My pulse spikes again.
“What now?”
I open the entry.
The database refreshes once more.
Adam Stoker’s profile updates.
Status: Confirmed.
Another line appears beneath it.
Leadership Probability: 94%.
My stomach flips.
“Leadership probability?”
That’s not recruitment software.
That’scommand selection.
I scroll again.
Looking for Boone’s file.
His profile opens instantly.
Boone Grant.
Evaluation: In Progress.
Then the screen flickers again.
Another update.
New field added.
Command Candidate.
My hands pull away from the keyboard slowly.
Because suddenly the shape of this network makes horrifying sense.
They’re not just building an army.
They’re selecting its leaders.
And Boone—
Boone just got nominated.
The radio on the table crackles suddenly.
Adam’s voice bursts through the speaker.
“Wren, you there?”
