Brilliant • Burdened • Undervalued

Dr. Veer Gupta is the reluctant architect of Valtech’s most ambitious and dangerous experiment. A brilliant neuroscientist driven by compassion and idealism, Gupta’s original goal was to use neural implants to foster empathy in an increasingly violent youth population. But after rejection from reputable institutions, he found unlikely backing from the ruthless Valtech CEO, Briant Coleman—a deal that would fund his research at a steep personal cost.

Gupta is meticulous, cautious, and principled—everything Coleman is not. Working from a subterranean lab beneath Valtech Tower, he’s surrounded by flickering monitors, prototype devices, and an ever-present sense of moral conflict. He walks the tightrope between scientific ambition and ethical compromise, knowing that every advancement he makes is being weaponized for profit.

When his program collides with an unknown signal in the global network, Gupta is forced to reckon with the consequences of his compromised dream. He wanted to save lives. Now, he might have helped destroy the very foundation of civilization.