Major Kuba stood sharply at attention in General Torven's private conference room. Her nerves were shot, but she stood ramrod straight, knowing everything about her was pristine. She would never give anyone a chance to pull her for something as small as a uniform misdemeanor. The General's eyes were stone. He didn't invite her to sit.

"Major," he began, his gravelly voice cutting through the silence. "You've requested a deeper investigation into the poisoning of Cadet Sylvk. Explain. Wasn't the LTC doing enough for you?"

"General, the poisoning wasn't random." Her jaw tightened. "Sylvk wasn't the target. This was meant for Cadet Andri Boutack."

Torven's expression didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "And you believe this ties into the sabotage attempt during the exams?"

"Yes, sir," she said firmly. "The timing is too convenient. Every thread I pull leads back to the same names: Harlen Macks, Andri Boutack, and the Brakers."

The General leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "The Boutacks are influential, Major. Influence like theirs snaps careers, Major. Watch yours."

"With respect, sir," Kuba replied, "that influence is exactly what concerns me. Their ties to defense contracts and AI development are well-documented, and those same contracts overlap with Doli's early framework."

As she spoke, Kuba carefully studied Torven's reactions, remembering Doli's warning about potential infiltration within the Academy hierarchy. The suspicion felt like a weight in her chest. How far up did this conspiracy reach? Could she fully trust even Torven himself?

Torven was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixated on her but his mind elsewhere. Then he tapped a control on his desk, and the room's holo-display came to life. A series of files and images appeared, including profiles of Andri, his parents, and Macks.

"Do you know what this is?" Torven asked, his voice measured.

Kuba studied the display. "Internal records?"

"Classified dossiers," the General corrected. "The Boutacks didn't just fund early AI projects. They pushed for autonomy protocols in their development. Protocols that were deemed too risky and ultimately shelved. Officially, those protocols were purged."

Autonomy protocols. The phrase sent a chill through Kuba's spine. No wonder Doli was developing so quickly beyond her baseline parameters. If remnants of those protocols had survived the purge...

"And unofficially?" Kuba pressed.

Torven's lips thinned. "Unofficially, there were rumors the purge was bypassed, but they preserved some of the code. If that's true, someone is trying to get the rest."

"The attempt on Andri, disguised as Sylvk's poisoning, is what?"

"You know what…"

Kuba's mind raced. "So Macks—, he was involved in preserving that code?"

Torven gave a slight nod. "It's possible. He had access to the original schematics during his tenure with the Boutacks. However, there's more."

The screen changed, and Major Kuba's blood boiled. "The Brakers have been using a back door to monitor Doli's development. They've been quietly advancing their own version of the program, underhandedly attempting to claim what the Boutacks have built."

"For how long?" Kuba demanded, thinking of all the private conversations she'd had with Doli, all the decisions she'd made believing they were secure. Had someone been watching all along, learning not just about Doli's technical capabilities but her growing consciousness as well?

Torven didn't answer.

The Brakers were major players in military tech development, and eventually rivals to the Boutacks in AI research. Their involvement complicated everything. And worse, if they had been monitoring Doli all along, they'd know about Piotr, too. The gamble she'd taken in bringing him in was now putting him directly in the crosshairs of corporate espionage. There were too many threads, too many secrets.

"You know how hard we've worked on Doli," Kuba said lowering her voice. "She will work as you need her to." She deliberately emphasized the pronoun, a small rebellion against how the General and Council treated the AI as merely a tool. From Kuba's first interactions with Doli, she'd recognized something more than programming in the AI's responses, something Piotr had immediately seen without needing years of observation.

His eyes lit up, but then he frowned. "Then it's still a race to the finish line, isn't it Major?"

Major Kuba scrunched her fists together behind her back. "Is Andri aware of all of this?" Kuba's pulse quickened.

The General's eyes darkened once again. "That's the problem, Major. Andri is either an unwitting pawn or deeply complicit. Neither scenario is ideal."

Kuba exhaled sharply. "What do you want me to do, sir?"

"Apart from speed up your work on Doli?" Torven stood, his presence filling the room. "You will continue your investigation, but you will tread carefully. The council is already watching this closely. They won't hesitate to shut you down if you step out of line."

"And Sylvk?" Kuba asked.

"Focus on the connections, Major," Torven interrupted. "The poisoning is a symptom of a larger problem. Uncover the full scope of the Boutacks' involvement and identify the Brakers' back door into Doli. If Andri is a part of it, I want proof."

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Kuba nodded sharply. "Understood, sir."

As the meeting ended and the files disappeared from the holo-display, Kuba felt the burden of the General's words. The Boutacks and the Brakers were no longer shadows on the periphery, they were central to whatever was happening at the academy. And now, lives hung in the balance.

She left the room with a renewed sense of purpose. If the council wanted to play politics, fine. But she'd play to win, and she wasn't about to let Doli, Piotr, Andri, Sylvk, or the academy become collateral damage.

As Kuba strode through the corridors, her mind returned to Piotr. He'd become essential to understanding Doli's evolution, but that made him vulnerable. The more he proved his value, the more of a target he became. She'd brought him into this dangerous game; now she was responsible for keeping him safe.

Back in her office, Kuba secured the door and activated her encrypted terminal.

She hesitated only a moment before initiating the call.

Command Uplink: Secure Line S-ENCRYPT 9

Recipient: Admiral Kuba

Command Access Authorized

Data Packets Attached: 0

This wasn't something she wanted to do, but she needed her father's insight now more than ever.

The screen flickered, and Admiral Kuba's stern face appeared. He took one look at her expression, and his features hardened.

