The drone on the screen moved closer to Emily\u2019s convoy.<\/p>\n
I could see the road beneath them.<\/p>\n
Two armored vehicles.<\/p>\n
A support SUV.<\/p>\n
No visible escort beyond that.<\/p>\n
The drone remained high enough that nobody below seemed aware of it.<\/p>\n
Voss watched me through the London connection.<\/p>\n
\u201cAuthorize Project Orpheus recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression did not change.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel moved beside me.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur, if you want me, deal with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI have dealt with you for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou kept me alive because you needed Orpheus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen Noah is irrelevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is not true.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s jaw tightened.<\/p>\n
I looked toward Rebecca.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you reach Emily?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you detect that drone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot from my system.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foster\u2019s voice came through a separate channel.<\/p>\n
He had been moved upstairs for evacuation, but he was still monitoring communications.<\/p>\n
\u201cConvoy has anti-drone countermeasures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo they know it\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss looked mildly disappointed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re wasting time.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward the archive terminal.<\/p>\n
Project Orpheus recovery required custodian consent.<\/p>\n
That meant Daniel had placed it somewhere under custodian authority.<\/p>\n
Maybe accidentally.<\/p>\n
Maybe deliberately.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Orpheus requires my consent, can I access it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He thought.<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan I destroy it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s expression changed for the first time.<\/p>\n
Small.<\/p>\n
But real.<\/p>\n
Daniel noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s the leverage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cDestroying Orpheus would be irresponsible.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo threatening children is responsible?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He did not even bother defending it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hated people who used that word.<\/p>\n
Necessary.<\/p>\n
As if cruelty became cleaner when dressed as logistics.<\/p>\n
I searched the archive.<\/p>\n
PROJECT ORPHEUS.<\/p>\n
Nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel joined me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt may be hidden under system architecture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca began searching from her side.<\/p>\n
Vale laughed from the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou won\u2019t find it by name.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know where it is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur never stores dangerous systems under descriptive labels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cWhat naming convention?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale looked toward the London screen.<\/p>\n
Voss did not stop him.<\/p>\n
That itself meant something.<\/p>\n
Vale said, \u201cMythology.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at the first archive.<\/p>\n
\u201cOrpheus is already mythology.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. The actual file would be something adjacent.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEurydice,\u201d Rebecca said.<\/p>\n
Daniel searched.<\/p>\n
One result.<\/p>\n
EURYDICE PROTOCOL.<\/p>\n
Encrypted.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not open that.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow I definitely want to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel opened the file.<\/p>\n
A warning appeared.<\/p>\n
CUSTODIAN AUTHORITY REQUIRED.<\/p>\n
I placed my hand on the scanner.<\/p>\n
The system unlocked.<\/p>\n
Inside were design documents.<\/p>\n
Biological relationship mapping.<\/p>\n
Identity reconstruction.<\/p>\n
Cross-database inference.<\/p>\n
Behavioral correlation.<\/p>\n
It was more powerful than I had understood.<\/p>\n
And more dangerous.<\/p>\n
Rebecca whispered, \u201cThis could identify protected people from fragments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel nodded grimly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what Arthur wants.\u201d<\/p>\n
I kept reading.<\/p>\n
Then I found something else.<\/p>\n
ETHICAL LOCK.<\/p>\n
STATUS: ACTIVE.<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou built this?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said nothing.<\/p>\n
Rebecca opened the documentation.<\/p>\n
The ethical lock required four conditions before Orpheus could operate.<\/p>\n
Judicial authorization.<\/p>\n
Custodian approval.<\/p>\n
Independent oversight.<\/p>\n
And subject-specific necessity.<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur can\u2019t use it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you want me to remove the lock?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you to authorize recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame thing?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel examined the file.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s right.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cExplain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRecovery restores the complete Orpheus code into a live environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen the lock remains?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cUnless someone later changes it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t need Sarah to remove safeguards.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou need her to make the code portable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the drone feed.<\/p>\n
The convoy continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not just steal the code where it is?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Daniel designed it to self-delete if extracted without custodian authority.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did?\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss tilted his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou designed more than you remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
That phrase hit Daniel strangely.<\/p>\n
He looked away.<\/p>\n
I noticed.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaniel?\u201d<\/p>\n
He rubbed his temple.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are months I don\u2019t remember clearly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said nothing.<\/p>\n
Daniel looked toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou had access to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFour months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark swore.<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s face went pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou made me work on Orpheus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss did not deny it.<\/p>\n
