"It's a shame that Venessa met an unfortunate end, the council is on public damage control. I could have used her a bit longer. But all good things come to an end, at least I know my hunch was correct about Aisha. She's hiding something that can tip the scales in her favor."

Takahashi looked down at Vanessa's file on his table as he poured himself a glass of whisky. "Aisha has always been secretive about her foot print, making sure the eyes of the council aren't watching."

A knock from the other side of the door catches his attention and replies, "Administrator Takahashi, you have a visitor."

"Right on time, send them in."

"Administrator Takahashi, it's good to see you again. When I got word that you wanted to see me, I paused everything and came as fast as I could."

"I do appreciate you coming all this way from the northwest, Bryan," Takahashi said, offering his guest a seat adjacent from him.

"Thanks, may I ask why you summoned me to the city?"

"Ah, getting straight to the point I like that." Takahashi placed a data drive at the center of the clear table. The table's transparency transitioned and a spread of documents appeared before them.

"A few days ago, I've received a call involving a project for the Department of Defense and your department is well suited for the task of course with the assistance from your sister departments. Big Brother has taken a keen interest with Professor Wingate's latest artificial intelligence results."

Bryan touched the holofile pulling it towards him, tapping the file. He reads the documents, blue prints, and internal schematics of a cylindrical device.

"Well, can I assume I choose right?"

"Yes, we can handle this project but I've never heard of something like this, an interconnected neural network isn't going to be easy--"

"And why not?" Takahashi said bluntly, putting his glass down. Dissatisfied with Bryan's reply.

"With all due respect, Administrator Takahashi, what Professor Wingate pulled off requires a lot more than circuits and electricity, the technology used is sophisticated, we'll have to dismantle the schematics and reverse engineer the components for a better understanding of its functionality. We'll need a catalyst to build this system. Creating one from scratch is a difficulty on its own. The main Institution that hired her is the reason she succeeded in the first place, their equipment, funds, resources, and manpower is nearly unrivaled giving them the bleeding edge in nearly all sectors." Bryan touched the file, sliding it to the end of the table.

Takahashi pushed the second file towards Bryan, "What she spend time and fortunes on, we can get for free."

Bryan touches the dossier and a picture of a girl appears. "This girl is your answer to the catalyst and not some ordinary girl at that."

"Don’t worry about the how, just focus on the when, she's currently taking part in a R&D program in Sector 09, you'll be update daily with the subjects development progress. You'll also be working with Helix Industries on the prototype unit, the Chief Technology Officer of Helix Industries will be waiting for your call." Takahashi picks up the date drive, handing it off to Bryan.

"With this much resources, a prototype model can be accelerated. Time to get to work." Bryan shakes Takahashi's hand, making his departure from the office.

Pouring another glass of whisky, he sits back comfortably raising his glass in the air then a drink. You spent decades researching human assimilation with synthetics and gotten you nowhere but now things are different, her daughter is proof- Aisha is about to change mankind… as a whole.

*******

August 13, 12pm

Alone at the 156th Branch office sitting in her swivel chair, Jasmine pushed herself towards the refrigerator grabbing her blue water bottle, looking at the thermostat on the wall. "It's nearly 100 degrees outside, and a heat warning was issued just before 11am. It's a good thing I made Marquis stay home for today until the building's climate control is fixed."

She reaches into her bag taking out a shirt with a reflective surface on the inside. Just as she was about to change the door opens but before the door can open all the way she teleports shutting the door closed. "Sorry just a minute," she said, changing her top.

She opened the door, and said, "A long way from Coney Island during summer vacation."

She fist bumps Kuniva as he enters the office. "Well, this summer is different since my mom will be out of the city for a while longer. What are you up to?"

"Eh, I just came back from patrol taking my lunch break now."

The room went silent, they looked off in opposite directions, frowning. Venessa's death still weighed on them, no one was prepared to hear of such unfortunate events. It struck them harder since they were just getting to know her.

