0692321314 (S) by Simone Pond Page A

something. She wasn’t quite sure.
    “Emerald what?”
    “It’s the city center up in Seattle. I saw it in a virtual.”
    “Programmers like to use realistic backdrops. Makes the virtual more authentic.”
    “I know that.” She was getting frustrated. “But if it really exists, there could be people living inside.”
    “It exists. But it’s a dead cell. Multiple transmissions have been sent, but there’s never been any response. We would’ve detected activity if it were operational. Nothing has ever come up on our radar.”
    “That doesn’t mean it’s empty.”
    “Odds are it is.” He started to edge her out into the hallway. “I have to get back to work.”
    “What if there are people in there who need help?”
    “Don’t you have more important things to focus on? Like graduating from the academy?”
    “Graduating is important, but if there are people who need help, that’s priority number one,” she said, resisting the urge to punch him in the throat.
    “You’re wasting your time. You should get back to your studies.”
    “Just make sure you tell my mom I came by.”

11
    AVA SAT IN Director Faraday’s office, located on the top floor of the academy. He sat behind his desk of crystal panels, monitoring every nook and cranny of the campus. Ava waited for the director to finish up whatever he was observing. He was wasting valuable time.
    “Your daughter is an interesting case study,” he said.
    “Sir?”
    Director Faraday smiled as he pulled up a hologram, revealing footage of Grace during her tryouts. The images showed her duel with Sam, the part where she stood over him with her sword pointing into his chest.
    “She has a lot of spirit, sir,” Ava said proudly.
    “Yes, I can see that. Does quite well in combat.”
    “She’s been training with her father for years.”
    He sat back and remained quiet. The atmosphere grew still, and Ava sensed the climate change. “Sir, I’m not sure why you brought me here.” She already knew why she was in his office; she had broken the rules.
    Director Faraday pulled up another screen that displayed Ava in the lab, hooked into the mainframe, and Sam behind a monitor.
    “Ms. Atwood has pointed out a slight discrepancy in our process here at the academy. I recall clearly instructing you to hold off with regards to conducting searches until you and your assistant have been fully trained. This equipment is quite powerful—and for someone not familiar with the capabilities, it could be detrimental. I didn’t bring you up here to fry your brain.”
    “Sir, every day we wait, we’re losing precious time. Morray’s trail is fading. We’re at a critical point, and I need to move forward. I’ve never been this close to locating him.”
    “Yes, I’ve heard all about the digital footprint your daughter supposedly tracked down. After further considering the matter, Ms. Atwood postulates it was probably just a glitch.”
    “I don’t agree with Ms. Atwood, Director. And honestly, her backpedaling confuses me. She saw how Grace was able to move through the mainframe, as well as what she discovered. It was unlike anything I’ve found in my searches. During my most recent search I was able to manipulate the coding, the same way Grace had done during tryouts. This is highly atypical. Something has changed inside the mainframe.”
    “This tells me very little.”
    “It proves that someone has instigated those changes. Since the only people who have been able to interact with the coding have been Grace and me, I believe it has something to do with our DNA. The one person who could reprogram the architecture is Dickson. After all, he created the mainframe.”
    “Are you suggesting that John Dickson restructured the entire mainframe in order for Morray to go after you and your daughter? That sounds a bit paranoid.”
    “I don’t think he’s reprogrammed the entire network of servers. I think he’s designed a program to interact with the archives,