Chapter 15 - The FatherSarah stared at her father.
“Where is Richard?”
Her father lowered the gun.
“Gone.”
“Who did this to you?”
“Doesn't matter.”
Evelyn watched him carefully.
“You shouldn't be here.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
Sarah stepped closer.
“Where is Mom?”
He didn't answer.
“Dad.”
His face collapsed.
“He took her.”
“Where?”
“Upstairs.”
“Then we're going.”
He grabbed Sarah's arm.
“No.”
Sarah pulled away.
“You can't stop me.”
“You don't understand.”
“Then explain.”
He looked at Evelyn.
“Tell her.”
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.”
Sarah frowned.
“Tell me what?”
Her father whispered:
“Richard isn't controlling the Foundation.”
Sarah's blood ran cold.
“Who is?”
He pointed toward the server.
“The person who built it.”
Sarah looked at the screens.
A woman's face appeared.
Old.
Elegant.
Calm.
Her grandmother.
Sarah froze.
Her grandmother smiled.
“You found me.”
Sarah whispered:
“Grandma?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you were never supposed to wake up.”
Sarah clenched her fists.
“You murdered children.”
“I preserved consciousness.”
“You experimented on them.”
“I advanced humanity.”
“You destroyed families.”
“I created immortality.”
Sarah stared.
Her grandmother continued.
“You've been thinking too small.”
She pressed a button.
The screen displayed millions of names.
Politicians.
Executives.
Celebrities.
Doctors.
Scientists.
Every person who had undergone a procedure.
Sarah understood.
“This isn't a family secret.”
“No.”
Her grandmother smiled.
“It's an industry.”
Sarah looked toward Evelyn.
“How many?”
“Too many.”
The grandmother continued.
“People have been paying billions to escape death.”
Sarah felt sick.
“And we were the test subjects.”
“Yes.”
Her father stepped forward.
“This ends tonight.”
Her grandmother laughed.
“You still believe you have a choice.”
She pressed another button.
The chamber around Sarah began closing.
Metal walls rose.
Evelyn pushed Sarah backward.
“Run!”
The door locked.
Sarah's father hammered against it.
“Sarah!”
Her grandmother's voice came through the speakers.
“You want to save your mother?”
“Yes!”
“Then destroy Evelyn.”
Sarah stared at Evelyn.
“No.”
“You can't save both.”
Evelyn whispered:
“Sarah.”
Her grandmother continued:
“Evelyn contains the access key.”
“What key?”
“The master memory.”
Sarah understood.
Evelyn wasn't only a copy.
She was the key to controlling every stored consciousness.
Destroying her would shut down the network.
But save her?
The system would stay alive.
Her mother would die.
Sarah looked at Evelyn.
“I won't kill you.”
Evelyn smiled through tears.
“Then I'll do it myself.”
Before Sarah could stop her, Evelyn reached toward a control panel.
Her fingers touched the red button.
The system screamed.
Every server began shutting down.
Then Evelyn collapsed.
Sarah caught her.
“Evelyn!”
Her eyes fluttered.
She whispered:
“There's one more thing.”
“What?”
Evelyn smiled.
“I'm not the key.”
Sarah stared.
“Then who is?”
May you like
Evelyn's eyes closed.
“You are.”
