Page 58 of Rescuing Sophia

The interior hums with technology. Fluorescent lights cast harsh shadows, making the corridors seem longer and more ominous. I walk quickly, head down, avoiding eye contact with the few early workers I pass.

Finding an empty corridor, I duck into a small alcove. My fingers fumble as I pull out the flip phone, blood rushing in my ears.

One call and there’s no going back.

I dial, each beep echoing in the empty hallway.

“I’m in,” I whisper as soon as the line connects. “But I’m not sure where to go. What am I looking for?”

“The server room, you idiot.”Malfor’s irritation crackles through the phone.“Tall black cabinets, lots of blinking lights. Probably cold. Mitzy never showed you?”

“She did, but there are so many divisions…” I trail off, remembering the tours through cryptology, robotics, and virtual reality.

“It’ll be labeled ‘Server Room’ or ‘Data Center,’”Malfor snaps.“Hurry up.”

“Okay, I think I know where you’re talking about.”

Pocketing the phone, I step out of the alcove. The hallway stretches before me, suddenly alien and threatening. I move quickly, trying to look purposeful.

A group of techs rounds the corner. I duck my head, veering to the side. Their chatter fades as they pass, oblivious to my presence.

I pass the robotics lab, glancing through the glass at half-assembled machines. My eyes linger, remembering Mitzy’s swarm of bumblebee drones inside. She was always going on about how no one cares about bugs, how they can slip in and out of places unnoticed.

I never fully understood how they stayed powered up or what all they could do, but the thought crosses my mind—if no one notices bugs, maybe Malfor won’t either.

Maybe, just maybe, one of those tiny drones could be a lifeline back to Guardian HRS… If they still want me after what I’m about to do.

I slow my pace, looking to see if anyone’s inside. The lab is empty. My heart pounds as I push the door open and step inside,the soft hum of machinery the only sound in the room. I scan the room, trying to remember where Mitzy kept the hive.

There. In the far corner, nestled between a pile of parts and a stack of manuals, I spot the small, inconspicuous container. I move quickly, hands shaking as I open it and carefully take one of the tiny drones. It’s lighter than I expected, barely more than a speck in my hand.

I slip it deep into my pocket, the cold metal barely noticeable against my skin. With one last glance, I exit the lab, hoping this tiny piece of tech might be the lifeline I desperately need.

My pulse races as I slip out of the Robotics lab. I head down the corridor, and just a few steps later, I reach the VR suite.

The large glass windows offer a view of the darkened room, the equipment still and silent, but memories rush back, vivid and overwhelming.

My eyes are drawn to the center of the room, where the VR rigs stand like sentinels of the digital age. Headsets dangle from ceiling-mounted harnesses, their visors dark and waiting. Below each headset is the real marvel—the omnidirectional treadmill. It’s not the linear track I’m used to at the gym, but a smooth, circular platform rigged with sensors.

I hesitate, the familiar tangle of wires and headsets reminding me of the countless hours I spent here—playing with the tech, losing myself in virtual worlds, finding a brief escape from reality.

For a moment, I’m back there, trepidation turning to exhilaration as Mitzy helped me suit up. The weight of the headset, the strange sensation of walking without moving, and then… A new world pops up around me, so real I could almost touch it.

I shake off the memory.

Stop wasting time. Still not where I need to be.

I wrack my brain, trying to remember the rest of Mitzy’s whirlwind tour. That woman has boundless energy, her words tumbling out faster than her feet can carry her. I can almost hear her rapid-fire explanations, see her gesticulating wildly as she...

Wait.

A memory surfaces of Mitzy practically bouncing on her toes.She led me to an elevator.“And now, for the coolest part—literally. Our server room is in the basement. It’s like a high-tech igloo down there.”

The basement. Of course.

I approach the elevators, my heart racing. Just as I reach for the button, the doors slide open. A group of techs spills out, chattering about some code breakthrough. Inside, two more wait, holding the door. They look at me expectantly.

I freeze, cold realization washing over me. I can’t be seen heading to the server level—it’s not a place I’d ever have a reason to go.

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