Even for Cynfo Tech, 5 a.m. was an early start. Winston ‘Winner’ Malik wasn’t all that happy about sleeping at the office but this was a common event now, even for Ryder Arcadia himself. They had transformed some of the rooms into decent living quarters, Scarlett ‘Crimson’ Young ensuring that all were comfortable and well-equipped. Though he was beginning to feel rather claustrophobic, Winner sometimes looked down at the empty streets below and felt glad to be safe. He also didn’t have enough time to get depressed about the wider crisis; he was too busy.

‘Got your espresso?’ asked Ryder as they sat down in the conference room.

Feeling nervous about the meeting, Winner manufactured a smile and tapped the plastic cup, having just used the state-of-the-art machine in the reception area. Somehow, the skeleton Cynfo staff still managed to lay their hands on anything they needed. Winner was continually amazed at how his resilient, demanding boss had not only weathered the disaster in San Lazaro but seemed to be flourishing. They even had plenty of power because Crimson and her crew had looted five portable generators, now housed on the floor below. They had also scavenged some extra solar panels which had been installed on the roof. Winner couldn’t help wondering what conditions the less fortunate city’s inhabitants were enduring.

‘So, this is it,’ said Ryder, staring at the scrolling computer code on the conference room screen. ‘Are we ready to go?’

‘Not exactly, sir,’ replied Winner hesitantly. ‘I’ve merged the purge script with Great Wall but haven’t actually tested it on a live subject yet.’

‘Why not?

Winner never enjoyed arguing with Mr. Arcadia. He was a difficult man to refuse.

‘Sir, everything I’ve seen to date suggests that this virus is mutating rapidly.’

‘All the more reason for us to move quickly.’

‘But I’ve had to reverse engineer the code. I can’t be certain of safeguarding against the most recent evolutions in CyMS behavior. Then there’s the back door.’

Winner hadn’t been surprised by his boss’s request to include this feature. If the program worked, overall usage might eventually be huge and the back door would allow Cynfo to spy on millions, including more top government ministers. Winner was now used to Ryder’s relentless ambition and underhand methods but he had a further concern:

‘The back door might actually make it easier for the virus to spread, especially if the mutations continue. Sir, I just don’t think we’re ready yet. There are so many issues to consider. We should consult with experts, perhaps even some of these other groups we’ve encountered.’

Arcadia rolled his eyes. ‘But we have that captured CyMS in the lab. Why not just test it out on him?’

‘Sir, the mutation issue is a complete unknown. This area is not my specialty and we don’t have the equipment here to establish the precise nature of the virus within the captured CyMS. We can’t be sure what the scientists based the purge script on – it might have been an earlier, very different, version of the virus. Mr. Arcadia, I don’t often do this but I’m asking you to please listen to me. This could be very dangerous. For us. For everyone.’

Ryder Arcadia looked at the screen for a while then gave a thoughtful nod. ‘I hear you, Winner. Message received.’

——-

Midnight. The office was quiet. Goddess was spending the night back at her apartment, accompanied by Crimson for safety’s sake. Beater and Zephyr, meanwhile, were on patrol outside the Kilcline building.

As he passed Winner’s cubicle, Ryder was glad to see the light off and hear no trace of sound. He simply could not resist the temptation to try out the merged program. If it worked, this solution to the virus might be rolled out nationwide, providing Cynfo with an incredible market advantage. The opportunity to access millions of individuals – and their implants – was simply too good to miss. Ryder knew he could have simply ordered Winner to do it but he liked the thought of grabbing the reins himself, being the first to witness the birth of his brainchild.

Using his BioAuth wrist implant, Ryder accessed the highly restricted lab, hurrying through to the storeroom converted to accommodate the CyMS. When Ryder held up his wrist once more, the door beeped and slid aside. The CyMS lay on a gurney, chained at the ankles and wrists. One of the junior employees with medical experience had rigged up some tubes and tanks to deal with his waste. He was a large, heavily-built man, wearing only a medical gown. The captive’s eyes were open and when he saw Ryder, he reached for him, drooling as he strained against the chains. Then he began to speak:

‘The goblins. The goblins are coming. Need … need the Archmage of Sebulon.’

‘Calm down, psycho,’ said Ryder with a grin. ‘I’ve something here that’s going to make you feel a whole lot better.’

He reached into his pocket and retrieved his tablet, which he had fitted with the merged Great Wall/ purge script program. He also had a plugin for the CyMS. The captive’s implant was in his upper arm and the connector port had already been opened up with a minor procedure. Ryder connected the plug in and was glad to see the tiny green light. If all went to plan, the program would link with the captive’s implants, then neutralize and remove the virus; restoring the CyMS to normality. Ryder glanced down at the display and pressed EXECUTE.

The CyMS continued to ramble about goblins, his gaze flitting around the room. Then, after about thirty seconds, his body became still. His eyes locked on to Ryder, who saw something that had not been there before: humanity.

‘Who are you?’ said the big man, his voice surprisingly calm.

‘Don’t worry about that,’ said Ryder. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Free. Free from the nightmare. Did you help me?’

‘I did.’

‘Thank you. There are others. You must help them too. You must help everyone.’

Ryder laughed. He couldn’t believe how simple and quick the transformation had been. ‘Oh, I’ll help everyone, don’t you worry about that, my friend. And then they’re going to help me.’

Ryder felt euphoric. What a win! What a victory!

——-

Winner held up his wrist, waited for the door to open and walked into the lab. Something had woken him from a deep, dreamless sleep and his instincts had drawn him there. He was shocked – if not surprised – by what he found. ‘Mr. Arcadia, what are you doing?’

‘Hey, Winner,’ replied Ryder, his eyes wide. ‘Just checking on our friend. All good here.’

Winner saw that the captive CyMS seemed to be in a similar rambling, drooling state as before.

‘It’s late, Mr. Arcadia.’

‘You’re right. Let’s leave the big guy in peace.’

As they left the lab, Ryder grinned at the CyMS. ‘Sweet dreams, friend. Sweet dreams.

Next Story: 60. The Purge Script - Part 1