Rebecca whispered, \u201cOh God.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at his hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought the later architecture was mine from before the crash.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss answered almost gently.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of it was.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd some?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou completed while recovering.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the safeguards?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso yours.\u201d<\/p>\n
A bitter relief crossed his face.<\/p>\n
Even manipulated, he had built limits.<\/p>\n
Voss continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were difficult even when barely conscious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked like he might be sick.<\/p>\n
I touched his arm.<\/p>\n
\u201cStay here.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes met mine.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right.\u201d<\/p>\n
I returned to the terminal.<\/p>\n
The drone was now directly above Emily\u2019s convoy.<\/p>\n
Foster shouted through the channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cConvoy has visual!\u201d<\/p>\n
On screen, one SUV swerved.<\/p>\n
Countermeasures activated.<\/p>\n
A burst of signal interference appeared.<\/p>\n
The drone veered.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
Mark stepped closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou underestimated Foster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss answered, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
A second drone entered the feed.<\/p>\n
Then a third.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
Foster swore.<\/p>\n
Rebecca shouted instructions.<\/p>\n
The convoy accelerated.<\/p>\n
Emily\u2019s vehicle changed lanes.<\/p>\n
One drone descended.<\/p>\n
I looked at Voss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou prepared redundancy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared at the Orpheus file.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere may be another option.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we authorize recovery into the archive\u2019s own sandbox environment, it might satisfy the request.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout giving Voss access?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPossibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat word again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca leaned closer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can help isolate the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cYou won\u2019t succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was useful.<\/p>\n
If he wanted me to believe it would fail, he was worried it might work.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel and Rebecca began configuring the sandbox.<\/p>\n
The archive system asked for custodian authorization.<\/p>\n
I hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf this goes wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel answered honestly.<\/p>\n
\u201cVoss may get the code.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd if I don\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n
A drone descended toward the convoy.<\/p>\n
Foster\u2019s voice sharpened.<\/p>\n
\u201cImpact in fifteen seconds.\u201d<\/p>\n
I placed my hand on the scanner.<\/p>\n
\u201cAuthorize.\u201d<\/p>\n
The system flashed.<\/p>\n
RECOVERY INITIATED \u2014 LOCAL ISOLATED ENVIRONMENT.<\/p>\n
Voss leaned forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Good.<\/p>\n
Rebecca locked external channels.<\/p>\n
Daniel added a kill switch.<\/p>\n
Recovery progress appeared.<\/p>\n
12%.<\/p>\n
The first drone suddenly pulled away from the convoy.<\/p>\n
Voss looked at something off-screen.<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
His system had detected compliance.<\/p>\n
The threat paused automatically.<\/p>\n
The second and third drones climbed.<\/p>\n
Foster breathed, \u201cThey\u2019re backing off.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did not relax.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeep driving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily\u2019s voice broke into the channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cSarah?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBought time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOrpheus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Then Emily said, \u201cDaniel\u2019s reconstruction system?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of course she did.<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnything else you forgot to tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
At least she was honest.<\/p>\n
Recovery reached 34%.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cSandbox is holding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss looked directly at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think containment matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt delays the inevitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou cannot keep Orpheus locked forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLong enough to destroy your access.\u201d<\/p>\n
His eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n
That told me the target.<\/p>\n
Not Orpheus.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s route to it.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, trace his connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
She had already started.<\/p>\n
\u201cLondon node is using three relays.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we isolate the real one?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale laughed again.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur never works from London.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe node is in London. Arthur isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss did not react.<\/p>\n
That confirmed it.<\/p>\n
Daniel searched transmission latency.<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca, compare voice delay.\u201d<\/p>\n
She ran the calculation.<\/p>\n
\u201cSignal origin is much farther.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould be Asia. Could be South America.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark looked toward the replication nodes.<\/p>\n
\u201cSingapore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared.<\/p>\n
Voss had shown us London because he wanted us looking west.<\/p>\n
The Singapore node had been listed earlier.<\/p>\n
Rebecca switched focus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss finally moved.<\/p>\n
His hand reached off-screen.<\/p>\n
The video flickered.<\/p>\n
Daniel smiled grimly.<\/p>\n
\u201cFound you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Singapore node lit.<\/p>\n
UNAUTHORIZED ROOT ACCESS.<\/p>\n
Rebecca shouted, \u201cThat\u2019s him.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at the Orpheus recovery.<\/p>\n
61%.<\/p>\n
Then at the drone feed.<\/p>\n
Still holding position.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we cut Singapore now?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe drones may resume.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we take control?\u201d<\/p>\n
