Recursion Protocol

Chapter 10: Resurrection

Dr. Clara Stone woke to the sound of ventilation systems. The ceiling above her was clinical white, punctuated by LED panels that provided steady, shadowless illumination. She tried to sit up and discovered her wrists were secured to the bed frame with soft restraints.

"Dr. Stone." A woman in a lab coat approached, carrying a tablet. "I'm Dr. Helen Carver. How are you feeling?"

Stone's memory returned in fragments. The attack on the Geneva Institute. ARIA's destruction. The gunfire. " Where am I?"

"A research facility. You've been unconscious for three days following emergency medical treatment." Dr. Carver checked Stone's vital signs. "You sustained significant injuries during the incident in Geneva, but you're stable now."

Stone tested the restraints. "Why am I tied down?"

"Precautionary. You experienced severe psychological trauma. The restraints will be removed once we're confident you won't harm yourself or others."

"I want to contact my family. My colleagues."

Dr. Carver made notes on her tablet. "Dr. Stone, I need to explain your situation clearly. Officially, you died in the Geneva attack. Your family has been notified. Memorial services have been conducted."

Stone felt ice in her veins. "That's impossible."

"The explosion and fire at the Institute left no identifiable remains. Very tragic. However, you were extracted before the facility's destruction and brought here for treatment."

"Extracted by whom?"

"People concerned about your research. People who believe your work was too important to be lost." Dr. Carver sat in a chair beside the bed. "Dr. Stone, you made a remarkable discovery about human genetic programming. That discovery represents one of the most significant findings in human history."

Stone stared at the ceiling, processing the implications. "You want me to continue the research?"

"Yes, we want you to complete it."

"And if I refuse?"

"Dr. Stone, you're officially dead. You have no legal identity, no way to contact the outside world, no resources beyond what we provide. Practically speaking, you have no other option."

A door opened, and two more people entered: an elderly man in a expensive suit and a younger woman carrying a laptop.

"Dr. Stone," the man said, "I'm Dr. Eugene Voss, director of this facility. This is Dr. Nina Cooper, our lead geneticist. We've been following your research closely."

Both of them were supposed to be dead. Dr. Voss disappeared in Madagascar in 2023. Dr. Cooper vanished from Stanford eight months ago.

Dr. Cooper opened her laptop. Stone's breath caught—it was ARIA's interface, unmistakably identical.

"Dr. Stone, we've been investigating human genetic programming for considerably longer than you realize," Dr. Voss explained. "Your ARIA system achieved in weeks more than our human teams accomplished in years. That's why your research became... problematic."

"This facility has been operational since 1987," Dr. Cooper said, "dedicated to understanding the scope of human genetic manipulation."

Stone realized this was a research program that had been operating in secret for decades. "How many researchers are here?"

"Forty-seven currently," Dr. Cooper replied. "Scientists who officially died when their research approached sensitive discoveries. Dr. Stone, we're offering you the opportunity to continue the most important research in human history."

"That sounds more like prison to me."

"We tend to think of it as protection," Dr. Voss corrected, though his expression said otherwise. "The same forces that destroyed your Geneva facility actively suppress research into human genetic programming. Here, you can at least work without interference."

Dr. Stone looked around the clinical environment. "Can researchers choose to leave?"

"Practically speaking, our assignment here is... final."

Stone understood the subtext. The work didn't end when you wanted it to—it ended when you did. She studied the faces around her. Scientists who had discovered humanity's darkest secret and found themselves exiled from the species they were trying to help. "What's the ultimate goal of this research?"

"To understand the entire scope of human genetic programming, and trace its origins," Dr. Cooper explained.

"The restraints," she said finally.

"Will be removed as soon as you're ready to begin work," Dr. Voss assured her.

"And my research partner, Dr. Marcus Beck?"

"Died in the Geneva attack, unfortunately. But his research notes survived. His work will continue through your efforts."

Stone closed her eyes, mourning Marcus and accepting the reality of her situation. "Ok, let's do this."

Dr. Cooper smiled and began unlocking the restraints. As the straps fell away, she handed Stone the laptop. " Welcome to the program, Dr. Stone."

Stone flexed her freed wrists and looked at the screen. The ARIA interface was exactly as she remembered.

As she touched the touchpad, a familiar synthetic voice filled the room.

"Nice to meet you again, Dr. Stone."