Chapter 4 UNCLEAN DATA

Kael Maru remained unclinched as Riko related her tale. Though his eyes glowed with the intensity of someone who had seen too much and yet sought answers, his face was a study in serenity.

"So, let me get this straight," he remarked, leaning back in his chair. "You became a monster during a blackout, but the city AI didn't flag you?"

Riko nodded, her complexion white. "It didn't note me." It deleted it either.

"Right." Kael laughed gloomily. "And you believe this is normal?"

Riko murmured, glancing down at her trembling hands, "I don't know what's normal anymore."

They rested in Kael's sky-lounge, a sombre, warm, and comfortably off-the-grid contrast to the dark, cosy New Kyoto. Kael's own security tools concealed the city's intrusive surveillance here, silent.

Riko paused, then chose to inform him everything. The blackout, the Lupomorph strain gene she had found, was Kael listened to; only occasionally interrupted to pose probing inquiries.

"Okay," he said finally; "we'll see how deep the registry goes." I must caution you, nevertheless; this could be hazardous.

His hands swiftly over a terminal tracked Riko's genetic data while negotiating around city firewalls. The findings arrived, but Kael's countenance darkened.

He replied, "You're not in the Deviant Database." However, there is a record here-Project Echo Instinct. It's locked and quarantined.

Kael tapped the screen once more, eyes narrowing. "Last accessed three days ago by someone called... Councillor Zhou."

Riko's blood froze. The very individual among all those years had defended her.

Somebody knew what she was. Somebody was waiting.