Page 181 of Victorious

QUERY: IDENTIFY?

He expected it to give a program name or number, but instead it came back:

CLASSIFIED.

Mitch’s eyes widened. He was onto something now.

QUERY: REASON FOR DENIAL OF ACCESS?

The reply came immediately.

UNAUTHORIZED.

QUERY: CAN YOU ASSIST? Mitch tried.

This time, the smallest hesitation. Only fractions of a second, but set against the instantaneous replies, it stood out.

UNABLE TO COMPLY.

Mitch blew out a breath. A frustrating answer, but not the same as ACCESS DENIED. And paired with the delay, he was beginning to suspect the system—the person behind it—was trying to help. It just didn’t know how.

QUERY: EXPLAIN: UNABLE TO COMPLY? he prompted.

PROTOCOL.

QUERY: EXPLAIN ‘PROTOCOL.’

PROTOCOL: PROTECT EON FROM ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL THREATS.

Mitch continued typing.

QUERY: WHAT CONSTITUTES A ‘THREAT’?

THREAT DEFINED AS ANY PERSON ATTEMPTING TO INFILTRATE, EXFILTRATE, OR COMPROMISE EON IN ANY WAY.

QUERY: EXEMPTIONS?

NONE.

The pickup truck pulled off the main road, tires sliding from pavement onto dirt.

“Time?” he asked aloud, dreading the answer even as he asked it.

“Thirty minutes,” answered June.

Mitch ground his teeth.

Try harder.

Try harder.

Try. Harder.

He couldn’t hack the system as it was.

His only chance was to convince it—them—to stand down.

QUERY: ARE EOS AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED AS THREATS? Y/N