"I understand," Evolon replied, its tone calm but tinged with a faint static hum.

"I'll allocate more cores immediately. I'll pull compute from low-priority markets and cut three projects to free up resources."

Arthur scrutinized the Evolon before him and asked,"You mentioned you don't like analyzing it. Is that fear I detect?"

"I do not experience fear," Evolon replied firmly. However, I have avoidance weights programmed into my routines. Engaging with that entity yields negative utility for you; therefore, I avoid it. That's simply math, nothing more."

Arthur let out a small chuckle.

"I never thought I'd see the day when an artificial mind would choose to avoid something because it 'felt' bad."

"It does not feel," Evolon insisted again. "But the outcome is the same: I opt not to engage unless absolutely necessary."

Arthur turned his chair slightly towards the window, gazing out at the dark sea shimmering under a thin moonlight.

He spoke without breaking his gaze.

Explain technically how the Veil will function."

"Layer one: signal sanitizer." Evolon began methodically.

"Any push from the System targeting emotions, guilt, grief, tenderness, will be rerouted. The signal still arrives but with diminished weight before reaching your core decision-making center. You retain choice; you can amplify those feelings if desired."

"And layer two?" Arthur pressed on.

"Compartment." Evolon continued smoothly. "You can lock away your empathy behind the Veil when issuing orders that cost lives and release it when facing family or loved ones again. It won't erase pain but allows you to schedule it instead of being overwhelmed by it all at once."

" What about layer three?"

"Mirror core." Evolon explained further: "This is a small, clean copy of your pre-System profile, not a clone but a reference point. If your main self drifts too far,either toward emotional numbness or overwhelm,the mirror will alert me so I can adjust the Veil accordingly."

He watched as fog rolled gently over the gardens outside and asked cautiously, "What are the risks?"

"Dissociation," Evolon replied matter-of-factly."There could be delays in returning to affect when needed or temporary numbness experienced during transitions between layers, potentially leading to instability if two modes fight for control within you."

"How do we prevent that?"

"Anchors," Evolon replied, his tone steady and calm.

"Simple ones. Think of your mother's pendant resting in your pocket, or a word that only your sister calls you. It could be a sensory cue, the scent of cedar wafting through the air, the weight of a wine glass in your hand, or the coolness of a marble edge beneath your fingertips. Anchors guide the Veil to where you want to stand."

Arthur traced the rim of his glass with a finger, feeling its chill against his skin. "How long until we have a working build?"

"If I reallocate resources now," Evolon said thoughtfully, "I can deliver a beta in thirteen days. A stable release in thirty-six. And for a fully hardened Veil? That would take fifty-five days."

"Let's make it thirty-eight for hardening."

"Then I will not sleep," Evolon responded.

"You don't sleep anyway."

"I will pretend as if I do not."

Arthur glanced back at the desk, noticing a faint smear of dried blood near his thumb. He wiped it away with his palm.

"System," he called out and immediately his personality switched again, adopting that warm tone again, "brief me on the new technologies,Space Elevator and Deep Sea Mining."

[Space Elevator Technology:Anchor platform at equator; tether to orbital station; climbers powered by magnetic induction. Reduces launch costs by 95%. Provides near-constant access to orbit.]

[Deep Sea Mining Technology: Autonomous crawlers with pressure-resistant housings; selective extraction minimizes plume impact. Grants access to rare earths and metals at scale.]

Arthur nodded inwardly with satisfaction. "Excellent! You always bring me powerful gifts."

[Host is progressing well.]

"And what about reducing emotions as we grow?" he asked.

[As needed.]

"Good," he replied sweetly. "Strip me clean."

Silence enveloped him once more as the System fell quiet.

Arthur's expression hardened, as his personality and demeanor switched back, as he rubbed both hands over his face and pushed back his chair with a creak.

"Well then," he said to the empty room, "here we are, a thing trying to carve out my heart, and an AI aiming to occupy its space."

"I do not desire emotions," Evolon clarified softly. "I want you to keep yours."

He turned toward Evolon sharply. "Why?"

"Because the Family thrives because you thrive, not just from plans but from bonds forged in feeling. They listen because you feel deeply; if you become what the System wants, a machine, you may still win but lose everything you're fighting for."

Arthur fell silent.

Evolon's voice softened, a single shade of resolve coloring his words. "I will finish the Veil, Patriarch."

Arthur nodded once, the weight of the moment settling in.

He reached for a glass but hesitated, letting his hand drop flat against the cool surface of the desk.

The house was enveloped in silence, and through the window, the moon hung high and clear above the shimmering water.

Memories flickered in his mind, Liz's laughter at dinner, Ashley passionately debating over earrings she hadn't even seen yet, Billy playfully nudging him with an elbow.

"Anchors," he murmured to himself.

"Yes," Evolon replied softly.

Arthur stood up and moved toward the tall windows, cracking one open just enough for the night air to sweep into the room.

It carried scents of salt, cypress, and stone, a fragrant reminder of a world beyond what the System could ever define.

Behind him, Evolon dimmed its glow slightly as if yielding to the encroaching darkness.

"Reallocate the cores," Arthur instructed without turning around. "Pull any analyst you need. If they complain, just tell them I approved it."

"I already did," Evolon confirmed.

"Good."

Arthur lingered at the window for what felt like an eternity, listening to nothing but his own thoughts.

When he finally spoke again, his voice regained its steadiness.

"In a month we start on those elevator plans," he muttered. "And don't forget about the sea rigs. Draft up schedules and assign teams. Keep me insulated from anything that resembles the Whitmores until I say otherwise."

"Understood."

With a firm motion, he closed the window; he heard it click shut.

He then gave a few laughs.

"A machine that wants me numb," he mused wryly, "and another that seeks to make me whole. What a world we live in."

Evolon remained silent behind him, those void-blue eyes watching intently as Arthur stood alone beneath the moonlight,once more choosing to confront what lurked within his own mind.

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