Encrypted

Rebooting…

The computer screen lit up. "Welcome", The computer program greeted. A crumb of nostalgia slipped into my heart. I hadn't opened this thing in years. My fingers were quick to the Forge Application. “Peter! I don’t think this is a good idea”, Joel repeated. He paced the room frantically. Spewing nonsense gardened in the stress of the moment. “You have Sophie, and Gabe right? I had him mentally blocked out. I was more focused on exporting the information.

My hands were uneasy, but I battled the pressure, and entered the digits. “The username, or password is incorrect”, The screen had displayed. I was baffled. I tried once more, but the horrific outcome had only remained. This could only mean one thing. They’re already in. The household lights suddenly flickered in an eye-aching spas. “Joel, get away from the windows!”

He jumped down, and evaded a light the beamed through the glass shortly after. “This is the Chicago Police Department! Come out with your hands up”. I closed the laptop, and pulled Joel by the collar. “The basement!” Joel insisted. We ran down the hall. Scrambling in a panic. Joel grabbed his supply bag from the kitchen table, and quickly followed me down the stairs.

He barricaded the Basement entrance with chairs, tables, and random hunks of furniture. In the blink of a second, I was back on the laptop, and continuing the exporting process. “It doesn’t have to be you," Joel reminded me. I continued to ignore him. I’d already made up my mind. I'd stay behind.

I took Sophie, and Gabe’s chips out of my pocket, and scanned them on the screen. The lights in the basement finally gave out. Joel scavenged his backpack, and got a hold of the flashlight we’d packed. “Thank god we brought this”, he laughed. He clicked the button, but no light was emmited. Tears dripped down his face. “Joel, it’s alright. We’re gonna be fine”.

He stood there in a haunting gaze. He looked into my eyes. “Peter, they’ve got me”. I watched in horror as his body plummeted onto the floor. I tried to shake him awake, but I knew I had to be swift before they got me as well.. I took a moment to breathe, and calm my mind racing light years an hour.

I searched his bag, and cut myself on a knife hiding inside. I gripped the handle firmly, and cut a hole in the back of Joel's neck to extract his chip. I scanned it in front of the screen, and the export of Joel’s chip information began on the computer. I was startled when my phone rang. I looked down at it. The Forge… I answered.

“Peter, your squad's operation is compromised” “We’re going to have to wipe the data, and Reset your password”. My heart sank to the floor. “Sophie, and Gabe are in there! You can't reset it!”, I cried out. “This is the only way, peter. They knew the risk that follows our attempt at escape. But if you scan after the reboot, we can atleast pull you out of there. You've done enough, Peter. You don't need to play Hero.” “No! There’s got to be another way!”, I insisted.

I canceled the export, and slipped Joel’s chip into my jacket pocket. “Peter. What’re you doing?”, the man asked. “If you need to clear the data, clear it, but I’m gonna get Joel out of here, or I'm going out with him”, I explained. “Peter, they already have you", they tried to finish speaking, but I hung up the phone. “It was supposed to be me”, I said to myself.

The police were banging at my door attempting to breach the room. There was no way out. I’d disobeyed the Forge, lost my best friend.. What Could I do? Something suddenly snapped in my chest. I pulled Joel's chip out, and fell onto the floor. The chip rolled onto the computer screen. BEEP. Joel was encrypted. I smiled in relief. The minor breeze of victory swept through my body. The room was silent. My visual was flooded with red, and blue lights that faded into an eternal dark.. They'd got me.