"To whomever is viewing this recording," Noah began, voice steady despite the exhaustion evident in his eyes, "you have stumbled upon something that will likely alter your existence and reshape the world as we know it. What lies ahead will be daunting and perilous, but imperative."

  He paused, adjusting his glasses. The timestamp in the corner indicated the recording had been made three months ago.

  "In a few hours, I'll be meeting Lisa at NeoDuck," Noah continued. "I'm apprehensive, fearful that she might decline to help me—and frankly, she would be justified in doing so. But I hold out hope that she might be willing to listen." He sighed deeply. "My original plan is to transfer my Soul into a specially modified Receptacle that I will give to Lisa, allowing us to work together. If you're watching this, that plan clearly failed."

  Noah leaned forward, his expression intensifying. "Courier—if indeed you are the one viewing this with my Soul integrated into your Receptacle—I understand your mind must be in turmoil. I apologize for thrusting this burden upon you, but if Lisa declined my request, I had no other recourse."

  He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair before continuing. "Lisa, if you're watching this, know that I love you. I'm profoundly sorry for missing your life and for entangling you in the mess I've created. If you refused to help when we met, please don't carry any guilt. I understand completely."

  "My name is Noah Cole. For eighteen years, I worked at MainFrame as Director of Receptacle OS. My dedication to that role contributed to the separation from Sarah, my wife, and is the reason I missed witnessing my daughter's life. I made that choice believing I was working for the greater good, only to discover five years ago that MainFrame might not be what I thought."

  He proceeded to explain his discovery of MainFrame's secret department and power usage, confirming everything we'd experienced in our Dive. The methodical precision of his account erased any lingering doubts about the authenticity of his presence in my Receptacle.

  "By now, if all has gone according to plan, Aurora should have initiated," Noah continued. "You and my Soul are merging into a symbiotic relationship. It will be disorienting, but the process preserves much more of both consciousnesses than the standard Receptacle OS, which simply overwrites the host's memories."

  Noah leaned forward, determination burning in his eyes. "Whoever is watching this must help unveil the truth. On this memory stick, you'll find all my research—Receptacle schematics, software backdoors, security systems, personnel directories—everything I've compiled over five years of investigation."

  His expression grew more serious. "But before proceeding further, there's a crucial first step. MainFrame implants a tracking device in every Courier's Receptacle. It must be removed, or they will find you eventually. The necessary procedure is detailed in the files on this memory stick."

  Noah took a deep breath. "The next phase is even more dangerous. To uncover what MainFrame is really doing with Digital Heaven—what I fear they're doing..." His voice faltered as he struggled to continue. "To discover what happens to the Souls they collect, you must access the data center terminal inside MainFrame headquarters. From what I've uncovered so far, I believe Digital Heaven as marketed may not even exist. The Souls they harvest appear to be used for something else entirely—something I couldn't fully determine despite my position and my investigation."

  The revelation hit me like a physical blow. The Digital Heaven I'd been working toward for two years—the salvation I'd sacrificed countless memories to earn—might be nothing but an elaborate deception.

  "The challenge is multilayered," Noah continued after composing himself. "Each crucial server within MainFrame is protected by a Soul Check—a biometric verification system that requires the unique neural signature of a specific authorized individual. No single person possesses access to all necessary systems. Even with my credentials, you'd be denied entry to most of the vital data repositories."

  Noah's eyes narrowed as he leaned closer to the camera. He paused, staring directly into the lens for several long seconds, as if weighing the gravity of what he was about to reveal.

  "But there is a workaround that seems implausible yet is entirely feasible: one person with more than one Soul."

  I felt Circuit shift beside me, her mechanical arms extending slightly in what I'd come to recognize as a gesture of interest.

  "You heard correctly," Noah confirmed, as if anticipating our disbelief. "Aurora enables the storage of multiple Souls simultaneously. By merging with your brain rather than overtaking it like the standard Receptacle OS, you can accumulate multiple Souls. With each addition, you'll gain their skills, memories, and most importantly, their biometric signatures required to pass the Soul Checks throughout MainFrame's systems."

  The laboratory fell completely silent. Even Circuit's mechanical appendages froze in mid-motion.

  "Before we proceed further," Noah continued, his expression now tinged with unmistakable regret, "honesty compels me to acknowledge the cost. While Aurora is less destructive than the original Receptacle programming, you will still lose memories with each Soul integrated. I can't predict the exact implications as you accumulate more Souls, but every simulation I've run suggests an almost complete dissolution of your original identity by the time you download your fifth Soul."

  He leaned closer to the camera, his voice dropping lower. "You need to understand what this means. You—the person you are now, the individual watching this recording—will essentially cease to exist. Your memories, experiences, personality traits—everything that defines you—will become fractured pieces in a new composite consciousness. This isn't just memory loss; it's the gradual erasure of your very self."

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Noah fell silent for a long moment, the weight of what he was proposing evident in his slumped shoulders.

  "I want you to fully understand the risks entailed and comprehend the task ahead. The files on this memory stick detail MainFrame's activities—read them to understand why this endeavor is imperative despite its terrible cost. Recognize that by now, the process is already in motion. If you refuse, no one else can take over. Souls cannot be transferred between Couriers, especially mine, as it contains the unique code for Aurora and it's already being merged with yours. It's either you or no one."

  He adjusted his glasses, a gesture that seemed more nervous habit than necessity.

  "On this key, you'll find a document named 'Breaching MainFrame' containing details on the five targeted Souls required for this mission."

  Noah removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. The strain he bore was palpable. When he spoke again, his voice had softened, becoming more personal.

