The envelope sat on Ibukun's hotel room dresser, its thick cream paper and embossed Manchester United crest looking absurdly out of place next to his discount supermarket meal deal.
**Mr. Oluwaseyi,**
**Director Veymar requests the pleasure of your company at The Ivy, Manchester, 8PM tonight.**
**Dress: Smart Casual.**
Jay-Jay's hologram paced along the edge of the bed. *"This reeks worse than a Lagos fish market at noon."*
Ibukun ran a finger along the envelope's gilded edge. **"What's the play?"**
**>> OPTION ANALYSIS:
>> - ATTEND: 89% CHANCE OF VEYMAR EXPOSING SYSTEM KNOWLEDGE
>> - DECLINE: 72% CHANCE OF IMMEDIATE RETALIATION
>> RECOMMENDATION: ATTEND WITH PRECAUTIONS <<**
---
### **The Ivy**
The restaurant was all low lighting and whispered conversations, the kind of place where the silverware cost more than Ibukun's monthly rent in Bruges.
Veymar sat in a secluded booth, his fingers steepled under his chin. Up close, the man's eyes were wrong—the pupils slightly too large, the irises faintly reflective like a cat's.
**"Ibukun."** His voice was smoother than it had been at Carrington. **"I've followed your career with great interest."**
A waiter deposited two glasses of water. Veymar didn't touch his.
**>> BIOMETRIC SCAN:
>> - HEART RATE: 52 BPM (ABNORMALLY LOW)
>> - PUPIL DILATION: 0% IN BRIGHT LIGHT (IMPLANTED OPTICS)
>> CONCLUSION: NOT FULLY HUMAN <<**
Jay-Jay's hologram flickered. *"Ask him about Project Ascension. Call his bluff."*
Ibukun kept his voice steady. **"Why am I here?"**
Veymar smiled. **"To discuss your future. The real one."**
He slid a tablet across the table. The screen showed:
- **A teenage Ibukun strapped to a medical chair, screaming**
- **A glowing neural implant being inserted into his spine**
- **The words "SUBJECT #7: STABLE" flashing across a monitor**
**"You don't remember Nigeria, do you?"** Veymar tapped the screen. **"The 'football academy' that wasn't. The 'trials' that never happened."**
Ibukun's mouth went dry.
**>> MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED
>> ORIGINAL IMPLANT DATE: 14 YEARS OLD
>> WARNING: DO NOT TRUST RECALLED MEMORIES <<**
---
### **The Offer**
Veymar produced a contract—thicker than any football deal, filled with dense legal jargon.
**"Sign with my... specialized agency. Full access to System upgrades. Protection from League scrutiny."** His finger rested on Clause 14. **"And we reactivate your original enhancements."**
Jay-Jay's hologram glitched violently. *"That's a slave contract! Look at subsection—"*
**>> CONTRACT ANALYSIS:
>> - 100% PERFORMANCE DATA OWNERSHIP TO VEYMAR
>> - NEURAL OVERRIDE PROTOCOLS IN SECTION 9
>> - TERMINATION CLAUSE: "PHYSICAL DECOMMISSIONING" <<**
Ibukun pushed the papers away. **"No."**
Veymar's smile didn't waver. **"Then you'll be dead by season's end. The System wasn't designed to function untethered."** He stood, adjusting his cuffs. **"Think on it. You have 48 hours."**
---
### **The Truth About Jay-Jay**
Back in the hotel bathroom, Ibukun vomited violently.
Jay-Jay's hologram floated awkwardly near the shower. *"Kid, listen—"*
**"You knew."** Ibukun wiped his mouth. **"This whole time, you *knew*."**
The hologram's usual bravado vanished. *"I... didn't remember. Not until I saw those files."*
A new alert flashed:
**>> HOLOGRAM CORE FILE CORRUPTION: 87%
>> EMERGENCY DATA DUMP INITIATED <<**
Jay-Jay's form dissolved into static, then reformed as—
**A younger man in a lab coat.**
*"My real name is Dr. Jason Okocha,"* he said quietly. *"I designed the first System prototype. Veymar had me... uploaded after I tried to destroy it."*
The hologram flickered back to the familiar Jay-Jay. *"And now I'm just a ghost in your head."*
---
### **The Choice**
Ibukun stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The faint scar along his spine itched.
**>> ULTIMATUM:
>> 1. SIGN WITH VEYMAR (SAFETY IN SERVITUDE)
>> 2. RESIST (HIGH MORTALITY RISK)
>> 3. [REDACTED] <<**
Jay-Jay met his eyes in the mirror. *"There's always a third option, kid."*
**>> SYSTEM OVERRIDE CODE ACCEPTED
>> FINAL PROTOCOL UNLOCKED: "PHOENIX"
>> EFFECT: SYSTEM REBOOT (ERASES ALL TRACES)
>> SIDE EFFECT: UNKNOWN <<**
Ibukun took a deep breath.
**"Do it."**
---