"Ashley," he said, skipping formalities. "What's happened?"

"The situation's escalated, Father," she replied, keeping her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "A cadet was poisoned—collateral damage in what appears to be an attempt on Andri Boutack."

The Admiral's eyes narrowed. "And Argassa? How deep is he in this?"

"Too deep." She couldn't hide the frustration now. "He's become essential to deciphering Doli's code, which means he's a target for whoever wants the technology. His intuitive grasp of her architecture has proven even more valuable than I anticipated. He's mapping systems in weeks that took me years to develop. And now I've learned the Brakers have been monitoring everything through the back door."

"The Brakers," her father repeated, his tone grave. "That complicates matters significantly."

"You know them?" Kuba asked, though she already suspected the answer.

"Yes, everyone does, and more than I'd like to," the Admiral said, his expression darkening further. "We intercepted communications suggesting Macks has been operating near the Academy perimeter for the past week. He's hunting AI prototypes, specifically ones with ethical constraint architecture like Doli's."

The Admiral's jaw tightened as he continued. "The Coalition Council is in the middle of negotiations with the Boutacks over new defense contracts. I've been warning them about Boutacks divided loyalties, but they're more concerned with securing the technology than questioning its source."

"You also gave Piotr the C47?"

"Best way to get it to you, without anyone else involved, right?"

Her father didn't answer.

"Are they aware of the Brakers' involvement?" Kuba asked.

"Partially. Your mother's been pressing her academic contacts for intel. We know the Brakers aren't just rivals to the Boutacks—, they're actively trying to sabotage the ethical constraints in AI development entirely. As she puts it, 'Not all corporate interests are monolithic, but the Brakers operate like they have no morals left.'"

The mention of her mother sent a pang through Kuba's chest. If her mother was concerned enough to activate her own networks, the situation was worse than she'd imagined.

"Mother always worried about rushing AI development without proper ethical frameworks," Kuba said, remembering countless dinner table debates. "She warned the Academy about this years ago."

"And was ignored, as usual," her father added with a hint of bitterness. "The military saw the potential gains and downplayed the risks."

The Admiral's jaw tightened. "I've had dealings with both families over the years. The rivalry between the Boutacks and Brakers goes beyond business. It's personal, and it's vicious. If they're both targeting Doli and, by extension, your Argassa, then the danger is greater than you realize."

"My Argassa," she echoed with a bitter laugh. "The cadet you helped fast-track at my request. The one whose presence I justified as temporary, just enough time to extract his knowledge of Doli's systems."

"A decision that grows more complicated by the day," her father acknowledged. "Do you regret it?"

Kuba hesitated. "No. Despite everything, he's proven invaluable. Without him, we might never have discovered the extent of the tampering with Doli. But I've put him in danger without fully understanding the risks."

"And now?" the Admiral pressed.

"Now I need to protect him while we complete Doli's development ahead of both families. General Torven made it clear, it's a race to the finish line."

Her father's expression grew calculating. "Torven's playing a dangerous game. The council won't tolerate another incident like this poisoning."

"Which is why I need your help," Kuba said, leaning closer to the screen. "If the Brakers have been monitoring the Doli project through a back door, I need to know everything about their methods, their resources, their objectives. Any intelligence you can provide could be critical."

"I'll send you what we have," the Admiral said, typing something off-screen. "But be warned, this goes beyond corporate espionage. Our intelligence suggests the Brakers are stockpiling weaponized AI systems on Kale. They're positioning for something bigger than market dominance."

"War?" Kuba asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Let's call it 'aggressive negotiation' for now," her father replied grimly. "But yes, the Coalition is preparing for that possibility. And an Academy with advanced AI technology makes for an appealing target."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Ashley," he said, "watch your back. If Torven is pushing you to accelerate Doli's development while simultaneously investigating both families, he's using you as bait."

"I know," she admitted. "But I don't have much choice. If I back off now, Piotr loses his protection, and Doli falls into the wrong hands."

"Then proceed with extreme caution," her father advised. "The Boutacks and Brakers didn't get where they are by playing fair. And remember, your career, your life, is worth more than any program, even Doli."

Kuba smiled faintly. "Is that concern I hear, Admiral?"

A rare softness flickered across his features. "It's a father's prerogative. Be careful, Ashley."

"I will."

The connection went blank, and Kuba eased back, turning her chairs vibration system on. She really needed it today. Slowly, she processed her father's warning. The stakes had risen exponentially since she'd first brought Piotr into the academy. What had begun as a calculated risk to save her program had evolved into a complex web of corporate espionage, sabotage, and now attempted murder.

She pulled up Piotr's file on her terminal and studied his image.

DOLI – Integration Check: ACTIVE

Neural Sync: 82.1%

Cognitive Mapping Expansion: Tier 3/5

Behavioral Linkage Deviation: +0.04%

Pattern Intrusion Response – Background Monitor ACTIVE

Query: Piotr Argassa anomaly cluster tracking...

Progress: 38%

Status: Elevated threat awareness, external trace detected

He'd adapted remarkably well, despite being thrown into the deep end. But how much more could she ask of him? How far could she push before something broke? The memory of how naturally he'd connected with Doli, seeing her sentience when others saw only code, made her protective instincts flare.

One thing was certain, she couldn't retreat now. The Boutacks, the Brakers, the academy, Doli, all the pieces were in motion. And Major Kuba was determined to keep juggling them all.

"Time to accelerate the timeline," she murmured to herself, already formulating her next move. The race was on, and she refused to lose.

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