"I have information about the fugitives," Maya stated simply. "Kael and Zoe."
Jax stood there, puzzled. "What? What did you say?"
"I said I have information about the fugitives in this case." The lobby was far too public for this kind of conversation. "Can we go somewhere else to talk?" Jax muttered.
They quickly descended into the secure underground parking facility, moving through the cold, concrete maze. "Come with me," Jax ordered.
"Okay, but where are we going?"
A sleek, black vehicle came into her vision, parked precisely in a corner. Jax reached for the door handle, and at the presence of his hand, the car unlocked with a low hum. He opened the passenger door for Maya. "Sit down," his voice snapped, suddenly sharp, forcing her into immediate action. She sat down quietly on the smooth leather seat. "Sir, why did we come here?" she whispered. He didn't reply. He closed her door, walked around the car, and slid into the driver's seat. The vehicle's internal locks clicked firmly into place, cocooning them in silence and shadow.
"Now tell me," he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "What do you know about them?"
She took a deep breath. The polished chrome of her prosthetic arm glinted briefly in the dim light as she leaned forward, ready to begin her story.
[Three Days Ago. Morning 8:00 AM.]
The light in the apartment was harsh, bouncing off the bright chrome of Maya's prosthetic right arm. She stood by her desk, her eyes resting on a small, old photo of a 45-year-old man who was smiling. Maya pressed the photo to her forehead. "I'm trying to be as good as you," she whispered.
A calm voice called from the kitchen. "Maya, it's already 8:00! You have to move now."
"Yeah, I know, Mom!" She pulled out her Com-Link and attached it to the back of her ear. A hologram screen appeared. "Book taxi to Optic Media Tower. Express Lane," she commanded.
By 8:45 AM, Maya was at her station in the huge, noisy Optic Media newsroom. The air was thick with the competitive buzz of other journalists. She went to her cluttered desk and turned on her CORE. Suddenly, a sharp message ping showed up from a contact named Director Robert: "Maya. Come to my cabin. Now." She felt a wave of cold panic as she walked to his office, feeling every eye on her. Director Robert didn't look up. After a long, silent minute, he looked at her with pure disappointment.
"Sit down, Maya," he ordered, his voice dangerously quiet. She sat on the edge of the chair.
"Any updates on the car accident case I gave you?" he questioned her.
"No, sir," she whispered.
"I gave you two weeks for that, and there are no updates?" he shouted.
"Sir, I gave you every last update I had. There is nothing left. It was a small case," she protested.
"No more reasons," he said. "If there is nothing left, then we have to create something."
"Sir, we are journalists, not fiction writers," she said.
"Just leave it, Maya. You can't understand. The reason I called you here was to talk about your working skills," he began. "I gave you so much time to adapt to our AI-driven workflow. But your work is still slow. It's outdated." He was furious. "You have modern tools, but your analysis is weak. Other reporters use AI to find deep reports in hours. Your work is so slow, it shows a lack of knowledge and no constant updates." Robert leaned back, his eyes cold. "Your father was legendary. But you are costing this company money. You are even hurting his memory here."
He slammed a crystal figurine onto his desk. "We don't want an outdated journalist like you, Maya. I'm firing you. Your access codes will be deactivated in one hour."
Maya was terrified; she couldn't breathe. "No, sir, please," she begged, leaning forward. Her metallic hand gripped the chair armrest. "I can fix this. I need a big story. Please, one last chance. I'm begging you."
Just then, a loud emergency alert blared through the office. Every screen flashed with breaking news. "…Nexus Corp's main database has been successfully breached," the anchor's voice announced. "The hacker stole company and user data with the help of a rogue employee…The company has filed a case with the Cyber Security Unit, and the investigation has been taken on by the J-COD's Field Operations Division. And there's a rumor that the case is being handled by a special group. The Phantom Division."
Robert saw the massive story breaking. He looked at Maya, his expression suddenly calculating. "You want a chance?" he said, a nasty smile appearing. "Nexus Leak Case—that's the file name. I will send it to your CORE. Bring me an exclusive lead on Kael or Zoe. Something J-COD doesn't have. You have one week. Fail, and you're gone forever."
After thinking for a moment, she stood up quickly. "Thank you, sir," Maya whispered. She left the room, closing the door softly behind her. She stood outside, trying to calm her racing heart. Then, she heard Robert's voice clearly through the door.
"Send the Nexus Leak Case file to Mark, Tanya, and Chris now! Tell them I need a lead on that case. The first one to get a story gets the promotion. And send the file to Maya also." He paused. "Yeah, yeah, I know she can't do it. This is her last case as a journalist. So just send it."
Robert's words were a heavy blow. He hadn't given her a real chance; he was dismissive, cold, and utterly convinced of her failure. Maya's fear changed into a cold, fierce resolve. She would not just bring him a lead. She would bring him a story so big, he would regret ever doubting her.
