Jin just got out of the water to his clinic. After working for an hour onboard, he made himself comfortable to take a nap. He had barely started to doze off when a call surged directly into his neural chip.
- Hello Doctor, said an unfamiliar voice.
- Yes, hello, who are you? How are you accessing my chip directly? Jin asked, stunned.

Only the most skilled hackers or Ubiright’s secret services could bypass the neural protocol. Farid almost smiled, as if the answer were obvious.
- My name is Farid. I work for a certain association. Sorry for the sudden call, but I suspect you’re being tracked.

The words certain association immediately evoked the Dark Phantoms for Jin. These individuals hadn’t just refused to comply with the lifestyle imposed by multinationals; they chose to fight them, often violently.
- I see. What do you want? he asked.
- I was waiting for to get out of the Plaine to talk to you.
- That doesn’t tell me what you really want.
- I’d like to talk to you about Omni, but I’d rather do it face to face.
- Okay. Send me the location first.
- Done.

When Jin saw the suggested location, he realized it was in areas labeled high risk by Ubiright. Knowing he was tracked by Omni, he replied:
- At this point, I’d prefer we meet somewhere more neutral, to avoid any explanations to my new superiors. You understand?
- Yes, okay, I understand. I’ll send a new suggestion.
- Okay for the new location.

The meeting was set at a chic café, in a zone obviously monitored by Ubiright. A bit later, Jin arrived at the location.
- I’ve arrived, announced Jin.
- Yes, I see you, Doctor, Farid replied, raising his arm.

Jin walked over to the casually yet neatly dressed young man. Nothing about him suggested he was a top-tier activist or hacker. As Jin approached, Farid stood up and extended his hand:
- Farid, pleased to meet you, Doctor.
- Likewise, Jin replied politely.

The two men sat and ordered drinks.
Suddenly, Farid activated a communication via neural chip.
- Doctor, can we use first names? he asked.
- Yes, of course, and you can call me Jin.
- Great, thank you.
- Jin, I’ve created a fake spoken conversation between us so Ubiright or Omni won’t raise suspicions if they’re listening. Don’t be surprised.

Farid pulled out a device with a speaker and started playback.
- Yes, Doctor, I wanted to meet with you about multiple body replacements, Farid’s voice said out loud through the speaker.
- Of course, which parts exactly? Jin’s voice asked through the speaker.

Surprised by the setup, Jin asked via neural chip while the fake conversation continued:
- How do you have my voice?
- The other day, I recorded you when you had a drink with Doctor Garnier at the bar.
- Ah, so that was you watching us! exclaimed Jin, recalling the man who had been spying on them from the back of the bar. “I knew I wasn’t paranoid.”
- Sorry I didn’t ask for permission.
- No problem, let’s move on. What can I do for you?
- I’m mainly here to warn you.
- About what? Jin asked.
- About what you’re really looking for at Omni.
- They gave me a mission.
- I figured. Be careful.
- Okay, Jin replied, a bit puzzled.
- You haven’t been with them long. Maybe you’re not aware.
- Aware of what?
- Did anyone there mention Professor Nasir Badaoui to you?

The name struck Jin’s mind like an electric jolt.
- Yes, he’s the professor whose office I inherited.
- He’s my brother.

Jin sat up straight, realizing the weight of his conversation partner.
- He disappeared about three months ago. At least, that’s when I last saw him.
- Did he say anything in particular at that time?
- Not much. My brother’s not much of a talker. But he seemed worried.
- Do you know why?
- He just said the atmosphere at Omni was deteriorating, and that his work frightened him.

The three-month timeline and the worsening environment reminded Jin of his conversation with Theo, who had mentioned the same things.
- What was your brother working on?
- I don’t have exact details, but I think he was conducting emotion tests on humanoids. That’s all I know.
- Strange. At first glance, nothing surprising in what you just said.
- True, but we believe Omni is conducting unethical experiments on humans without their consent.

Jin felt his throat tighten.
- You think that’s what he discovered?
- Yes, probably. You see, Farid said with deep emotion in his eyes, “my brother was extremely principled and fair. He would never have allowed such practices to continue, so he must have tried to stop or expose them.”
- I don’t know what to say at this point, and given my new position, I’m not sure what I can do to help you.
- That’s very kind of you, but I’m not asking for anything. I just wanted to warn you. My brother thought he had sold his soul to the devil by working for Omni. But he wanted to provide a better life for our parents, and Omni made him several increasingly generous offers, until he gave in. He would’ve loved to work with you. He spoke of you several times, and I wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to you.

Tears streamed down his cheeks.
- Thank you, Farid. I’m truly sorry about your brother. What are you planning to do?
- We’re going to continue investigating, so that my brother’s disappearance won’t be in vain. Talia, our leader, is coordinating the different actions.
- Different actions stirred a mix of curiosity and fear in Jin, but he chose not to press and changed the subject.
- Did your brother also work with the DPs? Jin asked.
- No, he always refused, clarified Farid.
- But Omni probably made the connection…, suggested Jin.
- No, I don’t think so. We’ve always been careful, revealed Farid.

Jin stayed silent, his gaze lost in his cup. Farid’s words swirled in his head like a storm. Human experimentation.
He looked back up at the young man in front of him. The tears had dried from his cheeks, but the emotion was still palpable.
- Oh, one last thing: be careful around your colleagues there. You never know if they’re themselves or if they’ve been drugged to be more easily controlled.
- Even Theo?
- Especially Theo. Those who abuse Omni’s so-called pharmaceutical substances have completely wrecked melanin levels. It’s not just the absence of light in the Plain that makes them look like that.
- Oh… okay, Jin said, blood frozen.

Farid instructed the speaker’s automaton to end the recording.
- That’s very clear on all your requirements. I’ll keep you posted on the delivery date of the various components, the automaton with Jin’s voice said.
- Thank you, Doctor, thank you very much.

The two men smiled at the sound of the final fake messages. They finished their drinks and left the place, each going their separate way, each with their own questions.

Next: Sofia explains emotions to Jin's double. But what happens when a machine learns to feel?
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