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Dreadhorse Chapter 3
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Dred’s confidence in guiding societal trends had never wavered, but the notion of rekindling this old friendship stirred something unexpected within him. The memories of how he and Lor used to challenge each other, question each other’s beliefs and decisions, stirred a sense of anticipation. However, as much as he was looking forward to seeing them again, he couldn’t shake the feeling of an unforeseen storm on the horizon. The colorful yet grim statistics about Data Center 17 would turn out to be more than mere numbers.
Despite his detachment from the world of flesh-and-blood human interaction, Dred had yet to fully disconnect from the faint echoes of his intuition—a whisper of wisdom gained over years of navigating labyrinthine corporate and social landscapes. In the days following his arrival at Data Center 17, those whispers grew louder, pointing towards a shadowy unease lurking beneath the surface. The reports of a growing social dysfunction weren’t the only anomalies; odd technical glitches and scrambled data files seemed to indicate something more sinister afoot.
Lor was overjoyed to see Dred again, his warm, firm handshake a stark contrast to the chilly professionalism Dred had grown accustomed to. It pulled him back into a world that was less about analytics and more about empathy. Still, it quickly became evident that Lor had his hands full—strange incidents plagued the data center and his earnest attempts at outreach often hit unexpected roadblocks.
Dred found himself drawn into the mystery of these disruptions, his innate curiosity reignited by the challenge. With Lor by his side, they began to delve into the root causes of the chaos within Data Center 17. Although initially hesitant, Dred soon found himself wielding his analytical skills to uncover patterns that eluded most. The digital realm was as familiar to him as the back of his hand, allowing him to trace the disturbances back to their origin with uncanny accuracy.
It was Kel who unwittingly unraveled the final layer. The bright young girl, whose seriousness belied her age, gathered scraps of overheard conversations and subtle observations over family dinners. Kel’s scribbled notes, awkwardly drawn on a tablet she carried around, caught Dred’s eye. Her intuitions were uncanny, shining a flashlight on things that even his algorithms missed.
As they pieced together the puzzle, they realized that the data center was more than just a technological hub—it also operated as a clandestine base for a powerful and elusive organization manipulating personnel through psychological warfare. The abrupt suicide of the center’s previous manager—a tragedy shrouded in mystery—was just the tip of the iceberg.
Now, standing before the massive, reinforced door of a heavily guarded underground chamber that held the secret to this dangerous entanglement, Dred was faced with an impossible choice. The outcome could either dismantle the nefarious network holding these workers hostage or could backfire in unimaginable ways. Lor stood to his left, steady yet wary, ready to follow through on whatever decision Dred made. Kel watched them both with wide, knowing eyes from the safety of the hallway.
Dred held his breath, his pulse loud in his ears. Here was the source of the danger, the revelation that had drawn him into a whirlwind of treachery he never expected to face. All his reluctance, all his hesitations, had led to this moment of reckoning. Would he contain his old compulsions to single-mindedly manage the outcome, or was it finally time to unleash the dormant natural aptitude he had denied for so long?
With a single nod from Dred, the door clicked open to reveal the vast unknown. But as a blaring alarm suddenly filled the air, the lights flickered threateningly, leaving their ultimate confrontation hanging in the balance.