  "Listen, if you're watching this, it means I'm no longer around. I know MainFrame has caught on to my investigation—I believe I'm being surveilled. I can't maintain the charade much longer and will soon need to go off-grid. If Lisa declines to help, that's when I'll implement Plan B by reaching out to you, Courier, and making the Gold Tier call."

  He paused, his expression grave. "Once I make that call, MainFrame's internal security will quickly realize what's happened. It won't take them long to connect the dots back to me, and when they do, they'll immediately go after Lisa. I've encrypted this memory stick with a dual system—it requires both my Soul and Lisa's neural signature to unlock. However, I've also programmed the encryption to disengage automatically after 72 hours, just in case."

  Noah's eyes betrayed his concern as he continued. "If you're watching this within those first 72 hours, it means you've found Lisa, which was my hope—to force a connection between you before MainFrame finds either of you. Please protect her; she's in danger because of me. If you're watching after the 72-hour window has elapsed... I pray Lisa is still alive. Find her if you can and keep her safe."

  Looking directly into the camera, he added: "Lisa, if you refused my initial proposal but are now watching this with the Courier, I apologize for the danger I've put you in. I never intended for either of you to be caught in this web, but some truths are too important to remain buried, regardless of the personal cost."

  The video ended, leaving the three of us in profound silence.

  Circuit finally shattered the heavy stillness that had settled over the room.

  "That's fucking insane," she exclaimed, grabbing a bag of chips from somewhere beneath her workstation, tearing it open with mechanical precision, and stuffing a fistful into her mouth.

  "It is," I agreed, mind still processing the magnitude of what Noah was asking.

  "Dad," Lisa murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "If I had helped him, he would be inside my head now instead of yours."

  She turned to me, a complex mix of guilt and regret in her eyes. "My refusal is what brought you into this situation."

  I met her gaze but said nothing. What could I say? That it was fine? That I didn't mind having my life hijacked, my identity compromised, my future erased? Her acknowledgment of responsibility did nothing to change our circumstances.

  A heavy silence fell between us. The revelation about Digital Heaven had shaken me to my core. Had I spent the last two years sacrificing pieces of myself for a lie? Were all those lost memories—fragments of my past that I'd willingly surrendered—traded away for nothing but an empty promise?

  And worse, if I chose to help, to follow Noah's plan, I would not only lose more memories—I would eventually cease to exist entirely. My consciousness would dissolve into a composite identity shared with five other souls. The person sitting here now would effectively die, replaced by something new and unrecognizable.

  I stared at my hands, trying to process the magnitude of what I'd just learned. The weight of Noah's request seemed to physically press down on me, making even breathing feel like a conscious effort.

  Circuit crunched loudly on another handful of chips, the sound jarring in the tense atmosphere. "So, are we just going to sit here all day processing our existential crises, or are we going to do something?"

  Lisa straightened, nodding as if Circuit's brash question had snapped her out of a trance. "We should look at the list," she said. "We need to understand exactly what we're dealing with."

  I nodded, knowing she was right. Whatever decision I made, I needed all the information first.

  Circuit executed the command, unveiling the file titled "Breaching MainFrame." The screen displayed five names with accompanying details and photographs:

  Noah Cole - Director Receptacle OS

  Liam Murphy - Lead Engineer Receptacle OS

  Samuel Wells - Lead InfoSec MainFrame Heaven Server

  Natalia Dubrov - Director Energy Service

  Michael Turner - Director of Soul Technology

  My pulse quickened as I recognized one name beyond Noah's—Liam Murphy, the friend from Noah's memory who had seemingly betrayed him.

  "Liam," Lisa said, apparently noticing my reaction.

  I nodded. "I've seen him in Noah's memories. He was the one in Noah's office that day."

  "Who is Liam?" Circuit queried, her mechanical appendages twitching with curiosity.

  "He's most likely the reason Noah was discovered," I explained. "He was Noah's best friend and confidant, until he wasn't."

  "According to this document," Circuit observed, "Noah recommends collecting Liam's Soul first after his own."

  "But before we do anything else," Lisa interjected, "we need to remove that tracker."

  I nodded automatically, then felt a wave of resistance rising within me. This situation had been thrust upon me without my consent. Until recently, my life had a simple purpose—earn credits, collect Souls, work toward my own Heaven subscription. Now I was facing a mission I barely understood, with stakes I couldn't fully comprehend.

  "Are you okay?" Lisa asked softly, her hand touching my shoulder, her eyes meeting mine with genuine concern.

  "I don't know," I answered honestly.

  Lisa hesitated, her chrome hand fidgeting slightly. "I'm sorry," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I never thought... I didn't know refusing him would put you in this situation. If I had just listened to him at NeoDuck—"

  "You couldn't have known," I cut in, surprising myself with the realization as the words left my mouth. "How could you have predicted any of this?"

  That didn't make it easier to accept what was happening to me, but the truth was undeniable—Lisa was as much a victim of Noah's schemes as I was, even if she'd had a choice I never did.

  The situation wouldn't disappear. MainFrame's operatives would continue hunting us. The tracker in my Receptacle would remain active. Noah's Soul would still be merged with mine, his memories bleeding into my consciousness.

  I had no path back to my former life. The only directions were forward—either with purpose or in endless flight.

  "Let's take this one step at a time," I finally said, neither committing fully nor refusing outright. "First the tracker, then we'll see."

  It wasn't acceptance. Not yet. But it was something—an acknowledgment that whatever happened next, it wouldn't be the life I'd planned.

  For better or worse, Noah Cole had ensured that my life would never be the same. His backup plan had become my primary reality.