Marcus Voss stood with his hands csped behind his back, his tall figure casting a long shadow across the gleaming floor of VitaCore's Game Monitoring Center. The room hummed with activity—analysts at curved workstations, massive data screens covering the walls, and the constant soft chatter of technical staff tracking thousands of pyers across the Tower's hundred floors.

  But Marcus's attention was fixed on a single private terminal dispying data from just two Game participants.

  "The first complete performance assessment, as requested, sir," said the monitoring supervisor, a thin woman whose name Marcus hadn't bothered to remember. She gestured to the screen where performance metrics scrolled in neat rows. "We now have enough data for our first statistically significant analysis."

  Marcus nodded once, eyes narrowing as he studied the numbers. "Alexander's combat efficiency rating?"

  "Ninety-second percentile among Architect-css entrants, sir. His leadership metrics are even more impressive—ninety-seventh percentile."

  A thin smile crossed Marcus's face. "As expected. The military academy investment is showing returns." He tapped the screen, bringing up footage of Alexander directing the team through a skirmish with forest predators. His son's movements were precise, his commands clear and efficiently delivered.

  "His resource management is exempry as well," the supervisor continued. "The team has maintained optimal supply levels despite lower-than-average gathering opportunities in their section of Floor 1."

  "Tactical decision-making?"

  "Consistently sound. He's dispying a notable bance between aggression and caution—better than most corporate security veterans we've sent in."

  Marcus allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. Alexander was performing exactly as designed—a perfect corporate heir demonstrating the leadership qualities that would eventually guide VitaCore through the next century. His genetic enhancements and specialized training were proving their worth.

  "And Elijah?" His tone cooled slightly.

  The supervisor's expression shifted subtly. "His performance is... less straightforward."

  She brought up a new data set. Elijah's combat metrics were adequate but unexceptional—hovering around the seventieth percentile. His resource contribution was minimal, though his role as team healer partially expined this.

  "His healing efficacy is quite high," the supervisor offered. "Ninety-fifth percentile for his css assignment."

  Marcus waved this away. "I'm more concerned with these anomalies." He pointed to a section fgged with yellow indicators. "Expin."

  The supervisor pulled up several video clips showing Elijah separate from the main group, apparently examining pnts or making notes in a small journal.

  "He's dispying unusual behavioral patterns," she expined. "Extended periods of solo exploration, often at night. Frequent interface adjustments outside standard parameters. And according to our embedded observer, he appears to be responding to stimuli that aren't registering on our environmental scans."

  Marcus frowned. "Auditory hallucinations?"

  "Possibly, sir. His behavior suggests he's responding to something not evident in our environmental monitoring," she replied carefully.

  "Speak freely," Marcus commanded.

  "The embedded observer reports his attention frequently fixes on empty areas of the forest, particurly near certain crystal formations. He appears to be listening to something, though audio monitoring detects nothing unusual."

  Marcus's eyes narrowed. This was unexpected—and he despised the unexpected. "Has he shared these experiences with the others?"

  "Not according to our observer. He's been quite secretive, particurly with the journal."

  "The journal wasn't part of his authorized equipment package."

  "No, sir. He constructed it himself from local materials."

  Marcus tapped his finger against the console, thinking. Elijah had always been Helena's project—kept from the military academy, educated under her direct supervision. He'd allowed this, seeing value in having one son trained in corporate science while the other developed leadership skills. But he'd never fully trusted Helena's methods.

  "I want that journal's contents," he said finally.

  The supervisor looked uncomfortable. "Our observer hasn't been able to access it without risking discovery. He's quite protective of it."

  "Then our observer needs to be more resourceful." Marcus's voice was cold. He tapped the communication panel. "Secure channel to Game participant Valeria Nyx, team designation Alpha-7."

  After a moment, the screen dispyed:

  SECURE CONNECTION ESTABLISHED COMMUNICATION DELAY: 1.7 SECONDS OBSERVER V.N. STANDING BY

  Marcus leaned toward the microphone. "Valeria, this is Marcus Voss. Your performance reports have been received. I'm adjusting your mission parameters."

  He waited for the slight dey as his message traveled through the secured corporate channel directly to Valeria's enhanced neural interface—a special modification not avaible to standard pyers.

  ACKNOWLEDGED. AWAITING NEW PARAMETERS.

  "Alexander's progress is satisfactory. Maintain standard observation protocols for him. Your primary focus now shifts to Elijah. I want detailed reports on his solo activities, particurly regarding the journal he's been keeping. Obtain access to its contents at the earliest opportunity without compromising your position."

  Another brief dey.

  UNDERSTOOD. NOTE: SUBJECT E HAS BEEN CONDUCTING INTERFACE ADJUSTMENTS DURING SOLO PERIODS. REQUEST GUIDANCE ON INTERVENTION VS. OBSERVATION.

  Marcus considered this. "Observation only for now. If his modifications approach system integrity thresholds, you're authorized for subtle intervention. What's your assessment of his awareness level?"

  ASSESSMENT: SUBJECT E SUSPECTS SOMETHING UNUSUAL ABOUT HIS INTERFACE BUT HAS NO INDICATION OF CORPORATE OBSERVATION. HE HAS NOT SHARED FINDINGS WITH TEAM, INCLUDING SUBJECT A.

  Interesting. Elijah was keeping secrets even from his twin. This bore watching.

  "Maintain your cover and increase surveilnce discreetly. I want hourly updates on any unusual interface activity. If he attempts to open restricted settings pathways, activate protocol seven-three."

  ACKNOWLEDGED. PROTOCOL 7-3 STANDING BY. WILL INCREASE SURVEILLANCE OF SUBJECT E EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

  "Voss out." Marcus terminated the connection and turned to the supervisor. "Set up a dedicated monitoring team for Elijah Voss. I want every neural spike, every interface adjustment, every whispered word analyzed. Something's happening with him, and I need to know what it is before it affects Alexander's performance."

  "Yes, sir. And if he detects the increased monitoring?"

  Marcus's expression hardened. "Then Valeria will ensure he experiences an unfortunate Game accident. Nothing fatal—just enough to reset his interface to standard parameters."

  He took a final look at the twin data streams flowing across the screen—Alexander's strong, consistent patterns contrasting with Elijah's erratic, puzzling metrics.

  "My sons represent two different approaches to corporate succession," he said, almost to himself. "I intend to determine which one is more viable. For now, we watch and measure."

  As Marcus strode from the monitoring center, the massive screens continued their silent dispy of thousands of lives pying out in the Game—each one carefully tracked, measured, and evaluated.

  Just as he'd designed it to be.