Chapter 94 - The all seen eye

We stopped at a gigantic white door. The female artificial left us in front and went back to the upper levels without a goodbye. I swallowed hard desperate to reign over my raging dread. Dr. Churchhill and Olga stood silently by my side. I had no idea what we were waiting for and since my previous misstep in the elevator, I've promised myself that I won't utter another word.

"This is the white room," said Atlas, I gave a nervous glance around me to locate where the voice came from. I failed. The far ceiling was riddled with ventilation pipes, large cables, and hanging led bars. There could be sensors and cameras around for all I know. The door slid open, as he mentioned, it was a white room with only a table in the middle. Grant lied over it waiting for us. I gasped and rushed to his side.

"Miss Kerry! Wait-" called the doctor but I'd already made my way inside. I grabbed his cold hand, he didn't stir his eyes were closed. I gave a worried look at the door where those two stood. Did I make another mistake? My head sprung towards the blank ceiling then towards the bare walls. An empty room. My heart raced against my ribcage what was the meaning of this?

"Liliane Kerry," called Atlas from outside. His voice calm but strict. "Step outside, I need to give instruction, first," my fingers squeezed around Grant's hand reluctant to let go. All the fibers of my being screamed to stay by his side. I gave his icy hand a kiss and placed it back on the table.

"I'll be back," I whispered in a broken voice. With one last look at the white room, I marched to the door to my new colleagues. Dr. Churchhill followed me with a scorn. I lowered my head, hand pressed against my chest to keep my pieces together.

"Liliane Kerry, your dopamine levels are dropping rapidly," commented the omniscient voice. No kidding. I frowned at the floor not daring to get into any more trouble.

"Atlas, Miss Kerry... is a special case," the doctor sounded hesitant. He chose his word wisely. Maybe he was also scared of that thing that sees all and knows all. "Grant was created due to her... illness," memories of the happy house flooded back in waves. The disgusting glares I received from the personals at the institution. Back then, I was less than a human. A reject. A broken toy, thrown away.

"She needs Grant to regulate her hieratic mental state. When I created him, I never thought I'd found a cure for this disease among others," he paused with a hint of pride. "Grant is my greatest achievement," he finished on a cheerful note. Olga kept a blank face, she stood very still.

"A fix for a flawed human.... how romantic," added Atlas making the doctor drop his smile. And why were we following his orders like he was some kind of ruler? I clenched my hands in fists feeling anger rising to the surface.

"I'll like to study it, your prototype is a novelty. Send me his codes when you're done with the quarantine, I'll dissect it along with Aquarius and Delta," I gasped, my head lifted towards Dr. Churchhill. Our gaze met. He gave me a nervous smile, sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Atlas means he will copy his codes for analysis. Not to cut him open," explained the doctor. I frowned at him. Was he lying?

"But isn't your codes like confidential. I remember reading from your company website that you took great pride in suing those who try to steal them," I said. A pained expression crossed his face.

"Dr. Churchhill gave Alteron access to all his work. A fair donation for allowing him to continue with the development of Dyneapolis," my eyes widened in shock. He sold his work to get on that boat. At that same time, he sold Grant to them for studying.

"Yo-you..." I couldn't voice my rage. I pressed my lips together to contain my disappointment. I can't believe I let this happened. He used Grant, he used us to lure Grant in into this trap.

"Listen now," Atlas called for our attention. "The white room cuts all transmission. When you get inside, no radio wave, no data, nothing escapes it. And nothing gets inside either. We use it to test cyber viruses. You will have 30 mins to fix your prototype, will that be enough?" Olga nodded once.

"Good, a timer will appear inside, tools are in the drawer around the table. You will have access to our fastest OS. Consider this as an entrance exam. We are looking forward for the result," a timer appeared on the far wall of the room in thick glowing numbers. We strode to the middle of the room and the door shut behind us. Olga threw her designer bag to the floor carelessly.

"Acess root," she shouted. A screen appeared above Grant's immobile body. She rapidly went threw a wall of cascading letters and symbols. Dr. Churchhill made no attempt to move.

"What is happening here?" I shouted my anger threatened to explode. The doctor nervously averted his eyes. "Why aren't you helping?" I said through gritted teeth.

"He can't, he didn't design the Helios series..." said Olga in a flat tone without taking her eyes off the screen. "I did." I was left in utter shock. How was this possible? Then why did he take credit for her work?

"Olga, we have no time to waste on explanation. The clock is clicking," he pointed to the wall where the number flashed with dreadful rapidity. How could he order her around and act like the boss when he was a fraud? I turned to Olga determined to act.

"How can I help? Since this is a test, I want to do my share," I said making her paused.

"You were a data analyst and a quality controller at SolTec, right?" she said with caution.

"The very best," I answered. The one thing I was certain, I was good at my job. Olga threw me a strip of code, a second screen appeared before me.

"Here, you need to select the ones in red and replace them with those I'm writing right now. Can you do that?" I smiled at the screen. "There are 432 in all and we have-," she peeked at the clock, "Less than 25 mins. I've finished correcting the first five," Olga explained.

"We are already wasting time," I frowned at the screen, hands already moving to select the parts that needed editing.

"No wonder Grant likes you," she laughed.

"The clock!" shouted the doctor with a high pitched scream.

"Oh, shut up and sit in a corner. Let the true genius work her magic," said Olga with narrowed eyes.