Lazarus Protocol

Chapter 11: Breaking into Chimera

The memory faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Alexander gasping softly.

"You okay?" Jack asked, concern evident in his voice.

Alexander nodded, straightening up. "Yeah. Just... another memory. I think I've been here before, Jack. With Sarah."

Jack's expression hardened. "All the more reason to stay on our toes. We don't know how deep your involvement with Chimera went."

The elevator slowed to a stop, the display showing they had reached the 47th floor. As the doors slid open, Alexander pushed his doubts aside. Whatever his past involvement with Chimera, whatever hidden programming might be lurking in his subconscious, he was here now to stop them. That was all that mattered.

The data center was a vast, humming space filled with rows upon rows of servers. The air was cool, heavy with the scent of electronics and filtered air. Alexander and Jack moved silently between the towering racks, making their way to a central control terminal.

"Okay," Alexander muttered, pulling out a small flash drive. "Let's see if Petrova's virus does the trick."

He inserted the drive, and immediately the screens before them came to life, lines of code scrolling past at dizzying speed. After a tense moment, a message flashed across the display: "ACCESS GRANTED."

"We're in," Alexander said, allowing himself a small smile of triumph. "Start the download. I'll keep watch."

As Jack began transferring files, Alexander prowled the perimeter of the room, every sense on high alert. The operation was going almost too smoothly. In his experience, that usually meant trouble was right around the corner.

He wasn't wrong.

A soft beep from one of the nearby terminals caught his attention. Alexander moved closer, his blood running cold as he saw what was displayed on the screen. It was a security feed of the lobby, showing a familiar figure striding purposefully towards the elevators.

"Jack," he hissed. "We've got company. Sarah's here."

Jack's head snapped up, his eyes widening. "Shit. How much longer on that download?"

Alexander glanced at the progress bar on the main terminal. "Two minutes, maybe three. We need to buy some time."

He made a split-second decision. "Keep working on the download. I'll intercept Sarah, try to slow her down."

"Alex, no," Jack protested. "It's too risky. What if-"

"We don't have a choice," Alexander cut him off. "That data is too important. I'll be fine."

Before Jack could argue further, Alexander was moving, slipping out of the data center and into the maze-like corridors of the 47th floor. He made his way towards the main elevator bank, his mind racing. How would he handle Sarah? Could he talk his way out of this, or would it come down to a fight?

The elevator dinged softly, and Sarah stepped out. She looked exactly as Alexander remembered her - beautiful, composed, and utterly dangerous. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw him standing there.

"Alex?" she said, her voice a mix of confusion and wariness. "What are you doing here?"

Alexander forced himself to relax, adopting a casual stance. "I could ask you the same thing, Sarah. It's a little early for a social call, isn't it?"

Sarah's hand twitched towards her side, where Alexander knew she kept a concealed weapon. "You shouldn't be here, Alex. You're not... you're not well. Let me help you."