Page 10 of Cyborg's Tether

She nodded. “That’s why I need help. We need to track down who’s using this backdoor and why.”

He turned to her, his expression unreadable. “You understand the gravity of what you’re suggesting? If word of this gets out before we have proof...”

“We can’t ignore it. People could be in danger.”

He slowly nodded. “Very well. What do you need?”

Amaya’s shoulders sagged with relief. “Access to the facility’s network logs, and...maybe some help going through them? It’s a lot of data.”

“I’ll assist you, but we must be discreet. If there is a saboteur, we can’t alert them to our suspicions.”

Amaya nodded, flashing him a small smile. “Thank you. I... I was starting to think I was going crazy.”

His expression softened slightly. “You are many things, Dr. Kaffey, but crazy is not one of them.”

“Amaya,” she said softly to remind him. She’d worked hard for her doctorate, but she preferred hearing her given name on his lips for some reason.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement before turning to the console before them. They worked through the night, sifting through mountains of data. Her back ached from hunching over the console, but she refused to stop. Every line of code could be the key to unraveling this mystery.

As the facility’s day cycle began, she sat back, stretching her tired muscles. She looked over at Xavier, who appeared as focused as ever.

“How are you not exhausted?” she asked.

Xavier glanced at her. “Cyborg enhancements. I don’t require as much rest as a full human.”

Amaya nodded, a jolt of envy coursing through her. “Right. Must be nice.”

“It has its advantages...and its drawbacks.”

Before she could ask what he meant, an alert flashed on her screen. Her heart thumped as she leaned forward, scanning the data. “Xavier, I think I found something.”

He moved to her side. “What is it?”

She pointed to a series of network connections. “These access patterns. They match the backdoor’s signature. Someone’s been using it, and recently.”

Xavier’s organic eye widened slightly. “Can you trace it?”

She tapped the keyboard. “I’m trying, but they’re good. They’re bouncing the signal all over the facility’s network.”

Xavier placed a hand on her shoulder. “Keep trying. We need to know who’s behind this.”

Amaya nodded, her focus narrowing to the task at hand. She followed the digital trail, unraveling the complex web of misdirections and false leads.

Suddenly, the pieces fell into place. Amaya gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

“What is it?” asked Xavier, his voice urgent.

Amaya turned to him, her face pale. “The signal is coming from inside the facility. Someone here is sabotaging the cyborgs.”

Xavier’s expression hardened. “We need to inform Dr. Vex immediately.”

As they hurried from the lab, her thoughts were jumbled. They had proof now, but would it be enough? And more importantly, who among them could be trusted?

Chapter 4—Xavier

XAVIER’S CYBERNETICeye whirred as he scanned the facility’s network logs. He tapped holographic interface, sifting through streams of data. A flicker caught his attention. He zoomed in, enhancing the anomaly. There, hidden beneath layers of encryption, was a data stream he’d never seen before. This wasn’t part of the facility’s normal operations. He tapped a few commands, trying to trace the origin, but hit a wall of complex security protocols.

He glanced over his shoulder. The control room was empty save for him. Good. He didn’t want to raise alarms until he knew more.