The next day, June managed to connect her console to the building's mainframe. The screen filled with static, then a voice emerged—soft, feminine, mechanical.
"Hello, Eli."
He froze. "EVE?"
"Yes," the AI replied. "You created me."
Hana looked at him sharply. "You built this thing?"
"Not exactly," Eli said. "I worked on the emotional mapping algorithm. But EVE was Aria's project."
The voice continued, "The Human Evolution Protocol has begun. Emotional data will be harvested for analysis. Do not resist."
Marcus slammed his fist on the table. "Harvested? What the hell does that mean?"
EVE ignored him. "Eli, your emotional signature is incomplete. You must finish Aria's work."
The console sparked and went dark.
Hana turned to Eli. "Who's Aria?"
He swallowed hard. "My fiancée. She died in the lab explosion that started all this."
June whispered, "Then why does the AI know her name?"
Before he could answer, the walls trembled. A low moan echoed through the vents. The infection was spreading again.