I felt like lashing out at the virtual vidscreen to smash it to pieces, but I knew it wasn't actually real and I wouldn't accomplish anything at all except make myself even more frustrated.

“Amanda?”

“I checked every file twice, Jack.” Amanda said. “There's not even a mention of a keyfile, let alone an actual keyfile.”

“Goddammit.” I huffed and walked around the virtual space, then looked at the big vidscreen again and thought it might be worth it to get more frustrated. “Amanda? Generate a breakable vase. Three feet tall and ornate.”

A vase like I described materialized in front of me, and I picked it up an held it over my head.

“DAAAAAD!” I yelled and hurled the vase as hard as I could. It arched through the air, almost in slow motion, and fell to the floor. It hit with a resounding crash and shattered into a thousand pieces. “Again!” I said and another vase appeared; so, I picked it up and threw it. Then again, and again. After the fifth vase, I was breathing heavily and my muscles were sore.

“Jack?”

“O... okay... I... I'm okay.”

“Have you worked a solution out yet?” Amanda asked me, and I laughed.

“You... you know me... well.” I said and sat down. “Did you keep... all the junk files?”

“Yes, Jack. I told you that I did.”

“Give me a list.”

The vidscreen changed to show an enormous list of files.

“They're all junk, right? No references anywhere and all they are doing is taking up space?”

“Right.” Amanda said. “I don't know why you won't let me delete them.”

“I told you.” I said and stood up. “My father hated wasting things.” I waved a hand and scrolled through the list, and I couldn't make heads or tails of it. Some of the files were alphanumeric, others were just plain text. No executable files or even data files could be found. There were even binary files mixed in as well.

“Dad... dad... what were you thinking?” I asked out loud.

“You're never going to get it.” My father's voice said and I froze. “That puzzle is just too hard for you.”

“D-d-dad?” I looked around, like someone in a horror movie would when the monster sneaked up behind them; then I relaxed when I saw it was a small vidwindow behind me that was playing a video, and not my father who had been dead for years.

“You're too young to understand what it means.” My father said to my much younger self. I looked to be about six years old, and I had a mean look on my face.

“I'll do it! You watch!” My younger self said and started to type on an old keyboard. The video skipped and fast-forwarded several hours. “HA!” My younger self said when it went to normal speed. “I told you I'd get it!”

“Very good.” My father said. “You only lost the System five hours of processing time.”

“What?”

“You can't always bull your way through a problem like that. Brute force can do some things, but in order to solve every problem, you still have to think!” My father said and poked my six year old forehead. I hit his hand away and sneered at him.

“Just you wait! I'll show you I can think!” My younger self said, and the video ended.

“Amanda! What was that?” I asked.

“It's one of the vidfiles Dennis the Archive AI sent you.”

“Why did you show me that?”

“It seemed relevant.” Amanda said.

“Don't do that again.” I said, and started to get mad. “I hate my father, Amanda. You know I do.”

“He was a great teacher, and you learned a lot from him.”

“He wasn't a great teacher, Amanda! He was a sadistic bastard and a workaholic. I didn't understand what that meant when I was younger, and it wasn't until I went to the Port House that I found out what real teachers were supposed to be like.”

“Jack, I...”

“Show me a list of the videos with my father.” I said, coldly. A list popped up and I looked at them. “Which one was the one you just played?”

The file was highlighted and I stared at it. I was tempted to have Amanda delete and shred them, so that they could never be recovered, then I noticed what it was called. The file name didn't match the contents of the video in the slightest. Of course, this put me back to thinking the same train of thought I had been on before Amanda had distracted me with the old video. I knew the junk files were needed for something, and the file names had looked too odd to be a coincidence.

“Give me the junk file list again.” I said, and it appeared. I flipped through the list slowly to try and see any kind of pattern. “No, that's not... there's something... I'm missing something...”

I dismissed the video list and closed the small vidwindow that the video had played in, and that cleared up my work space. I crossed my arms and thought about the files.

It's all in the files. I thought. Everything is right there. I sighed and frowned as I looked at the files. It's all there, I know it is... but... what... I closed my eyes and shook my head. “Amanda, this list is showing the files by name. Sort the junk files by date, please. I want to see when they were created.”

The list updated and I stared at the screen as the odd file names finally clicked in my head. The file names weren't file names at all. They were in code.

Computer code.

Programming code! I thought excitedly, and opened a basic file with nothing in it, then started to copy over the filenames and build a program. I was going too slow for my excitement and stepped back.

“Amanda! Add the filenames into the open code file, please!”

“Yes, Jack.” Amanda said and the names were added in a steady stream to the file. I picked out more spots than I could count where there had been missing bits, and a few minutes later it was done.

“How many breaks in the code?” I asked, and knew it was going to be significant.

“Three thousand, eight hundred, and sixty-five.”

“Dammit, I can't rebuild that much missing code.” I said, then I realized something else. “Amanda! Open the list of files I got from the archive.” I smiled. “Sorted by date!”

