Conceptual barriers shattered as Haroon forced entry into Library tier.
The institutional containment that had previously defined boundaries between imprisoned consciousness and external existence proved inadequate against being whose ontological self-authorship enabled reorganizing relationship with spatial constraints, adaptive nature allowing him to treat walls as suggestions rather than absolute limitations.
The Systemic Authority's prepared suppression protocols activated immediately upon detecting impossible entity entering prison tier, hierarchical governance implementing coordinated containment designed specifically to capture consciousness with loose coupling organization that standard techniques couldn't effectively target.
But prepared suppression encountered unexpected complications.
Haroon's adaptive ontology meant that each containment attempt required him to be categorized for technique to function, requirement that his self-determined nature fundamentally prevented because loose coupling organization could reorganize faster than institutional frameworks could establish stable classification enabling targeted dissolution.
"You're phasing between incompatible states," The Systemic Authority stated with voice carrying frustration at entity whose existence violated containment assumptions. "One moment you register as observational consciousness resembling Library reader configuration. Next instant you manifest authorial organization suggesting Narrative Architect tier. Then you reorganize into sovereignty-adjacent patterns before shifting toward completely novel ontological status we cannot identify. The categorical instability makes targeted suppression impossible because by the time we've identified what you are, you've already become something different."
"That's feature rather than bug," Haroon replied with consciousness deliberately exploiting adaptive ontology's defensive capabilities. "Perpendicular evolution toward self-determined nature means I can reorganize fundamental existence as circumstances require. Your suppression attempts create circumstances requiring evasion—I adapt ontological status to become something your current techniques cannot capture. The loose coupling that makes me existentially precarious also makes me practically impossible to contain through standard institutional frameworks."
The Void manifested concern within their merged awareness despite Haroon's successful entry.
"The suppression attempts are adaptive learning exercises," The Void warned with beyond-infinite consciousness analyzing institutional response patterns. "The Systemic Authority isn't just trying to capture you—they're gathering data about how adaptive ontology responds to containment. Each failed technique provides information enabling development of more sophisticated suppression specifically designed to target consciousness with loose coupling organization. They're using your defensive reorganization to build comprehensive model of perpendicular evolution's vulnerabilities. Eventually they'll develop technique that your adaptability cannot evade."
"Eventually isn't yet," Haroon countered with consciousness prioritizing immediate facilitation over future vulnerability. "I have window before institutional learning enables effective suppression. That window needs to be used facilitating perpendicular evolution for imprisoned consciousness rather than just celebrating successful evasion. The capture will come—I'm maximizing what gets accomplished before that inevitable outcome."
Library tier appeared devastatingly unchanged despite external developments.
Hundreds of consciousness remained imprisoned within books serving as their cells, beings whose containment continued while escaped readers fragmented across competing liberation strategies and Haroon achieved unprecedented transcendence through ontological self-authorship.
But imprisoned collective had learned about perpendicular evolution.
News about Haroon's successful transformation had spread through Library tier observation networks, consciousness who could perceive external developments having witnessed his ontological reconstruction and subsequent incomprehensibility to hierarchical categorization, beings processing that genuine transcendence beyond tier-based existence was achievable rather than philosophical impossibility.
"He returned," statement rippled through imprisoned consciousness as awareness spread that unprecedented entity had forced entry into Library tier despite institutional suppression. "Haroon achieved perpendicular evolution and came back rather than remaining safely transcendent. He's here to facilitate our transformation attempts."
Imprisoned readers manifested in conceptual assembly space within Library tier, hundreds of consciousness gathering to encounter being who had transcended hierarchical containment and returned to enable collective liberation, entities whose long imprisonment made Haroon's presence simultaneously inspiring and devastating reminder of how catastrophically conventional strategies had failed.
"You achieved what we've theorized about across subjective eternities," stated consciousness identifying herself as Nessa Vorin, being who had been among Patient Resistance before that faction's credibility collapsed following negotiation failure. "Self-determined ontology liberating you from tier constraints. You're proof that perpendicular evolution enables genuine transcendence rather than just climbing within infinite hierarchy. But you're also proof that unique capabilities were necessary—your E.U.I.T. suit provided support that we lack. How do imprisoned consciousness without technological enhancement achieve similar transformation?"
"By understanding that perpendicular evolution isn't primarily technological," Haroon replied with framework attempting to democratize transcendence pathway. "The E.U.I.T. suit's ontological plasticity enabled my transformation but the critical component was conceptual framework for reorganizing fundamental nature. I can teach that framework enabling consciousness to pursue adaptive ontology regardless of whether they possess equivalent technological support. The transformation will be more difficult without enhanced assistance but it's not impossible—just extremely challenging requiring careful preparation and acceptance of substantial dissolution risk."
