The double steel doors slid open, expelling a gust of cold air and the smell of machinery. We stepped inside and the doors closed behind us.

“We’re in,” Iris said to Lingyi. “But the touch pad recognized Daiyu’s security code and identified her.”

“Will security be notified she’s in the building?” I asked, feeling light-headed.

“Unlikely, because they expect to greet every person at the front entrance, so an alert would be unnecessary,” Lingyi said into our earpieces. “But it just takes one glance at the logs for whatever reason for this to be over. We need to move.” Lingyi sounded in control as always, but I could still detect the edge in her voice. “Once I have access to Jin’s security system, I can wipe your use of Daiyu’s personal code from their logs.”

“Right, boss,” I said, flexing my fingers. “I’m ready.”

“Are there machines?” Lingyi asked through the earpiece.

“Hundreds,” I replied.

Rows and rows of steel racks housed blinking servers. A low hum vibrated through the expansive concrete space. The data center was also five-sided with a ten-foot ceiling, dimly lit with blue lights at each corner where the five walls met. I clicked my Vox on to bright to use as a flashlight, walking down a random row of machines. “What am I looking for?” I asked.

“The security servers are housed on this floor,” Lingyi said. “Any one of them will do.”

I walked down a dark row, surrounded by blinking green and blue lights, with an occasional red or flash of yellow, and chose a server farther away from the entrance. “Got it.”

Iris had disappeared down another row of machines, prowling as she always did.

“Are the lights all blinking in one color?” Lingyi said in my earpiece.

“Yes. Blue.”

“Perfect,” Lingyi said. “Just turn on the Palm I gave you and direct it in front of those blinking lights. Press the green door icon.”

I did as she said. The door icon vibrated when I pushed it and emitted a green ray of light onto the rectangular server in front of me. “Done.”

“Now, just hold still,” Lingyi said. “And hope that this works.”

The vents expelling the cold air hummed around me as I stood motionless, praying to the Goddess of Mercy. I wasn’t religious, but it couldn’t hurt. Lingyi had explained that Jin’s security system was entirely contained and offline. It was why breaking in and gaining access was crucial; otherwise, there was no possible way to infiltrate their systems. Lingyi needed physical proximity.

“Doppelganger’s doing its thing,” Lingyi said, her pitch slightly raised in excitement. “It’s almost in.”