Chapter 15 - Eight Years of LiesEverything happened at once.

Alarms.

Gunfire.

People screaming.

Nate on the floor.

Avery fighting Jonathan.

I was still connected to the system.

I could feel the patients.

One by one, their heart rates stabilized.

The network began shutting down.

But one connection remained.

Mine.

PRIMARY SUBJECT LINK ACTIVE

I tried to disconnect.

Nothing.

"Nate!"

He lifted his head.

"Don't."

"Why?"

"If you disconnect now, it could rebound."

"Then what do I do?"

"Finish it."

I looked at the screen.

The final command.

TRANSFER PRIMARY AUTHORITY?

Yes.

No.

Avery wrestled Jonathan to the floor.

"You don't know what you're doing!"

Jonathan shouted,

"She's doing what none of us could!"

Avery fired.

Jonathan fell.

"Dad!"

I felt the system surge.

Nate dragged himself toward the panel.

"Hannah."

I looked at him.

"The transfer requires another living administrator."

"What does that mean?"

"Someone has to take the system."

"Who?"

"Me."

"No."

"It's the only way."

"You'll die."

He smiled weakly.

"I owe you eight years of truth."

"Nate."

"I loved you every day."

"Don't say that now."

"I need you to hear it."

I shook my head.

"I don't forgive you."

"I know."

"I may never."

"I know."

"But I don't want you to die."

His smile broke.

"That sounds like forgiveness to me."

"It's not."

He laughed.

Then the system warned:

TRANSFER WINDOW: 10 SECONDS

Nate entered his credentials.

The system rejected them.

BIOMETRIC MISMATCH

He looked at me.

"It needs your blood and my neural signature."

"Then how?"

He looked at Avery.

Avery understood.

"No."

Nate grabbed him.

They struggled.

Avery's wrist hit the scanner.

The system flashed.

SECONDARY ADMINISTRATOR CONFIRMED

Nate shouted,

"Now!"

I pressed the transfer command.

Energy surged through the room.

Avery screamed.

Nate collapsed.

The network shut down.

Silence.

No alarms.

No voices.

Only the sound of my breathing.

The system went black.

I ran to Nate.

His eyes were closed.

"No."

I pressed my hands against his chest.

"Stay with me."

No response.

I started CPR.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Come on."

Nothing.

Twenty compressions.

Again.

Then his heart monitor flickered.

Beep.

Beep.

Weak.

But present.

I cried out.

"Nate."

His eyes opened.

He looked at me.

"Did we stop it?"

"Yes."

He smiled.

"Good."

Then the monitor behind him lit up.

BACKUP SERVER ACTIVE

I froze.

Nate's smile disappeared.

A new message appeared.

ORCHID HAS A SECOND ADMINISTRATOR.

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