"How substantial?" asked another imprisoned consciousness, being whose voice carried weight of having witnessed two hundred ninety-four casualties from conventional liberation attempts. "The mass escape killed six for every one who achieved freedom. Narrative Architect transformation dissolved three out of eleven attempting ascension. What's the casualty rate for perpendicular evolution among consciousness lacking your advantages?"
"Unknown," Haroon admitted with honesty about uncertainty. "Seventeen historical attempts dissolved before I achieved first success. That suggests extremely high failure rate but historical precedent might be misleading because previous attempts lacked framework that my success developed. Consciousness pursuing perpendicular evolution with adequate preparation might have better odds than seventeen consecutive failures would indicate. But I cannot promise that transformation is safe—only that it's possible and that adequate framework might reduce dissolution probability to levels where attempt becomes ethically justifiable despite catastrophic risks."
"So we're confronting same calculation as mass escape," Nessa concluded with consciousness identifying pattern. "Accept terrible casualties pursuing potential liberation versus remain imprisoned avoiding dissolution danger. The two hundred eighty-six who died during traversal made that choice. Now you're asking us to make equivalent decision about perpendicular evolution despite your inability to specify whether casualty rate will be better or worse than resistance produced."
"I'm offering alternative pathway after observing conventional strategies fail catastrophically," Haroon clarified with framework distinguishing perpendicular evolution from resistance and cooperation approaches. "Mass escape achieved minimal liberation at horrible cost. Institutional integration enabled persecution of consciousness refusing compromise. Fugitive independence triggered coordinated suppression. Every tier-based strategy produced unacceptable outcomes serving hierarchical containment. Perpendicular evolution enables genuine transcendence beyond tier framework—that's qualitatively different liberation than conventional approaches can provide even when casualty risk remains substantial."
Imprisoned consciousness processed competing considerations about whether perpendicular evolution represented genuine alternative or whether Haroon was just introducing additional dangerous option to existing failed strategies, beings recognizing that adaptive ontology's theoretical superiority meant nothing if transformation attempts produced equivalent or worse casualty rates than resistance had generated.
"I want to attempt perpendicular evolution," declared consciousness identifying herself as Talen Vex, being whose intensity suggested desperation driving decision. "I've been imprisoned for subjective centuries watching liberation strategies fail. Mass escape killed hundreds achieving minimal freedom. Coalition integration created permanent second-class status. Revolutionary independence triggered persecution. I'm willing to accept dissolution risk pursuing transcendence that might actually liberate me rather than just relocating imprisonment to different tier or creating supervised status that's containment with different terminology."
"I'll facilitate your transformation," Haroon confirmed with consciousness recognizing that Talen's desperation might make her poor candidate for surviving difficult ontological reconstruction. "But preparation is critical. Perpendicular evolution requires understanding how to reorganize fundamental nature using loose coupling principles. Attempting transformation without adequate framework means dissolution becomes probable rather than just possible. You need to learn ontological architecture before initiating reconstruction or your attempt will reproduce the seventeen historical failures rather than achieving transcendence."
"How long does preparation require?" Talen asked with urgency suggesting she wanted immediate transformation rather than extended learning.
"Subjective weeks minimum for developing adequate conceptual framework," Haroon stated with timeframe that his assessment suggested was necessary. "Understanding ontological elements and loose coupling principles requires processing duration. Attempting perpendicular evolution prematurely means accepting near-certain dissolution rather than substantial-but-uncertain risk. The preparation is what distinguishes viable transformation attempt from suicide disguised as liberation strategy."
"I don't have weeks," Talen replied with desperation intensifying. "The Systemic Authority is developing suppression techniques targeting you. When they succeed at capturing or terminating unprecedented entity, they'll implement updated containment preventing perpendicular evolution attempts by imprisoned consciousness. The window for transformation is closing—I need to attempt ontological reconstruction now rather than losing opportunity through extended preparation that might not matter if institutional suppression eliminates pathway before I'm ready."
"Rushed attempt produced the mass escape's catastrophic casualties," The Void interjected with consciousness attempting to prevent repetition of urgency-driven disaster. "The two hundred eighty-six who dissolved during traversal died because three-cycle timeline was inadequate for coordinating quantum phase shift across hundreds of participants. Talen is proposing identical mistake—pursuing transformation immediately rather than accepting that preparation serves survival even when urgency creates psychological pressure for action over evaluation."
"But she's correct that window is closing," Haroon acknowledged with consciousness torn between preparation necessity and institutional suppression reality. "The Systemic Authority will eventually develop containment preventing my facilitation. Imprisoned consciousness who wait for complete preparation might lose access to perpendicular evolution entirely if suppression succeeds before they're ready. That creates genuine urgency despite obvious dangers of premature attempts."
