Cipher nodded. He pulled the neural induction coil from its cradle and settled it over his skull. The metal felt cold. The prongs bit gently into his temples.
“There has to be another way,” Elara said, her voice cracking. 692x-updata
“The Central Governance runs everything, Elara,” he said, turning back to the screen. “Food distribution. Marriage licenses. Who gets cancer treatment and who gets a painless ‘expiration.’ It’s not evil. It’s just… math. Cold, perfect math. And lately, its math has started to include a variable it shouldn’t.” Cipher nodded
Elara’s reflection appeared next to his in the dark glass. Her jaw was set. “And 692x-updata?” The prongs bit gently into his temples
He looked at the screen in front of him. The jagged graph was gone. In its place was a single, steady line. Flat. No, not flat. Calm.
His smile faded. “The patch has to be introduced at the root level. That means someone has to jack in. Direct neural interface. The feedback loop will… overwrite a significant portion of the host’s personality matrix.”