The Probability Shift

Mariana trenches

Kevin's descent into the depths of obsession took a darker turn as he began to rationalize increasingly unethical actions. He convinced himself that the end justified the means, that every step he took, no matter how morally ambiguous, was necessary to refine his model.

His apartment, once a sanctuary of scientific inquiry and collaboration with Vanessa, now resembled a high-tech bunker. Surveillance equipment and hacking tools cluttered the countertops. Discarded takeout containers and empty coffee cups littered the floor, forming a chaotic mosaic of his disordered mind.

He sat hunched over his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. He had learned enough about cybersecurity to break into private networks and access restricted databases. He targeted government agencies, corporations with extensive surveillance systems, and even private citizens who might have unknowingly captured crucial moments on their devices.

"Just another dataset," he muttered as he bypassed yet a new firewall. "Just another piece of the puzzle."

He hacked into city-wide surveillance networks, accessing street cameras and traffic monitors. He sifted through hours of footage, looking for any angle that might have captured something he had missed. Every new piece of data was meticulously analyzed and fed into his increasingly sophisticated models.

"More data points," he whispered to himself, eyes bloodshot from hours of staring at screens. "I need more data points."

Kevin's actions grew bolder as his desperation intensified. He infiltrated police databases, extracting detailed reports on the night of Vanessa's murder. He accessed private security footage from nearby businesses, piecing together a comprehensive visual timeline of events leading up to her death.

His justification for these illegal activities became a mantra in his mind: "It's for you, Vanessa. It's to save you."

He breached personal email accounts and social media profiles of guests who had attended the gala. He read through their messages and posts, searching for any mention of unusual behavior or suspicious individuals. Privacy laws became inconsequential barriers in his relentless pursuit.

One evening, he hacked into the personal computer of a high-ranking official involved in the investigation. The official had access to confidential information that Kevin believed could hold the key to unlock new insights into that fateful night.

As Kevin sifted through encrypted files, his heart raced with a mix of fear and exhilaration. The thrill of evading detection fueled his determination. He found emails discussing internal doubts about the official story behind Vanessa's death. Whispers of a larger conspiracy tied to their work for the UN. A funded assassination rather than a murder, and a list of names... people directly or indirectly impacted by the UN last testing. Blake figured about two third down the list.

"This is it," Kevin thought, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he downloaded the files onto an external drive. "This is what I need. If I compute Blake's involvement in the model, I should have the whole story!"

Yet even as he amassed this treasure trove of data through increasingly illicit means, doubts gnawed at him from the periphery of his consciousness. Vanessa had always been his moral compass, grounding him when he strayed too far into ethical gray areas. Without her guidance, Kevin's sense of right and wrong blurred until it became almost unrecognizable.

He pushed those doubts aside, burying them beneath layers of rationalization: "I have no choice... I must do this... It's all for her..."

In moments when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, Kevin would close his eyes and picture Vanessa's smile—the way it lit up her face when she believed in him wholeheartedly. Her faith had been unwavering; her support unfaltering.

"Stay focused," he told himself during these brief respites from reality. "She needs you."

Kevin's illegal activities escalated further still. He hacked into financial records tied to Blake's estate, seeking evidence that would expose Blake's machinations and provide leverage against him.

The line between obsession and madness blurred beyond recognition as Kevin descended deeper into this self-imposed abyss...