"Your progress continues to exceed all established parameters," Dr. Khoury says, examining the holographic display of my latest neural scan. Two weeks have passed since Elara and I discovered the coordinates in the signal, and my abilities have continued to develop at an accelerated rate.

  We're in what she calls the "comprehensive assessment lab"—a sterile, white room filled with advanced monitoring equipment and scanning technology I don't recognize. Today marks my first monthly evaluation, a standard procedure for all resistants to track their development and ensure stability.

  "Is that concerning?" I ask, watching the complex patterns of light that represent my brain's activity. Even to my untrained eye, the neural connections appear substantially more numerous and complex than in the scans I saw when I first arrived at Helios.

  "Concerning isn't the word I would choose," she replies, adjusting the display to highlight specific regions. "Unprecedented, certainly. Fascinating, definitely." Her fingers dance across the control panel, bringing up comparative images. "This is a typical resistant brain after six months of development. And this," she switches to another image, "is yours after just three weeks."

  The difference is dramatic. Where the typical resistant brain shows specific regions of enhanced activity and new connections, mine displays an integrated network spanning virtually all areas, with particularly dense clustering in regions Dr. Khoury identifies as related to telepathic projection, reception, and spatial awareness.

  "And this isn't dangerous?" I press, remembering Lieutenant Voss's warnings about Dr. Matsuda.

  "Your stability metrics remain within acceptable parameters," she assures me, though something in her tone suggests she's not entirely confident. "The integration approach Lieutenant Voss developed for your training appears to be providing sufficient structural support for the rapid expansion."

  She doesn't mention Elara's contribution to that integration approach, I note. Whether deliberately or out of ignorance, I can't tell.

  "There is one anomaly I'd like to explore further," she continues, highlighting a region deep in my brain's temporal lobe. "This area shows activity patterns we've never recorded in a resistant subject before. It's reminiscent of patterns observed in Nexari drone neural tissue samples, but with significant differences in structure and function."

  My pulse quickens slightly. Is she identifying the physical manifestation of what allows me to perceive the signal? "What kind of differences?"

  "In Nexari tissue, this region acts as a receiver and transmitter for the hive mind's coordinating signals—essentially, the biological hardware that facilitates collective consciousness." She zooms in on the highlighted area. "In your brain, it appears to be serving a similar function, but with added complexity that maintains individual identity boundaries while facilitating expanded awareness."

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  "Like a bridge between individual and collective consciousness," I suggest, deliberately using the terminology from the signal.

  Dr. Khoury's eyes narrow slightly. "An apt metaphor. Yes, essentially a neural architecture that could potentially interface with collective consciousness structures without being subsumed by them." She studies me with renewed interest. "Have you experienced anything that might correlate with this development? Extended awareness states? Perception of consciousness patterns beyond immediate proximity?"

  She's fishing for information about the signal detection, I realize. Does she already know or suspect what Elara and I have experienced? I decide to offer a partial truth.

  "During training with Specialist Voss, I've been able to extend my awareness beyond the immediate environment," I acknowledge. "Sensing other minds on the station, distinguishing different types of consciousness patterns."

  "But nothing beyond the station itself?" she presses.

  "Is that possible?" I counter, watching her reaction.

  A slight smile touches her lips. "Theoretically. With sufficient neural adaptation and the right resonance amplification, consciousness perception might extend quite far beyond conventional telepathic ranges." She makes a note on her datapad. "Something to explore in future specialized sessions, perhaps."

  The evaluation continues with physical tests, cognitive assessments, and psionic output measurements. Throughout, I notice Dr. Khoury paying particular attention to my reactions when she mentions certain topics—Nexari consciousness structures, extended perception capabilities, theoretical limits of telepathic range. She's probing, looking for reactions that might confirm whatever she suspects.

  Finally, as the session concludes, she fixes me with that penetrating gaze that reminds me uncomfortably of a scientist examining a particularly interesting specimen.

  "A final question, Andrew. Have you experienced any unusual dreams since your abilities began developing? Specifically, dreams with coherent narratives or information that seems to come from outside your own experience?"

  So she knows about the dreamspace phenomena too. I wonder how many resistants have reported their experiences despite Commander Wells's suggestion that Border Command is less receptive to such reports.

  "Some vivid dreams," I admit cautiously. "More coherent than normal dreams, yes. Is that common among resistants?"

  "Common enough to be statistically significant," she confirms. "The content of these dreams would be of great interest to our research team. Would you be willing to record them for analysis?"

  "I'll consider it," I say noncommittally.

  She seems to accept this for now, making a final note before dismissing me. "Your next training session with Lieutenant Voss begins in thirty minutes. I've already forwarded today's assessment results to her."

  As I leave the lab, I can't shake the feeling that Dr. Khoury knows more about what Elara and I have been experiencing than she's letting on. The specific focus on extended perception abilities, the interest in dreams, the identification of the brain region that might facilitate communication with the signal source—it's too targeted to be coincidental.

  The question is whether she's acting on her own scientific curiosity, or under Admiral Thorn's directive to gather intelligence on our activities without directly confronting us.

  Either way, it's clear that our attempts to keep our discoveries private haven't been entirely successful. We need to be more careful, more strategic in how we proceed—especially with the coordinates pointing to a meeting that's now less than a month away.