Chapter 4: The Covenant

Kaito watched the founder film with a face that did not move. When it ended, he exhaled slowly, as if he had been holding his breath for a century.

“It’s real,” he said. “The reserve reactor wasn’t a rumor.”

Lysa folded her arms. “The Council will bury this if we let them.”

“They’ll claim it’s too dangerous,” Mara said.

“It is too dangerous,” Kaito replied. “That’s not the same as impossible.”

They met with Councilor Dax in a small side chamber. Mara placed the addendum on the table and played the founder’s film. Dax watched without blinking.

“You kept this from us,” he said when it ended.

“We found it,” Lysa said. “You never looked.”

Dax pressed his fingers together. “Conversion is a risk that could kill half the ship. Continuity preserves the mission with minimal loss.”

“Continuity preserves a simulation,” Kaito said. “This preserves people.”

Dax’s gaze slid to Mara. “You’re Wake Circle. You know the cost of keeping people alive.”

“I know the cost of not letting them choose,” Mara said.

Dax stood. “We will brief the guilds. We will present all options.”

“And will you present them fairly?” Lysa asked.

Dax did not answer.

Outside the chamber, the ship’s lights dimmed another step. The Night Cycle was sinking deeper, and the core’s pulse was uneven. The window for a final burn was approaching, and with it a choice that could not be delayed.