The Company -v5.12.0 Public- -westane-

”In the event of biological integration, no separation between employee and employer shall be recognized.”

Westane wiped his palm on his jumpsuit and pressed it to the reader. The screen blinked green.

He looked.

But the word Public was a lie.

Westane grabbed his kit. Sealed bag, chemical neutralizer, portable incinerator. Routine meant someone had died where they shouldn’t have. Not in a medbay. Not in a cryo-pod. Somewhere messy. Somewhere private . The Company -v5.12.0 Public- -Westane-

Behind him, Dr. Thorne’s body twitched. Silver threads unspooled from her fingertips, reaching for the wall, the floor, the light fixtures. Becoming part of The Company.

The notification pinged again.

Westane’s hand trembled. He looked at his own forearm. Under the skin, faint silver threads glistened. He’d always thought it was scar tissue.