Beyond Causality
Chapter 4 — Threshold 1.0062
Helix Quantum Systems Headquarters — Geneva Orbital Division.
The boardroom was silent.
Projected above the table: Compression Proposal 2. Threshold 1.0062.
Dr. Aaryan Mehta, lead gravitational physicist, spoke calmly.
"The deviation was minor. The anomaly is structural noise. We cannot halt progress because of a three-centimeter orbital drift."
A military liaison folded his hands. "Three centimeters today. Three kilometers tomorrow."
Aaryan didn't look impressed. "Fear-based modeling is inefficient."
On the far side of the room, the predictive AI displayed conflicting probability curves.
One curve showed stabilization. One showed systemic resonance. One showed model breakdown.
The AI appended a tag: Unresolved Causal Deviation.
Aaryan narrowed his eyes. "Why is the AI uncertain?"
"External advisory models suggest resonance amplification beyond 1.006 baseline," an analyst replied.
"Source?" Aaryan asked.
"Unknown. Anonymous. But mathematically consistent."
Silence.
Aaryan didn't believe in ghosts.
But he did believe in superior mathematics.
"Run compression at 1.0062," he said finally. "We don't retreat from structure."
The vote passed.
Rishikesh.
Vansh felt the decision before it was publicly logged.
Causal density tightened sharply.
He activated the interface.
Duration: 2.4 seconds.
Pain immediate.
Energy draw significant.
Projection branches split violently.
If compression succeeds fully: Coherence decay accelerates to 0.008% within weeks.
If partial instability occurs: Regulatory freeze probability increases 58%.
If catastrophic spike: Global panic. Military escalation risk 41%.
He ended the interface.
Vision flickered momentarily.
He recalculated without activation.
Optimal path: controlled micro-failure.
Not destruction.
Demonstration.
He would not stop the experiment directly.
He would shift one variable.
Small enough to avoid casualties. Large enough to expose instability.
He accessed a dormant investment branch.
Allocated liquidity to a minor component supplier used in Helix's field stabilizer array.
Not to sabotage.
To influence delivery timing.
A 0.3 second delay in phase synchronization.
Within tolerance.
But near threshold.
Enough to create visible deviation.
He closed the terminal.
Energy reserve 78%.
Background noise rising.
Professor Mishra entered quietly.
"You look troubled."
"Structural miscalculation," Vansh replied.
The professor laughed softly. "You always speak like that. The world isn't a machine."
Vansh looked at him.
"It behaves like one under stress."
The professor studied him for a moment. "Be careful not to become what you're trying to fix."
Vansh didn't answer.
Because he wasn't fixing the world.
He was stabilizing it.
Different objective.
Lunar Orbit — Compression Sequence Initiated.
Threshold: 1.0062.
Field activated.
For 0.9 seconds—
Stabilization array desynchronized by 0.31 seconds.
Compression field oscillated.
Orbital satellites jittered slightly.
Quantum telemetry spiked.
AI predictive model froze for 2.8 seconds.
That was longer than before.
Mission control erupted in contained alarm.
"Field instability detected!"
"Resonance spike at secondary layer!"
Aaryan stared at the data.
This was not random noise.
This was pattern escalation.
He ordered immediate shutdown.
Compression terminated.
This time, the anomaly could not be dismissed.
Global coherence drift updated internally to 0.0051%.
Above safe projection.
In Rishikesh, Vansh closed his eyes briefly.
Energy draw from earlier activation now reverberating.
Mild tremor in left hand.
Acceptable.
No casualties reported.
Regulatory review probability now 71%.
He allowed himself a small internal adjustment.
Optimal branch selected.
Helix would now hesitate.
Not retreat completely.
But hesitate.
And hesitation buys time.
Across the globe, encrypted military channels lit up.
China requested shared anomaly data.
The United States demanded internal investigation.
India's strategic council requested silent briefing.
The 0.7 seconds had become 0.9 seconds.
That was enough.
Vansh returned to his chair.
He did not feel satisfaction.
Only recalibration.
Coherence still declining.
But slower.
For now.
He picked up his book again.
Outside, the mountains remained unmoved.
Inside orbital space, humanity had crossed a line.
And someone in Geneva began searching for the anonymous mathematician who had predicted it.