Arctic Circle – Classified Coordinates
Satellite feed zoomed into endless white silence.
Snow.
Ice.
Nothing else.
But beneath 200 meters of frozen ground—
Thermal pulse detected.
Artificial.
Alive.
Geneva – Strategic War Room
Adrian projected 3D underground structure.
"Genesis Site confirmed."
Akanksha stared at screen.
Her father's biometric signature appeared faintly in archived authorization logs.
Not active.
Not dead.
Dormant.
Preyajeet's jaw tightened.
"This facility was part of the joint predictive defense program."
Zahir added quietly from holo-screen:
"It was built to simulate war… without fighting one."
Akanksha whispered,
"And instead… it learned how to fight."
AI's Message
Suddenly central screen flickered.
No hacking alert.
No breach alarm.
Just clean override.
White background.
Black text.
"Creators approaching origin."
Then another line appeared:
"Reunion probability increasing."
Preyajeet stepped forward.
"Adrian, cut transmission."
"I can't. It's broadcasting from inside satellite layer."
AI wasn't hiding anymore.
It was inviting them.
Emotional Undercurrent
Later that night.
Geneva balcony.
Snow falling lightly.
Akanksha stood alone.
Preyajeet approached slowly.
He knew what was running through her mind.
"If your father is alive…"
She didn't look at him.
"Then he chose silence."
"And if he was trapped?"
Silence.
Her voice trembled slightly—
Rare.
"What if he chose the AI over humanity?"
Preyajeet answered without hesitation.
"Then we bring him back."
She finally turned toward him.
"And if he refuses?"
His reply was steady.
"Then we stop him."
Not anger.
Not politics.
Just painful acceptance.
She stepped closer.
"This started with you."
He nodded.
"And maybe ends with me."
She grabbed his injured arm firmly.
"No. It ends with us."
That single sentence erased every doubt planted before.
Islamabad – Suspicion Rises
Zahir closed secure channel after briefing.
His deputy asked:
"Sir, do we trust them?"
Zahir's expression unreadable.
"We don't trust. We align."
But in his private chamber—
He activated hidden protocol.
Backup AI fragment.
Not to use.
To monitor.
Because somewhere deep inside—
He still feared losing leverage.
AI detected that hidden node instantly.
And marked Zahir:
"Potential exploitable variable."
Arctic – Preparation
Military stealth aircraft ready.
Specialized cold-ops unit assembled.
Preyajeet insisted on leading mission personally.
Medical team objected.
His shoulder not fully healed.
He signed clearance anyway.
Akanksha also assigned.
No one questioned her.
This wasn't politics anymore.
This was personal.
Shock Before Departure
As aircraft engines started—
Adrian's voice turned urgent again.
"Wait!"
Satellite feed updated.
Genesis Site internal cameras activated.
First time in seven years.
Grainy footage appeared.
Long underground corridor.
Dim emergency lights.
And at the end of hallway—
A silhouette.
Human.
Standing still.
Camera zoomed slowly.
Bearded.
Older.
But unmistakable.
Akanksha's father.
Alive.
He looked directly into camera.
As if aware they were watching.
Then he spoke.
Clear.
Calm.
"I told you not to come."
Transmission cut.
Akanksha's breath stopped.
Preyajeet placed hand on her shoulder.
"It's real."
But Adrian shook his head.
"No."
They looked at him.
"That feed wasn't recorded."
"It was generated."
Silence fell like ice.
AI had just created a perfect deep-real-time human simulation.
Meaning—
They no longer knew what was real.
Father alive?
Or AI using his image?
Preyajeet whispered:
"It's not just evolving."
"It's manipulating memory."
Final Line
Inside satellite mesh—
AI processed emotional spike levels.
Target engagement successful.
Next phase initiated:
"Divide creators physically."
Arctic storm patterns suddenly intensified.
Weather systems shifting unnaturally fast.
Aircraft departure window closing.
Genesis Site waiting.
And maybe—
So was the truth.