CHAPTER 3 : THE GHOST IN THE MACHINE

It was Monday morning. The city felt full and heavy under the rain. . The streets were shiny and wet. The air smelled like asphalt. A quiet excitement sitreed in my chest. It felt like something new.

I woke up at 6:00 AM and went to the kitchen. I put on an apron. Started frying bacon. The smell of the bacon filled our apartment. It was like a signal that the day was starting. I was making breakfast for Mike. To Mike, I was Hannah- his partner. I kept his clothes were clean and his coffee just the way he likes it. I made his mornings calm and peaceful.

Mike was sitting at the table staring at his phone. His thumbs were moving fast over the screen. I knew he was reading messages from Sophia. Mike said, "The Vane audit starts today." He didn't look up at me. His voice was casual like he was talking about the weather. "If I impress the consultant I will get the VP spot " Mike said. "I might move out of this place. Get one with a dishwasher that actually works."

I said, "That sounds great." My tone was light and neutral. I put a plate of eggs in front of Mike. My fingers touched his shoulder. Mike moved away like my touch was bothering him. "Is the Architect person tough to deal with?" I asked Mike.

Mike looked up at me. He smiled. It was a smile that made me feel like I was not there. "They say she is very tough " Mike said. "She never shows her face just sends files. She wants everything to be perfect. She has not met me yet. I know how to handle people like her. They want numbers. I will give them what they want."

What Mike wanted to give them was not what they really wanted. I knew Mike was talking about the costs the shortcuts and the corners he would cut to make a profit. Mike was not just talking about the audit; he was boasting about his deception.

Once Mike left I took off my apron. Threw it into the basket. Ten minutes later I was in a car changing into a grey suit that I had stashed at the gym. By 9:00 AM I arrived at Vane Industries. I went to the Secure Operations Suite on the floor. The room was full of machines. The monitors were casting light on the walls. It was like a temple of control. My father had given me access. Today I was the Architect, the Architect at Vane Industries.

* My first target was Vertex Marketing. I opened Mikes expense reports. I did it carefully because I had to be careful. "Client dinners" that cost $500 each at L'Oiseau were lies the Architect discovered. Mike had been out with Sophia drinking wine and laughing, pretending to work. The Architect found out.

I did not call the police not yet because this was small too petty for my plan. I wanted the whole system to fall apart the system at Vane Industries. I moved deeper accessing the company server and reviewing Mikes work on the MacTech merger. Mikes projections said there would be 15% growth. It was based on logic the Architect saw. I did not erase Mikes work; I changed it. The Architect changed it. One decimal point and a $20 million profit became a $10 million loss, a loss for Mike.

I leaned back in my chair. Let the hum of the servers fill the room. "Lets see you talk your way out of this Mike " I whispered. The Architect whispered. I almost smiled because the game had begun, the game against Mike.