Maya sat at her desk, her back stiff. She felt the heat of Director Robert's betrayal—the cold promise that she was set up to fail. This fueled her. "I will prove myself." Then a popup arrived showing that the Nexus Leak Case had been received. She quickly opened the file and read the official information which had been released by J-COD to the public. Maya focused only on the people, using her basic computer tools to check their pasts: Kael's background and Zoe's one year of work history in Nexus Corp, and her past before joining. She spent until night, and the result was clear: Kael and Zoe were complete strangers. They had no common friends, no classes, no addresses, and maybe no connection through social media.
"They are not connected," she realized, a thrill of anger and certainty running through her. "But if the J-COD know this, why are they still chasing the official story? Maybe the J-COD were trusting the powerful Nexus Corp's story over the simple facts. Tomorrow, I had to find the truth that would break that corporate lie." She Turned off her CORE and headed back home. When she reached home, the time was already 10:00 pm. She silently slipped into her house, trying to not wake up her mom.
"Where are you until now?" a voice came from her back. She slowly turned back and saw her mother.
"Why are you still awake?" Maya asked.
"Yeah obviously, because I have to care about my dumb daughter. Even she didn't think about me."
"Mom, I can care for myself," she said with a worry in her voice. "You have to care about your health now."
Her mother stood up. "I know what I have to care about. You go and sleep now, it's already late." She walked into her room and closed the door, leaving Maya standing alone in the middle of the hall.
The sun rose slowly as the digital world started sprinting again. Maya was already freshen up, eating breakfast in her tiny apartment with her mother. "Why are you eating so quickly today?" her mother questioned. "I have a lot of work to do," Maya replied in a soft tone. "Otherwise, I will lose my job."
"Is there any issue with Robert again?"
"Yeah, a small one."
"Tell me if he is messing with your job, I will kill him."
"No need, Mom, I'll handle it!" She finished her breakfast and went straight to her personal CORE, starting to collect more information again. "Are you not going to the office today?" "No," Maya replied.
She spent hours and found nothing. But Maya didn't stop. She looked deeper into Kael's history, not for a crime, but for his beliefs. It took a full day, but she found it on Kael's university server. There was a tab called 'Designed by our students,' and there she found Kael's philosophy. He wrote about his pure companion AI—a project built on ethics, designed to serve people without making a profit. This was the opposite of Nexus Corp's business. She realized: Kael wasn't a thief. He was an idealist, and maybe he was a threat to the company because of his ideology.
She quickly gathered her findings and created a digital file she called the 'Non-Connection File.' I know this is not strong evidence, she decided, but the J-COD have the facts, and I have the courage to believe what the facts mean. She looked at the window, and it was night again, so she went to her bed and slept. She woke up in the morning and spent the whole day in her apartment connecting information, staying at her CORE until night. Maya knew her deadline was almost up. She attached her Ear-Com and called her old close friend, Kellen, who was working in J-COD's FOD.
"Kellen! Hey, it's Maya." A beat of digital silence passed. "Maya? You haven't called in ages. Everything okay?" Kellen sounded wary. "Just fine, Kell. And you? Still trying to impress your father?" Maya kept her tone light. "Yeah. But you didn't call for small talk. What do you need?"
Maya knew she had to ask. She took a breath. "Who's the lead officer on the Nexus Leak Case?"
The cheerful tone vanished from Kellen's voice. "Maya, you haven't changed at all. I can't give you that."
"Kellen, please, my job is tied to this."
"You know this is confidential. It's Phantom Division handling it. I could lose my security clearance."
Maya pressed the advantage, dropping her voice low and serious. "I helped you when your job was at risk, Kellen. Now I need that favor returned."
Kellen sighed, a long, defeated sound. "Mayaaa... Fine. It's Officer Jax. Phantom Division. He's the lead. I'm taking this risk because you helped me then."
Relief flooded Maya. "Thank you. Can you send me his secure contact?" she asked, a small, genuine smile finally touching her lips.
"I will, but make sure my name doesn't come up."
"Understood," Maya said, her mind already racing. She immediately ended the call and dialed Jax's secure line. It rang three times, then went to a recorded message. She tried again and again, but he didn't lift the call. She hung up, her only choice to confront him face-to-face. The next morning, she went to J-COD's HQ. She called Kellen. "Hey, I'm at the waiting room, come here," she said.
"What! What waiting room?"
"I'm at your HQ," she replied.
"Why did you come here?"
"To meet Jax."
"You won't listen to me, will you? Wait, I will send him." He hung up the call.
Jax stared at her, still suspicious. He knew the data looked strange, but his division was following orders from higher up. "You're a journalist," Jax said flatly. "And you think you have a lead we don't. Where is the file, Maya?"
Maya didn't waste time. She reached for her Ear-Com and placed it on her hand. She pressed it gently, and a hologram panel appeared in mid-air, revealing the digital file—the Non-Connection File. "Sir, I think you already have the data that shows they don't know each other. I'm sure you know it. My lead isn't new data," Maya continued, "It's the truth about the data."
She leaned closer, her voice low and firm. "Nexus Corp is setting them up because they are terrified of Kael's idealistic AI. That's what I believe. You're chasing a thief, sir, but you should be investigating a corporate cover-up." She finished, her eyes fixed on his, waiting for the Phantom Division officer to choose between the political lie and her dangerous truth.