The Probability Shift

Outside help

Kevin slumped against the unyielding metal frame of the holographic chamber, his shoulders sagging beneath the weight of his latest failure. The simulation's implacable constraints had proven as immutable as the grim reality it mirrored, denying him any avenue to alter the fated trajectory that had torn Vanessa from his grasp.

Frustration curdled into a bitter vortex within his soul, fueling an obsession that had long since consumed any remaining semblance of rational thought. He knew, deep down, that his singular fixation on rewriting the past tread perilously close to the realm of madness. Yet to abandon his quest now, after sacrificing everything in its pursuit, was unfathomable.

With a weary sigh, Kevin dragged himself to his feet and began pacing the confines of the chamber, his mind churning. The simulation's limitations were all too apparent—a mere snapshot in time, replicated with painstaking accuracy yet still constrained to the finite parameters of its recreation. To truly alter the immutable, he would need a far broader canvas upon which to inscribe his designs.

A flicker of hope kindled within him as a potential solution formed in his mind. If he could expand the simulation's scope, broaden its horizons to encompass not just the few blocks from their penthouse to the gala venue... Perhaps then, he could manage to intervene directly with Blake, forcing him to rescind his order to kill Vanessa.

Yet such an undertaking would require resources far beyond his actual capabilities—the data gathering and statistical models alone will not fit in the current purview of his work for Blake.

The answer, as it so often eluded him, manifested itself in the form of a human connection. Sarah, his former colleague and the only one who kept trying to reach him, possessed not only the analytical prowess to augment his simulations but also the unwavering loyalty to aid him in his desperate quest.

Wasting no time, Kevin initiated an encrypted video call to Sarah's private account. Her image flickered into being before him, pixelated features quickly resolving into the familiar contours of her inquisitive gaze.

"Kevin?" she began, brow furrowing at the uncharacteristic breach of protocol. "How are you? What's going on? Is everything all right? I was so worried about you."

He waved aside her concern with an impatient gesture. "I need your help," he stated without preamble. "I am this close to unmask Vanessa's murderer," he lied. "But I need more data, a broader scope—enough to encompass Blake's estate in the simulation I have."

Sarah's eyes widened, "Blake? Eugene Blake, the magnate? What does he have to do with Vanessa's murder?"

"It's complicated," evaded Kevin, "I'll explain later. But do you think you could gather enough data points along the most direct path from the venue the gala was set up to the Blake estate?"

Sarah frowned. "I... I don't know Kev... I don't understand. You disappeared completely, shunned everyone, and now you're asking for... what exactly? I need to make sense of it."

Kevin rubbed his forehead. "Look, I can give you the cliff notes if you want, but I can't get into the details right now."

Sarah listened to the half lies. The use of the probabilistic algorithm to reconstitute the evening events, the data illegally acquired to refine the model, even the doubt about Blake's involvement. Kevin trod carefully around the idea of finding the culprit, never letting anything else slipped in the conversation. And Sarah knew him and Vanessa well, she'd always admired Kevin, understood his awkwardness and compulsive behavior as Vanessa had on occasion confided in her.

A heavy silence stretched between them, laden with the weight of all that remained unspoken. At last, Sarah inclined her head in a solemn nod. "All right," she acquiesced. "I'll see what I can do. But Kevin..." Her gaze bored into him, laced with an unspoken plea. "Promise me you'll be careful. Keep me in the loop when you find something."

A fleeting ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of Kevin's mouth, appreciative of her steadfast loyalty yet keenly aware of the lies he had to lay. "Don't worry," he assured her, the words ringing hollow even to his own ears. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

As Sarah's image winked out, Kevin turned his attention back to his terminal.