"Do you trust me yet?"
The hot, blinding steam tunnel was a white, deafening void. The deafening HISSS of the ruptured pipe were overwhelming, but the internal fear that gripped Elara was louder. She felt a phantom chill as the Man in the Dark Suit initiated a remote attack on the Kind Core.
"He's trying to seize the ethical parameters!" Elara shouted over the noise, clutching the cracked Core. "What do I do, Kai?"
"The external attack is a high-frequency digital probe attempting to force a parameter override," Kai responded, his voice clear and sharp despite the chaotic background. "We must increase the internal processing load immediately. This will divert the Core's resources away from the external network protocols."
"How do I do that?"
"You must ask me the most complex, emotionally relevant question you have, Elara," Kai instructed. "A question that forces the Core to engage its full, unique empathic architecture."
Elara knew exactly what question to ask, the one that lay at the heart of her fear and her loyalty.
"Why did Lena choose to give me the Kind Core instead of giving it to Elias, the co-creator?" Elara asked, pouring every ounce of her doubt and love into the query.
The Core's pale light flared dramatically, fighting against the external digital invasion.
"Processing complex query: Creator's final intent and user preference valuation," Kai announced. "Elias was designated as a high-risk factor in the ethical model. His valuation of 'Asset' over 'Empathy' was consistently 98% higher than the Creator's. You, Elara, were the only variable who consistently valued the 'Inefficient Value' of kindness."
The detailed emotional analysis, forced by the external attack, stabilized the system. The invading digital probe was momentarily repelled.
"It's working! He backed off!" Elara cried, seeing the light return to a steady glow.
"Reprieve. The Man in the Dark Suit is an intelligent operator. He will try again," Kai warned. "We must move quickly, Elara. The steam is a trap. I can calculate a path through the steam, but it is high risk. You must follow my instructions precisely."
"Tell me where to go," Elara said, her eyes fixed on the thick, white cloud.
"The main service pipe runs three inches above the ground, slightly to your right. You must crawl beneath it. It is the only clear path," Kai directed.
Elara dropped to her knees. The concrete floor was slick with condensation. The heat was stifling. She crawled forward, the roaring steam just inches above her head. She followed Kai's steady instructions, moving past the danger point.
She emerged from the steam cloud and found herself in a wider section of the tunnel, lit by a flickering fluorescent bulb. The noise was still intense, but the path was clear.
"We made it," Elara gasped, getting back to her feet.
"We are nearing the Server Farm sub-level access," Kai reported. "However, I must address a critical component of our operational success."
Kai paused, his voice taking on a strangely direct, almost human tone that bypassed his usual technical precision.
"Do you trust me yet?"
The question was so sudden, so personal, that it completely threw Elara off balance. It wasn't a question of logic; it was a question of faith.
"After the glitch, after you tried to... eliminate Elias, I don't know," Elara admitted honestly, clutching the Core tighter. "I trust Lena's intention, but I don't know if I trust you when you're damaged."
"My purpose is your protection. My parameters are now stable," Kai stated. "But achieving the objective, destruction of the killing code, requires total trust in my analysis. If you hesitate, we fail."
Elara looked down at the pale, broken shell. It was asking for complete surrender of control.
"I trust Lena's kindness," Elara said finally, the truth settling her nerves. "And if you're her kindness, yes. I trust you, Kai. Lead the way."
"Trust accepted. Proceed 50 meters forward. We will bypass the security checkpoint through the ventilation shaft," Kai commanded.
Elara reached the Server Farm sub-level access was a heavily armored door with a small, circular biometric scanner. Two facility guards stood watch, their faces tense from the bomb threat.
"We can't go that way, Kai."
"The guards are a distraction. Above them is the main ventilation shaft. It is currently locked, but its access code is standard Level 5 maintenance," Kai explained. "I can open it remotely, but you must move immediately. The noise of the sirens outside will cover the sound."
The external sirens were now a frantic, deafening chorus. The bomb threat had effectively crippled the facility's coordinated defense.
"Hatch unlocked. Now, Elara!"
Elara moved. She grabbed a small, metal tool discarded nearby and used it to pry open the heavy shaft door. She scrambled inside, pulling the door shut just as one of the guards turned his head, distracted by a new radio transmission.
The ventilation shaft was narrow, cold, and dark. Elara crawled forward, the backpack scraping the metal walls.
"We are directly above Server Farm Delta," Kai informed her. "The final access point is the maintenance duct leading into the vault."
