As I prepare for bed, a message notification appears on my terminal. It's from Commander Wells, requesting my presence at 0700 tomorrow for what she calls an "unofficial orientation briefing" with some of the other resistants. Before official training begins for the day.

  Curious, I accept the invitation, wondering what aspects of resistant life at Helios aren't covered in the official integration process. It's a reminder that despite the intense focus on my connection with Elara, there's a larger community of resistants here—people who have been living with these abilities, navigating Border Command's expectations, for years.

  Sleep, when it finally comes, brings dreams that feel different from ordinary ones—more vivid, more coherent, with a sense of significance that normal dream fragments lack. I find myself once again in that mental landscape of lights connected across the darkness of space. But this time, I'm not just observing or following a thread of connection. I'm actively moving through the network, purposeful rather than exploratory.

  The crystalline structure I glimpsed before comes into focus—a vast, geometric arrangement that seems built from thought rather than matter. As I approach, I realize it's not a single structure but an entire city or habitat, with multiple interconnected elements flowing into and around each other in complex, mesmerizing patterns.

  And waiting for me at what feels like an entrance or gateway is a presence—not fully human, not fully Nexari, but something between. It doesn't speak in words, but concepts form in my mind nonetheless.

  The resonance has been established. The protocol advances to the next phase. You are not the first bridge, but you may be the most important.

  I try to ask questions—who are you, what is this protocol, what am I bridging—but communication in this realm doesn't work that way. Intentions flow, impressions form, but direct inquiry seems to dissolve into the fabric of the experience itself.

  Instead, I'm shown images, fragments of what might be history or prediction: Humans and Nexari in some kind of cooperative environment, neither assimilated nor separate, but working in a harmonic state I can't quite comprehend. Advanced technologies or abilities that blend the strengths of both consciousness types. And a threat, something vast and cold and patient, waiting beyond the edges of known space—a danger to both our civilizations.

  Remember, the presence impresses upon me as the dream begins to fade. The bridges are not weapons or tools. They are evolution—the next step for both.

  I wake with a start, the room's lighting gradually brightening to simulate dawn. The dream lingers with unusual clarity, details remaining sharp in my memory rather than dissolving as dreams typically do. I record as much as I can remember on my datapad, noting the similarities and differences to the previous dream.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Is this what Elara meant by genetic memories? Information somehow encoded in my modified DNA, emerging as consciousness constructs during sleep? Or is it something more immediate—an actual communication from whatever sent that signal we detected during our training session?

  There's no way to be certain, at least not yet. But the consistency between this dream and the previous one, along with Elara's claim of experiencing similar visions, suggests it's more than random neural firing during sleep.

  At 0700, I make my way to the small conference room where Commander Wells requested to meet. Several other resistants are already there—Lopez, Dr. Chen, Dr. Okafor, and a few others I recognize from the initial meeting but haven't interacted with extensively.

  "Good morning, Andrew," Commander Wells greets me as I enter. "Thank you for joining us. Please, have a seat."

  I take an empty chair, noting the informal atmosphere of the gathering. Coffee and breakfast items are arranged on a side table, and people are dressed casually rather than in uniforms or official attire.

  "This isn't an official briefing," Wells explains, seeming to read my curiosity. "More of a tradition we've established over the years. A chance for new resistants to ask questions and get perspectives that might not be included in the official integration process."

  "The stuff they don't tell you in the brochure," Lopez adds with his characteristic directness. "Like how to deal with the nightmares, or what to do when your abilities fluctuate with your emotional state, or which researchers to avoid because they see you as a specimen first and a person second."

  "We've all been where you are," Dr. Okafor says more gently. "Suddenly discovering abilities you never asked for, being thrust into Border Command's institutional structure, trying to redefine your identity and purpose."

  "It can be overwhelming," another resistant—introduced to me as Communications Specialist Rivera—adds. "Especially when different authority figures are pulling you in different directions."

  There's something knowing in her tone that makes me wonder how much this group has observed about my interactions with Lieutenant Voss, Elara, and Admiral Thorn.

  "This is a safe space to ask questions," Commander Wells assures me. "Nothing said here will be reported to the official chain of command. We maintain this space for ourselves, independent of Border Command protocols."

  It's a generous offer, and one I appreciate. But it also raises the question of how much I should reveal about my experiences so far—particularly regarding the signal Elara and I detected, or the dreams that might be genetic memories.

  "Do all resistants experience similar development patterns?" I ask, starting with something relatively neutral. "Or is each manifestation unique?"

  "Both, in a way," Dr. Chen responds. "There are common phases most of us go through—initial ability emergence, learning to control rather than suppress, integration of the abilities into our self-concept. But the specific abilities, their strength, and development rate vary considerably between individuals."

  "Some of us develop primarily telepathic capacities," Dr. Okafor explains. "Others manifest more empathic, precognitive, or psychokinetic abilities. The neural pathways formed after Nexari exposure seem to follow predispositions unique to each individual's brain structure."

  "What about dreams?" I ask, watching their reactions carefully. "Unusual visions or what seem like memories that couldn't possibly be yours?"