Tera's team regrouped six blocks from the server facility, hiding in the shell of what had once been a luxury apartment complex. Through a broken window, they could see the Luminex Systems complex—a gleaming white fortress amid the urban decay, now with additional security drones circling its perimeter.
"We hurt them," Omega said, removing his mask to reveal a face lined with sweat and determination. "Primary cooling is compromised for at least six blocks of servers."
"Not enough," Tera replied, checking her tablet. The information streaming across it showed power consumption for the facility had barely decreased. "They're rerouting everything to protect their precious dead."
Rivera, the youngest of their group, slumped against a crumbling wall. "Now what? They'll triple security after this."
Tera stared at the facility, thoughts racing. Their intelligence had been incomplete. The physical security they could handle, it was the digital architecture that proved to be impenetrable.
"We need someone on the inside," she said finally.
Omega looked up sharply. "What do you mean? We don't have anyone uploaded."
"No," Tera agreed, "but we know someone who does." She turned to face her team, a new plan forming. "My sister."
The others exchanged glances. They all knew Tera's history, her sister Luna had been among the early adopters of Zenith, using her husband's influence to secure her place in digital immortality while leaving Tera and her parents behind.
"You haven't spoken to her in years," Omega said carefully. "How would you even reach her?"
Tera's expression hardened. "The dead still own things in our world. Property. Financial assets. Most importantly, they have legal identities managed by proxy AIs." She tapped her tablet, bringing up public records. "Luna's proxy still manages her affairs. It's programmed to respond to family emergencies."
"So you're going to what, call your dead sister for help?" Rivera asked mockingly.
"No," Tera replied, looking up at the gleaming server complex. "I'm going to threaten everything she left behind unless she helps us. The dead may have abandoned this world, but their possessions are still here—vulnerable, physical, and legally untouchable because they're still technically 'alive' in there."
She stood up, decision made. "It's time the uploaded faced a choice: share the future, or lose their past."