Chapter 203

# Chapter 203 ## KAEL Chen's command center had transformed into something between a war room and a philosophical symposium. The main display showed our captured data—the intelligence's signature rotating in three-dimensional space, its structure simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. Dr. Martinez stood at one console, his usually composed face showing rare uncertainty. Seraphina and I took our positions as Chen gestured to the display. "Forty-seven distinct neural patterns," Martinez said without preamble. "All traceable to individuals who were in the network during the cascade. Some died. Others survived but with significant cognitive damage." He highlighted sections of the signature. "This entity—if we can call it that—appears to be constructed from fragments of their consciousness." "A gestalt intelligence," Chen said quietly. "Built from trauma." "More than that." Seraphina pulled up additional analysis. "Look at how these patterns interact. They're not just fragments randomly s