Two episodes. Two devastating revelations. One question that changes everything.
"The sand didn't sink of its own accord."
A cryptic message about the Sandy leads Bran and TiGer to Sher Gar's Library, where a routine consultation becomes a nightmare. The nanobots building circuits beneath Bran's skin aren't just invading, they're systematically devouring The ALEx's memories, erasing centuries of history before their eyes.
Sometimes the most insidious attacks aren't the ones you see coming. They're already inside, rewriting your story one memory at a time.
"That was the entire point of reinstating them."
The tubes won't respond. Adreno Guards hunt with shoot-first orders. And in a devastating overheard conversation, Bran discovers the truth: his "second chance" was never about redemption, it was orchestrated sabotage, designed to watch him fail spectacularly and undermine Captain Higgs in the process.
When your own body betrays you and the system turns against you, survival becomes about distinguishing between genuine allies and elaborate deceptions.
Both episodes explore a chilling reality: what happens when the very foundations of trust (memory, authority, even your own flesh) prove unreliable? As TiGer reminds us, "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?" The wisdom lies in focusing on your circle of control when everything else crumbles.
"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind," but who's doing the renewing? And can you trust the process when the system itself is compromised?
Episodes 8 & 9 are now live for patrons at patreon.com/madengine
Also available on Wattpad for free readers.
Where memory meets manipulation. Where neuroscience meets the narrow road. Where the hunted discover that sometimes grace comes through the most unlikely allies.
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