Chapter 208

# Chapter 208 ## MARTINEZ The diagnostic results scrolled across my terminal for the fifth time, and they still made my stomach clench. Containment protocols were holding—barely—but the energy signatures from the corrupted sectors were becoming increasingly erratic. I'd seen patterns like this before. During the Cascade. "You're here early." I didn't turn around. Kael's reflection appeared in my monitor, backlit by the lab's emergency lighting. "Couldn't sleep." "Join the club." He moved to his own station, coffee in hand. "Been reviewing the proposal?" "Among other things." I pulled up the security overlay, showing him what had caught my attention. "Look at this—energy fluctuations in Sector 7-Delta. They're not random." Kael leaned closer, his expression shifting from tired to focused. "That's... those are communication patterns." "Yeah." I highlighted several peaks. "Short bursts, regular intervals. Something in there is trying to reach out." "Or Echo is trying to reach in." The tho