The Ark

16.

The room suddenly felt stuffy. I shrugged off my jacket, spontaneous perspiration sticking my shirt to my spine as I listened to Delta's speculations. She was certain Dad had planned on using his position to create a strain of malware specifically designed to take down ZenTech.

I had to admit it made some sense. Tanking ZenTech would be a sure way to leave ZenBrand scrambling. Other projects—like ZenExplore—would surely stall. Not to mention how it would kill Zenith's bid on the Department of Law and Justice.

But there was still plenty that didn't make sense. Dad was no cyber terrorist. He would have known better than anyone that disrupting ZenTech's software would ruin far more than Zenith's business.

"I get it," I said when there was a lull in Delta's animated explanation. "But ZenTech runs everything, people's lives depend on it. I can't see Dad putting the people of the Ark at risk just to get at Zenith, no matter how noble the cause."

"They aren't the only ones capable of running things." Delta crossed the room with a smirk, stopping by a panel in the kitchenette wall. "Have you ever heard of OmniTech, or UberSoft?"

I frowned. "No."

She flicked open the panel to reveal three wireless network transmitters and a solar battery. They blinked away silently, powering the room. Each of their matte black surfaces was stamped with the initials OT.

I squinted at them as though it might help me understand what I was seeing. "Are you saying—?"

A quirky smile spread across her lips. "I've been running on OmniTech for years."

I stared at the hardware. They didn't look like they predated ZenTech—so how had I never heard of them?

Delta closed the wall panel and took up her previous spot. "There are other tech options out there, if you know where to look. ZenTech has such a choke-hold on the industry, it makes everything else practically black market."

I wanted to stand but my knees felt weak. First the survivors, then this. Being told there was other tech out there was like discovering a new, never-before-seen colour. "Is their software compatible with ZenTech hardware?" I asked.

Delta grinned as she saw where my thoughts were going. "Completely. If ZenTech failed, they would be ready to step in and take over."

It was the answer I expected—something Dad would have looked into if this was part of his plan. I paused for a moment, taking stock of everything I had just learned. It made me want to laugh and cry at the same time. The whole idea of Dad trying to bring down an empire to save a village in the Old World would have seemed crazy, had it not been so him. My chest began to ache as the endlessness of his absence sank in once again.

"Why did the news say I had something to do with his death?" I asked. My throat closed around the words making them come out wobbly.

"Ah." Delta glanced up at the line of text on the holo—my birthdate. "If I'm right and this virus does exist, you can bet Zenith is going to have people out there trying to find it too." She trailed off, fixing me with pleading eyes. "You're the first clue—and I need your help to find it before they do."