The elevator required a retinal scan he didn’t have, but the service stairwell descended six floors below ground. At the bottom, a steel door hung ajar, its lock freshly torched. Inside, the air smelled of ozone, sweat, and something sweetly chemical.
PHYSIOLOGY: STABLE NEURAL UPLOAD: 14.3% COMPLETE bicycle confinement laboratory
Below the data, a live video feed showed a bare room with white walls. Inside, a man in a gray jumpsuit sat on an identical bicycle, pedaling steadily. His eyes were closed. His lips moved, but no sound came through. Behind him, a robotic arm periodically extended a water bottle to his mouth. He drank without waking. The elevator required a retinal scan he didn’t