Chapter 64 Vespera’s Proposal

Chapter 64 Vespera’s Proposal
"You're still standing," Vespera said.

She didn't look at the pile of ash that used to be her Manager. She didn't look at Oswin, who was still pinned against the wall. Her eyes stayed on mine, they were pits of purple code.

"I have good legs," I said, my voice was shaky. She was Level 95 and I was Level 48. She could delete me with a thought.

"And a smart mouth," she said. She pulled out a chair at the gold table. "Sit, Cyprian, we need to talk."

"I'd rather stand," I said. "That wasn't a request," she said. The air grew heavy, my knees buckled. I sat and the chair felt like solid ice.

"Better," she said. She looked at the Deed-chip in my hand. "You think you own this place now."

"The system says I do," I said. "The system is a tool," Vespera said. She took a drag from a cigarette holder.

Purple numbers floated from it. "It is not the master. Many people think the numbers are good, they are wrong."

"Tell that to the guy you just turned into dust," I said. "He worked for the Board," she said. "Twelve people who think they own the afterlife. They are old, Cyprian and greedy."

"Sounds like your problem," I said. "It is our problem," she said. "They want you dead. They don't like ghosts who break the house. They want to patch you out of the world."

"So why am I alive?" I asked. "Because I need a disruptor," she said. She leaned closer. "I want to take the Board down, but I can't do it from the inside. My every move is logged. I am part of the machine."

"But I'm not on the payroll," I said. "Exactly," she said. "You are an anomaly and you can go places I cannot. You can break things I must protect. You are the weapon I need."

"You want a partner?" I asked. "I want a tool," she said. "We are not equals, but we have a common enemy."

"What if I just run?" I asked. "You won't get far," she said. "The Board already has your scent, they've sent a recovery team, they aren't coming to talk."

"I've handled guards before," I said. "Not these ones," she said. "And then there is the Global CEO." The room went dead silent.

"The what?" I asked. "The Syndicate is just a branch office," Vespera said. "The System has a Global CEO. A being that watches everything, every level up, every death. He wrote the code."

"Is he watching us?" I asked. "He is always watching," she said. "But he is bored and right now, you are the lead actor in his show."

"I didn't sign up for this," I said. "You signed up when you took that first level," she said. "The Board wants to show the CEO they have control. If you destroy them, you show him they are failures."

"And then what?" I asked. "Maybe he hires you," she said. "Or maybe he deletes the city. But at least you'll have a chance. Right now, you're just waiting for the knife."

"I'm Level 48," I said. "I can't take on a Board."

"Not alone," she said. She pulled out something small. It looked like glass, glowing with a deep light.

"What is that?" I asked. "A gift," she said. She slid it across the table, it was a USB drive made of a human soul. "I don't like gifts from people like you," I said.

"Take it anyway," she said. "These are the encryption keys to the city's afterlife. The server where every soul is stored." I looked at the drive. My hands felt numb.

"If I take this," I said. "I'm a dead man."

"You were always a dead man, Cyprian," she said. She stood up and the purple light in her eyes faded.

"The recovery team will be here in five minutes," she said. "They are coming to erase you."

"Wait," I said. "How do I use this?"

"You'll figure it out," she said. "Or you'll die. Either way, the CEO gets his show." She walked toward the exit. She didn't look back.

"Vespera," I called out. She stopped. "Why me?" I asked. "Because you're the only one who doesn't know he's already gone," she said.

She vanished into the dark. I looked at the USB-Soul, it was pulsing. Oswin crawled toward me. "Cyprian... don't. That thing is hungry, I can feel the code."

"We don't have a choice," I said. I reached out and my fingers touched the glass. A shock ran up my arm.

\[System Notification: Critical Item Acquired - The Keys to the Void\]

\[New Quest: The Boardroom Coup\]

"We have to move," I said. I stood up. My body was flickering. "The team is coming."

"Where to?" Oswin asked. "The center of the city," I said. A message appeared in my vision. It wasn't from Vespera.

\[Private Message: Good luck, Disruptor. I'm watching. - The CEO\]

I looked at the ceiling. There was nothing there, but I felt the eyes. "Oswin, get the car," I said. "The jammers are up!" He yelled.

"They're down," I said. "Vespera broke the system." I ran out of the casino. The Palace was mine, but I felt like I was holding a bomb. Jarek pulled up in the van. "What happened?"

"I got a job offer," I said. I hopped in. Black SUVs were pulling up and men in heavy armor stepped out.

"Go!" I yelled. Jarek hit the gas. Shots hit the back of the van. I looked at the USB-Soul and it was still pulsing. "Cyprian?" Oswin asked. "Your eyes. They're purple."

"I'm fine," I said. I wasn't fine, I was changing. "What is that thing?" Jarek asked. "A way to win," I said.

I plugged the drive into my wrist. The world turned white.

\[System Alert: Unauthorized Override Initiated\]

\[Accessing City Core...\]

\[Encryption Broken: 0.01%\]

The drive didn't just have keys. It had names, millions of them. "I'm going to give them a voice," I whispered.