"Currently," Camila's voice reached me as I snapped myself out of another unintentional snooze. How long had she been talking? I was just so tired. "The only legitimate mode of entry is Visitation Day. As most of us already know, Zavlon Academia selects a day of the week to grant particular people a tour of the school. It's usually on a weekday since Zavlon seeks to showcase the school in its most normal state, which is when there are students and classes are in session."

"So does that mean it'll still apply to now?" Tali queried. "Even when they're all controlled?"

"We don't really know the extent to which the Yunies can control the student body," Dorian replied. "The last time there was Visitation Day during Liberation Week, everyone was made to stay in their rooms in the Quarters. That doesn't mean, however, that we write off any move they'll use in an attempt to fake normalcy. Especially since Liberation Week was supposed to come to an end two weeks ago."

"Now, we have gone over Talise's role as a visitor but this will only happen after we figure out how she can become one in the first place," Rav reminded us. "We cannot predict who the algorithm will select when there are only ten available slots against a hundred applications available."

"Yeah, about that," Tali spoke out, going further to talk about what she'd noticed while going through Zavlon's website last night.

   The site, according to her, had submission forms for each applicant to fill out with the hopes of it being selected and make the visitors' slot. Talise mentioned that the structure of the form was such that it provided the option to either fill the various spaces that had been laid out or send a link or pdf file of a short personal essay as to why the applicant believed he or she should be a visitor.

"A link or pdf," Talise emphasised those words once more. "Can you imagine? I don't really blame them though since it's clear the system hasn't been updated in a while, but still. That wasn't the smartest move Zavlon pulled."

   I raised my brows at the way she used those words. It was like they held a significance so basic to human knowledge that it would have even been embarrassing to ask. Fortunately, I didn't have to.

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to explain further if you don't mind." Camila frowned at the chuckles Tali kept releasing. "No offence or anything, but no one else in this room is as well-accustomed to... you know, hacking."

   I restrained the laughter that bubbled within me as Camila took a paranoid glance around her own room after barely uttering the last word. Looking over to Tali, it wasn't surprising to see an amused gleam in her eye.

"Oh, come on, Camila," Aarav did not hold back his annoyance. "You don't have to whisper the word. And she's just trying to say that the link and/or pdf section is good news for us. Our best way in. That depends though, you wouldn't have access to any proper-functioning malware, would you?"

"And here I was thinking you spoke my language," Tali smirked when he turned to her to ask. "What do you think?"

"Damn, Beth," He said, gaze still locked on Tali. "You were not wrong with your choice."

"Okay, now I'm afraid to ask." I sighed. "But what exactly is going to happen?"

   She explained the false applicant we would eventually make up was going to fill the submission form using a pdf, from the link or pdf option the school provided, that led to its profile. This link would be laced with the worst malicious software that would instantly make Zavlon's system our bitch after clicking it—her words, not mine.

"Granting us control over the algorithm!"

"Us?" Tali reacted to Rav's outburst with a questioning brow.

"I know my way around a few hacking techniques. I could help." Rav shrugged. "My parents do own one of the biggest defence systems and gadgets companies in the state. It's almost impossible not to. Especially when you sneak around a lot."

"Great, because I plan on adding some modifications to the malware I already have. I'd be an idiot to underestimate the anti-malware capacity of Zavlon." Talise beamed. "I'll definitely need help covering my tracks if we get any surprises."

"So what happens if you're successful?" Dorian asked.

"I think you mean when, Dorian, when I'm successful," she replied. "And it's simple. Once we're in, we can manipulate the algorithm to choose our faux profile."

"Well, I'll be going through the records of visitors Zavlon has on its website." Cami announced. "They would serve as a good influence on the nature of the faux profile we create. We'll need ours to blend in as much as possible."

"What?" My face scrunched up at the looks suddenly thrown my way. "Oh right. Sure, Camila, I'll help you with that."

   The collective sighs that filled the room were in anything but agreement. What did I do now? Honestly, who cared? I suddenly remembered she'd had this long talk about roles before we began discussing the algorithm but I was barely awake then and even now.

   At this point, the only thing my mind allowed itself to focus on was a bed. A nice, warm bed that I could just catch up on a few hours of, in my opinion, well-deserved sleep. I wondered if Camila would be open to lending hers...

"Oh my God," Camila's voice suddenly came in. "She's still not listening."

"I'm sorry. Sorry, guys." I suppressed a yawn and stood up straighter. "You were saying?"

"I mentioned your role in all this ages ago." She shook her head. "You know, with the cameras? Seriously, Beth, where's your head?"

   This time, I fought to keep my eyes open as she went over my role again. It involved the cameras Tali was supposed to leave at several areas within the school once she gained entry.

   Wait, when was that mentioned? Had I slept through that too?

   Camila's phone screen displayed transparent coloured, squash ball-sized 360 degree angle viewing cameras that could move around the ground with the help of remotes.

   That was something I could recall. She and Rav had said they'd purchased them the night before online using a fake profile and an alias credit card account and how I had to carry out practice tests with—

"Guys, the cameras just came in." Dorian looked up from his phone. "I'll be right back."

—right, Dorian.

   An inexplicable heaviness overtook my chest. This will be fun.

   I had to ask Talise (later, of course) to recount everything that had been said. I couldn't afford any more nerve-wracking surprises.

"Okay, great, that's been taken care of," Rav said upon Dorian's exit. "But we still haven't figured out how Tali will be able to put the cameras around the school without getting noticed by the other members of the group or Edna."

"Actually," I replied. "When I was with my mother for my orientation turned visitation tour, we were granted a general tour by Edna, the hologram, for some minutes before we were allowed to wander off and reassemble later. Considering the circumstances though, I'm pretty sure supervision over the visitors would be super tight, so we'll have to think of something."

   Tali gave me a knowing look. I smiled in response before turning to the perplexed duo.

"Hacking isn't the only aspect of her expertise you know," I told them. "I present to you the master eluder from detention and other messed up situations we've agreed I'll never know about. And the reason my mother has had to change the locks to our home more times than I'd like to count. "

"It comes with experience," she grinned, raising her head from the dramatic bow she gave.

"We'll leave it to the expert then." Rav returned a bow of his own.

"Can we please have breakfast now?" I paid no mind to how childish I probably sounded.

   A tired plus ravenous me was not the best combination. If no one else wanted to be victims on the receiving end of my clap back, like Dorian when he thought 'exhausted' was the best thing to say to a cranky, barely conscious girl, they would listen.

   After breakfast at the motel's mini restaurant, Camila rejoined us in Rav's room to reveal how her request to the motel manager went.

"The woman just sent someone to unlock the door to the roof on the condition that there be no alcohol," she said. "Beth, Dorian, I trust you're ready to go up there and begin the practice tests with the cameras."

   I gave a slight nod, trying to avoid the churns that engulfed my stomach as I stared at him standing not too far away. I didn't get why I felt so uneasy. This wasn't the first time Dorian and I had worked together.

   Dorian, on the other hand, never even glanced my way or responded to Cami's question. He merely muttered a goodbye, opening the door to step out of Camila's room and slammed it behind him.

   It was clear that everyone had questions about that erratic behaviour, seeing as Dorian wasn't one for dramatic exits. I decided to slip out before anyone could bring it up.

A/N: Today's chapter is dedicated to livvybooks48 ! I loved reading and replying to your comments! Thanks so much for supporting  "Free Minds" ❤️!

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