#Chapter 206: The Sleeper Map

Amelia Simon met us in the lower lab of the central wing, buried deep beneath the council hall where the air felt unnaturally still. Layers of concrete sealed the space off from the rest of the building, quiet enough that our footsteps echoed louder than they should have. Two guards stood at the entrance, silent and unmoving. The retinal scanner clicked as we passed, the only acknowledgment of our presence. Simon was already at the console, dragging it closer with one hand as he keyed in sequences with the other. He didn’t look up. His jaw was clenched, his stubble patchy, and his focus locked entirely on the projection forming above the table. The lights dimmed as the green display bloomed across the glass surface, casting shifting patterns on our faces like reflections off water. “This isn’t direct control,” Simon said. “They aren’t issuing new commands. They’re triggering systems that were built into people months or even years ago. The bell tones act as keys to doors that w