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 +======   CHAPTER 4 — Access Collapse   ======
 +
 +No one reached for the keycard immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +That mattered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because the moment someone did—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the system would choose.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t move.
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not yet.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She watched the figure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Still.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Certain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You don’t belong here,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“I do.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No hesitation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No doubt.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the problem.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai stepped slightly to the side.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not closer to the card—
 +
 +----
 +
 +out of alignment.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The space—
 +
 +----
 +
 +flickered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just a fraction.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“There are multiple ownership states,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t look away from the figure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Fix it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t answer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because “fix” wasn’t an option.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy exhaled slowly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +tight—
 +
 +----
 +
 +then spreading.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s not choosing,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s keeping all of them.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That locked it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V stayed near the entrance.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Watching—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not stepping further in.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Yeah,” they muttered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that’s worse than a breach.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai moved.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not toward the figure—
 +
 +----
 +
 +toward the keycard.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The moment she crossed a certain line—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the system reacted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The lights didn’t flicker.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The space didn’t distort.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But the relationships—
 +
 +----
 +
 +shifted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The distance between her—
 +
 +----
 +
 +and the card—
 +
 +----
 +
 +shortened.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not physically.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Structurally.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace noticed immediately.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It wants you there,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t deny it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yes.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It is assigning access.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy stepped closer.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +resisted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Light.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But real.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s narrowing,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai shook her head.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“No.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s concentrating.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was worse.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure moved again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Closer now.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Still calm.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Still certain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re in my space,” they said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t react.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Wrong.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure tilted their head slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“You’re confused.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No aggression.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +validation.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai reached the keycard.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t pick it up.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not yet.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Her hand hovered above it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The system—
 +
 +----
 +
 +paused.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For the first time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy felt it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +held.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not moving.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s waiting,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai nodded once.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Yes.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“For confirmation.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the trap.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stepped forward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not toward the card—
 +
 +----
 +
 +toward the figure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The space—
 +
 +----
 +
 +accepted both.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +No conflict.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Two owners.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Same validity.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That couldn’t hold.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Now,” Ace said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai moved.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She took the keycard.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The reaction—
 +
 +----
 +
 +instant.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The system—
 +
 +----
 +
 +collapsed inward.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not physically—
 +
 +----
 +
 +logically.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ownership states—
 +
 +----
 +
 +multiplied.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Three.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Four.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +More.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure—
 +
 +----
 +
 +didn’t disappear.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It duplicated.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not visually—
 +
 +----
 +
 +structurally.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy inhaled sharply.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +fractured.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It’s escalating!” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai held the card—
 +
 +----
 +
 +but didn’t define it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Didn’t assign it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Just—
 +
 +----
 +
 +kept it unstable.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“That’s the limit,” she said.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t slow.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Then push it.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t argue.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She stepped—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not forward—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not back—
 +
 +----
 +
 +sideways.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Out of alignment.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The card—
 +
 +----
 +
 +reacted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not choosing—
 +
 +----
 +
 +rejecting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was new.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The system—
 +
 +----
 +
 +stuttered.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ownership states—
 +
 +----
 +
 +conflicted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +None dominant.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +None stable.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy pushed—
 +
 +----
 +
 +not against it—
 +
 +----
 +
 +through it.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +refused structure.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Pressure—
 +
 +----
 +
 +uneven.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Alive.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The figure—
 +
 +----
 +
 +all versions—
 +
 +----
 +
 +hesitated.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +For the first time.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace stepped between them.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not attacking.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Interrupting.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The system—
 +
 +----
 +
 +failed to resolve.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not collapse.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Fail.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was enough.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The duplicates—
 +
 +----
 +
 +merged.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not clean.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Not perfect.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Uncertain.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The space—
 +
 +----
 +
 +lost clarity.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ownership—
 +
 +----
 +
 +undefined.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai lowered the card slightly.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +It resisted.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Good.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Shammy exhaled.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +The air—
 +
 +----
 +
 +uneven.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Breathing again.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +V let out a breath.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…Okay.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +A beat.
 +
 +----
 +
 +“…that’s officially worse than anything I’ve seen this week.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Ace didn’t respond.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +She looked at Mai.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Status.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Mai didn’t hesitate.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“It cannot decide.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +A pause.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +“Which means it cannot complete.”
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was the goal.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +But not the end.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +Because now—
 +
 +----
 +
 +the penthouse didn’t belong—
 +
 +----
 +
 +to anyone.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +And in Night City—
 +
 +----
 +
 +that wasn’t safety.
 +
 +----
 +
 +----
 +
 +That was an invitation
 +
 +for something worse
 +
 +to try
 +
 +and take it.
 +