Kuniva sat on the sofa looking up at the TV up on the wall, he felt the brunt of the situation knowing what unfortunate events occurred in Venessa’s past. "I heard the investigation team still cant identify Professor Wingate's cause of death."

Jasmine rubbed her arm taking a seat. "Yeah, I heard but it doesn't make any sense, why would she take her own life?"

Kuniva sat in silence staring into nothingness, since her sudden death. Her memories and their encounter refreshed any time Vanessa's name was mentioned around him. Her pain was now his own.

*******

Kuniva left the 156th Branch office strolling through the calm street of the Williamsburg neighborhood. As much as I want to ignore this mess, it won't let me. Something is wrong with this whole thing. Maybe that hospital knows something, it was the last thing that was shared to me.

As he walked past the park entrance a gentle humming redirected his ears towards the source of the gentle tone. He followed the humming to the source coming from a girl dressed in a school uniform holding a silver flute.

She's from North Berkeley high school, a school for psychokinesis and telepathic based biotics.

The gentle melody paused when she noticed Kuniva standing nearby. "Yes?"

"I apologize, but that melody is familiar to me and wanted to know where it's from?"

"Sorry but not even I know where it's from. I heard it from my late grandmother when I was a child, she said it was passed down through the generations. As the song is passed down the name is forgotten but not the melody itself."

"May I ask where you heard it from?" She asked.

"Well, that's the thing. No one that I know recognizes that melody or sung it to me. Like it was already in my head."

"Perhaps you may have heard it in your past, however I apologize that I can't do much for you but I can play the full song for you if you like?"

Kuniva shook his head, and they traded places. The girl stands before him and hums the gentle melody, her fingers covering each hole on her flute as she hums and brings it up to her lips.

When the first note plays, Kuniva head jerks back, the em envelope around him bleeds static electricity into the environment, shorting out a few light posts, the flute hissed violently, shocking the girl prompting her to drop the musical instrument.

"What happened? Are you okay?" She asked, seeing Kuniva holding his head from the sudden occurrence.

"Yeah, are you a telepath?"

"Yes, Stage 4 telepathy, Category 5. Why? did I do something wrong?"

Kuniva shakes off the intrusive effects.

"Nah, it's my electromagnetic field. Telepathic abilities don't mix well with me."

"I'm sorry, I didn’t know."

"Not your fault, besides I've felt worse. But what about your flute? I can replace it for you?"

She nodded her head declining Kuniva's offer to replace her instrument.

"It's a prototype model lent to me by the Civilian R&D Volunteer Program, the final product is still in the works and besides it's pretty expensive. The R&D I mean."

Taking another glance at the flute with relief, he understood what she was saying since he takes part in the R&D Volunteers Program himself.

"I know it's private details but what is the flute for?"

She picks up the destroyed device.

"It is a sound amplifier for my telepathy."

"What for?"

"Syncing brainwaves of thousands of people without having a mental out phase or any implants. Listening to the thoughts and feeling the emotions of thousands of people can put an enormous strain on the brain physically, leaving an individual unconscious or in a severe state of psychosis. Brainwaves are similar to ocean waves and music, they can be gentle or chaotic. Transmitting emotional feelings and memories similar to how telecommunications and the internet works. However, without a conduit that information can't be shared from person to person."

"So, that flute is a conduit, like a second function?"

"Not exactly, the flute only has one purpose and that is to amplify brainwaves for a stronger synchronization rate, I'm the conduit."

"Hmmm."

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"No, I'm not familiar with how psychokinesis or telepathic biotics truly function. Sorry."

"That's understandable, we're bit of mystery. I'll tell you what, I'll do some searching around for the song's name, if you happen to be in the neighborhood I can share what I found with you."

"Sounds like a plan, Be easy," Kuniva said walking toward the park exit. No way that's possible, remembering something from a past lifetime is crazy.