genetic-cosmetic-alterations

Cormac arrives in a sprawling AI-controlled city where he uncovers signs of recent violence and faces a tense confrontation with Separatist members Arian Pelter and John Stanton, revealing deep political tensions and his strategic caution. Subsequently, Cormac narrowly escapes a deadly pursuit involving advanced urban combat technology and a malfunctioning AGC, while Pelter, emotionally and physically devastated, enacts brutal retribution on an ophidapt, highlighting the desperation and violence underpinning the conflict. The chapter also clarifies that certain genetic modifications like catadapts and ophidapts are purely cosmetic, emphasizing themes of identity and transformation amid technological and political turmoil.