ire blinked,pletely caught off guard by the suggestion. She stared at Matthew as he''d just proposed they fly to the moon using rubber bands and paper clips. "What? Us? Build the robots?" Matthew grinned, that mischievous glint in his eyes suggesting he wasn''t kidding. "Sure, why not? We''ve got the brains, the resources. Why not give it a shot?"


    "Because it''s crazy," ire shot back, still trying to wrap her head around the idea. "We''re not robot engineers. Metacortex doesn''t even have a robotics department! It''s way too risky."


    "Too risky?" Matthew leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a look that screamed ''I know better." "Come on, ire. You''re The Raven. You can be a world-ss hacker and run Metacortex at the same time. How hard can it be to build a robot?" ire''s eyes narrowed as she gave him a weird look. "I get your point, butparing hacking and corporate management to building a robot? Not exactly the same thing."


    "Tomato, tomahto," Matthew replied with a chuckle, waving her concerns away like they were trivial. "And hey, you won''t be doing this alone. I''ll help. Plus, you''ve got all those geniuses over at Cryptonic. You could ask them to pitch in." ire bit her lip, her mind racing. The idea was out there, no doubt about it. But maybe that was exactly why it had potential. Still, she had to weigh the risks.


    "It''s not a terrible idea, but we don''t exactly have a robotics division."


    "So, we start one," Matthew said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You''ve always said Metacortex is about innovation, right? What''s more innovative than building our own robots when no one else will?" ire couldn''t help but smile at his enthusiasm. "You make it sound so easy."


    "Because it is," Matthew insisted. "We hire the best people, we give them what they need, and we get to work. Worst case, we''re in the same spot we are now, but best case, we end up with robots that are exactly what we need."


    ire leaned back, thinking it over. "You know, Matthew, you might just be onto something."


    Matthew grinned. "I usually am. So, what do you say? Ready to start our own robotics division?"


    ire felt a spark of excitement, something she hadn''t felt all day. "Let''s do it. We''ll need to move fast, but if anyone can pull it off, it''s us."


    Matthew''s grin widened, clearly pleased with himself for nting the seed. "That''s the spirit! Think about it, ire. If we pull this off, it''s going to be a game-changer. People won''t just see Metacortex as a tech giant-they''ll see us as innovators. Pioneers." ire raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like we''re trying to build an electric spaceship."


    "Who knows? Maybe we''ll do that next," Matthew joked, leaning forward with enthusiasm. "But seriously, imagine the headlines. ''Metacortex Enters Robotics: A New Era of Innovation.'' It''s got a nice ring to it, don''t you think?"


    "I can see the headlines now," ire said dryly. "Metacortex CEO Goes Crazy, Decides to Build Robots on a Whim."


    Matthewughed. "Hey, people love a good underdog story. We start with robots, then who knows? World domination?"


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves," ire replied, though she couldn''t help but smile at his infectious enthusiasm. "But let''s say we do this. Where would we even start? It''s not like we can just Google ''how to build a robot'' and call it a day." Matthew tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, first, we''d need to figure out what kind of robots we''re talking about. Are we thinking humanoid robots, industrial bots, something else entirely?"


    "More like helper robots. Something to serve and greet guests in hotels. You know, a friendly, efficient assistant that makes the stay more enjoyable for the guests."


    "First thing first, we need a design,"


    "I''ll contact Abigail and ask her for the design."


    Matthew nodded. "We need to decide on its appearance, functions, and personality. And of course, we''ll have to figure out the tech behind it-Al, sensors, all that good stuff."


    ire raised an eyebrow. "You''re talking like this is a weekend project."


    "It''s the only way to keep the excitement going."


    "Alright. But we do it my way. We take it slow, we cover all our bases, and we don''t rush into anything. If we''re going to build robots, we''re going to do it right." "This is going to be awesome, ire. I can feel it."


    "Let''s hope your feeling is right," ire replied, though there was a hint of excitement in her voice now. "Because if this blows up in our faces, I''m ming you."


    "Deal," Matthew said, still grinning from ear to ear. "But don''t worry, ire. We''ve got this. I''ll get started on some preliminary research. And maybe we can set up a meeting with the best employee you have." "Good idea,"


    The night had settled over the city,


    with the hospital bathed in a peaceful hush, Lisa was asleep in the plushfort of her VIP room, a luxury she had chosen over


    returning to her mother''s house. The doctorh had given her the all-clear to leave, but Lisa wasn''t ready to face the world just yet. The hospital, with its quiet halls and soft, sterile lighting, felt like a cocoon where she


    could hide from her troubles.


    As Lisa slumbered, the door to her room creaked open slowly. Gretta slipped in like a shadow, her footsteps barely making a sound on the polished floor. She approached the bed with a cautious tread, but something must have alerted Lisa, who stirred in her sleep, a frown creasing her brow.


    Her eyes fluttered open, and she felt a presence looming above her. With a gasp, Lisa jolted awake and was about to scream when Gretta''s hand shot out, mping over her mouth.


    "It''s me! It''s Gretta!" she hissed urgently, trying to calm Lisa down.


    Lisa''s eyes widened in recognition, and Gretta removed her hand, stepping back to turn on the light. The sudden brightness filled the room, revealing Gretta''s face, which was set in a deep scowl.


    "Oh, it''s you," Lisa mumbled, rubbing her eyes and trying to steady her racing heart. "Why the heck did you sneak up on me like that? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"


    Gretta crossed her arms over her chest, her expression unimpressed. "You messed up, Lisa. Big time."


    Lisa''s heart, which had just begun toCòntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    slow, skipped a beat again. She knew this conversation wasing, and she''d been dreading it. She hadn''t contacted Gretta since the whole mess went down, partly because she was too embarrassed and partly because she didn''t know


    how to exin herself.


    "I know, I know," Lisa stammered, fumbling with the edge of her nket as if it could offer some kind of defense.


    Gretta''s eyes narrowed as she leaned in closer, her voiceced with frustration. "That''s not the n, Lisa. The n was to let ire be devoured by the fire-literally and metaphorically. So, what''s with the sudden change of heart? Why did you save her?"


    Lisa''s mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. She hadn''t expected Gretta to confront her so soon, and now that she was here, Lisa found herself at a loss for what to say. She kept fiddling with the nket, looking everywhere but at Gretta''s piercing gaze.


    "I" Lisa started, but her voice caught in her throat. She cleared it and tried again. "I saw Alex, and I... I thought maybe if I helped ire, Alex would see it and... and maybe he''de back to me."


    Gretta let out a long, exaggerated sigh and red at her friend, a mix of disappointment and disbelief on her face. "Lisa, what do you want? For ire to die or for Alex toe back? You can''t have both."


    Lisa bit her lip, her mind racing. The


    truth was, she didn''t know what she


    wanted. In a perfect world, she''d have Alex back and ire would be out of the picture. But this wasn''t a perfect world, and she wasn''t sure if she could have either. Deep down, though, she knew that if she had to choose, Alex would win every time.


    Before she could muster a response, Gretta cut her off. "Alex isn''ting back to you, Lisa, and you know it. You need to stop living in denial and ept it."