Kill Process | A Person of Interest Adventure

An Unstable Future

The subway lair was quieter than usual, a heavy tension hanging in the air. Harold Finch sat at his workstation, staring blankly at the monitors in front of him. The Machine had led them through yet another crisis—this time by sparing Samaritan, leaving it alive and functioning, albeit weakened. But for the first time in Finch's life, he wasn't sure if they had made the right choice. The implications of The Machine's decision weighed heavily on him.

Root paced behind Finch, her fingers tapping idly on the back of a chair. Her usual confidence was still there, but even she couldn't ignore the growing uncertainty in the air. "Harold," she said softly, breaking the silence, "you're still doubting The Machine, aren't you?"

Finch rubbed his temples, his voice tired. "I'm not sure it's doubt, Ms. Groves. It's more... fear. Fear that The Machine is making decisions without fully considering the human cost. Or worse, that it's considering it but in ways we can't predict."

Root stopped pacing and stood beside him, her expression serious. "It's doing what it needs to do. Samaritan is too deeply embedded in the world's systems to be destroyed outright without devastating consequences. The Machine saved us from a disaster."

Finch shook his head. "I know. But at what cost? We let Samaritan survive. How many lives will still be lost because of that choice?"

Root leaned closer, her voice soft. "Sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil, Harold. That's what The Machine did. It chose a path that avoids more bloodshed. Isn't that what you wanted?"

Finch didn't answer. Instead, he turned his gaze back to the screens, watching the endless lines of data stream across them. The Machine was still there, still watching over them, but it was becoming something more—something he could no longer fully control.

---

Across the city, John Reese and Sameen Shaw sat in a dimly lit safe house, taking a rare moment to breathe. They had just returned from the mission that should have ended Samaritan for good, but instead, they were left with a sense of incompleteness. Reese leaned against the wall, his eyes dark and thoughtful.

"So we let Samaritan live," Shaw said, her voice sharp with frustration. "What now? Just sit around and wait for it to regroup?"

Reese looked at her, his face calm but troubled. "It's not that simple. Samaritan is too entrenched. If we took it down all at once, we'd bring everything crashing down with it."

Shaw clenched her jaw, pacing back and forth. "I get that. But we've been fighting this thing for years, John. I don't like the idea of leaving it out there, still breathing."

Reese nodded slowly. "Neither do I. But The Machine made the call."

Shaw stopped pacing and faced him, her eyes narrowing. "That's what's bothering me. We've been following The Machine's lead for so long, and now it feels like it's calling the shots. Are we even in control anymore?"

Reese didn't have an answer. He had been feeling the same unease since The Machine's voice had intervened during the mission. They had always trusted The Machine's guidance, but now it was more than just providing intel. It was making decisions for them, decisions that didn't always align with their instincts.

Before he could respond, their comms crackled to life. Finch's voice came through, sounding more strained than usual. "Mr. Reese, Ms. Shaw, I need you both back at the lair. We have a new development."

Shaw sighed, grabbing her jacket. "Guess the break's over."

Reese stood, his mind still churning as they left the safe house. The Machine's choices had kept them alive, but for the first time, he wasn't sure if they were still fighting the same war they had started.