I drag myself out of bed, the exhaustion of the neural masking work still lingering despite enhanced recovery capabilities. My head throbs with a dull ache, the price of reconfiguring my own brain at the microscopic level. Worth it for the protection against telepathic assessment, but unpleasant nonetheless.

  The corridors of Block D pulse with morning activity, independents moving between quarters and common areas, sharing information through coded phrases and subtle gestures. The facility's harsh lighting casts everything in the same clinical illumination, designed to eliminate shadows or comfort. After last night's security evasion, I scan faces more carefully, watching for anyone showing too much interest in my movements.

  CDC-4 is already crowded when I arrive, the line for nutrition allocation stretching toward the entrance. The stale air carries the bland smell of nutritional paste mixed with the body odor of too many enhanced humans in too confined a space. I take my place in line, studying the room's dynamics while waiting.

  Has word spread about my failed meeting with Elara? Hard to tell from casual observation, though several independents watch my entrance with what might be calculation or simple curiosity. Marcus's faction occupies their usual tables near the exit, but their attention seems focused on internal discussion rather than external recruitment this morning.

  When I reach the dispenser, the system scans my palm and announces: "Independent Asset 7249. Standard allocation, minus 22% sponsor enhancement factor. Integration candidacy supplements available. Accept or decline?"

  "Decline," I respond automatically. The machine dispenses standard nutritional paste, gray sludge that passes for food in this place. The continued offer of Integration supplements suggests Karis hasn't completely abandoned my candidacy despite me showing .

  I find an unoccupied table in a corner with good sightlines to both entrance and exit. As I force down the bland paste, my thoughts turn to Desta's neural repair progress. With the disguise in place, maybe it’s safe to accelerate her repair progress?

  "Mind if I join you?" comes a familiar voice.

  I look up to find Volt standing beside my table, her hair standing slightly on end from the electrical field that constantly surrounds her. Unlike previous encounters, she appears tense, energy crackling more visibly than usual around her fingers.

  "Free facility," I respond with a shrug, continuing to eat.

  She sits, positioning herself to watch the entrance while speaking. "You missed an important meeting last night. Marcus was concerned."

  Was I supposed to meet with Marcus last night? Or is she hinting at her knowledge of my encounter with Elara? I maintain neural partitioning active, ensuring any potential telepathic scanning detects only surface thoughts consistent with someone who is clueless to the dangers around him.

  "Security increased in eastern corridors," I reply, keeping my voice casual. "Decided movement wasn't worth the risk."

  Volt creates a small electromagnetic field, not enough to trigger alerts, just sufficient to distort nearby audio monitoring. "That 'meeting' you avoided? Good instinct. Not what it appeared to be."

  So they know about Elara. Interesting. The resistance faction's information network seems more comprehensive than I'd given them credit for.

  "Just got spooked by patrol patterns," I maintain, neither confirming nor denying specific knowledge. "Seemed safer to wait out consideration period in quarters."

  Volt's electricity intensifies briefly. "Telepathic security using independent cover identities. New tactic, but we've identified three confirmed operatives in Block D. The 'telepath' who approached you is primary assessment agent for Integration Program."

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  The information aligns with my own discovery, but I'm careful not to show recognition. Better to appear as someone who avoided danger through caution rather than specific intelligence.

  "Why tell me this?" I ask, continuing to eat the tasteless paste.

  "Because your consideration period ends today," she responds, leaning closer. "Karis will expect your decision on Integration participation. Whatever you choose, telepathic assessment will follow immediately."

  Right. Hopefully my neural masking works, but I can't let anyone know I've prepared a counter-strategy at all.

  "Options?" I ask simply.

  "Three possibilities," Volt responds, the electromagnetic field fluctuating slightly with her intensity. "Accept Integration and hope for escape before extraction phase. Officially reject and trigger immediate collection protocols. Or..."

  She pauses, checking surrounding tables before continuing.

  "Disappear before decision deadline. Off-grid within facility infrastructure. Marcus can arrange immediate transition to secured locations."

  The faction protection offer again, repackaged as emergency extraction rather than alliance recruitment. The timing suggests genuinely increased concern rather than simply opportunistic recruitment.

  "Still considering alternatives," I reply noncommittally.

  Volt's expression hardens slightly. "There are no other alternatives. Not against telepathic security with direct administrative authority. Your neural camouflage won't fool dedicated psionic assessment."

  The electromagnetic field dissipates as another independent approaches our table. Iris, her iridescent scales shifting through worried patterns as she sits without asking permission.

  "Security sweeps escalating throughout Block D," she reports without preamble. "Three more collections during night cycle. All assets approaching end of consideration periods."

  The coordination between factions is unexpected, Iris representing her loose network bringing intelligence directly to Volt from Marcus's resistance group. Suggests cooperation beyond their usual territorial competition.

  "Asset 7249's period ends today," Volt tells her. "Assessment inevitable regardless of formal response to Karis."

  Iris's scales darken with what might be concern. "Telepathic security confirmed in eastern quadrant. At least two operatives maintaining constant presence."

  They continue exchanging intelligence about security deployments while I finish my nutritional paste, mind racing through implications. The accelerated timeline doesn't change my fundamental strategy, neural masking combined with parallel surface pathways, but maybe I should reinforce it, just to make sure.

  "Decision time approaching," Volt says finally, rising from the table. "Marcus offers immediate extraction if needed. Signal through Umbra network when you're ready."

  She leaves with purposeful stride, electrical energy crackling visibly around her hands, a sign of agitation she's not bothering to conceal.

  Iris remains, her scales shifting through calculated patterns. "My network confirms eastern collection pattern. Assets refusing Integration processed immediately following deadline expiration. No grace period, no secondary consideration."

  "Noted," I respond simply.

  "The Null you're working with," she continues, surprising me with direct reference to Desta. "System access progress continuing?"

  I maintain neutral expression despite internal alarm. How much do they know about our neural repair work? The psychological support narrative should cover our interactions, but specific knowledge of system access attempts suggests more comprehensive monitoring than I'd accounted for.

  "Simple psychological support framework," I reply, sticking to our established cover story. "Nothing more."

  Iris's scales flicker with what might be skepticism. "Independence means making your own choices. But survival sometimes requires recognizing when isolation becomes liability rather than advantage."

  With that cryptic statement, she rises and returns her tray, leaving me to process this flood of new information. Security escalation throughout Block D, telepathic operatives maintaining constant presence, collections accelerating for assets approaching deadline expiration. The consideration period ending today rather than tomorrow as I'd calculated.

  As I dispose of my empty container and prepare to leave CDC-4, I assess strategic priorities. Desta's neural repair must accelerate despite incomplete protection. The psychological support narrative provides cover for continued meetings. My own neural masking should work in theory but haven't been tested against a real telepath yet.