Round 46 Transcript

Silra's eyes lock onto the entity, which now takes on a humanoid form, its skin shifting between dark, oily hues and rippling like the water around them. The digital collar on her neck pulses brighter, as if feeding off the entity's energy. Halie's silver cross glints in the dim light, but she doesn't move closer, instead keeping a wary eye on Silra. The entity begins to speak, its voice like a low, thrumming current that resonates through the tunnel. "Silra...you've made a...fascinating choice," it says, its words echoing off the walls. "A submission collar, fed by your own digital essence. How...quaint."

Jeane's hand tightens around the glowing crystal, her eyes never leaving the entity. "Enough," she growls. "We don't have time for games. Copy the data, Halie, and—"

The water level has risen to their waists now, and the tunnel is starting to flood.

I can't let this continue, Halie says, her voice measured but urgent. The water rises above her waist now, cold and insistent, a constant reminder of their precarious situation. Silra, your collar is brilliant work, truly—but we need to leave before the entire tunnel floods. This entity... it's not just data anymore. Can't you feel how it clings to the physical world?

Silra's fingers dance across her wet interface, the water now reaching her waist. I can feel it clinging to us—digital filth trying to take root in our systems. Her teal eyes flash as she glares at the entity looming through the rising fluid. Fine. We'll leave your digital ass behind once we have what we need. She turns to Halie, water sloshing around her hips. You think I want this thing anywhere near my thoughts? It's already trying to burrow in through the collar connection. Her free hand goes to her neck, fingers brushing the glowing restraint. But it needs an anchor—it can't just possess random code without something physical to latch onto. So we use its own tools against it while we get what we came for. Silra's gaze darts between Halie and Jeane, a smirk barely visible despite the rising water. I'm not dying in a flooded subway tunnel because you two couldn't coordinate faster than a corporate board meeting. She shoves data drives into her jacket pockets above water level. Now if you're done playing 'who's more virtuous,' let's actually do something useful before we become part of this thing's collection. The rogue turns back to the entity, her fingers already moving across command lines only she can see. I'm hacking us out—look for an exit or something to block this damn flood. And if anyone tries to start another moral debate while I'm under pressure here, I swear by all the data gods I'll shove a corrupted virus up your ass and watch it multiply.