Out of nowhere, Turing's smirk vanished, and his eyes went dead serious, staring Alex down like he was drilling into his soul. In a cold, almost haunting tone, he said, "Alright, Alex… final question."
Alex felt the tension shoot up. His heart started racing, sweat forming on his forehead. He tried to steady his breath, but he could feel something big was about to drop. Turing's voice cut through the silence like a damn knife: "Imagine there's some creature in this world—something like me—so damn powerful that you couldn't beat it even if you tried. You've got two choices: this thing can kill Charles and let everyone else live, or it can kill everyone and leave Charles alive. Who are you gonna pick?"
The question hit Alex like a truck. Before he could even process it, Turing piled on, "Are you saving the majority and sacrificing Charles? Or saving Charles and letting everyone else die? Think hard, man. Public good or personal shit?"
Alex just froze, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. His eyes went blank, his lips quivering as he tried to wrap his head around it. Then, like he'd been holding back, Turing gave a twisted little grin and added, "Oh, and I almost forgot… there's a third option. You could kill yourself and save everyone, including Charles."
Alex's eyes flew wide, and his jaw dropped. He looked like someone had just whacked him with a frying pan. Turing watched, probably waiting for some deep, dramatic answer, but Alex just shrugged and, with a clueless grin, said, "Uh, yeah… I'd save myself, obviously."
Turing's jaw practically hit the floor. His eyes bugged out like he couldn't believe the crap he was hearing. He shook his head like he was trying to reboot his system. For a second, there was dead silence. Then Turing just lost it, doubling over with laughter, clutching his stomach like he was about to split in two. Tears rolled down his face as he gasped out, "You… you're so unbelievably… dumb!"
Alex just stood there, with a blank, innocent look, totally unaware of why his answer was so funny.
Still on the floor, Turing tried to catch his breath and asked, "But why, Alex? Why the hell would you pick yourself? That wasn't even one of the choices!"
Alex, still looking totally oblivious, just shrugged and said with total confidence, "Why the hell not? Screw everybody else. If they were me, none of 'em would save me. They'd all do the same damn thing!"
Turing fell back into hysterics, his whole body shaking like he was gonna short-circuit. Between fits of laughter, he managed to wheeze, "You… are something else, Alex."
Finally getting a hold of himself, Turing wiped the tears from his eyes and said, "Alright… There was never a right answer here anyway. So I guess, in some twisted way, your answer is… correct."
Alex just blinked at him, still completely oblivious to what was so funny, and replied flatly, "Yeah, that's just common sense, Turing."
Sitting on the ground, Alex took a deep breath and called out, "Ahem, so… you gonna give me the mission so I can get the hell outta here?"
Turing locked eyes with him, looking serious like he was reading his damn soul. "Oh, right, you're right. The mission's not too complicated, but it could have some serious consequences. All you gotta do is walk into that cybercafe. Once you're inside, you'll find a screen. Just punch in a four-digit code to activate the antivirus system that's keeping this world safe."
With a cocky grin, Alex shot back, "Are you kidding me? That sounds way too easy."
"No joke, I'm dead serious." Turing replied, fidgeting with his fingers. "The catch is, anyone from this world, me included, can't step foot in there. Like 'Charles' said, there's a barrier stopping us from crossing. Plus, I only know one digit of the code—it's '1.'"
Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued, feeling his confidence start to build. "And what about the other numbers?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"You'll have to figure those out on your own. But I think the next two are '77,' from the café sign. As for the last digit… well, you've got ten options, but only three shots. If you mess up three times, you fail—but you'll just get sent back to your world."
Feeling like the mission wasn't as tough as he'd thought, Alex grinned wider. "Seriously? I just gotta guess one last number?"
"Yep, it's all about your gut," Turing replied. "But don't underestimate the pressure. What you do in there could affect us out here."
Alex smiled, trying to sound pumped. "I don't think it's that hard," he said. "With one number confirmed and two I can guess, I've got this."
