They landed an hour later at an automated offshore refueling rig in the Mediterranean. It was a Corporate Oversight black site, marked on the plane's navigation charts.
It was perfect. A rusted steel island in the middle of the ocean, unmanned, powered by a geothermal generator.
Rick didn't need to hack the door. He placed his hand on the control panel.
[System Interface: Connection Established.] [Override: Successful.]
The heavy blast doors hissed open. The lights flickered on. The facility woke up, recognizing its new master.
They set up in the control room. Sharon secured Johnson in a storage locker with a bottle of water and a bucket. She joined Rick at the main console.
"You okay?" she asked, watching him. "Your eyes are… glowing. A little bit."
"Upgrade," Rick said dismissively. "Don't worry about it."
He placed the Black Laptop on the desk. He placed the Cube on top of it.
"Connect," Rick ordered.
