CHAPTER 86 — THE FRACTURED MIND
Sarah’s body convulsed on the medical table.
Rebecca sedated her.
Silas’s voice continued through the Council speakers.
“My consciousness divided during the transfer.”
Part of him had entered Miriam.
Another fragment remained inside Sarah.
A third may have entered the global network when Lily burned the registry.
Daniel shut down every system he could reach.
It did not silence him.
Claire sat beside Sarah.
“Can she survive?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“Physically, perhaps. But we do not know how much of her mind remains.”
Lily held Sarah’s hand.
“She’s still there.”
Olivia’s contractions had stopped.
Her pregnancy returned to its natural stage, but the Anchor connection remained faintly active.
Rose and Iris could still sense the baby’s emotions.
Ward received reports from around the world.
Gray Tide doors had opened.
Thousands of children and adults were leaving hidden facilities.
Some remembered their true families.
Some remembered several lives.
Others became violent when their commands disappeared.
The Council had lost central control.
It had also lost the ability to contain its creations.
The real president addressed the nation and ordered an investigation.
Several military commanders refused to recognize him.
Two state governments claimed he was the replacement.
The country began dividing around competing versions of truth.
Mason remained with Jonah and Elias.
Jonah’s injuries were severe but stable.
Elias admitted he knew of another Gray Tide facility called Pelagos.
It was built beneath the Atlantic Ocean.
“What was stored there?” Claire asked.
“Identity originals.”
C-Two looked frightened.
“The people copied to make all the replacement families.”
If Pelagos opened with the other facilities, thousands of original people could be waking.
Some had been missing for decades.
Others had replacements currently living their lives.
Ward received a satellite image.
An enormous structure was rising from the ocean.
Ships surrounded it.
The seven Council symbols were visible on its surface.
A message appeared on every government network.
PElagos requests diplomatic recognition as a sovereign nation.
Its leader appeared on screen.
She looked exactly like Claire.
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“My name is Claire Prime,” she said.
“And Claire Bennett stole my face, my children, and my country.”