There was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes, and he felt a rush like he was about to dive into an epic game. "Let's see… the first number is '1,' then '77,' now I just gotta guess the last digit between 0 and 9."
Alex started thinking hard, smiling to himself. "Feels like a challenge. Three chances, but I'm sure I can win this. It's kinda like a video game."
Turing watched him closely, a mix of concern and faint amusement on his face as he observed Alex's confidence. "Alright, but don't take it lightly. Remember, the stakes are real for us, and your results might really matter."
"Relax, Turing," Alex replied confidently, resting his chin in his hand as he thought. "I've got this mission on lock."
He turned toward the cybercafe. Peering inside, he felt a strange mix of mystery and tension creeping in. "If I want to pull this off, I need to be careful. But I think I'm smart enough to crack that last number."
Taking a deep breath, he approached the invisible barrier, a twinge of nerves buzzing in his gut. Each step brought him closer to whatever awaited him, but he didn't hesitate. It felt like he was meant for this as he crossed the barrier effortlessly, walking up to the café door and gently pushing it open—only to be yanked inside by some unseen force.
Once inside, darkness enveloped everything, making it impossible to see. Alex felt a heavy weight on his chest, anxiety rising as he tried to make sense of his surroundings, but the darkness hid everything. Then, one by one, lights flickered on overhead, illuminating what seemed to be an endless hallway.
When the lights finally settled, Alex was totally blown away by what he saw. It looked like another dimension, an infinite space stretching out like crazy. A wave of wonder hit him, and he muttered, "What the hell is going on here?"
The place was massive, with walls made of some weird, pulsing material that seemed to breathe. The tech around him was like nothing he'd ever imagined, hinting at a civilization way more advanced than anything he knew. He remembered how the café looked from the outside and realized that the "people" he'd seen might've just been illusions. "Is this shit even real, or am I stuck in some freaky illusion?"
Alex kept moving down the hallway, each step adding to the mystery surrounding him. It felt like this place was hiding a ton of secrets, and his mind was racing with questions. "What's waiting for me here? What the hell is this place?"
With each step, the feeling that he was on the verge of discovering something mind-blowing grew stronger. The white lights overhead pulsed like they were guiding him along the right path. "There's gotta be more to this than just a simple mission," he thought, excitement pumping through his veins.
As he pushed forward, the walls became more intricate, splashed with vibrant colors and advanced tech, like he was slipping into another world. Everything around him made him question the reality he lived in. "If this is what's behind the cybercafe, what other crazy shit does this world hide?"
Alex's heart raced with every step, his curiosity burning hotter. He could feel something major waiting for him at the end of this corridor.
When he finally reached the end, he found himself standing in front of a floating bridge that stretched out into nothingness. He hesitated for a sec, but his courage kicked in, and he stepped onto the bridge. Looking down, there was no bottom in sight—just a void beneath him. One wrong move could mean game over. The thought sent chills down his spine, but it only made him more determined.
Taking a deep breath, Alex forged ahead across the bridge, feeling the cold wind whip around him like the place was trying to shove him back. Eventually, he reached a massive, high-tech screen—something beyond anything he'd ever seen.
As he got closer, the lights flared up, and a question flashed on the screen: *"Ready to enter the passcode?"* Alex hit "Accept" with a mix of excitement and nerves, and a keypad lit up in front of him.
Slowly and carefully, he punched in the first three digits of the code: "177." He held his breath as the lights blinked green—confirmation he was on the right track. "Guess that dude wasn't full of shit after all," he muttered, feeling relieved yet tense.
Now came the hard part. The final digit.
Alex stared at the empty screen, mind racing with possibilities. "What's the last number? Is it just random, or does it have some hidden meaning?"
Running through every hint he'd picked up so far, Alex knew he had ten options left, but only three shots. If he messed up three times, he'd lose everything. The stakes couldn't be higher, and he only got one shot at success.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. "Alright, I've gotta think this through." The pressure was mounting, but he felt the thrill of a real challenge as he steadied himself in front of the screen, ready to make his move.