The Extra's Rise

The morning of my visit to Luna brought an unexpected request from Deputy Commander Sereth.

"Cardinal Matthias," he said, intercepting me in the hallway before I could reach Luna's chamber. "Dr. Vance has requested a consultation regarding the subject's recent behavioral modifications. He's particularly interested in your... assessment methodology."

Perfect. I'd been waiting for this opportunity. "Of course. I'd be happy to share my observations with Dr. Vance."

My clinical mind was already analyzing the request. They were concerned about Luna's emotional development but hadn't yet classified it as problematic enough to trigger immediate intervention. This gave me a window to establish myself as an expert consultant rather than a potential threat—a position that would grant me access to systems and information I desperately needed.

"Excellent. Dr. Vance will join you for today's evaluation session."

Twenty minutes later, I entered Luna's chamber accompanied by a thin, nervous man in a lab coat who radiated the particular brand of arrogance that came from someone who had never been told his research was monstrous.

"Dr. Vance," I said, extending my hand in greeting. "I've reviewed your work on cognitive enhancement integration. Impressive methodology."

"Cardinal Matthias," he replied, his pale eyes lighting up with pleasure. "I must say, your approach to subject evaluation has yielded fascinating results. We've never seen such rapid emotional development in any previous iteration."

Luna looked up from her usual spot by the window, and I could see confusion flicker across her features when she noticed the additional person. Her hand instinctively moved to clutch her butterfly toy, a gesture that made my chest tighten with protective instinct.

"Good morning, Luna," I said, settling into my chair with deliberate casualness. "I brought someone to meet you today. This is Dr. Vance—he's been helping take care of you since you were very small."

"Hello," Luna said politely, but I could see the wariness in her posture. She'd learned to associate new adults with unpleasant experiences.

"Remarkable," Dr. Vance murmured, making notes on his tablet. "The subject's social recognition patterns show significant advancement. Previous iterations required extensive conditioning to achieve basic conversational response."

Subject. Iterations. The clinical language when referring to her made my jaw clench, but I forced my expression to remain neutral.

"I've been working on pattern recognition exercises," I explained, opening the bag I'd brought. "Simple cognitive stimulation to evaluate her learning capacity."

What I withdrew wasn't another book or toy—it was a tablet loaded with basic educational software. But hidden beneath the surface programs was something far more sophisticated: a custom-built interface that would allow me to passively scan any network it connected to.

"This is interesting, Luna," I said, powering on the device. "Would you like to try some puzzles?"

Her eyes lit up with genuine excitement. "Real puzzles? On a computer?"

"The subject has shown remarkable aptitude for pattern recognition," Dr. Vance noted approvingly. "Cardinal, your assessment protocols are yielding exceptional data."

If only you knew what I was really assessing.

As Luna began working through the tablet's puzzles—simple matching games and basic logic problems—I watched Dr. Vance's reactions carefully. The man was completely absorbed in Luna's performance, noting every response time and decision pattern. He had no idea that the tablet was simultaneously mapping the facility's wireless networks, identifying security protocols, and cataloguing the digital signatures of every connected device in the building.

Including the neural implant monitoring system.

"Fascinating," Dr. Vance breathed as Luna solved a particularly complex puzzle in record time. "The cognitive enhancement protocols have exceeded all projections. With proper conditioning, this iteration could achieve operational readiness months ahead of schedule."

Operational readiness. Another euphemism for turning her into a weapon.

"Matthias," Luna said suddenly, looking up from the tablet. "This puzzle is broken."

I noticed she'd dropped the formal "Cardinal" title—a small sign that she was growing more comfortable with me. Good for building trust, though I'd need to remind her to maintain proper address when others were present.

Dr. Vance made a note on his tablet. "The subject's informal address patterns suggest developing social recognition abilities."

'Useful development,' I thought clinically. A more trusting subject would be easier to extract when the time came.

"Remarkable! We've never achieved spontaneous imprinting in previous iterations. This could represent a significant breakthrough in control methodologies."

Luna was looking at the tablet with focus, clearly engaged with the problem-solving aspect of the puzzles. I leaned forward to examine the puzzle she'd indicated was "broken," noting how she instinctively leaned slightly toward me—a sign of growing trust.

She's starting to see me as safe, I observed. That'll be important for cooperation during extraction.

"This puzzle is actually functioning correctly," I explained gently. "But I can see why you think it's broken. The solution requires thinking about the problem differently than the others you've solved."

For the next hour, I guided Luna through increasingly complex cognitive exercises while simultaneously mapping the facility's digital infrastructure. The tablet's hidden programs were working flawlessly, creating a comprehensive picture of their security systems, communication networks, and—most importantly—the implant control systems.

Bingo. The neural implants operated on a secure wireless frequency, communicating with a central monitoring station that tracked everything from Luna's vital signs to her emotional state. More interestingly, the system was designed with remote override capabilities for "emergency situations."

Like a termination protocol.

"Cardinal," Dr. Vance said as the session concluded, "I must say, your evaluation methodology has provided invaluable insights. Would you be interested in consulting on the next phase of development?"

Perfect. "I'd be honored to contribute to such groundbreaking research."

As we prepared to leave, Luna called out softly. "Matthias? Will you come back tomorrow?"

"Of course," I assured her, noting how she seemed to relax at the confirmation. Building this level of trust was essential for the mission's success.

Outside the chamber, Dr. Vance continued his enthusiastic commentary. "The subject's social development is remarkable. We've never achieved this level of interpersonal engagement in previous iterations."

I nodded along with his analysis while my mind raced with the implications of what I'd discovered. The neural implants weren't just monitoring devices—they were comprehensive control systems capable of remote manipulation. But they were also the key to Luna's survival, and any disruption had to be carefully planned.

'I need more time to analyze this,' I realized. 'And I need to be very, very careful about how I proceed.'

"Dr. Vance," I said as we reached his office, "I'd like to review the complete technical specifications for the enhancement protocols. To better understand how cognitive development might affect future performance parameters."

"Certainly! I'll have the files transferred to your secure terminal immediately."

Hook, line, and sinker. By positioning myself as a collaborator rather than a threat, I'd gained access to everything I needed to plan Luna's extraction.

I didn't want to admit the warmth wrapping around my heart.