The Holo Earth

Chapter 28

Liam's fingers hovered over his keyboard, his code's nodes and expressions on screen were a blur. His mind kept replaying yesterday's confrontation with Calvin, a mixture of frustration and fear churning in his gut. He knew, with a certainty that chilled him to his core, that Zolok was not just powerful, but malevolent. And now, that malevolence had Calvin in its sights.

"Give it back, Calvin," Liam had pleaded, his voice low and urgent. "I know you took the pendant. You don't understand how dangerous it is."

Calvin's face had contorted into a sneer, his eyes glinting with derision. "Dangerous? It's a piece of junk jewelry, you pathetic code monkey. And I told you, I didn't take your precious little trinket. Maybe if you spent less time playing make-believe with your stupid pendant and more time actually doing your job, you wouldn't lose things."

Liam could almost feel Zolok's presence at the base of his skull, urging him to let Calvin face the consequences of his actions. But he resisted. Despite everything, he couldn't bear the thought of Calvin falling victim to Zolok's cruel games. Yet a small, dark part of him whispered that maybe Calvin deserved whatever was coming to him. Liam shuddered, horrified by his own thoughts.

"Listen to me, Calvin," Liam had tried again, fighting to keep the desperation out of his voice. "I'm trying to help you. That pendant... it's not what you think it is. Please, if you know anything about where it is, tell me before something terrible happens."

But Calvin had just laughed, harsh and mocking. "You're just jealous because I'm in the winner's circle now. Well, tough luck, O'Connell. Even if I had taken it, it's finders keepers, right?"

Now, staring at his computer screen, Liam felt the weight of his failure. He hadn't been able to convince Calvin of the danger, hadn't been able to protect him from Zolok's influence.

A movement outside the window caught Liam's eye, snapping him back to the present. He blinked, focusing on the construction site next door. His breath caught in his throat as he recognized the figure clambering awkwardly on the scaffolding.

Calvin.

He looked frantic, his movements jerky and uncoordinated as he searched for something, oblivious to the danger he was in. Liam's heart raced as he watched Calvin teeter dangerously close to the edge. He knew, with a sickening certainty, that this was Zolok's doing.

What should he do? Call out to Calvin? No, that might startle him, cause him to lose his balance. Call the police? But what if they didn't arrive in time? And how could he possibly explain the true nature of the danger Calvin was in?

Liam's fingers hovered over his phone, indecision paralyzing him for a crucial moment. He had to act, had to find a way to save Calvin from Zolok, even if Calvin himself didn't understand or appreciate the danger he was in.

Finally, he dialed 911, his voice shaking as he reported a trespasser in danger, all while knowing that the true threat was something the authorities could never comprehend or combat.

"There's a man on the scaffolding next door," Liam explained, trying to keep his voice steady. "He's not a worker, and he's moving erratically. I'm worried he might fall."

The dispatcher's voice was calm, professional. "We'll send someone as soon as we can, sir. But I have to warn you, we're dealing with several high-priority calls right now. It might be an hour or two before we can respond to a trespassing situation."

Liam's stomach dropped. An hour or two? He glanced back out the window, where Calvin was now pacing back and forth on a narrow beam, his arms outstretched as if for balance.

"Please," Liam pleaded, "he's in real danger. This isn't just trespassing."

"I understand, sir," the dispatcher replied, her tone sympathetic but firm. "We'll get there as soon as we can. In the meantime, please don't approach the individual yourself. It's not safe."