The flickering fluorescent lights of the makeshift command center hummed, casting long shadows across Frank’s soot-stained face. He ran a hand through his greasy hair, leaving a streak of grime on his forehead as he stared at the bank of monitors displaying fragmented lines of code. “I can get into the developer zone, I can see the code, but it’s like I’m wading through molasses,” Frank said, frustration lacing his voice. “I can’t tell if it’s a hardware issue, a problem with the failsafe, or just the spaghetti code Dave insisted on using.”

Bennett, who'd been quietly observing Frank’s struggle, hesitated. He took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Maybe… maybe I can help,” Bennett offered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Frank turned, surprise etched on his features. “You? How? You’re not exactly a code monkey, Bennett."

Bennett shuffled his feet, avoiding Frank’s gaze. “Well, no, not exactly,” he admitted, then confessed, “But I… I have a profile in Ludere Online.”

Frank’s eyebrows shot up, a mixture of disbelief and curiosity flooding his face. “You do? Since when? I didn’t know you got the additional tester job.

Bennett swallowed hard, the lie sticking in his throat. “I didn’t,” he confessed, his voice even softer now. “I applied, a lot, but I kept getting rejected, and… well, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Plus we needed the benefits for the kids. So I, uh, I snuck into an unused pod one night and started playing. I hoped I could build up enough rapport with my character that i could take it as proof and demand a spot in the trials”. He paused, then blurted out the rest. “Then I sort of stole a Genesis Rock and synced with it."

Frank stared at him, his mouth agape. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the hum of the servers struggling to stay online. Then, a slow grin spread across Frank’s face, a spark of manic energy igniting in his eyes. “You… you stole a Genesis Rock? And synced with it? Holy shit, Bennett!” He ran a hand through his hair again, smearing the soot further across his forehead. “What’s your screen name? What class did you pick?”

Before Bennett could answer, Frank’s eyes widened, realization dawning on him. “Wait a minute… you stole a Genesis Rock. Did you ever put it back?”

Bennett reached into the inner pocket of his vest, his fingers brushing against the familiar weight of his faux pocket watch. He pulled it out, flipped open the cover, and revealed the hidden compartment. Nestled inside, nestled, was the crystalline structure, pulsing with a faint, ethereal glow. “I always carry it with me,” Bennett said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Frank stared at the Genesis Rock, his mind racing. “This changes everything,” he muttered, pacing back and forth, his energy reaching a fever pitch. “We can reinsert it, put it back into the mainframe! Use it as a bridge, a way to stabilize the system". He stopped pacing, his gaze locking onto Bennett’s. “Do you have any idea what this means?”

Bennett shook his head, overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events. “I just wanted to help.”

“Help? You’ve handed us the goddamn key to the kingdom!” Frank exclaimed, grabbing Bennett by the shoulders, a wild grin plastered across his face. “Do you know how long I've been racking my brain, trying to figure out how to sever the connection and get those guys out of the game but i have been facing issues getting anyone to test my theory on chlorine?!” He paused, taking a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “This could be it, Bennett. This could be how we fix everything".

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Frank released Bennett, his gaze fixed on the Genesis Rock, his mind already racing with possibilities. "What is your screen name?” He asked once more.

Bennett knew that he could trust Frank, he knew that Frank was doing everything he could to save everyone and he was there to help.

"ProlixalParagon." Bennett stated.

Bennett knew that he could trust Frank, he knew that Frank was doing everything he could to save everyone and he was there to help.

"ProlixalParagon." Bennett stated.

Frank stopped pacing, his eyes widening as the realization hit him. "ProlixalParagon?" he repeated, his voice a mix of disbelief and excitement. "You're ProlixalParagon? The one pulling strings and causing chaos in unexpected ways?".

Bennett winced, a flush creeping up his neck. "Well, uh, not causing too much chaos," he stammered. "Just trying to, you know, make it more interesting".

Frank waved his hand dismissively. "Details, details! The point is, you have a deep connection to the Genesis Rock matrix". He grabbed a whiteboard marker and began scribbling furiously on the whiteboard, diagrams and equations appearing as if from nowhere. "If we can get that rock back into the mainframe, and tap into your, connection, your, synchronicity with it we may be able to revert the instability".

"But what about the others?" Bennett asked, his brow furrowed with concern. "Pag, PillowHorror, Scout... they're still trapped in there".

Frank paused, his expression softening. "They aren't forgotten, Bennett. They're the priority. If we can stabilize the system, we can use the failsafe to get them out". He capped the marker and turned back to Bennett, his eyes filled with a newfound determination. "But we need to work fast. Every minute counts."

He grabbed Bennett by the arm and steered him toward the door. "Come on. We need to get that Genesis Rock back where it belongs. Then, we are going to get those people home.".

As they moved to leave the room, Frank paused and looked back at the schematic diagrams he drew on the white board and tapped the board twice. He then glanced back at Bennett. “Let’s move quickly. Everyone is counting on us”.

As they walked down the hall, Frank laid out his plan, "Here's what we are going to do and it will be dangerous. Since you were able to so easily sync with a genesis rock we are going to try having you enter back into the sensory deprivation tank, with the genesis rock still on you. hopefully it will not take you back into the game but rather allow you to sync once again with the mainframe. If we are extremely lucky this will allow me to enter some commands that will force the game back into a manageable state then initiate the failsafe.".

Bennett nodded, his anxiety battling with a surge of adrenaline. He knew the risks involved, but he was willing to do whatever it took to fix the mess he had inadvertently created. "What about the chlorine?" he asked, remembering Frank's earlier frustration.

Frank grimaced. "That might still be part of the solution, after you have resynced with the mainframe. I can not figure out how or why but it feels like the key".

Just then, Bennett's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see a text message from Jen: "Any updates? Ships still haven’t moved. Kids are restless. Love you.".

Bennett's heart clenched. He knew he had to do this, not just for the people trapped in the game, but for his own family, for a chance to return to a normal life. He looked at Frank, his expression resolute. "Let's do it."

Frank nodded, his gaze hardening with determination. "Let's get to work.".