Zeph's mind raced through the implications.
'He's not lying. He genuinely needs information about what happened to me—about how and why I reverted when the others didn't.'
'Which means I actually do have leverage. He wants something I have that he can't easily get elsewhere.'
'Information. Data. Understanding.'
"You want information about my transformation," Zeph said, organizing his thoughts. "About the process, the mechanics, whatever made me different from the others. Fine. But I'm not joining your organization."
"Non-negotiable." Marcus's response was immediate and absolute. "I need long-term access, not a one-time debriefing. Anomaly development doesn't happen in a single conversation—it takes months, years to see patterns emerge."
Zeph's analytical mind saw the opening.
"You just told me I'm a unique data point. Which means forcing me into your organization defeats the entire purpose."
Marcus frowned. "Explain."
