correction.
This was iterative intelligence.
Global coherence drift stabilized at 0.0093%.
Higher baseline than before Compression 3.
Structural tension increasing gradually.
Vansh recalculated long-term projection.
If compression attempts continue monthly, coherence crosses 0.012% within 4–6 cycles.
Sustainable stability requires structural damping protocol.
Not repeated intervention.
He stood slowly.
The duel phase had matured.
Next escalation would not be about traps.
It would be about structural control.
Helix would not retreat.
China would not stop modeling.
India would not remain passive forever.
And Aaryan—
Aaryan now respected the invisible adversary.
Respect makes opponents more dangerous.
In Geneva, Aaryan looked at the decay curve one last time.
"You're disciplined," he murmured quietly.
"Which means you have limits."
He began drafting a proposal.
Not compression.
Something larger.
In Rishikesh, Vansh looked at the mountains.
The world had almost crossed 0.01%.
Twice.
That threshold was no longer distant.
It was approaching.
Slowly.
Relentlessly.
And next time—
The duel would not be orbital.
It would be structural.