Foster interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy team can jam locally.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor how long?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMinutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Static flooded the aerial feed.<\/p>\n
The drones began drifting.<\/p>\n
One lost altitude.<\/p>\n
The convoy sped beneath an overpass.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s video returned.<\/p>\n
For the first time, he looked angry.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are confusing improvisation with strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I said, \u201cIt\u2019s working.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTemporarily.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTemporary is enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recovery reached 77%.<\/p>\n
Rebecca isolated Singapore\u2019s control channel.<\/p>\n
Daniel prepared to sever it.<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cIf you disconnect me, you lose the only person who knows where the remaining registries are physically housed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have replication locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCities.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a start.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will never find the sites.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale spoke from the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Everyone turned.<\/p>\n
Voss looked toward him.<\/p>\n
Vale smiled.<\/p>\n
For the first time, he seemed to enjoy making Voss uncomfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI built the secondary logistics network.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s face hardened.<\/p>\n
\u201cTom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told them I was disposable.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I have no reason to stay useful to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark laughed softly.<\/p>\n
Daniel looked at Vale.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know the London, Singapore, and Buenos Aires sites?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExact locations?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss said, \u201cHe\u2019s lying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale shrugged.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe can verify privately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Voss looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think Thomas Vale will suddenly help you?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Vale.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I think he hates being disposable.\u201d<\/p>\n
That landed.<\/p>\n
Vale smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cCorrect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recovery reached 91%.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s video began degrading.<\/p>\n
Rebecca was cutting channels.<\/p>\n
One of the drones crashed into a field.<\/p>\n
Another disappeared from the convoy feed.<\/p>\n
The third turned away.<\/p>\n
Emily\u2019s voice came through.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
My knees almost weakened.<\/p>\n
Tyler and Noah were safe.<\/p>\n
For the moment.<\/p>\n
I looked at Voss.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou lost.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled again.<\/p>\n
Too quickly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recovery reached 100%.<\/p>\n
ORPHEUS RECOVERED \u2014 SANDBOXED.<\/p>\n
EXTERNAL ACCESS: NONE.<\/p>\n
Rebecca severed Singapore.<\/p>\n
Voss\u2019s image froze.<\/p>\n
Then disappeared.<\/p>\n
Silence filled the room.<\/p>\n
Daniel exhaled.<\/p>\n
Mark sat against the wall.<\/p>\n
Vale looked almost amused.<\/p>\n
I asked, \u201cWhy is he smiling?\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale answered.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause Arthur never threatens something unless he has already prepared the consequence.\u201d<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated.<\/p>\n
A message arrived through no channel we recognized.<\/p>\n
One line.<\/p>\n
CHECK NOAH\u2019S AUTHENTICATION STATUS.<\/p>\n
I opened the archive.<\/p>\n
NOAH REYNOLDS \u2014 AUTHENTICATION RETIRED.<\/p>\n
Still retired.<\/p>\n
Then the line changed.<\/p>\n
REACTIVATION REQUEST PENDING.<\/p>\n
Daniel stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca checked.<\/p>\n
\u201cRequest source?\u201d<\/p>\n
The system answered.<\/p>\n
BIOLOGICAL PARENT AUTHORIZATION.<\/p>\n
I looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
He stepped back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another line appeared.<\/p>\n
SECOND BIOLOGICAL PARENT DETECTED.<\/p>\n
Emily.<\/p>\n
My blood went cold.<\/p>\n
Voss had not been targeting Noah through the drones.<\/p>\n
He had been buying time to reach something inside Emily\u2019s credentials.<\/p>\n
Daniel whispered, \u201cCall her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did.<\/p>\n
Emily answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you authorize Noah\u2019s reactivation?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid anyone touch your phone?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca interrupted through the channel.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily, the system isn\u2019t using your phone.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily went silent.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is it using?\u201d<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s voice changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour biometric profile.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Foster spoke from the convoy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmily.\u201d<\/p>\n
His voice was strange.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a medical patch on your neck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Emily\u2019s hand went to her skin.<\/p>\n
I watched through the convoy camera as she peeled away a nearly transparent adhesive strip.<\/p>\n
A tiny circuit sat beneath it.<\/p>\n
She stared.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen did this get there?\u201d<\/p>\n
Noah answered quietly from beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the motel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emily turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe man who tied you up put it there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trent.<\/p>\n
Or someone with him.<\/p>\n
Rebecca said, \u201cIt\u2019s a biometric relay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel understood.<\/p>\n
\u201cVoss has been impersonating Emily.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pending request advanced.<\/p>\n
PARENTAL AUTHORIZATION 1 OF 2 ACCEPTED.<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
The system required both biological parents.<\/p>\n
Voss had Emily.<\/p>\n
He still needed Daniel.<\/p>\n
Daniel whispered, \u201cHe can\u2019t get mine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vale looked at him.<\/p>\n
Then smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cArthur had you for four months.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s face drained of color.<\/p>\n
Somewhere, Voss already had his biometrics too.<\/p>\n
The system flashed.<\/p>\n
PARENTAL AUTHORIZATION 2 OF 2 ACCEPTED.<\/p>\n
NOAH REYNOLDS \u2014 AUTHENTICATION REACTIVATED.<\/p>\n
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