Intern’s Log: Smoky, the Tech Specialist Who Is Too Smart for His Own Good

  Date: Redacted

  Intern ID: Reynolds, J. (I have met the smartest Good Boy. This is dangerous.)

  Alright.

  After barely surviving Cairo’s "I know everything and I can be anywhere" energy, I decided to check out the last Good Boy I hadn’t officially met yet.

  His name? Smoky.

  His role? Tech Specialist.

  His reputation? Too smart for his own damn good.

  And now?

  Now I understand why everyone in this facility fears him.

  Phase One: The First Impression (He Looks Normal? That’s Suspicious.)

  Unlike the other Good Boys, who radiate intimidation, chaos, or silent menace, Smoky seemed...

  Chill.

  ? Husky genes.

  ? Sleek, silver-gray fur.

  ? Glowing blue cybernetic enhancements embedded in his hands.

  ? A casual, almost lazy grin like he’s seen the end of the movie and already knows how it plays out.

  ? The youngest of the group, but somehow the one who acts like he’s been here the longest.

  "Ah, the intern," he said, spinning in a chair when I walked in.

  "Uh. Yeah."

  "Welcome to my domain. Try not to break anything. Or do. I like fixing things."

  And that?

  That should have been a red flag.

  Phase Two: I Watch Him Work (I Do Not Understand What I Am Seeing)

  I expected Smoky to be sitting at a computer, maybe working on cybersecurity or something.

  What I did not expect was for him to be actively rewiring a neural interface with his bare hands.

  Like it was nothing.

  No gloves.

  No tools.

  Just his modified fingers tapping into a complex system that I absolutely should not be looking at.

  "You’re good with tech, huh?" I asked, because I am a master of stating the obvious.

  "Oh, you know," he said modestly, while literally hacking a military-grade network with one hand. "I dabble."

  HE. DABBLES.

  Phase Three: Smoky Plays By His Own Rules

  After about ten minutes of watching him work, I noticed something deeply unsettling.

  ? The terminal he was working on? Not officially assigned to him.

  ? The files he was sorting through? Not even related to Project Canid.

  ? The security feeds he had pulled up? Definitely restricted.

  "Smoky," I said carefully, "are you supposed to have access to that?"

  He grinned, flashing a sharp canine.

  "Supposed to? No."

  "But you do."

  "Obviously."

  I stared.

  "How."

  He just wiggled his cybernetic fingers.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "Magic."

  I hate him.

  Phase Four: The Time I Almost Got Arrested Because of Him

  About twenty minutes after I left Smoky’s lab, I was detained by security.

  Because, apparently, my access credentials had just attempted to download classified project data.

  Which I did not do.

  But you know who did?

  Smoky.

  With my ID.

  That I didn’t even know he had.

  I was in the middle of trying to explain this absolute nightmare scenario when, out of nowhere, a facility-wide announcement came over the speakers.

  "Whoops. My bad."

  IT WAS HIS VOICE.

  I swear to God, I heard Cairo laughing somewhere.

  Phase Five: The Time I Asked Him What His Actual Job Was

  After I was begrudgingly released from security questioning, I stormed back into Smoky’s lab.

  "WHAT IS YOUR ACTUAL JOB?!"

  Smoky, completely unbothered, was sitting with his feet up, eating a stolen protein bar.

  "You mean besides making sure the team doesn’t die?"

  "YES."

  "I’m the guy who makes sure we’re always three steps ahead."

  "By hacking the facility?!"

  "By knowing everything before the people in charge do."

  I dragged a hand down my face.

  "Smoky. They will fire you for this."

  He chuckled.

  "Reynolds. If they could stop me, they would have already."

  And you know what?

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  Phase Six: The Time He Hacked My Phone Just to Prove a Point

  Later that evening, my phone buzzed.

  A message from an unknown number.

  [You should really use a better password.]

  I stared at it.

  Then looked up.

  Across the hall, Smoky was leaning casually in a doorway, smiling.

  I hate him so much.

  Phase Seven: The Realization That Smoky Is More Dangerous Than I Thought

  ? Chips is a commander, calculating every move.

  ? Stubby is an agent of pure chaos.

  ? Lucca will keep you alive whether you want her to or not.

  ? Nemo is a wrecking ball that moves when he decides to.

  ? Cairo is everywhere, always watching.

  But Smoky?

  Smoky is all of them at once.

  ? He is the guy who makes sure they all stay ahead of the game.

  ? He knows things no one else should know.

  ? He can get into any system, any device, any record.

  ? And he does it for fun.

  He isn’t just a hacker.

  He isn’t just a tech expert.

  He is the one who makes sure the team is always untouchable.

  And that?

  That is very bad news for anyone trying to stop them.

  Final Thoughts (I Am Never Getting My Privacy Back)

  ? Smoky is the youngest Good Boy.

  ? Smoky is also the most dangerously smart one.

  ? Smoky has probably already read this log before I post it.

  ? I am never trusting my phone, my passwords, or my own ID badge again.

  ? If Smoky ever decides to go rogue, we are all doomed.

  I don’t know what he’s planning next.

  But I do know this—

  If he wanted to make me disappear?

  I would already be gone.

  End Log.