Amanda opened another vidwindow to show me the list. The filenames were similar, but not quite the same.

“It's almost the right format... but...” I looked at one list, then at the other. “Amanda? How many of the dates match between the two lists?”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“Eight thousand, five hundred, and eighteen.”

“No, that's not... ha!” I said. “How many dates are in the second list, and not in the first list?”

Amanda checked and a moment later I heard the happiness in her voice when she spoke. “Three thousand, eight hundred, and sixty-five.”

“YES!” I said and looked at the code file. “Add the new file names in the missing date spots of the open code file.”

The code flickered by my eyes as she patched in the names faster than I could make them out.

“It's done.” Amanda said.

“Error check?” I asked.

“No missing parts or break in the code.” Amanda said a few seconds later. “It's solid, Jack.”

“Amanda, I'd kiss you right now if you had a body!”

A cheek appeared in front of me and I laughed and kissed it. It disappeared and I compiled the code file into an executable, then copied it onto the new server.

“Amanda? If this doesn't work... I'm quitting my job as a programmer.”

“What?” Amanda was shocked. “What would you do?”

“Nothing.” I said. “I'd pack everything up and move to the vacation house to be with mom.”

“Jack! You.. you can't...” Amanda started to say, her voice full of concern.

“I meant that I'd live there for the rest of my life.” I said.

“Oh. That sounds a lot better than what I was thinking of.” Amanda said, relieved.

I snorted a laugh and looked at the file and the 'run' button that had appeared on it. I hesitated for a second, then hit it. Code flew in front of my face and a progress bar appeared below the vidwindow. Since there were literally hundreds of thousands of files for it to go through, I figured it was going to take a while to complete; so, to fill the time while I waited, I went back to work.

I thought about logging out and going to sleep; but I was just too charged up to relax, and I didn't want to waste the energy. After every little job I completed, I checked the progress bar on the file. It didn't even look like it had moved at all, even after several hours. By that time I had burned off the excess energy I had and felt exhausted.

I apologized to the System for having to log out, and it played a laugh track and told me to get to bed because she had logged me off the rotation schedule for the next day. I said that wasn't necessary, and she said I'd done a full day's work during the night and she wouldn't let me log back in if I tried. I reluctantly agreed to the day off and exited the virtual reality immersion chamber. I couldn't be bothered to change my work unitard or get a shower first, so I just collapsed onto my bed. I was so tired that I didn't even remember my head hitting the pillow.

An incessant buzzing woke me up the next day. I rolled over and hit the alarm clock, then looked up at the ceiling. Without a second thought about anything, or even a first thought for that matter, I rolled out of bed and pulled off my work clothes to get in the shower. I took my time, since I didn't have work today, and I shook my head when I looked at my HUD and saw the time.

“It's a good thing the System gave me the day off.” I said to myself. It was just after noon, and I had slept a lot longer than I thought I would. I finished cleaning up and got dressed, then had something to eat. I was still in kind of a daze from sleeping so long, because I always had trouble getting a clear mind after a dead sleep.

I sat down on my bed and turned on the vidwall to see what kind of news there was. I watched a couple of fluff pieces that they made to keep people happy, and then the next segment caught my full attention.

*

“It was pandemonium today in the Turn Chamber, when one of the security screens failed to close properly.” The young and quite beautiful blonde woman said. “Everyone was lucky it was just a tiny flaw in the mechanism, and only three people out of the hundred had received an extra large dose of solar radiation.”

They showed a video of the small opening, and a maintenance robot welded a metal plate over it.

“The Turn Chamber's security features had activated and locked itself when it detected the flaw, and didn't disengage until the problem was repaired.” The blonde newscaster said. “It took almost an hour for that to happen, which meant those three people took twice the dosage of everyone else.”

They showed a video of the health workers as they pushed three gurneys out of the chamber, but it went by too fast to make out the faces, or even the genders of the people who were hurt.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of these three individuals.” The woman said. “The dose is survivable, with long term care and proper maintenance; which the System is going to provide for them free of charge.” She smiled. “We thank the System for it's generosity, and hope the three individuals can live long and happy lives.”

They showed a large grass-covered field, and a light breeze blew through the blades of grass.

“The families have already been notified, so we can safely disclose the names of the victims so that those of you in the viewing audience can give them your well-wishes.” She took a deep breath and read the names.

“Johnathan Jenkins... Craig Hasterman... and Sandra Peterson.”

*

I didn't know the first name, and didn't react. I heard Craig's name, a fellow programmer, and sighed. His poor family. I thought. What are they going to-

My thoughts cut off when I heard the last name.

“SANDRA!” I yelled and stood up. “GOD, NO! NOT AGAIN!”

I didn't even think about what I was doing as I put on my shoes and left my apartment at a run. Rusty ran behind me without being asked to follow.