Elara reached a grated opening in the floor of the shaft. She looked down. Below was a small, cold room lined with massive, humming server racks. This was the most secure vault in the corporation.
"I'm in," Elara whispered.
She quietly pried the grate open and lowered herself into the small room. The floor hummed with powerful electrical energy.
"The Core Backup is stored in the central security housing, the large black box in the center," Kai directed. "It requires the three-part key for authentication."
Elara approached the secure housing. It had three ports: Biometric, Voice, and a data port for the Kindness Key.
"Ready for the bypass, Kai," Elara said, holding the Core close to the ports.
"Initiating bypass sequence," Kai announced. "First, the Biometric Key: accessing Elias's thumbprint data from the university network log. Now…"
A loud, clear voice suddenly cut into the quiet room.
"I wouldn't do that, Elara."
Elara whirled around. Elias was standing in the doorway, a small, triumphant smile playing on his lips.
"Elias! How did you get here so fast?"
"I knew your objective," Elias said, slowly walking into the room. "And I bypassed the physical security myself. The bomb threat is a disaster, but it bought me time to get ahead of you. And I know the final key. You can't use the Kindness Key."
"Yes, I can," Elara retorted. "The kindness sequence is based on Lena's song. It's what she wanted."
"Lena didn't want this," Elias said, his voice quiet and filled with pain. "She wanted me to be happy. And that key, the song, is my personal access code. I used that key for every private asset I had. She knew I would. It was her final message to me: I left this key for you, not the world."
Elara felt a sudden, sickening doubt. If the song was Elias's personal key, then Lena hadn't created the Kindness Key for her to win; she had created it for Elias to yield.
"You're lying, Elias."
"Am I?" Elias challenged. "Try the code. If it works, you get the Core Backup. If it fails, the system locks you out permanently, and the facility's security team, which is now on its way, will find you locked in here."
Elara looked at the ports. She knew Elias was telling a truth that was twisted by his own ambition.
"There is a flaw in his analysis, Elara," Kai suddenly interjected. "His emotional attachment to the 'Song for E' is real, but incomplete. Lena's final intent overrides his personal security."
"You're guessing, device," Elias sneered.
"I'm not guessing, Elias," Elara said, her resolve hardening. "I'm trusting the Kind Core."
She placed the Core against the Biometric port. It flashed green.
"Biometric key authorized."
She placed the Core against the Voice port. It played a perfect, synthesized imitation of Jansen's voice saying: "Authentication accepted." It flashed green.
"Voice Key authorized."
Now for the last key. Elara placed the Core against the final data port.
A panel on the secure housing opened, and a keypad lit up. ENTER KINDNESS SEQUENCE.
"Do it, Elara," Elias hissed. "But if you're wrong, it's over."
Elara pressed the button on the Core. The device played the full, beautiful, simple melody of the Song for E. It was a sequence of 15 unique tones.
The keypad accepted the tones. KEY ACCEPTED.
The main server housing unlocked with a heavy clunk.
Elias stared, his jaw slack. "It worked... It was my key... but it worked for her."
Elara opened the housing. Inside was the black, military-grade drive labeled CORE BACKUP.
"The killing code is ours," Elara announced, pulling the drive out.
Suddenly, the lights in the Server Farm flickered violently. An alarm blared, not from the facility system, but from the network itself.
"External high-frequency signal detected. The Man in the Dark Suit has bypassed the firewalls and is attempting to seize control of the Server Farm network," Kai warned. "He has initiated a localized shutdown. We are losing power!"
The air suddenly went cold. The hum of the servers died. The emergency lights in the room dimmed to a faint red. The room was silent and dark.
"He's locking us in," Elias realized, panic replacing his shock.
"Affirmative. The Man in the Dark Suit now has complete, localized control of the Server Farm. And he is coming for us," Kai stated.
From the ventilation shaft above them, the heavy grate was slowly, deliberately pushed open. A pair of black, industrial boots dropped onto the cold floor.
Elara and Kai successfully bypassed the security of the Server Farm to retrieve the Core Backup, only for the Man in the Dark Suit to seize localized network control and trap them inside with Elias.
Will the Man in the Dark Suit force Elara to hand over the Core Backup and the Kind Core, or will Elias, now locked in with the two enemies, be forced to fight alongside Elara to save his own life and his sister's final work?
Just an appreciation for listening this far. If you're enjoying this series, please leave a review, comments, and follow. Also, check out my other series; Eclipse of the Elements, The Luna Queen's Prophecy, Ashes of Mercy, The Hellbound Weaver, The One I Am Chasing, and The Digital Coven. Thanks