Kunle sat cross-legged on the cold floor of his dorm room, a thin sheet of light spilling through the slightly ajar blinds. Across from him, Aisha leaned forward, her brow furrowed in concentration as she examined the data chip. The small device seemed almost trivial in her hand, but Kunle knew it held secrets heavy enough to shatter worlds.

“You’re telling me this little thing is what’s keeping you awake at night?” Aisha asked, raising an eyebrow. Her voice carried an edge of disbelief, but her fingers gripped the chip like it might vanish if she loosened her hold.

Kunle nodded, his gaze fixed on her. “It’s not just about what’s on it. It’s about what it means. If these engrams can retain memories, then everything the coalition’s been saying is a lie.”

Aisha snorted, shaking her head. “You sound like those ‘end time’ prophets on Instagram. Next thing, you’ll say the coalition is planting chips in our heads to control us.”

Kunle frowned. “What if they are?”

Aisha paused, the humor draining from her face. “Wait. You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” Kunle replied. “The data on this chip isn’t just corrupted fragments. It’s evidence of behavioral overrides. Someone’s been tampering with the engrams to… I don’t know, influence people. Control them, maybe.”

Aisha leaned back, her lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the faint hum of the facility’s systems. Then she sighed, running a hand through her braids. “Kunle, you realize what you’re saying, right? If this is true, it’s not just some tech glitch. It’s a full-blown conspiracy.”

Kunle nodded. “Exactly.”

She studied him for a long moment, her eyes narrowing as if trying to determine whether he was mad or brilliant. Finally, she shrugged. “Alright, let’s see what we’re dealing with.”

Kunle let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He pulled out his personal terminal, inserting the chip and booting up the system. The screen flickered, lines of corrupted text scrolling across it. Aisha squinted, leaning closer.

“There,” she said, pointing at a highlighted section. “What’s that?”

Kunle clicked on the segment, and the screen filled with fragmented logs and partially decrypted files. Among the jumble of text, a few words stood out: PROJECT GENESIS — TEST SUBJECT 247 — BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION SUCCESSFUL.

Aisha’s eyes widened. “Behavioral modification? What the hell does that mean?”

Kunle swallowed hard. “It means the engrams aren’t just for transferring skills. They’re for controlling people.”

Before Aisha could respond, the screen flickered again, and a warning message appeared: "UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS DETECTED. LOGGING INCIDENT."

Kunle cursed under his breath, yanking the chip from the terminal. The room plunged into silence, save for the pounding of his heart.

“How bad is that?” Aisha asked, her voice tight.

“Bad,” Kunle admitted. “If they’re monitoring the system, they’ll know someone’s been snooping. We need to move. Now.”

The hallway outside Kunle’s dorm was eerily quiet, the usual buzz of activity replaced by a tense stillness. Aisha’s footsteps were light as she followed Kunle, her eyes darting nervously toward every shadow.

“What’s the plan?” she whispered.

Kunle hesitated. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “We need to find Seyi. He has access to the security systems. Maybe he can help us erase the log.”

Aisha nodded. “Lead the way.”

They turned a corner and almost collided with a pair of security officers. Kunle’s heart jumped into his throat, but Aisha reacted first, grabbing his arm and pulling him back around the corner.

“Act natural,” she hissed, straightening her posture.

Kunle tried to comply, though his trembling hands betrayed him. As the officers rounded the corner, one of them narrowed his eyes, focusing on Kunle.

“You there,” the officer barked. “What’s in your bag?”

Kunle froze, clutching his backpack instinctively. “It’s just my laptop,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

The officer’s expression darkened. “Laptop, eh? You’re one of those Yahoo boys, aren’t you?”

Kunle’s stomach sank. He’d heard stories of tech-savvy youths being profiled by the police, but this was the first time it had happened to him.

“Officer, please,” Aisha interjected, stepping forward with her NYSC ID in hand. “He’s an intern at the facility. We’re on official business.”

The officer’s gaze shifted to Aisha, his skepticism softening slightly. “NYSC, eh? Alright, but be careful. This one looks like he has something to hide.”

“Thank you, officer,” Aisha said smoothly, pulling Kunle away before he could respond. Once they were out of earshot, she shot him a pointed look. “You need to work on your poker face.”

Kunle let out a shaky laugh. “I’ll add it to my list of survival skills.”

They found Seyi in the break room, sipping coffee and scrolling through his tablet. He looked up as they entered, his grin fading when he saw their expressions.

“What’s going on?” he asked, setting his cup down.

Kunle and Aisha quickly explained the situation, their words tumbling over each other in urgency. Seyi listened, his brow furrowing deeper with every word.

“You two really know how to find trouble, don’t you?” he said, though his tone carried more amusement than reproach.

“Can you help us or not?” Aisha pressed.

Seyi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, but this is going to cost me. If Ogundele finds out I’m helping you, my head’s on the chopping block.”

Kunle nodded. “We’ll owe you big time.”

Seyi smirked. “You already do. Let’s move.”

The maintenance corridor was dimly lit, the flickering fluorescent lights adding to the oppressive atmosphere. Seyi led them to a small access panel, his fingers flying over the keyboard as he bypassed the security protocols.

“This will buy you ten minutes,” he said, stepping back. “After that, the system will flag the breach. Make it count.”

Kunle and Aisha exchanged a glance before slipping into the restricted area. The room was lined with rows of terminals, their screens glowing softly in the darkness. Aisha immediately set to work, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as she navigated the coalition’s database.

“Here,” she said, pulling up a file labeled “PROJECT GENESIS.”

Kunle leaned over her shoulder, his eyes scanning the screen. The document was filled with technical jargon and coded references, but one line stood out: "Behavioral overrides successfully tested on rural subjects. Memory implantation confirmed."

Kunle’s blood ran cold. “They’re not just modifying behavior. They’re rewriting memories.”

Aisha’s hands froze on the keyboard. “This isn’t just unethical. It’s monstrous.”

Before Kunle could respond, the room was bathed in red light, and a deafening alarm blared.

"Unauthorized access detected. Security en route."

“Time’s up,” Aisha said, pulling the chip from the terminal. “Let’s move.”

They bolted from the room, the alarms echoing around them. Security personnel flooded the main corridors, their shouts mingling with the cacophony. Kunle and Aisha ducked into a side passage, their breaths ragged as they pressed themselves against the wall.

“This way,” Aisha whispered, leading Kunle toward a less-used exit. They slipped out into the streets of Oyo, their minds racing with plans for their next move: heading to Lagos to disappear into the chaos of the city’s hustle and bustle. It was the only place big enough to hide and find help.