A routine prenatal visit turned into something else.
The doctor hesitated as he reviewed the scan. "There's something... unusual."
Aarika's heart leapt.
"The baby's neural development is significantly ahead of gestational norms. Reflexive patterns we normally see post-birth are... active."
She masked her reaction. "What does that mean?"
"Could be a genetic anomaly. But the blood work... It's like your child is running something beyond biology."
She left the hospital shaken, avoiding the world as she returned home.
She activated the override file again.
This time, she ran a trace on system synchronization points. One name kept appearing in the background logs.
Lucas Vale.
Her child's system responded to him.
Even more disturbing: the biometric data embedded in the system logs shared over 30% genetic alignment with his.
She stumbled back from her desk.
Could he be—?
She accessed the last hidden node. A message played.
Her own voice: "If you chose to keep him, then you already know the truth. Just remember—love doesn't mean safety. It means danger... when it's shared."
Twist: At the end of the file, a medical tag flashes: "Subject: Soren Lin-Vale. Status: Alpha Thread. Host Sync: Active."