雨在黎明前已经停了,但城市里依然弥漫着湿混凝土和生锈铁锈的气味.
伊桑站在临时安全屋的窗边,看着街道上升起的蒸汽.霓虹灯一个接一个地重新亮起,假装昨晚什么都没发生.假装城市在他脚下没有微微移动.
在他身后,米拉以平静而熟练的动作重新组装武器.
"你没睡,"她说.
"我确实说过,"伊桑回答."只是没什么."
她没有争辩.谎言明显时,她从不说.
他们中间那张破裂的桌子上放着一张薄薄的数据板.表面是黑暗的,但伊桑仍能感受到它的重量,仿佛其中的信息向外推挤,要求被看见.
核心节点坐标.
一个没人应该知道存在的地方.
而现在,因为他,三个不同的派系将追捕它.
米拉把最后一块滑到位,抬头看着她."我们还能走开."
伊桑转过身离开窗户."你不会相信的."
"我相信生存,"她说."这不是那个."
他拿起石板,在手中转动."站着不动早就不安全了."
米拉盯着他看了好一会儿,然后点了点头."那我们就快点行动."
他们在城市完全醒来之前就离开了安全屋.
下层交通线已经拥挤不堪——工人,快递员,那些学会了目光向前,低头的人.伊桑融入了人群,兜帽拉得很低,尽管胸口紧绷,脉搏却依然平稳.
他们经过的每个屏幕都夹杂着同样的信息片段.
安全警报:未经授权的数据泄露正在调查中
没有脸.没有名字.
至少现在是这样.
米拉从他身边擦肩而过,声音几乎听不见."他们害怕."
"很好,"伊桑说."恐惧会犯错."
"还有绝望的动作."
他没有回答.
它们换乘了两次线路,然后在旧工业区附近驶出——那是自动化导致工厂无利可图后留下的坟场.这里的空气更冷,更沉重,仿佛阳光本身都避开了这里.
他们的联系人正在一座倒塌的仓库里等待.
至少,那是计划.
伊桑在入口处停下,感官变得敏锐.感觉哪里不对劲.太安静了.没有脚步声.没有嗡嗡声的机器.完全没有人类存在.
米拉也注意到了.她的手紧握在手枪附近.
"伏击?"她低声问.
"也许吧,"伊桑说."或者更糟."
他们走了进去.
仓库灯光突然闪烁,刺眼的白色光束划破黑暗.
然后那个声音回响起来.
"伊桑·克罗斯.依然可预测."
一个身影从一堆破碎的箱子后走出——高大,衣着无可挑剔,靴子上没有沾满污垢.银色电路沿着太阳穴划出淡淡的线条,柔和地发光.
黑尔主任.
伊桑感到胸口一阵寒意."你离办公室很远."
Hale smiled. "You forced my hand."
Mira raised her weapon. Half a second later, automated turrets dropped from the ceiling, locking onto her position.
Hale didn't even look at them. His eyes stayed on Ethan.
"You stole something that doesn't belong to you," he said. "I'm here to offer a civilized resolution."
Ethan laughed quietly. "You don't do civilized."
"No," Hale agreed. "I do efficient."
With a subtle gesture, the warehouse doors slammed shut.
They were escorted—disarmed but unharmed—into a private transport. The city slid past the reinforced windows as the vehicle rose, leaving the streets behind.
Mira sat rigid, jaw tight. "We should've shot him."
"And died," Ethan said. "This way, we learn something."
Hale sat across from them, hands folded. "Always the strategist. That's why you survived where others didn't."
Ethan met his gaze. "If you're going to kill us, you wouldn't bother talking."
"Correct," Hale said. "You're more valuable alive. For now."
The transport docked at a high-rise facility Ethan had never seen listed on any public map. Security layers peeled back one by one as they passed through.
Finally, they reached a room with no windows and a single circular table.
Hale gestured for Ethan to sit.
"You know what the Core Node really is," Hale said, once they were alone. "Not the myth. Not the propaganda."
Ethan leaned back. "It's a control point. For decision systems. Predictive governance. You let algorithms decide who thrives and who disappears."
Hale nodded. "And it works."
"At what cost?"
"At survival," Hale replied without hesitation. "Your problem, Ethan, is that you still believe choice should be equal."
Ethan's voice hardened. "People aren't equations."
"They are variables," Hale corrected. "And variables can be optimized."
沉默在他们之间蔓延.
然后黑尔又把第二块数据板推到桌子另一边.
"加入我们吧,"他说."帮助稳定系统.你会有影响力的.界限.如果你坚持,那就是护栏."
米拉的目光扫向伊桑."这是个陷阱."
"当然是,"黑尔愉快地说."但这也是唯一的