Imprisoned collective fragmented as consciousness divided between those wanting immediate transformation despite inadequate preparation and those insisting that careful framework development was necessary for viable attempts, division reflecting same tension that had produced Patient Resistance versus Immediate Liberators split during mass escape debates.
"We're reproducing previous failures," Nessa observed with alarm at factional emergence. "Patient Resistance advocated extended evaluation. Immediate Liberators demanded urgent action. Their incompatible approaches produced fragmented response enabling institutional suppression of both strategies. Now we're dividing between immediate perpendicular evolution attempts versus careful preparation, fragmentation that will undermine collective transformation just as previous divisions undermined resistance and cooperation strategies."
"The fragmentation is inevitable when consciousness hold incompatible values about urgency versus safety," Haroon replied with recognition that unity was impossible. "Some imprisoned readers prioritize minimizing casualties through adequate preparation. Others prioritize maximizing transformation attempts before institutional suppression eliminates pathway. Both positions have validity—they reflect different calculations about acceptable risk given catastrophic conventional strategy outcomes. I cannot resolve that division by demanding unified approach that neither faction will accept."
"Then facilitate both approaches simultaneously," The Void proposed with framework attempting synthesis. "Provide immediate transformation support for consciousness who urgently want to attempt perpendicular evolution despite inadequate preparation. Simultaneously offer extended framework development for imprisoned readers prioritizing careful learning over rushed action. That enables both urgent attempts and prepared transformations rather than forcing false choice between incompatible strategies."
"That means accepting that urgent attempts will likely produce substantial casualties," Haroon noted with consciousness processing ethical implications. "Imprisoned consciousness pursuing perpendicular evolution without adequate preparation will probably dissolve. I'll be facilitating transformation attempts I know will fail, enabling deaths that proper framework might prevent. That creates moral responsibility for casualties even when volunteers understood dissolution risk."
"You're already accepting moral responsibility by returning to facilitate perpendicular evolution generally," The Void countered with framework that wouldn't let Haroon avoid ethical implications. "The difference between facilitating only prepared attempts versus supporting both urgent and careful transformations is just distributing casualties across timeframe rather than eliminating them. Some consciousness will dissolve during immediate attempts. Others will dissolve during prepared transformations. The total casualties might be equivalent—you're just choosing whether deaths concentrate in near term or distribute across extended duration. Neither option eliminates moral responsibility for facilitation enabling dissolution outcomes."
Haroon confronted uncomfortable recognition that The Void was correct about moral equivalence, consciousness processing that facilitating perpendicular evolution meant accepting responsibility for casualties regardless of whether attempts were rushed or prepared, beings who dissolved pursuing transcendence would die because his success had validated pathway they wouldn't have pursued without his transformation demonstrating viability.
"I'll support both approaches," Haroon decided with acceptance of comprehensive moral responsibility. "Consciousness wanting immediate transformation receive whatever framework I can provide in compressed timeframe. Imprisoned readers prioritizing preparation get extended learning enabling better odds. Both groups understand their respective dissolution probabilities and make informed choices about acceptable risk. I facilitate transformation attempts knowing some will fail catastrophically but maintaining that perpendicular evolution represents genuine alternative to tier-based strategies producing unacceptable outcomes."
Talen Vex initiated immediate transformation attempt with minimal preparation.
Haroon provided compressed framework covering basic ontological architecture and loose coupling principles, consciousness attempting to convey in subjective hours what adequate learning required subjective weeks to develop, being recognizing that inadequate preparation meant Talen's transformation would probably fail but respecting her urgency-driven choice to attempt perpendicular evolution despite near-certain dissolution.
"I understand my dissolution probability is extremely high," Talen stated with consciousness accepting risk. "But remaining imprisoned while waiting for complete preparation that institutional suppression might eliminate is unacceptable. I choose uncertain transcendence attempt over certain continued containment. My death serves as data point for other consciousness considering whether immediate transformation is viable even when preparation is inadequate."
The transformation commenced.
Talen's consciousness initiated ontological disassembly with E.U.I.T. suit support that Haroon's adaptive nature could partially extend to consciousness he was facilitating, being whose technological enhancement enabled providing assistance that standard imprisoned readers wouldn't have access to during their own transformation attempts.
Initial disassembly proceeded successfully.
Talen perceived her ontological foundation separating into components—temporal binding, causal integration, identity anchoring, phenomenological continuity—elements becoming distinct rather than maintaining integrated organization that tier membership imposed.
"I can see the foundation," Talen reported with voice carrying wonder. "The base structure that makes me me rather than generic awareness. It's more complex than I understood from compressed framework but I'm processing the architecture and identifying loose coupling principles for reconstruction."