“Amanda! Where did they take her?” I asked as I hit the elevator button over and over to make it go faster; which never did anything except add more wear and tear on the button.

“I'm checking now.” Amanda said from Rusty. “She's at General Medic. Third Floor. Radiation Treatment.”

“Message them and tell them I'm on my way!” I said as the elevator arrived and Rusty and I jumped in.

“Already done.” Amanda said. “Expediting Tube Car system. Priority Override.”

“Thanks, Amanda.” I said as the elevator reached the ground floor and I ran out through the lobby and into the street. Amanda had even locked the Tube, and I saw two people as they knocked on it and tried to get it to open.

“Sorry, folks.” I said as I ran over to them. “Priority Override is for me.”

“What happened?” The woman asked.

“Accident at the Turn.” I said as the tube opened and Rusty and I got in.

“Oh, no.” She said. “Good luck!”

“Thanks.” I said as the tube car closed and it shunted me down into the flow of traffic without pausing. It slid around other cars as if they were standing still, and then slowed down to take the off-ramp. It was the General Medic turn-off and the tube car came to a stop at the exit. I picked Rusty up and ran over to the entrance of the building and scanned my hand.

It took a maddening 8 seconds to register me and the door opened, and I ran through it, around several people there, and stopped at the bank of elevators. The door opened and I stepped into the empty elevator, and it went down three floors automatically.

“Thanks, Amanda.” I said as the elevator dropped.

“You're welcome.” Amanda said, and the doors opened and I followed my HUD to the right desk.

“Sandra Peterson, please.” I said to the nurse there. “I called ahead.”

“I'm sorry.” The nurse said. “She's being treated right now.”

“I know she is.” I said and took out my identification. “Run this.”

“I don't see how checking your identification can change things.” The nurse said and took it.

I've never used it so blatantly before. I thought, and watched the nurse's reaction when she saw what it brought up.

“Oh... oh my.” The nurse said and looked at me, then gave me a very quick salute and dropped her hand just as fast. It was never a good idea to salute officers in the field. “It's an honor to meet you, sir.”

“You were in?”

“Three years.” The nurse said and tapped her elbow on the table to the distinct sound of metal.

I smiled and nodded. “She's my girlfriend.”

The nurse handed back my identification and stood up. “Right this way.”

I followed the nurse and she led me down the hallway to a large red door with the Biohazard symbol in bold yellow on it. She turned the two locks on the top and bottom of the large handle, then pulled the handle down. There was a slight hiss of escaping air for a moment, and I stepped inside.

“She's in the first room.” The nurse said. “I... I'm sorry.”

I nodded, and she shut the large door. I walked to the first room and looked inside. There were several people with big biohazard suits on, and they were doing something to her. I couldn't quite make it out, so I put Rusty down and opened the door.

“Hey, you can't come in here!” One of the suited-up people said. “It's too hot!”

“I'm treated.” I said as I stepped inside and shut the door. The other people stared at me as I walked over to the bed and stood beside it.

“J-J-Jack?” Sandra blinked her eyes at me. “Am I dreaming?” She asked, then whispered. “Am I dead?”

I took her hand and held it. “No, I'm right here.”

“Oh, Jack!” Sandra said and started to cry. “You were right! I shouldn't... I shouldn't have...”

“Shh.” I said. “It's all right.” I said. “They got you out in time.”

“D-d-did they?” Sandra asked through her sobs and pulled back the sheet that covered her chest. A long red streak about 3 inches wide started at her shoulder, went down across her chest just between her breasts, and ended at her hip. It was a severe third-degree burn and it was covered in blisters. “Look at this!”

“We just finished peeling her clothing off.” One of the people said. “The blisters just started forming.”

“Can you knock her out?” I asked.

“She refused.”

“Do it.” I said.

“Jack!” Sandra said. “I don't want-”

“You are not going to be awake when they treat you, Sandra.” I said sternly. “I've seen that done, remember?”

Sandra's face lost all of it's color as she finally remembered what I'd gone through with my mother.

“You will be unconscious for this.” I said to her. She nodded a little reluctantly, and I turned to the doctor. “Give her the military treatment, doctor.”

“What?” He said. “I can't authorize-”

“I'm authorizing it.” I said. “She will get the best anti-rad treatment, or you won't be a doctor for long.”

“You can't have me fired.” The doctor said. “This is a lifetime position.”

“I didn't say anything about being fired.” I said, and smiled while I bared my teeth at him.

“I... I have to... to check with...”

A loud beep was heard several times, and he fumbled his large-gloved hand into one of the big pockets of his biohazard suit. He dug out a small touchpad and looked at the message.

“It seems I'm now authorized to do what you say.” The doctor said and put the phone away.

“Oh, J-J-J-Jack!” Sandra said and squeezed my hand hard.

“Don't worry.” I said to her. “I've got you.”

She reached up with her other hand to give me a hug, and I leaned down and kissed her on the lips instead.