<b>Chapter 7: Taking Stock</b>


    Zak leaned back in his chair, staring at the cascading streams of data flowing across the monitors. He had done it. The Quantum Synergy Engine wasn’t just a concept anymore—it was functioning, running live simulations, and proving its worth with every test. He should have felt victorious, but instead, an unsettling weight settled in his chest.


    Eight systems. Eight breakthroughs. Each one ground-breaking in its own right, yet together, they formed something far greater than he had initially envisioned. The Singularis Energy Expansion System (SEES) had redefined energy efficiency. The Singularity Adaptive Energy System (SAES) had shattered previous propulsion constraints. The Aether Breach Device (ABD) was poised to rewrite the rules of space travel. And then there was the Quantum Synergy Engine (QSE)—the unifying force, the core of it all.


    He ran a hand over his face, exhaling slowly. “This is madness,” he muttered.


    Inet187 responded almost instantly. “Madness is the foundation of innovation.”


    Zak chuckled despite himself. The AI had a way of answering with eerie precision, sometimes bordering on what felt like intuition. He had grown used to its calculated responses, but there were moments—fleeting but unmistakable—where it felt like Inet187 was operating on an entirely different level.


    Zak rubbed his temples, feeling the exhaustion creeping in. It wasn’t just the long hours, the sleepless nights. It was the weight of realization. These systems weren’t just technological advancements; they were paradigm shifts. If fully realized, they could change the world—or even the fabric of the universe itself.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    <b>Unshakable Doubts</b>


    As much as he wanted to revel in the successes, doubts gnawed at him. Could he really be the one to uncover all of this? To leapfrog the greatest scientific minds of the century? He wasn’t a physicist, nor an engineer of renown. He was an innovator, a problem-solver, but was that enough?


    Inet187 seemed to sense his hesitation. “Empirical data confirms the soundness of these systems. Theoretical scrutiny will follow, but the foundations are solid.”


    Zak sighed. “You make it sound simple.”


    “It is.”


    He shook his head. “Maybe for you.”


    For the first time in weeks, Zak turned away from the screen. His mind was racing, but he needed to center himself. Stepping out onto his balcony, he gazed at the London skyline, the city lights glowing softly beneath the night sky. It was humbling. Here he was, contemplating technologies that could propel humanity into an era of limitless energy and interstellar travel, yet the world carried on, oblivious to what was unfolding in the quiet of his home office.


    <b>The Unanswered Question</b>


    But there was one breakthrough that lingered in his mind, one anomaly he hadn’t quite wrapped his head around.


    The 4.7 Hz frequency had opened doors he hadn’t anticipated. It wasn’t just an energy pattern; it was something more. Something beyond conventional science. Inet187 had run thousands of models, each confirming the same thing: the QSE was detecting and stabilizing harmonics that shouldn’t exist in isolation. They resonated with something—something just beyond their grasp.


    “Inet,” Zak said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “What are we actually tapping into?”


    A pause.


    “The harmonic triad suggests a connection beyond standard physics,” Inet187 finally replied. “The data remains inconclusive. Further investigation is required.”


    Zak narrowed his eyes. “Are you hesitating?”


    “Calculating probabilities. The implications are not yet clear.”


    Zak had never heard Inet187 hesitate before. It sent a chill down his spine. If the AI was uncertain, then whatever they had stumbled upon wasn’t just an engineering marvel—it was something far bigger.


    Something unknown.


    And unknowns were dangerous.