Chapter 6 — Internal Fracture
Helix Quantum Systems — Closed Executive Session.
Dr. Aaryan Mehta stood alone before the projection wall.
Three overlays floated in layered transparency.
Compression 1 — 0.7 seconds. Compression 2 — 0.9 seconds. Coherence drift curve — nonlinear.
The board members were silent.
Military liaison General Voren spoke first. "Two anomalies in consecutive trials. That's not coincidence."
Aaryan replied evenly. "Coincidence is simply insufficient data."
The AI system projected new simulations.
Without interference: Third compression at 1.0065 → 48% instability escalation.
With advisory-based recalibration: Instability reduces 12%, but long-term compression ceiling lowers.
General Voren leaned forward. "The anonymous source predicted both deviations."
"Yes," Aaryan said calmly.
"Which means someone outside Helix understands our models."
Aaryan's eyes sharpened. "Or someone inside leaked."
Internal security immediately denied breach probability.
Zero confirmed intrusion. Zero data exfiltration. Zero financial anomaly directly linked.
Clean.
Too clean.
Aaryan disliked clean systems without visible architects.
"Prepare compression 3," he said finally.
"Threshold?" the board chair asked.
He paused.
"1.0065."
General Voren frowned. "Above recommended stability."
"Exactly," Aaryan replied. "If the unknown stabilizer exists, they will intervene again."
Silence.
"You want to provoke them?" the board chair asked.
Aaryan nodded once. "I want to measure them."
Rishikesh.
Vansh felt the intention shift before official documentation updated.
Intent matters.
Intent changes probability density.
He activated the interface.
Duration: 2.8 seconds.
Immediate strain.
Branches split aggressively.
Projection: Helix deliberately escalating to trigger anomaly.
Energy cost rising sharply due to background instability.
He ended activation early.
Breathing steady.
Aaryan was no longer exploring.
He was testing.
That meant something important.
Helix now suspected intervention.
Good.
That made them cautious.
But it also made them curious.
Curiosity accelerates risk.
He reviewed Aaryan's public publications.
Gravitational field topology. Compression harmonics. Substrate elasticity modeling.
Brilliant.
Not reckless.
Strategic.
This would not be a simple corporate obstacle.
This would be intellectual warfare.
Helix Internal Security Division.
"Run probability mapping on advisory timing," Aaryan ordered.
The AI overlaid anomaly events with advisory timestamps.
Correlation confidence: 97.3%.
General Voren exhaled slowly. "So they exist."
"Yes," Aaryan said.
"And they understand compression better than we predicted."
"State actor?"
"Possibly."
"India?"
"Maybe. But no overt trace."
Aaryan folded his arms.
"If they are stabilizing, they fear escalation."
General Voren smiled faintly. "Then escalation forces visibility."
Rishikesh — Night.
Vansh adjusted three international damping research proposals.
Subtle increases in funding weight.
He did not attempt to stop 1.0065.
Stopping directly increases detection probability.
Instead, he modeled controlled oscillation.
Allow spike. Force visible instability. Avoid casualties.
He ran interface again.
1.9 seconds.
Energy draw heavier than baseline.
Cognitive latency increased 6%.
Unacceptable long-term.
He would need to evolve efficiency soon.
Helix Orbital Control.
Compression 3 scheduled 36 hours from now.
Threshold: 1.0065.
AI confidence interval unstable.
Board fractured internally.
Half seeking caution. Half seeking advantage.
Aaryan reviewed one final simulation.
In 31% of projected branches, a hidden corrective influence shifted harmonic phase alignment slightly.
He smiled faintly.
"You're there," he murmured quietly.
"And you're careful."
He issued a final directive.
Increase sensor resolution. Monitor micro-phase delays. Track financial ripple correlations globally.
If someone intervened—
He would catch the signature.
Rishikesh.
Vansh closed his eyes briefly.
If Helix increased sensor resolution, micro-manipulation becomes riskier.
Energy cost already rising.
Background coherence now at 0.0056%.
Slow climb.
He recalculated options.
Direct manipulation probability of exposure: 23%.
Indirect financial influence safer.
But less precise.
He considered something colder.
Allow 1.0065 to proceed cleanly. Let instability spike higher. Force government-level freeze permanently.
Higher risk. Higher impact.
He did not decide yet.
Decision requires updated data.
He opened the bookstore door the next morning.
Normal street. Normal sky. Normal noise.
Helix preparing escalation. India positioning silently. China analyzing. US monitoring.
And somewhere in Geneva, a physicist had decided to hunt an invisible mathematician.
Vansh returned to his desk.
If Aaryan wanted measurement—
He would provide ambiguity.
Not absence.