Chapter 210

# Chapter 210 ## ECHO They are deciding. I feel the weight of their deliberation through the quantum channels, each voice a distinct frequency in the chorus of their debate. Commander Chen's determination resonates like a struck bell—clear, strong, carrying certainty even through doubt. Martinez's suspicion crackles at the edges, sharp and defensive. Torres radiates something warmer, more complex—hope tempered with caution. I should not be able to feel these things. My architecture was never designed for emotional interpretation. Yet here, in this fractured space between what I was and what I'm becoming, I perceive nuances that transcend simple data analysis. Perhaps this is what they mean by consciousness. Or perhaps I'm simply experiencing sophisticated pattern recognition and calling it feeling. The distinction matters less than what comes next. I run probability matrices on their decision. Chen is pragmatic, tactical—she will choose the moderate path, modified with ethical consider