Page 39 of Human Reform
“The same CyberEvolution we have an extremely tenuous truce with.”
She waved dismissively.“It’s not like I’m stealing anything.That code is mine.I wrote it.CE just holds the rights.”
“The truce is barely eighteen months old,” I reminded her.“One false move and we could trigger a conflict that would endanger everyone here.”
“I’ll encrypt the hack so thoroughly they’ll never know we were there,” she insisted, already turning back to her monitors.“Trust me, Daxon.This could be the key we need.”
I wanted to argue further, but the determination in her eyes stopped me.That fierce intelligence and that refusal to back down from a challenge was part of why I was falling for her.Why I might already love her.
“Fine,” I conceded, “but we encrypt everything, route through at least three phantom nodes, and if there’s even a hint of detection?—”
“We pull out immediately,” she finished, already typing.“I’m not exactly new to all of this, you know.”
I moved behind her chair, placing my hands on her shoulders and feeling the tension there.“No, you most certainly are not.”
She glanced up at me, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.“Why do I get the feeling you’re not just talking about my hacking skills anymore?”
Heat rushed through me, and I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear.“Because you’re incredible in more ways than one, Dr.Bridges.”
Her breath caught, and for a moment, I thought she might turn away from the screens.Instead, she straightened her shoulders and returned to her work, though I didn’t miss the flush creeping up her neck.
“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she murmured, “but maybe save it for after we save your colony?”
I chuckled, stepping back to give her space.“I’ll hold you to that.”
On her screen, a complex series of protocols began to unfold as she built her pathway into CyberEvolution’s databases.I watched in admiration as she worked, this woman who’d become everything I never knew I needed.
Her fingers danced across the interface with practiced precision, each keystroke deliberate and confident.The sweet scent of her hair drifted up to me as I leaned a bit closer, mesmerized by both her skill and her nearness.
“Almost there,” she murmured, her voice tight with concentration.“Their firewalls are impressive, but they have the same structural weaknesses they did three years ago.”
I placed my hands on her shoulders again, feeling the tension still knotted there.“Of course they do.No one there is as brilliant as you.”
She chuckled lightly, but I could feel her lean slightly into my touch.“Your praise won’t make this hack go any faster.”
“I’m not trying to speed you up,” I said, rubbing slow circles with my thumbs.“Just stating facts.”
The screen flashed green, and Alora let out a triumphant laugh.“We’re in!I swear, for a company that prides itself on cutting-edge tech, they never learn.”
I watched as she navigated through directories, her movements quick and purposeful.She was hunting for something specific, and I felt a swell of pride watching her work.This was her element—solving puzzles that would baffle most minds.
“There,” she said, opening a folder labeled “ABNeuralArchives.”“These are my original files.All my early drafts, prototypes, backups…”
Her voice trailed off as her eyes darted across the screen, taking in the information.I felt her shoulders stiffen under my hands.
“No,” she whispered.“No, that’s not possible.”
“What is it?”I leaned closer, scanning the timestamps on the files.
“Someone internally at CE modified my code right under my nose.Look at these timestamps.These modifications were done while I still worked at CE, not after I left.”Her voice grew harder with each word.“The modifications… they’re deliberate traps.Designed to activate if anyone ever tried to reprogram the neural framework.”
The implications hit me like a physical blow.“You mean?—”
“I mean I didn’t just help weaponize you all during the war,” she said, her voice rising.“I unknowingly helped create a switch to ensure you’d remain enslaved forever if you ever tried to break free.”
Her hands started shaking, rage radiating from her in palpable waves as she continued to process her revelation.“Those bastards at CE used me!They were playing a longer game than any of us realized!”
I tried to squeeze her shoulders gently.“Alora, we need to stay calm and?—”
