Chapter 21 #2
Once he had passed by, I let out the breath I’d been holding, and the whistling stopped. I froze. A door opened, and I got the sense I was alone again. I did a slow count to three before I let myself breathe again.
“Byte?” I asked as softly as I could.
He’s exited this hallway. I advise you to move swiftly. But not too swiftly, of course.
Moving any sort of swiftly was easier said than done since disentangling myself from the cables was even harder than it was to get behind them.
Somehow, I managed to get out without falling, though my foot caught again, and I hopped to free it.
As soon as I cleared the cables, I took off down the hallway, in the same direction as Whistler.
Not far ahead was a door with a sign that read TOILET.
That meant Whistler would likely be coming out sooner rather than later.
I picked up my pace.
You’re moving too fast. I can’t take over the cameras at this speed.
I forced myself to slow. I could hear water running in the bathroom behind me. I didn’t even wait for Byte’s directions when I reached the next door, and I swiped my hand. As I stepped through the doorway, I heard the bathroom door open. I twisted to flatten myself against the wall.
Once the door between us closed, I asked quietly, “Did he notice?”
He’s looking at the door; he hasn’t moved. The nearest system room is twenty feet ahead. There is only one camera between us and the room; I’m hacking it now, so you can hurry.
I jogged to where there was a door to my left. I placed my hand on the pad, but the door didn’t open.
All system rooms are locked. Based on seeing one guard enter a code at the guard station, I assume all codes here are only four digits. It will take a few more seconds to identify the right access code.
“I can be patient, but I’m not sure about the guard back there,” I said, glancing over my shoulder.
Manipulating external systems is a new capability, and I admit, it’s not an optimized capability by any means. I’ve identified one thousand ninety-two improvements needed to my processes. The door then opened. But fortunately for us, my capability far exceeds any human’s.
“But not a security amp’s,” I said as I stepped inside the tiny room.
Like the hallways, there was a camera in the ceiling directly over a desk with a single computer station.
The walls were draped with cables. I’d expected to see data boxes, but they must’ve been stored in another room.
This one looked like it was designed for a single person to access whatever data was stored in the bowels of this center.
A security amp can’t heal you.
I walked over to the desk and took a seat in the stiff, black chair. On the cold desk was a single screen, a keyboard, and a small gray box with slots for memory cards.
I didn’t need memory cards—I had a Byte.
I cracked my knuckles. “Okay, your turn, Byte.”
My turn? I’ve done all the work so far. All you’ve done is transport us from the AV to this room.
“I think I’ve done a bit more than that,” I said, even though I realized I really hadn’t. Right now, I was basically just an AV for my amp.
If you say so. Now, tap the button on the top right to activate this terminal.
I went to do that and paused. “They won’t get an alert or something at the front desk when I do this, right?”
No, but the action will be logged. However, accessing the system from this keyboard shouldn’t alert anyone. If no one knows to look at the data, no one will know anyone was ever here.
“Cool.” I tapped the key, and a blinking blue cursor appeared at the top of the screen.
Enter the following: //H009T?—
“Whoa there, buddy. I can’t type that fast,” I said as I searched for the slash mark.
Since you have yet to type a single character, referencing the clarifier “that fast” is completely unnecessary. Your speed is null.
“Smart ass.” I finally found the mark and tapped it twice. I began pecking in the next letters and numbers with my forefingers.
Your typing speed is still atrocious.
“That’s because I’ve never had to type anything more than a few instructions on an armlet.”
It shows. But I thought you would have improved from all the practice you had in the computer lab. I failed to calculate your impediment into the plan. At this rate, we will spend the entire night in this building.
“I should’ve packed some food.”
The guards are required to do a full walk-through at least once every shift. We have four hours and twelve minutes before they conduct their walk-through, so let’s hope we find the data we’re looking for in under four hours.
“Just keep feeding me codes. I’ll get them in.”
And Byte did. For three hours, it fed me numbers and letters that brought back screens of numbers and letters—a language it told me was a form of abbreviated gibberlink, one of the languages computers used when talking to each other.
It meant nothing to me, but Byte seemed to be sucking it all up.
As it worked (and I pecked), my energy drained, and it was a struggle to keep my eyes open.
Recording all the data must’ve been really spinning Byte’s gears—or whatever kept its processors going.
I’ve finished collecting the data I was looking for.
I sat up straighter and checked the time on my armlet. We even had time to spare. “Just tell me you found out where they’re keeping Nolan.”
Yes. I have the logistical details on the lab currently holding your friend. I’ve also learned of Softbiotics locations not in Dr. Katz’s data repositories.
“I don’t care about any of the other locations.”
They have other labs utilizing human test subjects.
I couldn’t keep my brain from imagining hundreds of innocent people—including women and children—caged like animals. I blew out a breath. “Nolan first. Then we’ll figure out what’s next.”
I cleared the screen and started walking toward the door.
There’s a lab in this building. Twenty-two test subjects are listed on the roster.
That stopped me in my tracks. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. Nolan wasn’t here—I needed to stay focused on finding him… but he’d never be able to forgive me if I didn’t try to help. Hell, I’d never be able to forgive myself.
Damn it.