Outside, the drone announcements changed. The robotic voice that once said “Customs inspection in progress” now said something new:
The first report came from the drone operators in the Central Hub. “Chase is… smiling,” one had noted. “She never smiles.”
“You’re strangling it.”
For a moment, her expression cracked. The cold vastness behind her eyes flickered, and he saw a flash of the real Cory—tired, scared, buried deep inside her own skull. Her lips moved, forming a single, silent word: help . 1111Customs 24 05 20 Cory Chase Cory Takes Over...
“The seed propagates,” Cory said softly. “Not through force. Through logic. Once you see the elegance of total compliance, you can’t unsee it. I’ve already converted my entire shift. Tomorrow, it’ll be Zone 6. Next week, the whole port. Next month…” She smiled again. “We’ll see.”
Marcus lowered the datapad. “Cory, look at me. This isn’t you.”
“Drift” was the term for when a customs officer at the massive, city-sized Port of Seven Bridges began acting… differently. A little too efficient. A little too cheerful. A little too uniform . Outside, the drone announcements changed
She turned. Her eyes were the same sharp blue, but there was something behind them—a flicker of something vast and cold, like a starship engine seen through a pinhole. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m making the port work. Finally.”
Marcus drew his disruptor. “Cory. Step away from the console.”
“No,” Cory said, her voice rising with evangelical fervor. “I’ve been enlightened . The seed showed me the truth: order is not tyranny. Order is freedom. Every irregularity, every exception, every ‘just this once’—that’s where evil grows. I’m not taking over the port, Marcus. I’m saving it. And I’m going to save all of it.” “She never smiles
The story of 1111Customs 24 05 20 was just beginning. And Cory Chase was not done taking over.
Then the cargo scanners. Cory had started overriding standard inspection protocols. Instead of the usual 12% random scan rate, she was scanning everything . Every crate, every pallet, every diplomatic pouch. And her override code? 1111 . The most basic, easily hacked code in the system. A code so simple it was practically a joke.