The annual Northwood Tech Showcase was Prof's domain. He stood beside his presentation, a complex simulation of an optimized logistical routing algorithm that used neural network principles. It was technically flawless, intellectually rigorous, and utterly devoid of anything relatable—exactly how he liked his work.
The judges, a panel of local tech executives and math professors, approached his station. Ampofoh, who was assisting with the presentation, gave Prof a quick, reassuring nod. Gomez, stationed by the refreshment table, flashed a thumbs-up.
Prof clicked the remote, ready to begin his methodical, rapid-fire explanation.
"Good afternoon. My project, 'The Archimedes Protocol,' is designed to reduce real-world shipping latency by calculating—"
His voice stalled. The massive monitor behind him did not display the expected visualization of clean, efficient routes. Instead, it was filled with garbled, incomprehensible data—a chaotic swirl of brightly colored text, broken graphs, and an enormous error message that read: DATA CORRUPTION: INITIAL SET INVALID.
Prof felt the cold dread wash over him, worse than any shadow flicker he'd experienced. This wasn't a technical error; the code was sound. This was sabotage.
He immediately suspected who was responsible. Across the hall, Christabel and Florence, positioned near the snack table, were exchanging a look of barely concealed triumph mixed with feigned innocence. They hadn't wanted Sonia near him, and now they were targeting his most prized asset: his reputation.
His brain, so good at solving logical problems, seized up completely on this illogical, messy, human one. He couldn't compute a solution. He couldn't lash out at Christabel without looking petty, and he couldn't fix the entire presentation in sixty seconds. He stood frozen, the silence of the room amplifying the error message's humiliation.
"Mr. Vance?" asked the lead judge, tapping his pen impatiently. "Are you experiencing technical difficulties?"
Just as Prof opened his mouth to deliver a cutting, self-sabotaging remark—something about the fragility of systems built by lesser minds—Sonia Alvares stepped forward. She wasn't his lab partner, nor was she on his team, but she moved with the confident authority of a crisis manager.
She didn't touch the keyboard or even look at the corrupted data. She looked straight at the judges, her clear, hazel eyes immediately commanding attention.
"I apologize, gentlemen," Sonia said, her voice smooth and unhurried. "The live data input for the trial run appears to be experiencing an unforeseen variable overload. Which, ironically, perfectly illustrates the central problem Leo is addressing."
She turned slightly to Prof, subtly placing her hand on the edge of the monitor stand, a non-verbal cue that redirected the spotlight away from the disaster.
"Leo, forgive the interruption, but since the execution is compromised, perhaps you could walk the judges through the concept," she prompted, pushing his geometry argument back onto the stage. "Show them the architecture—the elegant three-step logic you designed to simplify the complex neural pathways, regardless of the data set. Tell them why the Archimedes Protocol is so much faster."
Prof blinked, momentarily stunned. Her voice was steady, her confidence unwavering, and she had immediately reframed the failure as a feature. He realized he didn't need a technical fix; he needed a human shield and an emotional reset. She hadn't solved the equation, but she had rewritten the variables.
He took a deep breath, the cold dread receding slightly. He looked at the judges, who were now intrigued.
"The protocol simplifies pathfinding by reducing the dimensionality of the search space," Prof began, regaining his analytical rhythm. He launched into a brilliant, purely theoretical explanation of the algorithm's design, drawing complex structures in the air with his hands, using metaphors that made the judges nod in understanding.
He spent the next five minutes dazzling them with theory, driven by the realization that if he failed, he would fail her, too. When he finished, the lead judge put down his pen, not concerned about the corrupted data anymore.
"Mr. Vance," the judge said, smiling. "That was a fascinating presentation on the theoretical applications of your network. We'll look forward to seeing it run under optimal conditions. And Miss Alvares," he added, glancing at Sonia, "thank you for your excellent redirection."
After the judges moved on, Prof slumped against the table, the energy draining out of him.
"Why did you do that?" Prof asked, his voice low.
Sonia shrugged, picking up a stray pushpin and tossing it into a nearby cup. "You were caught in the loop. You can solve for X, but you can't solve for deliberate cruelty. I fixed the social glitch. Your presentation wasn't about data; it was about your intelligence. I just helped you prove the hypothesis."
She looked across the room at Christabel and Florence, who now looked more annoyed than triumphant.
"They tried to hurt your reputation. They failed," Sonia stated simply. "And they did it because you've created a magnetic field, Leo. You push people away, but that just makes them circle faster. You can't control the variables if you ignore the people holding the remote."
She had defended him. Not because he was brilliant, but because she valued the architecture of his mind. Prof didn't have a cynical comeback, or a logical rebuttal. All he had was a quiet, profound realization.
"Thank you, Sonia," he whispered, the words feeling foreign and heavy on his tongue. It was the first time he had thanked anyone for anything non-academic in years.
She finally looked at him, and her smile was soft, warm, and victorious. "See? Sometimes, showing the steps is the only way to prove the theorem."
This small victory cemented their strange bond, laying the groundwork for the emotional turmoil to come. They have successfully moved through the "Thawing the Ice" phase.
The next step is the transition to the "Honeymoon" phase: Chapter 5, where Prof and Sonia officially, if hesitantly, become a couple. Shall we proceed?