EDGE OF DAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

At the center of the Mind-Hub sat a white dome on a cylindrical silver table. Day pressed the top of the dome. It split open, revealing a 3D holo-screen of mathematical data. The equations were a protective wall, guarding the information stored at the center; a center that looked small but contained an inconceivable amount of information.

"Here we go." She took a steadying breath, zeroed her focus on the task before, and began resolving the equations. As soon as she completed one, another appeared. She worked through them steadily. There were seven more; then six, five, four.

And at last, only one more to go...

As Day filled in the final equation that would allow her access to the Hub's computer her wrist began burning. The agony grew until it felt like her hand was in a fire. She shook out her arm, moaning. Her typing slowed. The mathematical resolution blurred in her mind.

Concentrate.

The bracelet turned a soft orange. Her eyes rolled towards it. Was that smoke seeping out between her skin and the metal? Was she really being burned?

A deep resonating hum poured from the metal base of the Hub. She'd made a mistake with the final equation. She had to start it all over again. She pushed down the pain, determined to block it out.

No. Will's voice whispered in her head as though he were right beside her. Don't resist the pain. It will make it increase. Accept it. Allow it to be. Do not try to have it any other way.

Trusting Will's words, she let the pain in. Her eyes watered. Tears ran down her cheeks. She wanted to cry out in agony. Instead, she focused on it and as she did so it dissolved a little. The equation's resolution grew clearer in her mind. She input the answer, no longer rushing. She would do what she'd come to do, but she couldn't force the outcome. She would succeed or she would fail, just like Will had said. She had no control over the result. All she could decide was the part she played.

The seven mathematical equations rose in a sphere around the Mind-Hub's center. Then the numbers wavered and disintegrated, giving her full access. She extended her shaky hands to the midnight-black ball of energy the equations had created. As her fingers prodded it, vibrating green strings appeared.

Overhead, a siren kicked off. Outside the Hub, combat droids planted in the walls came to life. Day cringed when she saw them all point their laser beams into the transparent 'impenetrable' separation screen. They were working together to create an arch of weak points in the structure with the tiny laser blasts.

She glided her fingers through the threads of information, hands knowing where to go, what to do. The pain in her wrist faded to a dull ache.

She located the monitor which was recording everything happening inside Will's mind. When his rescue pod landed on Mars, they must have put him to sleep and uploaded a thousand nanorecorders into his brain. The inter-dimensional doorway had triggered the code and set the recorders in motion.

Day found a region of the computer where the A.I. had begun transforming the electro-magnetic waves it received from Will's recording back into a format Ferdinando could use. Which meant the transformation was still in progress, and there was time to stop it. She navigated her way into the mind-heart of the A.I.

"Logan?"

"Whose there? Why can't I see you?"

"It's Dayna."

"How did you get in here?"

"I need to ask you a question. Is there any way to stop the download from Will Van de Berg?"

"Not from here. I am not causing the download. I'm only siphoning off the information."

"I would like to redirect all information to a storage account with the highest security that only I can access."