To The Moon And Back

Chapter 20

We head to the staircase that leads to the Government server room. Jay looks around and makes sure nobody can see us, then we sprint downstairs.

"Aren't there any surveillance cameras here?" I whisper.

"No, only at the entrance, and right now, nobody's watching it."

"I want to ask why you're so sure, but you'll babble about being the Dome Leader, right?"

He nods. We arrive in the dark, chilly room and I hear the same buzzing noise like last time. I turn on the main computer and dive into its code. Using the hint Jay's dad gave me, I try to formulate the passkey.

It doesn't work.

"Dammit," I whisper.

Jay touches my shoulder. "What's the matter? Still can't do it?"

I don't reply, digging into my formulas again and searching for syntax errors. I remember Tim's exact words—'it uses time to the increasing power of itself'—as well as Kailee's brief guidance about variable passwords. I immerse my mind into the code, drowning away everything around me. It's just me and this computer, nothing more.

I recall everything I learned about this server. Its make is a unique model specially made for the Government. Its code is the standard Official coding, the one I'm studying here on Earth. Its processor is ancient compared to conventional computers, yet it's one of the most powerful ones humans have designed.

And it has no weak points.

My heart rate rises steadily with each passing second, the weight of my impending failure threatening me. Jay is standing still behind me, but I know he thinks it was a mistake to bring me here, that I'm too stupid. I have to prove him wrong.

"No hope?" He whispers.

I press Enter and still get the same error message. There's something I'm missing here.

"Let me focus, Jay."

While this particular computer has no weak points in its design or performance, every computer has an Achilles heel: they can't withstand high temperatures. If I use this flaw to my advantage, I might be able to shatter the invisible wall inhibiting me from cracking the code, a hacking method I only recently learned.

"I have a plan, but I need your help," I tell Jay.

"Your wish is my command," he replies.

I point to a handle on the floor, "raise this tile lifter for me."

"What is that?"

"It'll lead me to the ventilation system."

"And?"

"Jay, hurry, I'll explain later."

"I hope you know what you're doing," he says, raising the lifter. The tile he removed is held by the suction cups in the lifter, revealing a ton of wires and fans. A surge of cold air blows into our faces. "Whoa, what the heck?"

"This is called a raised floor." I descend onto the ground, looking around the ventilation system for a switch. It's tricky, considering the darkness of the place, but I manage to locate it and turn it off, then climb out.

God, please make this work.

As I expected, the server displays a 'Temperature rising' warning, and soon enough, its system starts to crash. I await the perfect moment, my brain analyzing and my fingers typing the passkey like I've known it forever.

It finally works.

"I did it!" I whisper-shout in celebration.

"Whoa, that's fantastic," Jay says.