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Dreadhorse Chapter 4
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Elias adjusted the calibration knobs on his console, his fingers moving with the same meticulous precision he applied to his role as the facility’s systems technician. Unlike Orna, whose every day was consumed by the relentless pursuit of scientific breakthroughs, Elias found solace in maintaining the heartbeat of the lab—the automated systems that kept everything running smoothly. His workspace was a tangled web of wires and screens, each displaying streams of data that he monitored obsessively.
Today, however, something felt off. The usual steady hum of the clean room’s life-support systems was punctuated by intermittent glitches—flickers in the display and minor delays in robotic arm responses. Elias frowned, tapping into the central diagnostic panel. Lines of code scrolled rapidly, flags blinking red where they shouldn’t. His expertise was in the reliability of machinery, yet these anomalies suggested something deeper, something he couldn’t immediately identify.
He reached for his comm-link, intending to notify his supervisor, but paused. The higher-ups were already inundated with issues, and Elias knew they were stretched thin. Instead, he decided to delve deeper, tracing the anomalies back to their source. Hours slipped by unnoticed as he sifted through logs and recalibrated sensors, his concentration unwavering despite the late hour.
Meanwhile, Orna was in the clean room, her mind tangled in the complexities of the interface integration. Frustration gnawed at her; the simulations weren’t yielding the expected results, and the pressure from above was mounting. Her interactions with Dr. Emas left her feeling even more isolated, trapped in a cycle of relentless expectations and diminishing returns.
Back in the control hub, Elias finally uncovered a pattern. The glitches coincided with the times Orna had been running her simulations. It wasn’t a hardware failure but a subtle interference—an unexpected electromagnetic signature emanating from the experimental device Orna was developing. This was new territory. Orna’s work was pushing the boundaries of science, and it seemed her experiments were inadvertently affecting the facility’s systems.
Elias knew he had to inform her directly. He sent a private message through the secured network, requesting a brief meeting. Minutes later, Orna entered the control hub, her usually stern expression softened by curiosity.
“What is it, Elias?” she asked, glancing at his concerned face.
He pointed to the screen. “Your simulations are interfering with our systems. It’s minor now, but it could escalate if not addressed. We need to reroute some of the electromagnetic shielding or adjust the power distribution to compensate.”
Orna studied the data, her analytical mind quickly grasping the issue. “I didn’t anticipate any external effects. Adjust the parameters as you suggested. Can you handle it?”
Elias nodded. “I’ll execute the changes. It should stabilize things, but I’ll keep monitoring for any further anomalies.”
As he worked, Orna felt a rare sense of gratitude toward the technician. In her world of high stakes and scientific pressure, it was easy to overlook the quiet heroes who ensured everything functioned behind the scenes. Elias’s dedication reminded her that progress was a collective effort, reliant on each person’s unwavering commitment.
Once the adjustments were made, the glitches ceased, and the systems returned to their smooth operation. Orna exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Thank you, Elias. I owe you one.”
He smiled, a warmth rarely seen in the sterile environment. “Just doing my job. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”
As Orna left the control hub, a newfound respect for her colleague settled in. The facility thrived not just because of brilliant minds like hers, but also because of the steadfast support from people like Elias. In a world dominated by machines and high-pressure projects, it was these quiet connections that held everything together, ensuring that despite the chaos outside, inside the walls, humanity still had its champions.