“Could’ve fooled me,” she replied before I could, and we both laughed as Maddox crossed his arms.
“Could you tell your gi—” Maddox started before DITA made a series of angry beeps. “I mean, could you ask Eon when we can expect the recovery to be complete?”
I stood swiftly, ready to end whatever meeting she and Levi were having.
CHAPTER 44
EON
The streams of data flowed around me like currents in an endless digital ocean. I let my Flux guide me through the virtual architecture, my consciousness extending beyond the boundaries of my physical form. This deep in cyberspace, the normal restrictions fell away. I could sense the intricate patterns of Neo Stellaris’ network infrastructure I now had access to—the bright, clean channels of Sky District, the chaotic mesh of Blue, the limited lines in Green, and the deteriorating pathways of Magenta.
And something else.
It wasn’t the first time I’d felt a presence in the data, so massive it seemed to encompass the entire cyber world. Like standing at the edge of an abyss and feeling it watching you back. It never manifested directly, just hovered at the periphery of perception. A digital ghost—or something worse.
I’d searched the forums for similar experiences, and they’d led me down nothing but conspiracy rabbit holes.Deus est Machinaand all such equally worthless drivel. I’d even found a particularly funny one claiming Levi had to peel off his flesh suitevery night to let his reptilian skin breathe, which was why no one ever saw him after dark. Ridiculous.
But even as I rejected those explanations, the presence lingered. Today, it felt closer. More attentive. As if it had decided to stop hiding.
I extended my Flux further, trying to get a clearer sense of the anomaly, when the network around me suddenly shifted. Security protocols engaged. Pathways redirected. Someone with high-level access was altering my environment.
I pulled back, returning to my reconstruction work. My Flux sang as I let the usual limitations melt away. I let as much current flow through me as I could muster, expanding into the data. I wasn’t hiding anymore, and it felt absolutely incredible to be this free.
“Fascinating approach, Ms. Ibarra. Unconventional, but elegant.”
I hadn’t heard him enter the lab. I sat up at the sudden presence of Levi Ameré, standing behind me with the casual authority of someone who owned not just the building but the very air inside it.
I disengaged fully from the interface, my Flux reluctantly retreating beneath my skin. “I wasn’t aware the CEO of POM Enterprises took an interest in data retrieval methodologies.”
His smile was perfect, an expression designed in a boardroom. “I take an interest in exceptional talent. Your recovery techniques are…unprecedented. Even our best data engineers couldn’t parse those fragments.”
There was something distinctly unnerving about the way he studied me. Not with the clinical detachment Tex employed, but with an almost predatory fascination. I was a particularly interesting specimen under glass for him to manipulate.
“Just doing the job I was contracted for,” I said, sliding my chair back slightly to establish distance.
“Are you?” Levi moved closer, casual yet deliberate. “I’ve reviewed your access patterns. You’ve been exploring areas well beyond the Renard investigation parameters.”
I kept my expression neutral. “Data recovery isn’t linear. Sometimes you have to follow tangential pathways to reconstruct the original pattern.”
“Hmm.” He reached out, and a holographic display sprung to life. With a smooth gesture, he rearranged the fragments I’d been working on, forming new patterns. “And what patterns have you found, Ms. Ibarra?”
The way he manipulated the data was unsettling, and a shiver ran down my spine. Perhaps it was his Air Flux—the way he bent his very environment to his needs, not once considering the ramifications.
“Nothing conclusive yet,” I answered carefully. “Just fragments.”
“Fragments can be remarkably revealing when viewed from the right perspective.” He moved the pieces into a new configuration with a fluid gesture. “For instance, this doesn’t just look like basic archival documents. More like experimental code that belongs in a POM lab, don’t you think?”
He moved everything around, surprisingly adept at the manipulation. I supposed one didn’t become the CEO of the world’s largest data company without knowing a few things.
Usually.
“Ah, but it’s been so long since I’ve gotten to actually work with the data I’m in charge of. You’ll forgive my micromanaging. I see now—you had everything arranged in a way that synced with your unique EM field. Apologies for interfering.”
My pulse quickened. He shouldn’t have been able to detect that level of detail about my Flux signature. “I hadn’t made that connection.”
“No?” His eyes met mine, and they were dark. So dark I could hardly make out his pupils. “You’re being modest. Your sensitivity to electromagnetic patterns is quite extraordinary. It’s what makes your approach to cyberspace so unique.”
I fought the urge to recoil. “I’m not following.”
