The Last Protocol: Part 4.1 - Shadows of Doubt
The air in the command room was heavy with an unspoken tension. The rebels had gathered once more, the faint glow of the console their only light in the dim, metallic space. Cipher’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, her bronze eyes darting across the encrypted data on the screen. Behind her, Lena paced, her green eyes sharp, scanning the faces of her team.
“We’re not alone in this,” Lena said finally, her voice steady but low. “But someone here isn’t who they seem.”
Kit froze mid-gesture, his makeshift hat tilting precariously as he leaned back in his chair. “Well, that’s a fine start to the mornin’, innit?” he quipped, though the usual mischievous glint in his eyes was absent.
Jarek crossed his arms, his rugged face shadowed by the flickering light. “If there’s a traitor, we need to find out now. We can’t afford doubt in the middle of this.”
Cipher’s voice was quiet but sharp. “The signal wasn’t tampered with externally. The encryption pattern… it’s too familiar. It’s like it’s been tailored to us.” She paused, her gaze flicking up to meet Lena’s. “This didn’t come from the Authority. It came from inside.”
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The room fell silent, tension coiling like a taut wire. Even Kit’s usual needling had stilled as the weight of Cipher’s words settled over the group. The sound of Lena’s pacing boots was the only noise, rhythmic and deliberate.
“We’ve been infiltrated,” Lena said, stopping mid-step. Her voice was firm, but the tremor in her hands betrayed her struggle to maintain composure. “Someone among us… has betrayed the rebellion.”
Jarek’s calm voice broke through the silence. “We don’t act on suspicion alone. We stick to protocol and investigate. Trust is fragile, but if we lose it completely, we’re already defeated.”
Cipher’s hands trembled as she returned to the console. “There’s something else,” she murmured. The screen flickered, displaying fragmented code and partially decrypted text. “This… this isn’t just a signal. It’s a trigger.”
Kit leaned forward, his hat tilting as his blue eyes narrowed. “A trigger for what, luv?”
Cipher hesitated before answering. “A kill switch. Embedded in the Protocol. If activated, it could corrupt the entire system… or worse, turn it against us.”
Lena’s jaw tightened. “The Protocol is supposed to be infallible. If there’s a kill switch, it means someone planned this. Someone who knew its potential.”
Kit leaned back, arms crossed. “And here we thought our fight was against the Authority. Seems like the enemy’s got a way of shapeshiftin’.”
Jarek stepped closer to Lena, his voice steady. “We don’t have time for paranoia. We’ll isolate the source and secure the Protocol. Cipher, can you trace the kill switch?”
Cipher nodded, her hands steadying as she typed. “It’ll take time, but I can find it. We need to keep moving forward… cautiously.”
Lena’s gaze swept over her team. “We’ve always known the stakes. If someone here is playing both sides, we’ll find out. But until then, we move as one. Agreed?”
One by one, the rebels nodded, though the flicker of doubt lingered in their eyes. The shadows stretched long across the room, as if the betrayal itself had taken physical form, weaving between them like a phantom.
The console hummed softly as Cipher’s fingers flew over the keys, decrypting layer by layer. The deeper she dug, the clearer the threat became. The Protocol was not just a blueprint for revolution. It was a battleground, and the first shot had already been fired from within.