There was a spare room in the Steele Complex. Actually, there were many spare rooms and one of these, Darren had repurposed to be a lab.
Inside, the air buzzed with the hum of high-end servers and the faint scent of ozone from cooling fans. Three monitors glowed on a sleek workbench, casting sharp light over Darren, Lila Torres, and Amelia.
Darren stood at the center, tie gone, sleeves rolled up, his dark eyes scanning code like a general reading a battlefield. Corporate mode Darren was gone for now and this was work mode Darren. Ready to brainstorm.
Lila sat at a keyboard, her braided hair pinned messily, her fingers flying as she refined NeuraNest's neural net.
She paused, her eyes flicking to Darren, soft with gratitude. "Oh, Mr. Steele," she began, "I needed to say... Thanks again — for yesterday. Paying Dad's bills, getting him into Holloway Medicals… I don't know how to repay you."
