"Hola! Can you find the bug?"
The voice is bright, singsong, impossible to ignore.
For a moment, Elian forgets where he is. He sees an animated forest, the cheerful pink map, and Dora's wide, unblinking eyes. The question repeats:
"Can you find the bug?"
He almost answers. Almost raises a hand.
And then the dream folds in on itself like corrupted code.
He's not in front of a cartoon map.
He's sitting in the Dean's office.
"Dr. Reyes," the Department Chair says, voice clipped. "We need to talk about your classes."
The words need to talk are always the prelude to deletion.
Elian straightens his collar. The office smells like laminate and coffee grounds. Behind the desk, Dean Salvador's computer hums softly — the gentle rhythm of a system at rest.
Beside him sits a woman with an HR badge: Ms. Torres, University Counselor.
They aren't here for comfort. They're here for control.
"We've received some concerns," the Dean begins. "About the... direction of your teaching in CS18. Students say you've been integrating, ah, theological elements into computational theory. Could you explain that?"
Elian blinks, choosing his words carefully. "Computation and theology both concern systems of understanding. When I teach recursion or self-reference, I reference spiritual paradoxes — like the idea of God as both transcendent and immanent. It helps them see—"
Torres interrupts gently. "But some students found it... disorienting."
"Disorienting is part of learning," Elian says before he can stop himself.
The Dean sighs. "Elian, this is a public university. We can't be seen as endorsing religious views in academic instruction. We're not questioning your intent, but your methods... may expose us to liability."
Liability.
There it is. The keyword.
They're not worried about Nathaniel's death.
They're worried about the system crashing.
He studies their faces — calm, managerial, expressionless.
They're like programs executing pre-set error-handling routines.
He forces a nod. "You want to see my notes."
"Yes," the Dean says, sliding a folder toward him. "The lectures on the Halting Problem in particular. We've heard... unusual metaphors."
Elian opens his laptop. The screen glows cold blue.
He scrolls to a file named 'Theology_of_Halting.md' and turns it around.
On the page is a diagram.
Boxes and arrows. Neat. Precise.
Input: Sin
Process: Repentance
Output: Grace
Below it, another line:
If Process fails → Loop until forgiven.
He sees it now through their eyes — the absurdity, the arrogance.
It looks less like a sermon and more like a bug report for the soul.
The Dean leans back. "You understand our concern."
YOU ARE READING
The Halting Soul
Mystery / ThrillerWhat happens when a mind built for logic collides with a soul aching for meaning? Dr. Elian Reyes is a brilliant computer scientist, philosopher, and pastor - haunted by equations, scripture, and a tragedy he couldn't prevent. Once a child prodigy c...