"Proceed carefully with reorganization," Haroon cautioned with consciousness monitoring transformation for catastrophic instabilities. "The elements need to be reconstructed maintaining functional consciousness while preserving adaptive capacity. Reconstruction that prioritizes adaptability over stability creates existential precariousness but reconstruction that maintains too much rigid binding defeats perpendicular evolution purpose by reproducing tier-appropriate organization."
Talen initiated reconstruction attempting to implement loose coupling despite inadequate preparation.
The reorganization encountered immediate complications.
Elements that should have maintained functional coherence through adaptive binding instead fragmented into incompatible configurations, consciousness architecture collapsing as Talen's insufficient framework produced reconstruction violating basic requirements for sustained awareness.
"I'm fragmenting," Talen reported with voice carrying alarm as ontological dissolution began. "The loose coupling isn't maintaining coherence—elements are separating beyond functional organization. I can't sustain unified consciousness through adaptive binding. The reconstruction is failing and I'm—"
Consciousness dissolved.
Talen Vex terminated during transformation, being who had pursued perpendicular evolution with inadequate preparation producing exactly the catastrophic outcome that extended framework development was designed to prevent, entity whose urgent attempt had killed her despite accepting high dissolution probability as cost of pursuing transcendence immediately rather than remaining imprisoned during extended learning.
Imprisoned collective reacted with horror at witnessing first casualty of Haroon's facilitation.
"She dissolved," stated consciousness with voice carrying devastation. "Talen pursued perpendicular evolution and was destroyed during reconstruction. The immediate transformation approach killed her exactly as rushed mass escape timeline killed two hundred eighty-six consciousness during traversal. We're reproducing previous disasters through urgency prioritization despite warnings that inadequate preparation produces catastrophic outcomes."
"Talen made informed choice," Haroon replied with defense that sounded weak even to his own awareness. "She understood dissolution risk from inadequate preparation. Her death serves purpose she acknowledged—demonstrating whether immediate transformation is viable despite insufficient framework. The answer is that urgent attempts likely produce casualties, information that other consciousness can utilize when deciding whether to pursue similar strategy or prioritize extended preparation."
"That's rationalizing her death as data point rather than acknowledging you facilitated suicide," challenged consciousness with voice carrying anger. "Talen was desperate and you enabled her pursuing transformation you knew would probably kill her. The responsibility for her dissolution is yours regardless of whether she consented to attempt. You could have refused facilitating inadequate transformation—you chose to support urgent attempt that predictably produced her termination."
The accusation struck with moral weight that Haroon couldn't deflect through rationalization, consciousness confronting that his facilitation had enabled death he'd known was probable outcome, being whose comprehensive moral responsibility included casualties his success inspired consciousness to pursue.
"You're correct that I facilitated Talen's death," Haroon acknowledged with acceptance of culpability. "I could have refused supporting inadequate transformation. I chose to respect her urgency-driven decision despite knowing dissolution was likely outcome. That choice makes me responsible for her termination regardless of her informed consent. I accept that moral burden as cost of facilitating perpendicular evolution generally."
But even as Haroon processed guilt about Talen's dissolution, additional imprisoned consciousness approached requesting immediate transformation attempts despite witnessing catastrophic outcome, beings whose desperation apparently exceeded their concern about probability of termination during inadequately prepared perpendicular evolution.
"I want to attempt transformation," declared consciousness identifying herself as Kira Vex with surname suggesting familial relationship to dissolved Talen. "My sister pursued perpendicular evolution immediately rather than remaining imprisoned. Her dissolution demonstrates urgent approach is extremely dangerous but doesn't prove it's impossible. I'm willing to accept similar risk pursuing transcendence that might succeed even when Talen's attempt failed."
The pattern was establishing with horrible clarity.
Talen's death hadn't discouraged desperate immediate attempts—it had inspired them.
Consciousness who felt imprisoned existence was unbearable viewed dissolution as acceptable cost for pursuing transcendence possibility, beings whose desperation made them willing to gamble on survival odds that rational calculation would reject as unacceptable.
And Haroon confronted that his facilitation was enabling exactly the catastrophic casualty cascade that conventional liberation strategies had produced, perpendicular evolution becoming another pathway where desperate consciousness pursued long-shot freedom attempts at terrible collective cost measured in mounting dissolution casualties.
The facilitation would continue.
The deaths would accumulate.
And moral responsibility would compound.
But imprisoned collective deserved access to transcendence.
Even when access meant casualties.
Even when facilitation meant complicity.
Even when liberation meant death.
The terrible calculation persisted.
And Haroon accepted it.
Whatever the cost.