Kade didn't hire people lightly.
Everyone in his operation—what little of it existed—was vetted, filtered, and scrubbed until they were nothing but function.
So when Neris Vale showed up at the entrance to the Thread's private suite the next morning—black coat, laptop case, and unreadable smile—he felt like the System should've stopped her.
It didn't.
> [SYSTEM LOG]
Application ID: Clean
Skillset: Verified
AI Compatibility: 100%
Threat Level: Undefined
Comment: "I'm not sure if she's working for us… or if we're working for her."
She stepped into the main operations room like she already had the floor plan memorized.
"Morning," she said, setting her bag on the desk just outside his office.
"Didn't expect you to accept the offer," Kade replied from the doorway.
"You didn't send one."
He frowned.
She pulled a printed badge from her coat—Oblivion Thread Executive Access. His signature was on the bottom.
"I figured if I was going to show up, I might as well make it official," she said, dropping the badge into a tray scanner.
> [Access Approved]
Welcome, Neris Vale.
"Coffee?" she asked, already typing with one hand and syncing her terminal with the mainframe.
"I'm not really a—"
"Figured. Just testing if you're boring."
He narrowed his eyes. "You make a habit of insulting your employers?"
"Only when I want them to stay sharp."
She looked up then, and for the first time since their brief encounter in the off-grid sector, he got a better look at her—sharp features, matte lipstick, nails clean and weapon-level stylish. Understated power.
And eyes that didn't ask questions—they watched them unravel.
"Let me be clear," Kade said, stepping inside his office. "This isn't a fashion brand. We're building something that might get us killed."
"Perfect," she replied. "I'm great under pressure."
---
Later that day, she sent him a full operational workflow: restructuring his backend security, optimizing his client queue, and suggesting—no, executing—an automated deflection protocol for all bot-farm inquiries.
He didn't ask her to.
And it worked.
> [New System Feature: V.I.P. Node Curator – Added by Neris Vale]
Comment: "You're welcome. Now you can focus on actual threats."
She didn't talk much outside work. But when she did, it was never small talk. Always direct. Clean.
Kade began watching how she watched.
She never seemed impressed. Or confused. Or overwhelmed. Everything landed somewhere between already calculated and mildly amusing.
---
That evening, Kade ran a scan out of curiosity.
> Trace: Neris Vale
Result:
Birth records: inconclusive
Employment history: fragmented
Education: top-tier credentials, no matching institutions
Psychological profile: blank
Linked devices: unregistered
Scan terminated. Subject recognized scan attempt.
He froze.
A message popped up on his private terminal.
> [Message from: Neris Vale]
Subject: Really?
Body:
"If you're going to investigate your assistant, at least hide the attempt better. Unless you enjoy being caught."
He leaned back and smiled despite himself.
"System," he murmured, "how does she keep getting ahead of you?"
> Unknown. I don't like it.
Also… she's encrypted parts of your own network and didn't ask permission.
"Where?"
> Only the sections linked to Red Root.
She's aware of it.
Kade stared at the screen, pulse ticking a little faster.
Who the hell was she?
---
The next morning, Neris entered without knocking.
"You've got company," she said, sliding a datapad onto his desk. "Vel sent a courier."
Kade looked up. "Courier?"
"More like a message. Wrapped in silk. I didn't open it."
He raised an eyebrow. "Tempted?"
"Of course." She smiled. It wasn't warm.
She turned to leave.
Then paused. "She knows about me. She's testing your boundaries."
"And you?"
Neris shrugged. "I don't need to test anything."
"And why's that?"
She glanced back over her shoulder. "Because I already know where I stand."
Then walked out.