The hum of the Nexus Core in Ethan's skull was a low, steady vibration—like a second heartbeat, syncing with the rhythm of his breath. Liam stared at his reflection in the lab's glass wall, fingers brushing the faint blue glow seeping through the bandage on his temple. This wasn't his face, his hands, his voice—but the fusion of his mind with Ethan's, amplified by the chip, felt more natural than anything he'd ever known. "Status," he murmured, not to the empty lab, but to the AI woven into his neural pathways.
[Nexus Core: 98% functional. Neuro-symbiosis stability: 87%. Apex Serum residual integration: 72%. Current brain activation: 14.8%—approaching 15%.] The AI's voice was crisp, unemotional, and entirely internal—a whisper in the back of his mind that only he could hear. It was Liam's own code, refined by Ethan's neuroscience, now alive in his brain.
Elena's footsteps echoed in the hallway, hesitant. She'd lingered outside the lab for ten minutes, no doubt replaying his "resurrection" and the impossible serum fix in her head. Liam didn't need to turn to know she was there—his enhanced perception, a preview of what was to come, picked up the faint tremor in her hands, the rapid beat of her heart. Ethan's memories flickered to the surface: Elena Vega, his most trusted colleague, a brilliant neurochemist who'd stood by him through every failed Apex Serum trial. She was loyal—but she was also sharp. Sharp enough to sense that something was wrong with "Ethan."
"You're still here," she said, pushing open the door. Her eyes darted to his temple, then to the monitor displaying the revised serum formula—lines of code and molecular structures that Liam had rewritten in minutes, merging his AI optimization skills with Ethan's understanding of neural chemistry. "I thought you'd go home, rest. What you pulled… it's impossible. The serum's peptide chain—you fixed a flaw we've been chasing for six months. In five minutes."
Liam turned, forcing Ethan's calm, confident smile—something he'd gleaned from the man's memories, practiced in the split second before she entered. "Rest can wait," he said, his voice steady, Ethan's tone perfectly replicated. "We were missing the obvious. The serum wasn't targeting the right neural receptors—but with a little… outside perspective, the fix became clear." He avoided mentioning the "outside perspective" was a dead AI genius from another universe. No need to complicate things—not yet.
Elena crossed her arms, but her skepticism softened as she glanced at the monitor again. "Outside perspective? You've been obsessed with this serum for three years. You never once considered reconfiguring the peptide sequence like that."
Liam's mind raced—Ethan's memories and his own logic merging seamlessly. "Obsession blinds you," he said, stepping closer to the monitor and pointing to a line of code. "I was so focused on forcing the serum to break the 12% barrier that I ignored the brain's natural symbiotic response. The Nexus Core—" He paused, catching himself. Ethan had never mentioned the Nexus Core; it was Liam's creation, brought over in the transference. "—the neural mapping I did last week," he corrected, smoothly, "showed me that the brain rejects forced enhancement. It needs a partner. A symbiont."
It wasn't a lie—not really. The Nexus Core was the symbiont, merging with the serum to create something new. And as he spoke, the hum in his skull grew louder, and a surge of warmth spread through his brain. [Brain activation: 15%. Symbiosis stability: 92%. New ability unlocked: Enhanced Neural Recall.]
Suddenly, every memory—Ethan's and his own—was crystal clear. He could recall the exact formula of the first Apex Serum trial, every failed data point, every conversation he'd had with Elena in the past year. He could even remember the code he'd written for the Nexus Core at 2 a.m. three years ago, word for word. It was like his brain had transformed into a supercomputer, with unlimited storage and instant access.
Elena's eyes widened as she watched him. "You're different," she said, quietly. "Not just your ideas—you're sharper. Faster. Like… like you're not just Ethan anymore."
Before Liam could respond, the lab's intercom buzzed. A deep, gruff voice filled the room: "Dr. Cross, this is Director Hale. Report to my office immediately. We need to discuss your 'breakthrough.' And bring the revised serum data. Now."
Liam's stomach tightened. Ethan's memories painted a clear picture of Director Hale: a ruthless government official, in charge of funding the Apex Program, and a man who cared more about results than ethics. He'd been pressuring Ethan to deliver a working serum for months—threatening to cut funding, to shut down the lab, even to have him replaced if he failed. Now that "Ethan" had delivered, Hale would want answers. Answers Liam wasn't sure he could give.
"I'll be right there," Liam said into the intercom, his voice calm despite the tension. When the buzz cut off, he turned back to Elena. "Keep working on the serum. Run a simulation of the 15% activation—use the new neural mapping data. I'll be back soon."
Elena nodded, but her eyes lingered on his temple, the faint blue glow still visible. "Be careful with Hale," she said. "He's not just here to congratulate you. He wants control of whatever you've created."
Liam smiled—a mix of his own grit and Ethan's confidence. "Control is something I don't give up easily."
As he walked down the hallway, the Nexus Core hummed in his skull, and he felt his brain activating further—15.1%, 15.2%. With every step, his senses sharpened, his mind raced faster, and he knew one thing for certain: Director Hale wasn't the only one who would want his breakthrough. Rival scientists, corrupt corporations, even anti-augmentation fanatics—they'd all come for him. But he wasn't just Liam Voss anymore. He wasn't just Ethan Cross. He was both. And with the Nexus Core fused to his brain, and his capacity growing every minute, he was unstoppable.
The 15% awakening was just the beginning. 20% was next. Then 30%. And eventually, 100%. He would finish both of their dreams. He would perfect neuro-symbiosis. And he would rewrite human evolution—no matter who tried to stop him.