The Algorithm of Spring

96

Maya found Min-seo alone on the rooftop, her silhouette sharp against the Seoul skyline. The wind tugged at her jacket. In her hand was a small flash drive, dangling from a worn lanyard.

"What have we got?" Maya asked.

Min-seo remained still, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "We've got a lot. Let's just say Professor Kim definitely skipped Digital Security 101. The encryption was practically decorative. Art professor energy, you know?"

Maya stepped closer. "And what was she hiding?"

Min-seo exhaled. "Everything. Her device filled in the gaps—like watching planets orbit and suddenly seeing the black hole at their centre. Internal HarmoniQ schematics, private research memos, encrypted emails... and something else."

"What else?"

"A seed algorithm—basically a master key generator for their security system."

"A what?"

"Think of it like a genetic code for security. It creates unpredictable, self-replicating encryption layers. Nearly impossible to crack from the outside. No wonder we had been hitting a brick wall."

"Was it active?"

"It was," Min-seo said, smiling faintly. "She should never have been carrying something like that around on an unsecured device."

She glanced down at the drive again. "And then we found... some personal folders."

Maya raised an eyebrow. "How personal?"

"Turns out she's involved in something called the 'Covenant Church Assembly.' It's not your average church—it's practically a fundamentalist cult from what I've been reading. Anti-IVF, anti-abortion. They publish zines, hand out flyers at airports—targeting women flying alone to places like Thailand. The church calls them 'holiday heathens' or some shit." Min-seo's lip curled in disgust.

Maya swore under her breath. "Do the students know?"

"Jia and Min-ah? They're very much part of it. They petition clinics. Call themselves 'guardians of potential.' It's all in her files—planning meetings, funding trails, even connections to conservative gallery donors."

"And I'm almost certain those two orchestrated the exhibition that took yours down at Chosun Gallery."

"So that's why it felt so personal—it wasn't just about the art."

"Exactly. Now we know how they operate. We've got their playbook, their network, their weak points."

"Send me the files."

"Already transferring. But this is big, Maya. We'll be working through the night. Stock up on caffeine."

Maya stepped back as the magnitude hit her. "We have it all now," she said quietly. "Dr. Park's USB stick showed us who got hurt. The paper files showed us who allowed it to happen. And now this—" She gestured to the drive in Min-seo's hand. "This shows us exactly how it works."

Min-seo nodded slowly. "The complete picture."

"I can map the entire system now. Trace every connection, every vulnerability." Maya felt something shift inside her—not hope, but certainty. "I know how to fight back."