Kael gritted his teeth. There had to be a third option. He looked closer at the code streaming around him. Multikey. The name implied plurality. It wasn't just one key for one lock. It was a skeleton key for all locks.
The system was fighting him. The white void began to turn red. Drones in the real world were likely battering down the door. He could hear the screech of metal tearing in the distance. multikey 18.1
The doors to the high-rises clicked open. The credit restrictions vanished. The rain stopped as the weather control satellites finally answered to the people below. Kael gritted his teeth
"Kael!" Jazz’s voice cut through the static, frantic now. "I’m reading a massive power spike! The key isn't just a password—it’s a purge bomb! If you accept the update, it wipes the memory cores. That includes the life-support grids for the lower sectors. Kael, it kills half the city to 'optimize' the other half!" Multikey
There was a long silence on the line.
Kael smiled, disappearing into the shadows. He had lost the key, but he had unlocked the cage.