Chapter 41 - Daniel Rowe’s First Life
Daniel admitted that Daniel Rowe was not his original name.
Forty-two years earlier, he had been Dr. Thomas Aster, one of Project Palinode’s first researchers. Amelia had recruited him to study the legal consequences of memory transfer.
When the program was weaponized, Thomas attempted to expose it.
The Curator had him killed.
His memories were transferred into the body of a young attorney who later became Daniel Rowe.
“I have spent four decades trying to destroy what we created,” he said.
Mara wanted to hate him.
Instead, she saw the exhaustion in his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because Amelia instructed me not to awaken you unless Palinode returned.”
“It returned years ago.”
“No. It never stopped.”
Daniel revealed that Celeste had not kidnapped Eli. She had taken him to the only person capable of unlocking the second half of the archive.
The Curator.
Elias moved toward Daniel.
“You knew where they were going.”
Daniel nodded.
“I also know why the Curator needs Mara alive.”
He placed an old photograph on the table.
It showed Amelia Voss beside a man whose face had been scratched away.
Between them stood a small girl wearing Mara’s pendant.
On the back was a name:
EVELYN ASTER.
Daniel stared at the child.
“My daughter.”
May you like
Then Mara noticed the girl’s eyes.
They were identical to Eli’s.
