Previously: Jin had discovered the Plain, a true underwater city housing Omni’s headquarters. He was now about to meet Nathan Jackson, one of the corporation’s most powerful executives.

 Jin and Theo waited in the silent antechamber. Suddenly, a small light above Nathan’s office door turned green.
- Let’s go, Theo said.
The two men entered the inner sanctum. Jin immediately noticed the two imposing bodyguards stationed in each corner of the room. The back wall projected a cityscape so realistic that one could believe the office was perched atop a skyscraper rather than five kilometers beneath the ocean.
Nathan stood to greet them, his calm voice contrasting with the tense atmosphere.
- Good morning, gentlemen.” He shook Jin’s hand first with studied courtesy. “Pleasure to meet you, Doctor.
- Likewise, Mr. Jackson.
- Doctor Garnier, thank you for bringing him this far. Please leave us now.
- Alright”, Theo replied, visibly unsettled by the abrupt dismissal.
Once alone, Nathan and Jin sat down in the leather chairs.
- First of all, let me apologize for the incident the other day. It was definitely a mistake to try to bring you here by force.
- Very well, let’s not dwell on it.
- Thank you. What do you think of the Plain so far? Had a chance to explore a bit?
- It’s truly magnificent, far from what I initially imagined. It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you stop caring about others.
Nathan allowed himself a smile at Jin’s boldness.
- I understand your point of view, and believe me, it’s a constant concern of mine. I’m working with Omni’s Board on a plan to address that. We’ll have a chance to revisit it later.
- Mr. Jackson, I know you’re a very busy man. Maybe we could skip the small talk and get to the point.
- Very well, Doctor Wu, I’ll be direct.” Nathan sat up straighter, his polite mask falling away.
- I only have a few years left to live. Doctors aren’t certain of the timeline. Like you, I survived the Dark Plague, but unlike you, I haven’t been able to recover from the aftermath. Don’t worry, it’s no longer contagious. That disease ate me alive, and the only biological part of me left is my brain.
Jin remained impassive, but his gaze grew sharper.
“You once wrote: The brain is the final frontier. Help me cross it. Would you be so kind as to name your price? “Nathan added.
A heavy silence followed. Jin took time to absorb the revelation before replying.
- Before we talk about price, or more simply, my terms, I have a personal question for you. You’re already extremely wealthy, you wield immense power and influence. Why not stop there? If I’m not mistaken, you have a scientific background. You could just conduct research for the pure joy of discovery. Why keep answering to shareholders?
Nathan, surprised by the depth of the question, took a moment to reflect.
- I must admit... I don’t know. Maybe it's a habit. Or fear of emptiness.
- Mr. Jackson, thank you for your honesty, Jin replied, better understanding the stress Theo had described the day before.
- Before I state my conditions, out of respect, I should warn you that there are no guarantees in this research. No promise of successfully transferring your consciousness.
- The humility you show may be your greatest asset in this endeavor, noted Nathan, clearly pleased to hear someone not making impossible promises.
- That said, I can try. My conditions are simple. First condition: I must be allowed to work from home. We can agree on a regular reporting schedule. Second condition: I need your help acquiring a vessel and authorization to land on Community 5.
- The first condition is acceptable. As for the second, I can provide a vessel. But I can’t promise landing authorization, that’s not entirely up to me. I can try, of course.
- That’s all I ask.
- May I ask why you need a vessel?
- To be fully transparent: to find my family.
- You realize you’re ten years behind them in space travel, without even counting the time they’ll continue to move forward?
- Of course. But recent advancements allow ships to travel twice as fast.
- Just making sure, so your plan is to leave us once you find them?
- Yes,  Jin paused, then added, “When you mentioned the director of Community 5 earlier, what were you thinking?
- I was thinking more about repatriating your family here, Nathan replied.
- I’d rather see them in five years than in ten.
The truth was, Jin preferred to control his own fate than trust anyone else, especially what was likely the last person on Earth worth trusting.
- Yes, but what will you do once you find them?
- Hope will tell.
- Alright, I see, Nathan said skeptically. “Any other demands?
- No, that’s already a lot. Thank you for your time.
Jin had many other, more altruistic demands in mind, but he knew Nathan would never honor them. So Jin stood and extended his hand to leave. Nathan rose too and shook it.
- I’m the one who should thank you, Doctor Wu.
As their hands met, Nathan added in a neutral tone:
- Now, Julios.
In a move of supernatural speed, one of the humanoids was suddenly behind Jin, holding him firmly by the back of the neck. Before Jin could react, the humanoid’s right index finger extended into a syringe and injected metallic fluid into the upper left part of Jin’s trapezius muscle. The pain was so intense that Jin blacked out and collapsed backward into the chair. Under his skin, the liquid metal solidified without leaving a scar. This tracker would allow Nathan to locate Jin and hear everything he said.
“Doctor Wu, surely you didn’t think I’d let you walk out without a way to follow you.”
What terrified Jin most, as consciousness slipped away, wasn’t the betrayal. It was how easily Nathan had made him believe, if only for a moment, that he was still human.
Nathan turned to Julios: “Take him back to his office and inform Doctor Garnier and Alfonso to meet him there in one hour.”

Next: Sinesol amazes Xiao and Mei: a giant in shades of red and purple. But this wandering splendor hides a terrible secret.
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