The man's throat moved, his voice still raspy but clearer than the day before. “You’re awake?”
A weight lifted from Danielle’s chest, the tension of the past few days soothed by a wave of relief. She nodded and tucked his blanket in more securely. “Are you not coughing anymore?”
“It’s an old problem.” Alexander managed a weak smile. “It usually sorts itself out.”
He didn't elaborate, and Danielle didn't press him. Just seeing his face, though pale, no longer contorted in pain, was enough to let her finally relax the tight grip on her heart. She stood up, poured him a glass of warm water, and watched him drink it in small sips.
But this brief moment of peace was soon shattered by another problem—the missing chip was still nowhere to be found.
The atmosphere in the research station’s conference room was so thick with tension it was nearly suffocating. Parham stood at the front, his brow furrowed, his eyes sweeping over the group before landing on Danielle with undisguised suspicion. “Aside from Miss Crawford, none of us have left the core area of the station. On the day the chip went missing, she was the only one who went out. Furthermore, she's an outside contractor, which already makes her status questionable.”
The comment sparked a wave of whispers. All eyes turned to Danielle, their gazes filled with scrutiny and speculation, pricking her skin like tiny needles. Danielle sat straight in her chair, her back rigid, her expression calm.
She looked up at Parham. “Parham, you can suspect me, but you need to provide evidence. The disappearance of the chip is a serious matter, and it can’t be solved with baseless accusations.”
“Evidence?” Parham scoffed. “The blizzard has us snowed in, and communications are down. We can’t even contact the outside world. Where am I supposed to get evidence? You are the only lead we have.”
Danielle nodded. “I can try. But some of the parts are old. I’ll need to do a thorough check.” She was skilled with electronics, and fixing this kind of equipment was one of her strengths.
For the next few hours, Danielle immersed herself in the communications room, dismantling parts, checking circuits, and soldering connections with practiced, focused movements. Alexander stayed by her side, watching her work, occasionally handing her a pair of pliers or a cloth. They worked in perfect sync, hardly exchanging a word.
Late into the evening, a signal bar finally flickered to life on the screen.
“It’s working.” Forgetting the grease on her hands, Danielle immediately dialed the number for the National Research Directorate. The person on the other end was stunned to hear about the missing chip and promised to report it immediately.

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