第3章云牵月2CloudTetered Mo（第6页）

"

People，"

Xsaid，sittingoppositehim，ingpartsofahandgun."

Or，tobeprecise，strictlyselectedandbiologicallymodifiedindividualswhosenervoussystemsformastableewiththesystemsatrix."

Shereassembledtheedpartswithaspeedthatwasalmostablur，yeteaentwasmethodicalandflawless.Afinal，definitiveclicksigheonwaswholeagain.Sherackedtheslide，checkedthemeism，ejectedthemagazine，andclearedthechamber.

“‘CrimsonTide，’”

shesaid，plagthepistolonthecoffeetableandpushingittowardhim，“beforehebecameakillerwiththatcode，wasaterminaldidate.”

Hergazemethis，flatanddirect.“Hefailed.Thesystemrejectedhissciousness.Theresultermabraindamage，afracturedpersonality.Afterthat…hebecameapureinstrument.”

Santalipickedupthepistol.ABeretta92FS，classicmodel，impeccablymaintaihecheckeredgripfeltcoolagainsthisskin.Theweightdistributionwaseven，thebalanceperfect...entirelystandard，nomodifications.

"

Isthisatest?"

heasked，hisfiragtheserialnumber.

“Atool，”

Nyxltered，hertoneflat.“You’llneedaon.I’twatchyourbackeverywhere.”

Apracticalexcuse.Santalisawthetruecalculus:arminghimwasariskassessment.Shebelievedhemightuseit，butnotagainsther.

Orrather，shebelievedshecouldralizehimifheturned.

Asubtleformoftrust，builtoerrence.

Hesetthepistoldownwithaquietfinality.“Thesystem’sflaw，”

hesaid，hisfocussnappingbacktothedots.“Itneedsanewphysicalterminaleverycycle.Thegeovercreatesa72-hourwindowofinstability.Whenistheone?”

“Seventeendaysfromnow，”

Xsaid.“TheactiveTerminalhasbeeionalforoverfiveyears.It’snearingitslimit.ThereplatsequencewillrunatthemainArcticfacility—wherethesystemsignalstrengthishighest.”

Santalilookedup，hisunfocusedvioleteyes"

seeing"

her."

Youwanttomakeamovethen."

"

Iplantoinfiltratethen，"

Xcorrected."

Retrievethesystemscoredata.Then…I’llsee."

“Seewhat?”

“Seewhatthetruthturnsouttobe.”

Xroseandwalkedtothewindow."

Ifthesystemistruly，astheWhitesclaimed—atooltotrol，even‘prune’Aristsatthesciousnesslevel—thenI’llscrubit.Ifit’sjust…anotherformofimmortalityexperiment，I’llextractwhat’susefulanddisappear.Food.”

Arationalplan.Santaliappreciatedtherationality，eveveileddeepermotives.

"

Whatdoyouneedmetodo?"

Heloweredhisgazetothecoldpistolrestingonhisknee.

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