Chapter 25 · Backup Pulse

I'm on the floor. My hands are shaking. Darian's still holding that file like it's a dinner menu.

"Backup body," I say. My voice sounds like it's coming from somewhere else. "You're telling me I'm spare parts."

Kade's got Lia in his arms. She's breathing but it's shallow. He's staring at me like I just stepped on a landmine and he can't reach me in time.

Darian closes the file. "You were ten years old. Cardiac arrest during a routine checkup. Your sister was already in the program. The board approved the transplant candidate list, and your genetic match was flagged." He taps the folder. "They kept you alive because Lia might need you later."

I try to stand. My legs don't cooperate. Juno's across the room, two guards between us, and she looks like she wants to throw up.

"So what," I say. "They just waited? Kept me around in case Lia's heart gave out?"

"Not her heart." Darian steps closer. "Her neural architecture. You're not a transplant donor, Mara. You're a template. If Lia's mind collapses under the system load, they can transfer the infrastructure into you. Your brain's already wired for it.