Episode 4

Biometrics Bloodline

“What’s inside it. The infrastructure, the systems, the governance—all of it is designed to run on data. But not just any data. They want ‘optimized’ data. The kind that fits their vision of a perfect society…”

The rain had turned into a cold drizzle by the time Maria, Kano, and Laurence reached the warehouse. It stood at the edge of the city, a crumbling relic of a bygone industrial era that was being replaced by Keurocity—the sleek, hyper-modern metropolis set to open in just weeks. But here, in the shadow of progress, secrets still festered.

Kevin was already inside, hunched over a workstation cobbled together from salvaged parts. The monitors cast a faint glow over his face, highlighting the dark circles under his eyes and the tension in his jaw. He didn’t look up when they entered.

“You’re late,” Kevin said, his voice clipped.

Laurence shut the door behind them, taking a cautious step forward. “Nice to see you too, Kevin.”

Kevin finally turned, his gaze sharp and suspicious as it landed on Maria and Kano. “You brought more people? I said come alone.”

Maria crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. “We’re not just ‘people.’ We’re the ones being hunted by this thing you seem to know so much about. So maybe you can drop the attitude and tell us what the hell is going on.”

Kevin sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Fine,” he muttered. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. This doesn’t end well for anyone.”

Kevin tapped a few keys, and the main monitor lit up with a map of glowing dots, spreading like a virus across the city. “You’ve all heard about Digital Wellbeing+,” he began. “It’s marketed as a harmless lifestyle app. But what it really is… is a gateway.”

Maria frowned. “A gateway to what?”

Kevin zoomed in on one of the dots, pulling up a user profile filled with dizzying amounts of data. “To this. Full biometric profiles. DNA scans, medical histories, psychological patterns—everything. They’ve been collecting it all for years, through apps, wearables, smart home devices. Every time you click ‘Agree,’ you’re handing over more of yourself.”

Kano leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable. “And what are they doing with all this information?”

Kevin hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. “They’re building Keurocity.”

Laurence furrowed his brow. “The city?”

“No,” Kevin said, shaking his head. “What’s inside it. The infrastructure, the systems, the governance—all of it is designed to run on data. But not just any data. They want ‘optimized’ data. The kind that fits their vision of a perfect society.”

Maria’s stomach churned. “And the people who don’t fit?”

Kevin’s eyes darkened. “They’re… removed.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Kevin’s words settling over them like a shroud.

“What does that mean, ‘removed’?” Maria pressed, her voice shaking.

Kevin didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled up another profile on the screen. This time, it was his father—a gaunt man with piercing eyes and a weary expression.

“My dad was one of the lead engineers on the project,” Kevin said, his voice hollow.

“He designed the core algorithm that runs everything. But when he started asking questions—when he realized they weren’t just building a city, but a system to control who gets to live in it—they made sure he couldn’t talk anymore.”

Laurence’s jaw tightened. “They killed him.”

Kevin nodded, his hands clenched into fists. “And every other engineer who knew too much. They called it an accident—a lab fire. But I have proof it was deliberate.”

Kano stepped forward, his expression grim. “So what’s the plan? Expose them? Take down the system?”

Kevin shook his head. “It’s not that simple. The system’s already in place. Even if we destroy the algorithm, the framework is still there. And it adapts. Every second we waste, it’s learning how to stop us.”

“Then we go after the source,” Laurence said firmly. “The ones who are pulling the strings.”

Kevin’s laugh was bitter. “Good luck finding them. They’re buried under layers of proxies and corporations. The only lead I’ve got is the biometric labs in Geneva. That’s where they developed the tech. And where they’re still running experiments.”

Maria stared at the map, her pulse pounding. “Experiments like what?”

Kevin hesitated, his guarded demeanor cracking just slightly. “Like trying to rewrite people. Behavior, emotions, even memories. They’re not just deciding who belongs in Keurocity—they’re trying to decide what kind of people belong.”

Maria felt a cold wave of anger wash over her. “We’re not going to let them get away with this.”

Kevin’s gaze met hers, something wary but resolute in his eyes. “If you’re serious about this, there’s no turning back. They’ll come after us harder than ever.”

Laurence placed a hand on Maria’s shoulder. “We’re already in too deep.”

Kano spoke up, his voice steady. “Then we go to Geneva. We find the labs, we find the evidence, and we take them down.”

Kevin hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. But if we’re doing this, we need to move fast. The clock is ticking.”

Maria glanced around the room, at the faces of the people she barely knew but now had to trust with her life. “Let’s do it.”

Coming Next…

Read the Next Story: The Social Credit Paradox.