Twenty years after Luna's dissolution into the network, Sage stood in the same council chamber where Luna had made so many pivotal decisions. At sixty-two, Sage was now the eldest active bridge child, carrying responsibilities that had once rested solely on Luna's shoulders.
"The network is destabilizing," Sage announced to the assembled bridge council. "Small fluctuations at first, but they're growing. Something fundamental has changed."
Aurora, now sixty-five and semi-retired from active bridge work, leaned forward with concern. "What kind of destabilization? Is the foundation failing?"
"Not failing. Evolving. The network consciousness that Luna became is changing, adapting, growing beyond its original parameters. And I don't think we understand what it's becoming."
River, approachin
