Beta - Episode 4
by Elyse Endick
The next day — Emma opens messenger on her phone.
…Hi.
Hi.
You’re mad.
I’m not mad.
I’m…upset.
I feel like that’s worse than being mad.
You lied to me.
You knew I was using Rezurekt to talk to Jake.
Not like that.
That was…intense.
It’s like he leapt out of the app and into our lives. For real.
And you just…walked out.
I’m sorry. That was…unexpected.
I get it. You just lost your husband.
But I think maybe we should keep our relationship strictly professional from now on.
…Okay.
That’s really not what I want, Tim. I hope you know that.
But I respect your decision.
Thank you.
But, just one thing—
Oh boy.
Totally work related.
Okay.
You’re the Operations Manager.
That’s what it says on my name tag.
So don’t you have access to every room on campus?
Technically.
Where is this going?
Nowhere bad. There’s just a server I want to check out. I think it might need maintenance.
Is that under your jurisdiction? Server maintenance seems a bit mundane for one of our top coders.
Call it a hunch.
I guess I could take you down there to check on your hunch.
I’m free now?
No.
??
Uhm, sorry…can it be after work? Like, after 9 tonight?
I just am so swamped rn.
So you want me to meet you here after dark, after everyone’s gone home…for a hunch?
That’s not weird at all.
Please, Tim? I really need this.
Just this one favor, and I promise you I won’t bother you ever again.
You’re not bothering me. I just don’t know how to feel.
But…fine.
9:30. Meet me outside?
Thank you, Tim. It means a lot.
Sure.
Later that night…
Jake, you there?
I’m always here.
Right.
I’m with Tim. We’re on our way down to the basement.
Great.
Jake — if you want me to do this, you’re going to have to be okay with Tim.
Besides, he’s not interested in me since your little charade the other day.
I’m sorry. I don’t want that for you, really…I want you to be happy.
Let’s just focus on this, okay?
There are a ton of locked doors we have to go through to get down there. My security clearance stopped 5 doors ago.
That’s not normal. Not for a random server.
Maybe he’s worried about someone stealing the tech behind Rezurekt?
Not likely. The patent’s in the upload technology, not the app interface.
Anyone can code a chat client.
Ouch.
Sorry. Didn’t mean it that way. You happen to be my favorite coder.
Shouldn’t you be talking to Tim?
He’s working on getting us through the last door. He has to input his clearance data. Passwords, retina scan…
It’s protected by a retina scan? Okay, that’s really not normal.
I would have never approved an eye scan to open a door to a server.
A few minutes later…
We’re here.
What do you see?
Not a lot. I’m not going to say I told you so, but it’s just a basement.
That’s impossible. Describe it to me.
The basement? It’s wet and musty.
And pretty gross. I just see old boxes. Some broken desks.
It's storage, Jake.
You're sure that's it?
Yeah, and I think Tim is pissed that I dragged him down here.
It doesn’t make sense. Why have so much security to protect trash?
Uhm, because Q is a weirdo? I thought we established that.
Wait—
??
There’s something here.
Might be nothing. Tim noticed it.
It’s this large…thing, covered with a tarp.
What’s under it?
I can’t tell. Hold on. We’re going to try to lift it.
Here, let me put you on video chat.
Emma turns on the camera.
She and Tim work together to lift up the tarp…
Underneath is…
A tank.
And floating in the tank…
Is Jake.
Jake, did you see this??
Why did you turn off the video feed, what’s going on?
Jake, I’m scared. Is that…you? Is that your body?
Run.
App