Chapter 227 Cat
Steven always kept an eye on what was happening outside, knowing it could mess with their future safety.
Maybe he was overreacting, maybe no one would come after them. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he needed to be prepared for anything.
"Cindy, come check out your new gear!" Steven got up from the couch, ready to show Cindy the supercomputer.
Cindy was in her wheelchair, and Steven told the others to stay put while he pushed her to the control room.
When they got there, Cindy's eyes lit up at the sight of the control panel.
The control room felt like being in space.
Brock loved luxury, so even the floor was covered in OLED screens.
Blue lights flowed like the Milky Way, and the control panel had neatly arranged buttons in all sorts of colors.
"From now on, network security is your job!" Steven patted her shoulder.
His eyes drifted to her legs, paralyzed from polio. She was a genius, perfect for the job.
Cindy nodded and rolled her wheelchair to the control panel.
Steven gave her secondary operational permissions, so she couldn't mess with the core system, just keep the network secure.
Without a word, Cindy placed her hands on the control panel, moving them like a pianist.
Black and blue panels popped up on the big screen, with codes scrolling fast.
Steven didn't get it but watched with interest.
In less than ten minutes, Cindy had checked the whole network.
"Any vulnerabilities?" Steven asked.
Cindy looked at him. "This system was top-notch a decade ago and still beats most current networks. Its AI is advanced, with no known security weaknesses."
Then her tone shifted. "But top hackers can still attack and create vulnerabilities."
She added, "In the past two weeks, the system has faced thousands of attacks. If not caught in time, the network would have been paralyzed in a month."
Steven's eyes narrowed. His suspicions were right.
After the Dawson incident, they had drawn attention from some serious players.
He asked Cindy, "Can you fix the vulnerabilities and stop these attacks?"
Cindy smirked. "Steven, don't forget what I'm best at!"
As one of the world's top hackers, network security was her thing.
She said, "Fixing the vulnerabilities is easy. I'll create a new encrypted network for you. Stop using the old router; it's too easy for them to hack through the wireless network."
"Do what you need to," Steven said.
Cindy worked for a bit, then looked up with a smile. "All done!"
Her face practically begged for praise.
Steven chuckled and patted her head. "You're amazing, Cindy!"
Cindy basked in the compliment but downplayed it. "Just basic maintenance, nothing tough."
A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "Now, let's see who's trying to hack us."
She licked her lips. "If I can hack them back, that'd be fun!"
As a top hacker, she thrived on challenges.
Steven thought for a moment. "How confident are you? And what's the worst that could happen if things go wrong?"
He was curious about who was spying on them. He didn't want to attack first but gathering intel would be useful.
Cindy replied, "Hard to say without knowing their strength. Their attacks on our network aren't that strong."
"But don't worry, even if I fail to hack them, I can cover my tracks."
Steven nodded. "Alright, go for it."
If they were being attacked, he had to fight back.
Just then, Elinor's panicked voice came from outside. "Steven, something's wrong! A... a monster!"
Steven and Cindy exchanged glances.
"That cat seems to like you." Steven laughed.
Cindy tilted her head. "Maybe I'm the only human it trusts. It followed me here."
Steven had noticed the mutated cat trailing them. He planned to tame it and use it as a weapon.
"Let's go check it out," he said, pushing Cindy's wheelchair out of the control room.
Elinor, pale and scared, clung to Steven's arm. "There's a huge monster outside! Aubrey said we need Cindy; it followed her here."
Steven reassured her. "Don't worry, it's Cindy's friend. Let's go see."
He pushed Cindy to the living room.
Outside, in the night, two huge eyes stared into the house.
The cat occasionally howled, but it seemed more like it was asking for food than being aggressive.
Seeing Cindy, it sat quietly in the snow.
Ignoring its spiky fur, it was just a big cat.
Nora hid behind a table, peeking out.
Aubrey, knowing it was a stray cat Cindy had fed, wasn't as scared but still kept a safe distance from the window.
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